The Dog And The Sparrow
: Grimms' Fairy TalesA shepherd's dog had a master who took no care of him, but often let him
suffer the greatest hunger. At last he could bear it no longer; so he
took to his heels, and off he ran in a very sad and sorrowful mood.
On the road he met a sparrow that said to him, 'Why are you so sad,
my friend?' 'Because,' said the dog, 'I am very very hungry, and have
nothing to eat.' 'If that be all,' answered the sparrow, 'come with me
in
went together into the town: and as they passed by a butcher's shop,
the sparrow said to the dog, 'Stand there a little while till I peck you
down a piece of meat.' So the sparrow perched upon the shelf: and having
first looked carefully about her to see if anyone was watching her, she
pecked and scratched at a steak that lay upon the edge of the shelf,
till at last down it fell. Then the dog snapped it up, and scrambled
away with it into a corner, where he soon ate it all up. 'Well,' said
the sparrow, 'you shall have some more if you will; so come with me to
the next shop, and I will peck you down another steak.' When the dog had
eaten this too, the sparrow said to him, 'Well, my good friend, have you
had enough now?' 'I have had plenty of meat,' answered he, 'but I should
like to have a piece of bread to eat after it.' 'Come with me then,'
said the sparrow, 'and you shall soon have that too.' So she took him
to a baker's shop, and pecked at two rolls that lay in the window, till
they fell down: and as the dog still wished for more, she took him to
another shop and pecked down some more for him. When that was eaten, the
sparrow asked him whether he had had enough now. 'Yes,' said he; 'and
now let us take a walk a little way out of the town.' So they both went
out upon the high road; but as the weather was warm, they had not gone
far before the dog said, 'I am very much tired--I should like to take a
nap.' 'Very well,' answered the sparrow, 'do so, and in the meantime
I will perch upon that bush.' So the dog stretched himself out on the
road, and fell fast asleep. Whilst he slept, there came by a carter with
a cart drawn by three horses, and loaded with two casks of wine. The
sparrow, seeing that the carter did not turn out of the way, but would
go on in the track in which the dog lay, so as to drive over him, called
out, 'Stop! stop! Mr Carter, or it shall be the worse for you.' But the
carter, grumbling to himself, 'You make it the worse for me, indeed!
what can you do?' cracked his whip, and drove his cart over the poor
dog, so that the wheels crushed him to death. 'There,' cried the
sparrow, 'thou cruel villain, thou hast killed my friend the dog. Now
mind what I say. This deed of thine shall cost thee all thou art worth.'
'Do your worst, and welcome,' said the brute, 'what harm can you do me?'
and passed on. But the sparrow crept under the tilt of the cart, and
pecked at the bung of one of the casks till she loosened it; and than
all the wine ran out, without the carter seeing it. At last he looked
round, and saw that the cart was dripping, and the cask quite empty.
'What an unlucky wretch I am!' cried he. 'Not wretch enough yet!' said
the sparrow, as she alighted upon the head of one of the horses, and
pecked at him till he reared up and kicked. When the carter saw this,
he drew out his hatchet and aimed a blow at the sparrow, meaning to kill
her; but she flew away, and the blow fell upon the poor horse's head
with such force, that he fell down dead. 'Unlucky wretch that I am!'
cried he. 'Not wretch enough yet!' said the sparrow. And as the carter
went on with the other two horses, she again crept under the tilt of the
cart, and pecked out the bung of the second cask, so that all the wine
ran out. When the carter saw this, he again cried out, 'Miserable wretch
that I am!' But the sparrow answered, 'Not wretch enough yet!' and
perched on the head of the second horse, and pecked at him too. The
carter ran up and struck at her again with his hatchet; but away she
flew, and the blow fell upon the second horse and killed him on the
spot. 'Unlucky wretch that I am!' said he. 'Not wretch enough yet!' said
the sparrow; and perching upon the third horse, she began to peck him
too. The carter was mad with fury; and without looking about him, or
caring what he was about, struck again at the sparrow; but killed his
third horse as he done the other two. 'Alas! miserable wretch that I
am!' cried he. 'Not wretch enough yet!' answered the sparrow as she flew
away; 'now will I plague and punish thee at thy own house.' The
carter was forced at last to leave his cart behind him, and to go home
overflowing with rage and vexation. 'Alas!' said he to his wife, 'what
ill luck has befallen me!--my wine is all spilt, and my horses all three
dead.' 'Alas! husband,' replied she, 'and a wicked bird has come into
the house, and has brought with her all the birds in the world, I am
sure, and they have fallen upon our corn in the loft, and are eating it
up at such a rate!' Away ran the husband upstairs, and saw thousands of
birds sitting upon the floor eating up his corn, with the sparrow in the
midst of them. 'Unlucky wretch that I am!' cried the carter; for he saw
that the corn was almost all gone. 'Not wretch enough yet!' said the
sparrow; 'thy cruelty shall cost thee they life yet!' and away she flew.
The carter seeing that he had thus lost all that he had, went down
into his kitchen; and was still not sorry for what he had done, but sat
himself angrily and sulkily in the chimney corner. But the sparrow sat
on the outside of the window, and cried 'Carter! thy cruelty shall cost
thee thy life!' With that he jumped up in a rage, seized his hatchet,
and threw it at the sparrow; but it missed her, and only broke the
window. The sparrow now hopped in, perched upon the window-seat, and
cried, 'Carter! it shall cost thee thy life!' Then he became mad and
blind with rage, and struck the window-seat with such force that he
cleft it in two: and as the sparrow flew from place to place, the carter
and his wife were so furious, that they broke all their furniture,
glasses, chairs, benches, the table, and at last the walls, without
touching the bird at all. In the end, however, they caught her: and the
wife said, 'Shall I kill her at once?' 'No,' cried he, 'that is letting
her off too easily: she shall die a much more cruel death; I will eat
her.' But the sparrow began to flutter about, and stretch out her neck
and cried, 'Carter! it shall cost thee thy life yet!' With that he
could wait no longer: so he gave his wife the hatchet, and cried, 'Wife,
strike at the bird and kill her in my hand.' And the wife struck; but
she missed her aim, and hit her husband on the head so that he fell down
dead, and the sparrow flew quietly home to her nest.
More
-
The Crows At The Fairies' Ball
"The fairies had one of their fine balls just two evenings ago," said daddy. "Among their guests were the brownies, elves, gnomes, many of the birds, butterflies, humming-birds, red lizards, grasshoppers, and crickets. The crickets had arran... The Cruel Stepmother
Once long ago, when the Blackfeet Indians dwelt on the Canadian prairies, a poor Indian and his two children, a boy and a girl, were living near the bank of a great river. The children's mother had long been dead and they had long been left to the... The Crystal Coffin
Now let no one say that a poor tailor can't get on in the world, and, indeed, even attain to very high honour. Nothing is required but to set the right way to work, but of course the really important thing is to succeed. A very bright active ... The Cub's Triumph
Once upon a time there lived in a forest a badger and a mother fox with one little Cub. There were no other beasts in the wood, because the hunters had killed them all with bows and arrows, or by setting snares. The deer, and the wild boar, the... The Cuckoo
We are usefully reminded of the season of the cuckoo by the following homely proverbial lines: In April, The cuckoo shows his bill; In May, He sings all day; In June, He alters his tune; In July, ... The Cucumber Under The Brownie's Umbrella
<p>The Indians had Brownies, only they called them Pukwudjies, and I am going to tell you a story of an Indian Brownie.</p> <div> <img src="/images/i110.png" alt="The Cucumber Under the Brownie's Umbrella" title="The Cucumber Under the Brownie's Umbre... The Cunning Hare
In a very cold country, far across the seas, where ice and snow cover the ground for many months in the year, there lived a little hare, who, as his father and mother were both dead, was brought up by his grandmother. As he was too young, and sh... The Cunning Shoemaker
Sicilianische Mahrchen. Once upon a time there lived a shoemaker who could get no work to do, and was so poor that he and his wife nearly died of hunger. At last he said to her, 'It is no use waiting on here--I can find nothing; so I shall go d... The Curious Case Of Ah-top
(A Chinese Legend) The slant-eyed maidens, when they spied The cue of Ah-Top, gaily cried, "It is some mandarin!" The street-boys followed in a crowd; No wonder that Ah-Top was proud And wore a conscious grin! ... The Daisy
NOW listen. Out in the country, close by the roadside, stood a pleasant house; you have seen one like it, no doubt, very often. In front lay a little fenced-in garden, full of blooming flowers. Near the hedge, in the soft green grass, grew a littl... The Dancing Monkeys
A PRINCE had some Monkeys trained to dance. Being naturally great mimics of men's actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers. The spectacle was oft... The Dancing Monkeys
A Prince had some Monkeys trained to dance. Being naturally great mimics of men's actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils; and, when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the guests. The spectacle was often... The Dancing Water The Singing Apple And The Speaking Bird
There was once an herb-gatherer who had three daughters who earned their living by spinning. One day their father died and left them all alone in the world. Now the king had a habit of going about the streets at night, and listening at the doors t... The Darning-needle
THERE was once a Darning-needle who thought herself so fine that she came at last to believe that she was fit for embroidery. "Mind now that you hold me fast," she said to the Fingers that took her up. "Pray don't lose me. If I should fall on th... The Daughter 0f Buk Ettemsuch
Once upon a time there lived a man who had seven daughters. For a long time they dwelt quite happily at home together, then one morning the father called them all before him and said: 'Your mother and I are going on a journey, and as we do not... The Dead Wife
From the Iroquois. Once upon a time there were a man and his wife who lived in the forest, very far from the rest of the tribe. Very often they spent the day in hunting together, but after a while the wife found that she had so many things to d... The Death Of Abu Nowas And Of His Wife
Once upon a time there lived a man whose name was Abu Nowas, and he was a great favourite with the Sultan of the country, who had a palace in the same town where Abu Nowas dwelt. One day Abu Nowas came weeping into the hall of the palace where the... The Death Of Koshchei The Deathless
IN a certain kingdom there lived a Prince Ivan. He had three sisters. The first was the Princess Marya, the second the Princess Olga, the third the Princess Anna. When their father and mother lay at the point of death, they had thus enjoined their ... The Death Of The Sun-hero
From the Bukowinaer Tales and Legends. Von Wliolocki. Many, many thousand years ago there lived a mighty King whom heaven had blessed with a clever and beautiful son. When he was only ten years old the boy was cleverer than all the King's coun... The Deathcup Of Diablo
<div> <img src="/images/i182.png" alt="The Deathcup Toadstool" title="The Deathcup Toadstool" height="400" width="313" /> The Deathcup Toadstool </div> <p>The world went very well in those bright days of the long ago, when the wedding of El Sol and Mak... The Declaration Of Independence
BY WASHINGTON IRVING While danger was gathering round New York, and its inhabitants were in mute suspense and fearful anticipations, the General Congress at Philadelphia was discussing, with closed doors, what John Adams pronounced: "The greatest... The Defence Of Lathom House
Lathom House is an old English castle. When the war broke out between King Charles I and his people, the Earl of Derby, who was the master of this castle, went away to fight for the king. He left the Countess at home with her children, with a smal... The Demands Joyous
It is not generally known that many of our popular riddles are centuries old. Yet such is the fact, and those whose course of reading has made them acquainted with ancient collections are not unfrequently startled by observing a quibble of the fifte... The Depths Of The Deep Blue Sea
Cap'n Bill stood up in the boat as if undecided what to do. Never a sailor man was more bewildered than this old fellow by the strangeness of the adventure he had encountered. At first he could hardly believe it was all true and that he was not dr... The Devil's Mill
BY SAMUEL LOVER You see, sir, there was a colonel wanst, in times back, that owned a power of land about here--but God keep uz, they said he didn't come by it honestly, but did a crooked turn whenever 'twas to sarve himself. Well, the story g... The Diamond Ring
Children sit in a ring or in a line, with their hands placed together palm to palm, and held straight, the little fingers downmost between the knees. One of them is then chosen to represent a servant, who takes a ring, or some other small article as... The Different Connection Of Particles
Why are cart bolsters cut and wheel naves turned not from oak, but from birch? Bolsters and naves have to be strong, and oak is not more expensive than birch. Because oak splits lengthwise, and birch does not split, but ravels out. Because, t... The Digger Wasp That Killed The Cicada
<p>Strange things are done in the realm of Mother Carey; strange things and cruel. At least so they seem to us, for we do not know the plan that is behind them. We know only that sometimes love must be cruel. I am going to tell you of a strange happe... The Dirty Shepherdess
Once upon a time there lived a King who had two daughters, and he loved them with all his heart. When they grew up, he was suddenly seized with a wish to know if they, on their part, truly loved him, and he made up his mind that he would give hi... The Disinheriting Of A Son
Near a large town in England there lived in the last century a gentleman with his son and daughter. His wife died when her children were quite young, leaving a large fortune behind her, and in a few years her husband married again. Now, though the... The Doe and the Lion
A DOE hard pressed by hunters sought refuge in a cave belonging to a Lion. The Lion concealed himself on seeing her approach, but when she was safe within the cave, sprang upon her and tore her to pieces. "Woe is me," exclaimed the Doe, "who have ... The Dog And The Ass
An Ass laden with loaves of bread was going on a long journey with a dog to guard him from harm. Before the journey was ended both were famished with hunger, which the Ass was able to appease by eating the grass and thistles that grew by the roads... The Dog and the Cook
A RICH MAN gave a great feast, to which he invited many friends and acquaintances. His Dog availed himself of the occasion to invite a stranger Dog, a friend of his, saying, "My master gives a feast, and there is always much food remaining; come an... The Dog and the Hare
A HOUND having started a Hare on the hillside pursued her for some distance, at one time biting her with his teeth as if he would take her life, and at another fawning upon her, as if in play with another dog. The Hare said to him, "I wish you woul... The Dog and the Oyster
A DOG, used to eating eggs, saw an Oyster and, opening his mouth to its widest extent, swallowed it down with the utmost relish, supposing it to be an egg. Soon afterwards suffering great pain in his stomach, he said, "I deserve all this torment, f... The Dog and the Shadow
A DOG, crossing a bridge over a stream with a piece of flesh in his mouth, saw his own shadow in the water and took it for that of another Dog, with a piece of meat double his own in size. He immediately let go of his own, and fiercely attacked the... The Dog And The Sparrow
A shepherd's dog had a master who took no care of him, but often let him suffer the greatest hunger. At last he could bear it no longer; so he took to his heels, and off he ran in a very sad and sorrowful mood. On the road he met a sparrow that said... The Dog And The Sparrow
There was once upon a time a sheep-dog whose master was so unkind that he starved the poor beast, and ill- treated him in the cruellest manner. At last the dog determined to stand this ill-usage no longer, and, one day, he ran away from home. As... The Dog in the Manger
A DOG lay in a manger, and by his growling and snapping prevented the oxen from eating the hay which had been placed for them. "What a selfish Dog!" said one of them to his companions; "he cannot eat the hay himself, and yet refuses to allow those ... The Dog In The Manger
A cross Dog lay in a manger full of hay; and when the Ox came near to eat his own food, the rude and ill-bred cur at once began to snarl and bite at him. "What a selfish Beast thou art!" said the Ox; "thou canst not eat the hay thyself, nor wilt t... The Dog's House
IN THE WINTERTIME, a Dog curled up in as small a space as possible on account of the cold, determined to make himself a house. However when the summer returned again, he lay asleep stretched at his full length and appeared to himself to be of a gr... The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox
A DOG and a Cock being great friends, agreed to travel together. At nightfall they took shelter in a thick wood. The Cock flying up, perched himself on the branches of a tree, while the Dog found a bed beneath in the hollow trunk. When the morning... The Dogs and the Fox
SOME DOGS, finding the skin of a lion, began to tear it in pieces with their teeth. A Fox, seeing them, said, "If this lion were alive, you would soon find out that his claws were stronger than your teeth." It is easy to kick a man that is down.... The Dogs and the Hides
SOME DOGS famished with hunger saw a number of cowhides steeping in a river. Not being able to reach them, they agreed to drink up the river, but it happened that they burst themselves with drinking long before they reached the hides. Attempt no... The Dolphins, the Whales, and the Sprat
THE DOLPHINS and Whales waged a fierce war with each other. When the battle was at its height, a Sprat lifted its head out of the waves and said that he would reconcile their differences if they would accept him as an umpire. One of the Dolphins r... The Donkey And The Salt
One time a merchant went to the seashore for a load of salt. There were many hills and streams to cross on the journey. As the path was narrow and rocky, the man made his donkey carry the salt in large bags upon his back. It was a warm day, an... The Donkey Cabbage
There was once a young Hunter who went boldly into the forest. He had a merry and light heart, and as he went whistling along there came an ugly old woman, who said to him, 'Good-day, dear hunter! You are very merry and contented, but I suffer hun... The Dove And The Ant
An ant went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and, being carried away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of being drowned. A dove, sitting on a tree overhanging the water, plucked a leaf and let it fall into the stream close to... The Dove and the Crow
A DOVE shut up in a cage was boasting of the large number of young ones which she had hatched. A Crow hearing her, said: "My good friend, cease from this unseasonable boasting. The larger the number of your family, the greater your cause of sorro... The Dove Who Spoke Truth
BY ABBIE FARWELL BROWN The dove and the wrinkled little bat once went on a journey together. When it came toward night a storm arose, and the two companions sought everywhere for a shelter. But all the birds were sound asleep in their nests and t... The Dragon And His Grandmother
There was once a great war, and the King had a great many soldiers, but he gave them so little pay that they could not live upon it. Then three of them took counsel together and determined to desert. One of them said to the others, 'If we are ca... The Dragon Of The North
'Der Norlands Drache,' from Esthnische Mahrchen. Kreutzwald, Very long ago, as old people have told me, there lived a terrible monster, who came out of the North, and laid waste whole tracts of country, devouring both men and beasts; and this mo... The Dragon's Strength
There was once a King who had three sons. One day the oldest son went hunting and when night fell his huntsmen came riding home without him. Where is the prince? the King asked. Isn't he here? the huntsmen said. He left us in midafternoon chas... The Dragon's Tail
I wonder if the girls and boys who read these stories, have heard of the charming and romantic town of Eisenach? I suppose not, for it is a curious fact that few English people visit the place, though very many Americans go there. Americans are we... The Draiglin' Hogney
There was once a man who had three sons, and very little money to provide for them. So, when the eldest had grown into a lad, and saw that there was no means of making a livelihood at home, he went to his father and said to him: "Father, if tho... The Dream
In the morning Ourson was the first awake, aroused by the lowing of the cow. He rubbed his eyes and looked about him and asked himself why he was in a stable. Then he recalled the events of the day before, sprang up from his bundle of hay and ran ... The Drones And The Bee
By a sense of their bad reputation molested, The Drones in grave council assembled one day; And various measures each idler suggested, To wash of their sloth the sad stigma away. No other expedient well could they see, ... The Drop Of Water
YOU know, surely, what the microscope is--that wonderful little glass which makes everything appear a hundred times larger than it really is. If you look through a microscope at a single drop of ditch water, you will see a thousand odd-looking c... The Drowned Buccaneer
The story of Wolfert Webber was said by Louis Stevenson to be one of the finest treasure-seeking stories in the world; and as Stevenson was a very good judge, I am going to tell it to you. Wolfert's ancestor, Cobus Webber, was one of the origina... The Dryad Of The Old Oak
BY JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL (ADAPTED) In olden times there was a youth named Rhoecus. One day as he wandered through the wood he saw an ancient oak tree, trembling and about to fall. Full of pity for so fair a tree, Rhoecus carefully propped up its t... The Duck And The Snake
On the borders of a pond Stood a Duck, discoursing thus: "Nature to me is generous All creatures else beyond. For my life, it hath no bound Water, earth or air within; I can fly or I can swim, When a-weary of the grou... The Dummy That Lived
In all Fairyland there is no more mischievous a person than Tanko-Mankie the Yellow Ryl. He flew through the city one afternoon--quite invisible to moral eyes, but seeing everything himself--and noticed a figure of a wax lady standing behind the b... The Dwarfie Stone
Far up in a green valley in the Island of Hoy stands an immense boulder. It is hollow inside, and the natives of these northern islands call it the Dwarfie Stone, because long centuries ago, so the legend has it, Snorro the Dwarf lived there. N... The Eagle and His Captor
AN EAGLE was once captured by a man, who immediately clipped his wings and put him into his poultry-yard with the other birds, at which treatment the Eagle was weighed down with grief. Later, another neighbor purchased him and allowed his feathers ... The Eagle and the Arrow
AN EAGLE sat on a lofty rock, watching the movements of a Hare whom he sought to make his prey. An archer, who saw the Eagle from a place of concealment, took an accurate aim and wounded him mortally. The Eagle gave one look at the arrow that had ... The Eagle And The Arrow
A man shot a shaft at an Eagle, and hit him in the heart. When in the pains of death, the Eagle saw that the dart was made in part with one of his own quills. "Ah!" said he, "how much more sharp are wounds which are made by arms which we have ours... The Eagle And The Assembly Of Birds
To her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. The moral lay, to beauty due, I write, FAIR EXCELLENCE, to you; Well pleas'd to hope my vacant hours Have been employ'd to sweeten your's. Truth under fiction I impart, To weed out foll... The Eagle and the Fox
AN EAGLE and a Fox formed an intimate friendship and decided to live near each other. The Eagle built her nest in the branches of a tall tree, while the Fox crept into the underwood and there produced her young. Not long after they had agreed upon... The Eagle and the Jackdaw
AN EAGLE, flying down from his perch on a lofty rock, seized upon a lamb and carried him aloft in his talons. A Jackdaw, who witnessed the capture of the lamb, was stirred with envy and determined to emulate the strength and flight of the Eagle. H... The Eagle And The Jackdaw
An eagle flying down from his eyrie on a lofty rock, seized upon a lamb, and carried him aloft in his talons. A jackdaw, who witnessed the capture of the lamb, was stirred with envy, and determined to emulate the strength and flight of the eagle. ... The Eagle and the Kite
AN EAGLE, overwhelmed with sorrow, sat upon the branches of a tree in company with a Kite. "Why," said the Kite, "do I see you with such a rueful look?' "I seek," she replied, "a mate suitable for me, and am not able to find one." "Take me," retu... The Eagle's Pride As The Bird Of Freedom
Of course, as you can imagine, Jack and Evelyn had been buying all sorts and all sizes of firecrackers. "I think the Fourth of July is my favorite holiday of the whole year," said Jack. "Yes," said Evelyn, "so do I, except possibly Christm...