Stranica 162 [162]
The MOUSE, the. BIRD, and the SAUSAGE:
NCE on a time, a mouse and a bird and
a sausage lived and kept house together
in perfect peace among themselves, and
in great prosperity. It was the bird’s
business to fly to the forest every day
and bring back wood. The mouse had
to draw the water, make the fire, and
set the table; and the sausage had to
do the cooking. Nobody is content in
this world: much will have more! One day the bird met
another bird on the way, and told him of his excellent con¬
dition in life. But the other bird called him a poor simpleton
to do so much work, while the two others led easy lives at
home.
When the mouse had made up her fire and drawn water,
she went to rest in her little room until it was time to lay the
cloth. The sausage stayed by the saucepans, looked to it that
the victuals were well cooked, and just before dinner-time he
stirred the broth or the stew three or four times well round
himself, so as to enrich and season and flavour it. Then the
bird used to come" home and lay down his load, and they sat
down to table, and after a good meal they would go to bed
and sleep their fill till the next morning. It really was a most
satisfactory life.
But the bird came to the resolution next day never again
to fetch wood: he had, he said, been their slave long enough,
now they must change about and make a new arrangement.
So in spite of all the mouse and the sausage could say, the