The Blade of Grass and the Sparrow

A sparrow sat on a blade of grass and wanted it to rock him. But the blade of grass didn’t want to rock the sparrow, so it just tossed him off.

The sparrow got angry at the blade of grass and chirped:

"Just you wait, you lazy thing, I’ll send goats after you!" The sparrow flew to the goats:

"Goats, goats, go chew the blade of grass—it doesn’t want to rock me!"

The goats didn’t listen to the sparrow.

"Just you wait, goats, I’ll send wolves after you!"

The sparrow flew to the wolves:

"Wolves, wolves, go choke the goats—they don’t want to chew the blade of grass, and the blade of grass doesn’t want to rock me!"

The wolves didn’t listen to him either.

"Just you wait, wolves, I’ll send hunters after you!" The sparrow flew to the hunters:

"Hunters, hunters, go beat the wolves—they don’t want to choke the goats, and the goats don’t want to chew the blade of grass, and the blade of grass doesn’t want to rock me!"

The hunters didn’t listen to him either.

"Just you wait, hunters, I’ll send ropes after you!"

The sparrow flew to the ropes:

"Ropes, ropes, go tie up the hunters—they don’t want to beat the wolves, and the wolves don’t want to choke the goats, and the goats don’t want to chew the blade of grass, and the blade of grass doesn’t want to rock me!"

The ropes didn’t listen either.

"Just you wait, ropes, I’ll send fire after you!" The sparrow flew to the fire:

"Fire, fire, go burn the ropes—they don’t want to tie up the hunters, and the hunters don’t want to beat the wolves, and the wolves don’t want to choke the goats, and the goats don’t want to chew the blade of grass, and the blade of grass doesn’t want to rock me!"

The fire didn’t listen either.

"Just you wait, fire, I’ll send water after you!" The sparrow flew to the river:

"Water, water, go put out the fire—it doesn’t want to burn the ropes, and the ropes don’t want to tie up the hunters, and the hunters don’t want to beat the wolves, and the wolves don’t want to choke the goats, and the goats don’t want to chew the blade of grass, and the blade of grass doesn’t want to rock me!"

The water didn’t listen either.

"Just you wait, water, I’ll send oxen after you!" The sparrow flew to the oxen:

"Oxen, oxen, go drink the water—it doesn’t want to put out the fire, and the fire doesn’t want to burn the ropes, and the ropes don’t want to tie up the hunters, and the hunters don’t want to beat the wolves, and the wolves don’t want to choke the goats, and the goats don’t want to chew the blade of grass, and the blade of grass doesn’t want to rock me!"

The oxen didn’t listen either.

"Just you wait, oxen, I’ll send a beetle after you!" The beetle didn’t listen.

"Just you wait, beetle, I’ll send worms after you!" The worms didn’t listen.

"Just you wait, worms, I’ll send chickens after you!" The sparrow flew to the chickens and begged them for help.

"Alright," the chickens replied, "we’ll help!" The chickens went to peck at the worms—and they still do. The worms went to gnaw at the beetle—and they still do. The beetle went to beat the oxen—and it still does. The oxen went to drink the water—and they still do. The water went to put out the fire—and it still does. The ropes went to tie up the hunters—and they still do.

The hunters went to beat the wolves—and they still do. The wolves went to choke the goats—and they still do. The goats went to chew the blade of grass—and they still do. The blade of grass started rocking the sparrow—and it still does.

More fairy tales

• The Lost Word
• Easy Bread
• Trem, the Nameless Son
• Not by Strength, but by Wit
• How the Cat Scared the Animals