The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage
Once upon a time a mouse, a bird, and a sausage
became companions, kept house together, lived well and happily in peace, and wonderfully
increased their possessions. The bird's work was to fly every day into the forest and
bring back wood. The mouse had to carry water, light the fire, and lay the table, but the
sausage had to cook. He who is too well off is always longing for something new. One day
the bird met with another bird, to whom it related its excellent circumstances and boasted
of them. The other bird, however, called it a poor simpleton for his hard work, but said
that the two at home had good times. For when the mouse had made her fire and carried her
water, she went into her little room to rest until they called her to lay the table. The
sausage stayed by the pot, saw that the food was cooking well, and, when it was nearly
time for dinner, it rolled itself once or twice through the broth or vegetables and then
they were buttered, salted, and ready. When the bird came home and laid his burden down,
they sat down to dinner, and after they had had their meal, they slept their fill till
next morning, and that was a splendid life. Next day the bird, prompted by the other bird,
would go no more into the wood, saying that he had been servant long enough, and had been
made a fool of by them, and that they must change about for once, and try to arrange it in
another way. And, though the mouse and the sausage also begged most earnestly, the bird
would have his way, and said it must be tried. They cast lots about it, and the lot fell
on the sausage who was to carry wood, the mouse became cook, and the bird was to fetch
water. What happened. The little sausage went out towards the wood, the little bird
lighted the fire, the mouse stayed by the pot and waited alone until little sausage came
home and brought wood for next day. But the little sausage stayed so long on the road that
they both feared something was amiss, and the bird flew out a little way in the air to
meet it. Not far off, however, it met a dog on the road who had fallen on the poor sausage
as lawful booty, and had seized and swallowed it. The bird charged the dog with an act of
bare-faced robbery, but words were useless, for the dog said he had found forged letters
on the sausage, on which account its life was forfeited to him. The bird sadly took up the
wood, flew home, and related what he had seen and heard. They were much troubled, but
agreed to do their best and remain together. The bird therefore laid the table, and the
mouse made ready the food, and wanted to dress it, and to get into the pot as the sausage
used to do, and roll and creep amongst the vegetables to mix them. But before she got into
the midst of them she was stopped, and lost her skin and hair and life in the attempt.
When the bird came to carry in the dinner, no cook was there. In its distress the bird
threw the wood here and there, called and searched, but no cook was to be found. Owing to
his carelessness the wood caught fire, so that a conflagration broke out. The bird
hastened to fetch water, but the bucket dropped into the well, and he fell in with it, and
could not recover himself, but had to drown there.
--The End-- |
