Grimms Fairy Tales The Dog and The Sparrow

the dog and the sparrow from Grimm’s

fairy tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

translated by Edgar Taylor and Marian

Edwardes

this LibriVox recording is in the public

domain read by Bob Neufeld

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

woof that be all and said the sparrow

come with me into the next town and I

will soon find you plenty of food so on

they went together into the town and as

they passed by a butcher shop the

sparrow said to the dog stand there a

little while till I pecked 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 stake that lay upon the edge of the

shelf till at last now 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 with a dog had eaten this

to the sparrow said to him well my good

friend have you had enough now I have

had plenty of meat and said 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 have that too so

she took him to a baker’s shop and

packed that two rolls that lay in the

window so 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

for the dog said I am very much tired

but I should like to take a nap

very well answered the sparrow do so and

in the meantime I will purchase on 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 a sparrow

seeing that the Carter did not turn out

of the way but would go in the track in

which the dog lay so as to drive over

him cried out stop stop mr. Carter or I

shall be the worse for you but the

Carter growling to himself you make it

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 the deed of

thine shall cost thee old thou art worth

tho 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 then all the wine ran out without

the Carter seeing it at last they looked

round and saw that the cart was Dripping

and the cask quite empty oh 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

it 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 o unlucky wretch that

I am

right 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

retching NAAFI yet and perched on the

head to the second horse and pecked at

him to 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 poor

lass miserable wretch that I am cried he

not wretched 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 and leave

his cart behind him and to go home

overflowing with rage and vexation alas

said he to his wife who are he 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 ABS 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 around the husband upstairs and saw

thousands of birds sitting upon the

floor eating up his corn with a sparrow

in the midst of them o unlucky wretch

that I am cried the Carter for he saw

that the corn was almost gone and that

wretch enough yet said the sparrow

my cruelty shall cost thee thy life yet

and the way 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

sokka Lee 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

then 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 a sparrow flew

from place to place the Carter and his

wife was 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 can wait no longer so he

gave his wife the hatchets and cried

wife strike at the bird and killer in my

and 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

and of the dog and the sparrow