Pagina 71 de 626

'Not wretch enough yet!' answered the sparrow as she flew away;

'now will I plague and punish thee at thy own house.' The carter

was forced at last to leave his cart behind him, and to go home

overflowing with rage and vexation. 'Alas!' said he to his wife,

'what ill luck has befallen me!--my wine is all spilt, and my

horses all three dead.' 'Alas! husband,' replied she, 'and a

wicked bird has come into the house, and has brought with her all

the birds in the world, I am sure, and they have fallen upon our

corn in the loft, and are eating it up at such a rate!' Away ran

the husband upstairs, and saw thousands of birds sitting upon the

floor eating up his corn, with the sparrow in the midst of them.

'Unlucky wretch that I am!' cried the carter; for he saw that the

corn was almost all gone. 'Not wretch enough yet!' said the

sparrow; 'thy cruelty shall cost thee thy life yet!' and away she

flew.