The Tongue-Cut Sparrow

Once up on a time, an old woman laid some starch in a basin, intending to put it in the clothes in her wash-tub; but a sparrow that her neighbour, kept as a pet, ate it up. Seeing this, the cross old women seized the sparrow and said "You hateful thing!" cut its tongue and let it go.

When her neighbour heard that her pet sparrow had got its tongue cut for its offence, she was greatly grieved, and set out with her husband over mountains and plains to find where it had gone, crying, "Where does the tongue-cut sparrow stay? Where does the tongue cut sparrow stay? "

At last, they found its home. When the sparrow saw that its old master and mistress had come to see it, it rejoiced, and brought them into its house. He thanked them for their kindness in old times. It spread a table for them, and loaded it with rice, wine and fish, and made its wife, children and grandchildren all serve the table.

At last, throwing away it's drinking-cup, it danced a jig called the sparrow's dance, and thus, they spent the day. When it began to grow dark, and there was a talk of going home, the sparrow brought out two woven baskets and said, "We are old, so give us the light one; it will be easier to carry it. "

The sparrow then gave them the light basket, and they return with it to their home, "Let us open and see what is in it, " they said. And when they opened it and looked, they found gold, silver, jewels and rolls of silk . They never expected anything like this. The more they looked out, the more they found inside. The supply was inexhaustible, so that the house at once became rich and prosperous.

When the cross old woman who had cut the sparrow's tongue saw this, she was filled with envy, and went and asked her neighbour where the sparrow lived . "I will go, too, " she said, and at once, set out on her search. Again the sparrow brought out two wicker baskets, and asked as before, "Will take the heavy one or shall I give you light one? "

Thinking the treasure will be great in proportion to the weight of the basket, the old woman replied, "Let me have the heavy one. "

Receiving this , she started home with it her back, and the sparrows laughing at her as she went. It was as heavy as a stone. And hard to carry, but at last, she got back with it to her house . Then when she took off the lid, and looked in, a whole troop of frightful creatures came bouncing out from inside, and at once, they caught her up and flew her away with her.

"What ever we do and think reflects us."