“They could not agree, and went before the justice.  Passing by the village where the two spouses had died they met an old man, and said, ’Settle our dispute,’ ‘I cannot,’ answered the old man.  Farther on they met a sheep, which was butting a rock.  ‘Settle our dispute,’ they said to the sheep.  ’I cannot,’ answered the sheep.  Farther on they met a serpent.  ’Settle our dispute,’ they said to him.  ‘I cannot,’ answered the serpent.  They met a river.  ‘Settle our dispute,’ they said to it.  ‘I cannot,’ answered the river.  They met a jackal.  ‘Settle our dispute,’ they said to him.  ’Go to the village where your children died,’ answered the jackal.  They went back to the village, and applied to the Sultan, who had them all killed.”

The bird stopped speaking, the pilgrims returned.  The old woman saw them and fled.  The robber prepared a feast for the pilgrims.

* * * * *

THE LITTLE CHILD

“Come, little child, eat your dinner.”

“I won’t eat it.”

“Come, stick, beat the child.”

“I won’t beat him.”

“Come, fire, burn the stick.”

“I won’t burn it.”

“Come, water, quench the fire.”

“I won’t quench it.”

“Come, ox, drink the water.”

“I won’t drink it.”

“Come, knife, kill the ox.”

“I won’t kill him.”

“Come, blacksmith, break the knife.”

“I won’t break it.”

“Come, strap, bind the blacksmith.”

“I won’t bind him.”

“Come, rat, gnaw the strap.”

“I won’t gnaw it.”

“Come, cat, eat the rat.”

“Bring it here.”

“Why eat me?” said the rat; “bring the strap and I’ll gnaw it.”

“Why gnaw me?” said the strap; “bring the blacksmith and I’ll bind him.”

“Why bind me?” said the blacksmith; “bring the knife and I’ll break it.”

“Why break me?” said the knife; “bring the ox and I’ll kill him.”

“Why kill me?” said the ox; “bring the water and I’ll drink it.”

“Why drink me?” said the water; “bring the fire and I’ll quench it.”

“Why quench me?” said the fire; “bring the stick and I’ll burn it.”

“Why burn me?” said the stick; “bring the child and I’ll strike him.”

“Why strike me?” said the child; “bring me my dinner and I’ll eat it.”

* * * * *

THE WREN

A wren had built its nest on the side of a road.  When the eggs were hatched, a camel passed that way.  The little wrens saw it, and said to their father when he returned from the fields: 

“O papa, a gigantic animal passed by.”

The wren stretched out his foot.  “As big as this, my children?”

“O papa, much bigger.”

He stretched out his foot and his wing.  “As big as this?”