Bab Bab 54 · The Dog and the Sparrow

. The Dog and the Sparrow

A sheep-dog had not a good master, but, on the contrary, one who let

him suffer hunger. As he could stay no longer with him, he went quite

sadly away. On the road he met a sparrow who said, “Brother dog, why

art thou so sad?” The dog replied, “I am hungry, and have nothing to

eat.” Then said the sparrow, “Dear brother, come into the town with me,

and I will satisfy thy hunger.” So they went into the town together,

and when they came in front of a butcher’s shop the sparrow said to the

dog, “Stay there, and I will pick a bit of meat down for thee,” and he

alighted on the stall, looked about him to see that no one was

observing him, and pecked and pulled and tore so long at a piece which

lay on the edge, that it slipped down. Then the dog seized it, ran into

a corner, and devoured it. The sparrow said, “Now come with me to

another shop, and then I will get thee one more piece that thou mayst

be satisfied.” When the dog had devoured the second piece as well, the

sparrow asked, “Brother dog, hast thou now had enough?” “Yes, I have

had meat enough,” he answered, “but I have had no bread yet.” Said the

sparrow, “Thou shalt have that also, come with me.” Then he took him to

a baker’s shop, and pecked at a couple of little buns till they rolled

down, and as the dog wanted still more, he led him to another stall,

and again got bread for him. When that was consumed, the sparrow said,

“Brother dog, hast thou now had enough?” “Yes,” he replied, “now we

will walk awhile outside the town.” Then they both went out on to the

highway. It was, however, warm weather, and when they had walked a

little way the dog said, “I am tired, and would like to sleep.” “Well,

do sleep,” answered the sparrow, “and in the meantime I will seat

myself on a branch.” So the dog lay down on the road, and fell fast

asleep. Whilst he lay sleeping there, a waggoner came driving by, who

had a cart with three horses, laden with two barrels of wine. The

sparrow, however, saw that he was not going to turn aside, but was

staying in the wheel track in which the dog was lying, so it cried,

“Waggoner, don’t do it, or I will make thee poor.” The waggoner,

however, growled to himself, “Thou wilt not make me poor,” and cracked

his whip and drove the cart over the dog, and the wheels killed him.

Then the sparrow cried, “Thou hast run over my brother dog and killed

him, it shall cost thee thy cart and horses.” “Cart and horses indeed!”

said the waggoner. “What harm canst thou do me?” and drove onwards.

Then the sparrow crept under the cover of the cart, and pecked so long

at the same bung-hole that he got the bung out, and then all the wine

ran out without the driver noticing it. But once when he was looking

behind him he saw that the cart was dripping, and looked at the barrels

and saw that one of them was empty. “Unfortunate fellow that I am,”

cried he. “Not unfortunate enough yet,” said the sparrow, and flew on

to the head of one of the horses and pecked his eyes out. When the

driver saw that, he drew out his axe and wanted to hit the sparrow, but

the sparrow flew into the air, and he hit his horse on the head, and it

fell down dead. “Oh, what an unfortunate man I am,” cried he. “Not

unfortunate enough yet,” said the sparrow, and when the driver drove on

with the two horses, the sparrow again crept under the cover, and

pecked the bung out of the second cask, so all the wine was spilt. When

the driver became aware of it, he again cried, “Oh, what an unfortunate

man I am,” but the sparrow replied, “Not unfortunate enough yet,” and

seated himself on the head of the second horse, and pecked his eyes

out. The driver ran up to it and raised his axe to strike, but the

sparrow flew into the air and the blow struck the horse, which fell.

“Oh, what an unfortunate man I am.” “Not unfortunate enough yet,” said

the sparrow, and lighted on the third horse’s head, and pecked out his

eyes. The driver, in his rage, struck at the sparrow without looking

round, and did not hit him but killed his third horse likewise. “Oh,

what an unfortunate man I am,” cried he. “Not unfortunate enough yet,”

answered the sparrow. “Now will I make thee unfortunate in thy home,”

and flew away.

The driver had to leave the waggon standing, and full of anger and

vexation went home. “Ah,” said he to his wife, “what misfortunes I have

had! My wine has run out, and the horses are all three dead!” “Alas,

husband,” she answered, “what a malicious bird has come into the house!

It has gathered together every bird there is in the world, and they

have fallen on our corn up there, and are devouring it.” Then he went

upstairs, and thousands and thousands of birds were sitting in the loft

and had eaten up all the corn, and the sparrow was sitting in the midst

of them. Then the driver cried, “Oh, what an unfortunate man I am?”

“Not unfortunate enough yet!” answered the sparrow; “waggoner, it shall

cost thee thy life as well,” and flew out.

Then the waggoner had lost all his property, and he went downstairs

into the room, sat down behind the stove and was quite furious and

bitter. But the sparrow sat outside in front of the window, and cried,

“Waggoner, it shall cost thee thy life.” Then the waggoner snatched the

axe and threw it at the sparrow, but it only broke the window, and did

not hit the bird. The sparrow now hopped in, placed itself on the stove

and cried, “Waggoner, it shall cost thee thy life.” The latter, quite

mad and blind with rage, smote the stove in twain, and as the sparrow

flew from one place to another so it fared with all his household

furniture, looking-glass, benches, table, and at last the walls of his

house, and yet he could not hit the bird. At length, however, he caught

it with his hand. Then his wife said, “Shall I kill it?” “No,” cried

he, “that would be too merciful. It shall die much more cruelly,” and

he took it and swallowed it whole. The sparrow, however, began to

flutter about in his body, and fluttered up again into the man’s mouth;

then it stretched out its head, and cried, “Waggoner, it shall still

cost thee thy life.” The driver gave the axe to his wife, and said,

“Wife, kill the bird in my mouth for me.” The woman struck, but missed

her blow, and hit the waggoner right on his head, so that he fell dead.

But the sparrow flew up and away.