The morning call., 1893-04-07
JAPANESE FOLK LORE.
Legend of the Sparrow With the
Split Tongue.
st. Louis Post-Disoatch.

st. Louis Post Disoatch
The following story is given as a speci-
men of Japanese folk lore. and. though the
story is very simple one, the moral therein
is obvious.
Once upon a time there lived woman
who one day placed lump of starch in her
washub to use in washing her clothes.
A sparrow few down and began to nibble
at the starch. The old woman knew that
this sparrow was very much liked by her
neighbor, and by whom it was fed regu-
larry. Nevertheless she became very an
CRY, and grasping the poor bird she made a
long. deep cut in its tongue with a pair of
scissors. Then she released it and it never
returned. When the neighbor found out
that her pet had been punished so cruelty
for such small crime she set cut with her
husband to find whittier the bird had gone.
Iney Travelled over mountain and valley,
calling out necessarily:
Where is the sparrow with the split
tongne?"
where is the sparrow with the split
tongue?"
the SPAR ow lived. When the sparrow saw
them IL rejoiced very much that its bene-
factors had come to visit it.
IL took them into the house and thanked
them In atfectionate terms for all the friend
ship they had shown toward il in days gone
by Then it treated them 10 rice wine and
fish, and placed before them so many differ
ent articles of food there was barely room
enough left to turn around The sparrow's
wife and children helped to serve the guests.
Afterward the spread was cleared away and
the sparrow gave them a dance. which was
called the sparrow dance. Thus the day was
spent in Joy and gladness.
When it began to grow dark and the old
couple wished to return home, behold the
sparrow brought out two willow baskets
and told The OI6 fOlES N salanf n mr. lta
other az present
(which do you prefer to take, the large
basket or the small enc? ?"
To which they replied
1--WE are both old; therefore give us the
smaller one, for perhaps it will be lighter to
carry"
SO the sparrow gave them the small bas-
ket. and with it they started home. When
they reached there they wished to see what
the basket contained. But when they
opened ii they found. to their great surprise,
only gold and silver, precious stones and
pieces Of fine silk.
And now, when they took out package
after package of these valuable things the
basket always remained as full Indeed,
the treasures therein were inpxhaustible
and the old folks found themselves sud-
denly possessed Of immense wealth.
The evli-minded neighbor who had split
the sparrOw's tongue heard of the old folks
adventure, and learning of the birds
house, resolved to call upon the sparrow
herself.
When she finally found the house, the
sparrow offered her her choice of two bas-
kets, one large and one small one. Thinking
TO make the most of her opportunity, she
accepted the larger one.
Then she started home, carrying the bas-
ket on her back. The basket was very
heavy, 1t seeming o her as heavy as rock,
and size could hardly carry it at all. At
last she reached home. almost half dead.
But when she opened the basket an I'M
mense horde of evil spirits bounded there
from, fell upon her and cut her into a
thousand pieces.