Household Tales by Jacob Grimm (classic books for 12 year olds .txt) 📕

But how did it fare with the poor Fox? Long afterwards the King’s son was once again walking in the wood, when the Fox met him and said, “You have everything now that you can wish for, but there is never an end to my misery, and yet it is in your power to free me,” and again he asked him with tears to shoot him dead and chop off his head and feet. So he did it, and scarcely was it done when the Fox was changed into a man, and was no other than the brother of the beautiful princess, who at last was freed from the magic charm which had been laid upon him. And now nothing more was wanting to their happiness as long as they lived.

A sheepdog had not a good master, but, on the contrary, one who let him suffer hunger. As he could stay no longer with him, he went quite sadly away. On the road he met a sparrow who said, “Brother dog, why art thou so sad?”

The dog replied, “I am hungry, and have nothing to eat.”

Then said the sparrow, “Dear brother, come into the town with me, and I will satisfy thy hunger.” So they went into the town together, and when they came in front of a butcher’s shop the sparrow said to the dog, “Stay there, and I will pick a bit of meat down for thee,” and he alighted on the stall, looked about him to see that no one was observing him, and pecked and pulled and tore so long at a piece which lay on the edge, that it slipped down. Then the dog seized it, ran into a corner, and devoured it. The sparrow said, “Now come with me to another shop, and then I will get thee one more piece that thou mayst be satisfied.” When the dog had devoured the second piece as well, the sparrow asked, “Brother dog, hast thou now had enough?”

“Yes, I have had meat enough,” he answered, “but I have had no bread yet.”

Said the sparrow, “Thou shalt have that also, come with me.” Then he took him to a baker’s shop, and pecked at a couple of little buns till they rolled down, and as the dog wanted still more, he led him to another stall, and again got bread for him. When that was consumed, the sparrow said, “Brother dog, hast thou now had enough?”

“Yes,” he replied, “now we will walk awhile outside the town.” Then they both went out on to the highway. It was, however, warm weather, and when they had walked a little way the dog said, “I am tired, and would like to sleep.”

“Well, do sleep,” answered the sparrow, “and in the meantime I will seat myself on a branch.” So the dog lay down on the road, and fell fast asleep. Whilst he lay sleeping there, a wagoner came driving by, who had a cart with three horses, laden with two barrels of wine. The 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, “Wagoner, don’t do it, or I will make thee poor.”

The wagoner, 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 wagoner. “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 bunghole 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 wagon 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