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Then, when the bird came home and had laid aside his burden, they

sat down to table, and when they had finished their meal, they

could sleep their fill till the following morning: and that was

really a very delightful life.

Influenced by those remarks, the bird next morning refused to

bring in the wood, telling the others that he had been their

servant long enough, and had been a fool into the bargain, and

that it was now time to make a change, and to try some other way

of arranging the work. Beg and pray as the mouse and the sausage

might, it was of no use; the bird remained master of the

situation, and the venture had to be made. They therefore drew

lots, and it fell to the sausage to bring in the wood, to the

mouse to cook, and to the bird to fetch the water.