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