The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-27
A Japanese Legend.

The following story is given by the St Louis
Post-Dispatch as a specimen OF Japanese folk
lore, and, though the story is a very simple
one, the moral therein is obvious.
Once upon a time there lived woman who
one day placed lump Of starch in her wash
tub to use in washing her clothes.
A sparrow few down and began to nibble at
Ine stareh. Inc OLD woman knew. that this
sparrow was very much liked by her neigh
Dor, and by whom IL was fed regularly. Never
theleSs, she became very angry, and grasping
the poor blrd she made a long, deep cut in its
tongue with pair Of scissors. Then she re-
Leased II and 10 never returned. When the
neighbor found out that her pet had been
punished so cruelty for such a small crime
she set out with her husband to find whittier
the bird had gone. They Travelled over noun
tain and valley, calling out necessarily:
where Is the sparrow with the split
Where is the sparrow with the split
tongue?" 9P--'
AT last they came to the house in which the
sparrows lived. When the sparrow saw them
IL reJolced very much that its benefactors had
come to visit it.
1t took them into the house and thanked
mem IN aHectlonate terms for all the friend
snip they had shown toward it in days gone
by; Then 1t treated them to rice. wine and
hsh, and placed before them so MANY differ
ent articles OF food, there was barely room
enough lett TO turn around. The sparrow s
VIE and children helped to serve the guests
A1terward the spread was cleared away and
lhe sparrow gave them dance which was
called the sparrow dance. Thus the day was
spent In JOY and gladness.
men II Degan to grow dark and the old
couple wished to return home behold the
sparrow brought out two willow baskets and
told the old folks to select one or the other as
a present.
Which DO you prefer to take, the large
basket or the small one:''
To which they replied:
we are both old; therefore give US the
smaller one, for. perhaps, it will be lighter to
So the sparrow gave them the small basket
ana with 1t they started home. When they
reached there they wished to see what the
basket cantained. But when they opened II
tney found to their great surprise only gold
ana 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
tnereln were lneXhauStible and the old folks
FOUND themselves suddenly possessed of i'm
menSe wealth.
The evil-minded neighbor who had split
the sparrows 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 spar
row oHereG her her choice of two baskets,
one large and one small one. Thinking to
make the most of her opportunity she &C
cepted the larger one
Then she started home, carrying the basket
on her back. This basket was very heavy,
1t seeming to her as heavy as rock and she
could hardly carry it at all. At last she
reached home, about half dead But when
She opened the basket an immense horde of
EVIL spirits bounded therefrom, fell upon her
ana cut her into a thousand pieces.