The Sparrow and the Mouse

A sparrow and a mouse lived as neighbors: the sparrow under the eaves, and the mouse in a burrow in the basement. They fed on whatever they could scavenge from their human hosts. In the summer, it was manageable—they could snatch something from the fields or the garden. But in winter, it was unbearable: the human would set traps for the sparrow and mousetraps for the mouse.

They grew tired of living like this and decided to dig a plot and sow some grain.

They dug a neat little plot.

"Well, what should we sow?" asked the sparrow.

"Whatever people sow," replied the mouse. They gathered seeds and sowed wheat.

"What will be yours?" the mouse asked the sparrow, "the roots or the tops?"

"I don't know myself."

"Take the roots," advised the mouse.

"Alright, let it be the roots."

Summer came. The wheat ripened. The mouse harvested the ears, leaving the straw for the sparrow.

The mouse carried the ears to her burrow, threshed them, ground them into flour, baked pies, and ate well all winter. She lived comfortably, without any worries.

But the sparrow tried the straw—it was tasteless!

He had to spend the winter hungry, scavenging on the garbage heap.

Spring arrived. The mouse came out of her burrow, saw the sparrow, and asked:

"So, neighbor, how was your winter?"

"Bad," said the sparrow. "I barely survived: our wheat turned out to be tasteless."

"Well, let's sow carrots this summer. They're sweet. All the rabbits love them."

"Alright, if you're not lying!" The sparrow jumped with joy.

They dug a new plot and sowed carrots.

"So, what will be yours?" the mouse asked the sparrow, "the roots or the tops?"

"The tops," said the sparrow. "I'm afraid to take the roots: I got burned once with the wheat."

"Fine, take the tops."

The carrots grew. The sparrow took the tops, and the mouse took the roots. She carried her roots to her burrow and ate them bit by bit.

But the sparrow tried the tops, and they were no better than the wheat roots...

The sparrow puffed up, almost in tears. A crow flew by and saw the sparrow.

"Why are you all puffed up, sparrow?" she asked.

The sparrow told her how he and the mouse had sown wheat and carrots.

The crow listened and burst out laughing:

"You're a fool, sparrow! The mouse tricked you... The best part of wheat is the tops, and the best part of carrots is the roots."

The sparrow got angry and hopped over to the mouse.

"You scoundrel, you cheat! I'll fight you!"

"Well, alright," said the mouse, "let's fight!"

The sparrow called on thrushes and starlings to help him, and the mouse called on rats and moles.

They began to fight. They fought for a long time, but neither side could defeat the other.

The sparrow had to retreat with his army to the garbage heap.

The crow saw this:

"Ha-ha, sparrow, you chose such weak allies! You should have called the sea falcon—he would have swallowed all the mice, rats, and moles in one go."

The sparrow flew to the sea and called for the sea falcon.

The falcon came and swallowed the entire mouse army. Only the mouse who had tricked the sparrow remained: she hid in her burrow.

Evening fell. The falcon flew to a rye field to sleep. He perched on a rock and fell into a deep sleep. Meanwhile, the sparrow chirped happily and tucked himself under the eaves.

At the same time, the cunning mouse ran to the shepherds in the field, grabbed a burning stick, and set the rye field where the falcon was sleeping on fire. The flames rose, crackled, and burned the falcon's wings.

The falcon woke up, but his wings were gone... He mourned and set off on foot to the sea. A hunter spotted him on the way and wanted to shoot him, but the falcon said:

"Don't shoot me, kind man. Take me with you instead: when my wings grow back, I'll repay you for this."

The hunter took the falcon. For a whole year, he fed and cared for him.

The falcon's wings grew back, and he said to the hunter:

"Now take me hunting. I'll catch hares and birds for you."

From that day on, the falcon served as the hunter's helper.

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The Sparrow and the Mouse

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