The Neighboring Families

Thus the sparrow mother was gilt, but she didn't think about this pomp; her limbs shook with terror. Then the old soapmaker tore a piece of red cloth from his jacket, cut it into the shape of a cock's comb, and glued it on the bird's head.

"Now you shall see the golden bird fly!" he said, and let the sparrow loose. In deadly horror, she flew away in the bright sunshine. My, how she glittered! All the sparrows, even a large crow, who was no youngster, were quite frightened at the sight. But they flew after her, for they wanted to know what this unusual bird was.

"Where from! Where from!" screamed the crow.

"Wait a bit! Wait a bit!" said the sparrows. But she would not wait; in terror and pain she flew on toward home. She was ready to sink to the earth, and the crowd of birds, small and large, increased every moment, and some even flew in to peck at her. "Such a one! Such a one!" they all cried.

"Such a one! Such a one!" squeaked the young sparrows as she approached the nest. "That is surely a young peacock, for there are the colors that hurt your eyes, as Mother said. Twit! That is 'the beautiful.'" And then they attacked her with their little beaks, so that it wasn't possible for her to enter the nest; and she was so overcome with fright that she could no longer even say "twit," much less say, "I am your mother." The other birds all joined in pecking at her until every one of her feathers was gone; and, bleeding, the sparrow mother sank down into the rosebush.

"The poor animal!" said the roses. "Come, we will hide you. Rest your little head upon us!"

Once more the sparrow mother spread her wings, but then folded them close to her body again, and died among her neighbors, the fresh, beautiful roses.

"Twit!" said the young sparrows in the nest.

"What's become of Mother! I can't understand it. Could this be a trick of hers to teach us to look out for ourselves? She has left us the house for an inheritance, but which of us is to have it alone when we get families!