ALOE. The Bird and the Ball

This contribution from "A.L.O.E." appeared in the serial India's Women and China's Daughters of 1888 (volume 8) under the title "Panjabi Ballad: A Literary Curiosity." See below for her comments; the appeal of the song had to be very strong given the disdain she has for the "natives" to whom she was preaching the Christian gospel.

This is yet another example of ATU 2030. The Old Woman and her Pig.

THE BIRD AND THE BALL

There was a sparrow and there was a crow. The sparrow had a golden ball; the crow had one of mud.

The crow said, 'Sparrow! sparrow! give me your ball.'

The sparrow replied, 'Take it.'

The crow, taking the ball, flew away and perched on a tree.

The sparrow cried, 'Crow, crow, give me my ball!'

'I won't,' quoth the crow.

Then the poor sparrow began to weep, and said, 'The tree won't shake off the crow, the crow won't drop the ball, what can the poor sparrow do?'

She went to a woodsman and said, 'Woodsman! woodsman! cut down the tree.'

The woodsman said, 'What is the tree to me?'

Then the sparrow cried—
'The woodsman won't cut down the tree,
the tree won't shake off the crow,
the crow won't drop the ball:
what can the poor sparrow do?'

She went to a policeman and cried, 'Policeman! policeman! bind the woodsman!'

The policeman replied, 'What is the woodsman to me?'

Then the sparrow cried—
'Policeman won't bind woodsman,
the woodsman won't cut down the tree,
the tree won't shake off the crow,
the crow won't drop the ball:
what can the poor sparrow do?'

She went to a Rajah [King] and said, 'Rajah! Rajah! seize policeman!'

The Rajah replied, 'What is the policeman to me?'

Then the sparrow cried—
'Rajah won't seize policeman,
policeman won't bind woodsman,
the woodsman won't cut down the tree,
the tree won't shake off the crow,
the crow won't drop the ball:
what can the poor sparrow do?'

She went to the Rani [Queen] and said, 'Rani! Rani! tease Rajah!'

The Rani replied, 'What has the Rajah done to me?'

Then the sparrow cried—
'Rani won't tease Rajah,
Rajah won't seize policeman,
policeman won't bind woodsman,
the woodsman won't cut down the tree,
the tree won't shake off the crow,
the crow won't drop the ball:
what can the poor sparrow do?'

She went to a snake and said, 'Snake! snake! sting Rani!'

The snake replied, 'What has the Rani done to me?'

The sparrow cried—
'Snake won't sting Rani,
Rani won't tease Rajah,
Rajah won't seize policeman,
policeman won't bind woodsman,
the woodsman won't cut down the tree,
the tree won't shake off the crow,
the crow won't drop the ball:
what can the poor sparrow do?'

She went to a stick and said, 'Stick! stick! hit snake!'

The stick replied, 'What has the snake done to me?'

The sparrow cried—
'Stick won't hit snake,
Snake won't sting Rani,
Rani won't tease Rajah,
Rajah won't seize policeman,
policeman won't bind woodsman,
the woodsman won't cut down the tree,
the tree won't shake off the crow,
the crow won't drop the ball:
what can the poor sparrow do?'

She went to a fire and said, 'Fire! fire! burn stick!'

Said the fire, 'What has the stick done to me?'

The sparrow cried—
'Fire won't burn stick,
Stick won't hit snake,
Snake won't sting Rani,
Rani won't tease Rajah,
Rajah won't seize policeman,
policeman won't bind woodsman,
the woodsman won't cut down the tree,
the tree won't shake off the crow,
the crow won't drop the ball:
what can the poor sparrow do?'

She went to water and said, 'Water! water! quench fire!'

The water said,'What has the fire done to me?'

The sparrow cried—
'Water won't quench fire,
Fire won't burn stick,
Stick won't hit snake,
Snake won't sting Rani,
Rani won't tease Rajah,
Rajah won't seize policeman,
policeman won't bind woodsman,
the woodsman won't cut down the tree,
the tree won't shake off the crow,
the crow won't drop the ball:
what can the poor sparrow do?'

She went to an elephant and said, 'Elephant! elephant! drink water!'

Said the elephant, 'What has the water done to me?'

The sparrow cried—
'Elephant won't drink water,
Water won't quench fire,
Fire won't burn stick,
Stick won't hit snake,
Snake won't sting Rani,
Rani won't tease Rajah,
Rajah won't seize policeman,
policeman won't bind woodsman,
the woodsman won't cut down the tree,
the tree won't shake off the crow,
the crow won't drop the ball:
what can the poor sparrow do?'

She went to a rope and said, 'Rope! rope! tie elephant!'

The rope said, 'What has the elephant done to me?'

The sparrow cried—
'Rope won't tie elephant,
Elephant won't drink water,
Water won't quench fire,
Fire won't burn stick,
Stick won't hit snake,
Snake won't sting Rani,
Rani won't tease Rajah,
Rajah won't seize policeman,
policeman won't bind woodsman,
the woodsman won't cut down the tree,
the tree won't shake off the crow,
the crow won't drop the ball:
what can the poor sparrow do?'

She went to a rat and said, 'Rat! rat! gnaw rope!'

The rat replied, 'What has the rope done to me?'

The sparrow cried—
'Rat will not gnaw rope,
Rope won't tie elephant,
Elephant won't drink water,
Water won't quench fire,
Fire won't burn stick,
Stick won't hit snake,
Snake won't sting Rani,
Rani won't tease Rajah,
Rajah won't seize policeman,
policeman won't bind woodsman,
the woodsman won't cut down the tree,
the tree won't shake off the crow,
the crow won't drop the ball:
what can the poor sparrow do?'

She went to a cat and said, 'Cat! cat! eat rat!'

The cat replied, 'Sister! I'll eat him!'

The cat began to eat the rat, which exclaimed, 'I'll gnaw the rope!'
The rope cried, 'I'll tie the elephant!'
The elephant cried, 'I'll drink the water!'
The water cried, 'I'll quench the fire!'
The fire cried, 'I'll burn the stick!'
The stick cried, 'I'll hit the snake!'
The snake cried, 'I'll sting the Rani!'
The Rani cried, 'I'll tease the Rajah!'
The Rajah cried, 'I'll seize the policeman!'
The policeman cried, 'I'll bind the woodsman!'
The woodsman cried, 'I'll cut down the tree!'

Enough: the tree shook off the crow, the crow dropped the ball, and the sparrow had her golden treasure again!

(sparrows of India)

NOTES

To amuse some native Christian schoolboys, I had taught one that familiar story of the contumacious pig who would not go over the stile. To my surprise a Panjabi lad present said, 'We have something like that;' and, at my request, he repeated in his own language a story. [... she inserts the story here ...] Would I advise missionaries to make themselves popular in Zenanas by reciting such ballads? Most emphatically I reply, No. To do so would injure their work amongst the childish beings who generally much prefer amusement to instruction. When we are entreating India's daughters to flee to a city of refuge, shall we tempt them to attempt a butterfly-chase? But butterflies have their place in creation. I have found the ballad useful at social gatherings of native Christians, bibis or boys; and I think the translation may possibly brighten children's working-parties in England. The fingers may ply the needle while the lips laugh at the Oriental tale; and perhaps some English girl may think, 'India seems made real to me now when I find that brown children and white children like the same kind of stories. I never thought before that Zenanas could be in the least like nurseries at home.'