The Neighboring Families

Father and Mother Sparrow had taken possession of the empty swallow's nest the year before, and it was now their home.

"Are those the ducklings swimming down there?" asked the young sparrows when they saw the two feathers drifting on the water.

"Ask sensible questions if you ask any," said the mother.

"Don't you see that they are feathers - live clothes, such as I wear, and you will have some day? Only ours are finer! But I wish we had those feathers up here; they'd make our nest warm and comfortable, I'd like to know what frightened the ducks just now! Must have been something in the water. I'm sure it wasn't I, even if I did say 'twit!' rather loudly. Those thick-headed roses ought to know, but they don't know anything; they only look at themselves and scent the air. I'm completely sick of these neighbors of ours!"

"Listen to the sweet little birds up there!" said the roses. "They're really trying to sing; of course they can't yet, but they will in time. What a great pleasure that must be! It's such fun to have such happy neighbors!"

Just then there came galloping up to the pond two big horses, to be watered. A peasant boy was on one of them, and he had taken off all his clothes except his black hat, which was large and broad-brimmed. The boy whistled as if he himself were a little bird, as he rode through the deepest part of the pond. When he came to the rose tree, he broke off one of the roses and stuck it in his hat; then, considering himself properly decorated, he rode off with it. The other roses looked after their lost sister, and asked each other, "Where has she gone to?" But none of them knew.

"I think I would like to go out in the world, " said one of the roses to another, "but still it's nice here at home in our own green branches. The sun is so warm all day long, and at night the sky shines still more beautifully; then we can see through the many little holes that are in the sky."

It was the stars that they thought were holes, for the roses didn't know any better.