In a little house in a
little old village in Japan lived a little old man
and his little old wife. One morning when the old
woman slid open the screens which form the sides of
the Japanese houses, she saw on the doorstep a poor
little sparrow. She took him up gently and fed him.
Then she held him in the bright morning sunshine
until the cold dew was dried from his wings.
Afterward, she let him go, so that he might fly home
to his nest, but he stayed with her to thank her with
his songs.
Each
morning, when the pink on the mountain tops told that
the sun was near, the sparrow perched on the roof of
the house and sang out his joy. The old man and woman
thanked the sparrow for this, for they liked to be up
early and at work. But near them lived a cross old
woman who did not like to be awakened so early. At
last she became so angry that she caught the sparrow
and cut his tongue. Then the poor little sparrow flew
away to his home. But he never could sing again.
When
the kind woman knew what had happened to her pet she
was very sad. She said to her husband, "Let us
go and find our poor little sparrow." So they
started together, and asked of each bird by the
wayside: "Do you know where the tongue-cut
sparrow lives? Do you know where the tongue-cut
sparrow went?"
In
this way they followed until they came to a bridge.
They did not know which way to turn, and at first
could see no one to ask. At last they saw a bat,
hanging head downward, taking his daytime nap.
"O friend Bat, do you know where the tongue-cut
sparrow went?" "Yes. Over the bridge and up
the mountain," said the bat. Then he blinked his
sleepy eyes and was fast asleep again.
They
went over the bridge and up the mountain, but again
they found two roads and did not know which one to
take. A little field mouse peeped through the leaves
and grass, so they asked him, "Do you know where
the tongue-cut sparrow went?" "Yes. Down
the mountain and through the woods," said the
field mouse.
Down
the mountain and through the woods they went, and at
last came to the home of their little friend. When he
saw them coming, the poor little sparrow was very
happy indeed. He and his wife and children all came
and bowed their heads down to the ground to show
their respect. Then the sparrow rose and led the old
man and the old woman into the house while his wife
and children hastened to bring them boiled rice,
fish, and cress. After they had feasted, the sparrow
wished to please them still more, so he danced for
them what is called the "sparrow dance."
When
the sun began to sink, the old man and woman started
home. The sparrow brought out two baskets. "I
would like to give you one of these," he said.
"Which will you take?" One basket was large
and looked very full, while the other one seemed very
small and light. The old people thought they would
not take the large basket, for that might have all
the sparrow's treasure in it, so they said, "The
journey home is long, so please let us take the
smaller one."
They
took it and walked home over the mountain and across
the bridge, happy and contented. When they reached
their own home, they decided to open the basket to
see what the sparrow had given them. Within the
basket they found many rolls of silk and piles of
gold, enough to make them rich, so they were more
grateful than ever to the sparrow.
The
cross old woman who had cut the sparrow's tongue was
spying through the screen when they opened their
basket. She saw the rolls of silk and piles of gold,
and planned how she might get some for herself. The
next morning she went to the kind woman and said,
"I am so sorry that I cut the tongue of your
sparrow. Please tell me the way to his home so that I
may go to him and tell him I am sorry."
The
kind woman told her the way and she set out. She went
across the bridge, over the mountains, and through
the woods. At last she came to the home of the little
sparrow. He was not so glad to see this old woman,
yet he was very kind to her and did everything to
make her feel very welcome. They made a feast for
her, and when she started home the sparrow brought
out two baskets as before. Of course the cross old
woman chose the large basket, for she thought that
would have even more wealth than the other one.
The
basket was very heavy and caught on the trees as she
was going through the wood. She could hardly pull it
up the mountain with her, and she was all out of
breath when she reached the top. She did not get to
the bridge until it was dark. They she was so afraid
of dropping the basket into the river that she
scarcely dared to step.
When
at last she reached home she was tired out, but she
pulled the screens tightly closed so that no one
could look in, and opened her treasure.Treasure
indeed! A whole swarm of horrible creatures burst
from the basket the moment she opened it. They stung
her and bit her, they pushed her and pulled her, and
scratched her. At last she crawled to the edge of the
room and slid aside the screen to get away from the
pests. The moment the door was opened they swooped
down upon her, picked her up, and flew away with her.
Since then nothing has been heard of the old woman.
