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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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