157 The Sparrow And His Four Children

A sparrow had four young ones in a swallow’s nest. When they were
fledged, some naughty boys pulled out the nest, but fortunately all the
birds got safely away in the high wind. Then the old bird was grieved
that as his sons had all gone out into the world, he had not first
warned them of every kind of danger, and given them good instruction
how to deal with each. In the autumn a great many sparrows assembled
together in a wheatfield, and there the old bird met his four children
again, and full of joy took them home with him. “Ah, my dear sons, what
pain I have been in about you all through the summer, because you got
away in the wind without my teaching; listen to my words, obey your
father, and be well on your guard. Little birds have to encounter great
dangers!” And then he asked the eldest where he had spent the summer,
and how he had supported himself? “I stayed in the gardens, and looked
for caterpillars and small worms, until the cherries got ripe.” “Ah, my
son,” said the father, “tit-bits are not bad, but there is great risk
about them; on that account take great care of thyself henceforth, and
particularly when people are going about the gardens who carry long
green poles which are hollow inside and have a little hole at the top.”
“Yes, father, but what if a little green leaf is stuck over the hole
with wax?” said the son. “Where hast thou seen that?” “In a merchant’s
garden,” said the youngster. “Oh, my son, merchant folks are quick
folks,” said the father. “If thou hast been among the children of the
world, thou hast learned worldly shiftiness enough, only see that thou
usest it well, and do not be too confident.” After this he asked the
next, “Where hast thou passed thy time?” “At court,” said the son. “Sparrows and silly little birds are of no use in that place—there one
finds much gold, velvet, silk, armour, harnesses, sparrow-hawks,
screech-owls and hen-harriers; keep to the horses’ stable where they
winnow oats, or thresh, and then fortune may give thee thy daily grain
of corn in peace.” “Yes, father,” said the son, “but when the
stable-boys make traps and fix their gins and snares in the straw, many
a one is caught fast.” “Where hast thou seen that?” said the old bird. “At court, among the stable-boys.” “Oh, my son, court boys are bad
boys! If thou hast been to court and among the lords, and hast left no
feathers there, thou hast learnt a fair amount, and wilt know very well
how to go about the world, but look around thee and above thee, for the
wolves devour the wisest dogs.” The father examined the third also:
“Where didst thou seek thy safety?” “I have broken up tubs and ropes on
the cart-roads and highways, and sometimes met with a grain of corn or
barley.” “That is indeed dainty fare,” said the father, “but take care
what thou art about and look carefully around, especially when thou
seest any one stooping and about to pick up a stone, there is not much
time to stay then.” “That is true,” said the son, “but what if any one
should carry a bit of rock, or ore, ready beforehand in his breast or
pocket?” “Where hast thou seen that?” “Among the mountaineers, dear
father; when they go out, they generally take little bits of ore with
them.” “Mountain folks are working folks, and clever folks. If thou
hast been among mountain lads, thou hast seen and learnt something, but
when thou goest thither beware, for many a sparrow has been brought to
a bad end by a mountain boy.” At length the father came to the youngest
son: “Thou, my dear chirping nestling, wert always the silliest and
weakest; stay with me, the world has many rough, wicked birds which
have crooked beaks and long claws, and lie in wait for poor little
birds and swallow them. Keep with those of thine own kind, and pick up
little spiders and caterpillars from the trees, or the house, and then
thou wilt live long in peace.” “My dear father, he who feeds himself
without injury to other people fares well, and no sparrow-hawk, eagle,
or kite will hurt him if he specially commits himself and his lawful
food, evening and morning, faithfully to God, who is the Creator and
Preserver of all forest and village birds, who likewise heareth the cry
and prayer of the young ravens, for no sparrow or wren ever falls to
the ground except by his will.” “Where hast thou learnt this?” The son
answered, “When the great blast of wind tore me away from thee I came
to a church, and there during the summer I have picked up the flies and
spiders from the windows, and heard this discourse preached. The Father
of all sparrows fed me all the summer through, and kept me from all
mischance and from ferocious birds.”

“In sooth, my dear son, if thou takest refuge in the churches and
helpest to clear away spiders and buzzing flies, and criest unto God
like the young ravens, and commendest thyself to the eternal Creator,
all will be well with thee, and that even if the whole world were full
of wild malicious birds.”

“He who to God commits his ways,
In silence suffers, waits, and prays,
Preserves his faith and conscience pure,
He is of God’s protection sure.”



158 The Story of Schlauraffen Land

In the time of Schlauraffen I went there, and saw Rome and the Lateran
hanging by a small silken thread, and a man without feet who outran a
swift horse, and a keen sharp sword that cut through a bridge. There I
saw a young ass with a silver nose which pursued two fleet hares, and a
lime-tree that was very large, on which hot cakes were growing. There I
saw a lean old goat which carried about a hundred cart-loads of fat on
his body, and sixty loads of salt. Have I not told enough lies? There I
saw a plough ploughing without horse or cow, and a child of one year
threw four millstones from Ratisbon to Treves, and from Treves to
Strasburg, and a hawk swam over the Rhine, which he had a perfect right
to do. There I heard some fishes begin to make such a disturbance with
each other, that it resounded as far as heaven, and sweet honey flowed
like water from a deep valley at the top of a high mountain, and these
were strange things. There were two crows which were mowing a meadow,
and I saw two gnats building a bridge, and two doves tore a wolf to
pieces; two children brought forth two kids, and two frogs threshed
corn together. There I saw two mice consecrating a bishop, and two cats
scratching out a bear’s tongue. Then a snail came running up and killed
two furious lions. There stood a barber and shaved a woman’s beard off;
and two sucking-children bade their mother hold her tongue. There I saw
two greyhounds which brought a mill out of the water; and a sorry old
horse was beside it, and said it was right. And four horses were
standing in the yard threshing corn with all their might, and two goats
were heating the stove, and a red cow shot the bread into the oven. Then a cock crowed, Cock-a-doodle-doo! The story is all
told,—Cock-a-doodle-doo! 159 The Ditmarsch Tale of Wonders

I will tell you something.