The Little Bird that Found the Pea

From North Indian Notes and Queries.

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

I have filled in the last part; the original article skips the resolution that walks back through the chain step by step.

THE LITTLE BIRD THAT FOUND THE PEA

Once upon a time a little bird, on its way through the woods, picked up a pea and took it to the grain-parcher (bharbhunja) to be split: but, as ill-luck would have it, one-half of it stuck fast in the socket of the mill-handle, and the bharbhunja being unable to get it out, the little bird went off to the carpenter and said, "Carpenter, carpenter, come and cut the mill-handle: my pea is in the mill-handle; what shall I eat? what shall I drink? And what shall I take to foreign countries?"

"Be off," said the carpenter. "Is it likely that I shall come and cut the mill-handle for the sake of a single pea?"

(carpenter, circa 1850)

Then the bird went to the king and said, "King, king, chide the carpenter: the carpenter won‘t cut the mill-handle: my pea is stuck in the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

"Be ofi with you," said the king. "Do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am coming to chide the carpenter?"

Then the little bird went to the queen and said, "Queen, queen, speak to the king: the king won't chide the carpenter: the carpenter won't cut the mill-handle: my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

But the queen said, "Be off with you. Do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to talk to the king?"

Then the little bird went to the snake and said, "Snake, snake, bite the queen: the queen won't talk to the king: the king won't chide the carpenter: the carpenter won’t cut the mill-handle: my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

But the snake said, "Be off with you. Do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to bite the queen?"

Then the little bird went to the stick and said, "Stick, stick, beat the snake: snake won’t bite queen: queen won't talk to king: king won't chide carpenter: carpenter won't cut mill-handle:my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

But the stick said, "Be off with you. Do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to beat the snake?"

Then the little bird went to the fire and said, "Fire, fire, burn stick: stick won’t beat snake: snake won’t bite queen: queen won’t talk to king: king won’t chide carpenter: carpenter won’t cut mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

But the fire said, "Be off with you. Do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to burn stick?"

Then the little bird went to the sea and said, "Sea, sea, quench fire; fire won't burn stick: stick won’t beat snake: snake won‘t bite queen: queen won't speak to king: king won't chide carpenter: carpenter won't cut mill-handle: my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

But the sea said, "Be off with you. Do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to quench the fire?"

Then the little bird went to the elephant and said, "Elephant, elephant, dry up the sea: sea won't quench fire: fire won't burn stick: stick won’t beat snake: snake won't bite queen: queen won't speak to king: king won't chide carpenter, carpenter won't cut mill-handle: my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

But the elephant said, "Be off with you. To dry up the sea would take the whole host of elephants. Do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to assemble all the elephants?"

Then the little bird went to the bhaunr (a tangled, creeping plant) and said, "Bhaunr, Bhaunr, snare the elephant: elephant won't drink up the sea: sea won’t quench fire: fire won’t burn stick: stick won't beat snake: snake won't bite queen: queen won't speak to king: king won’t chide carpenter: carpenter won't cut mill-handle: my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

But the bhaunr said, "Be off with you. Do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to snare the elephant?"

Then the little bird went to the mouse and said, "Mouse, mouse, cut the bhaunr: bhaunr won't snare elephant: elephant won‘t drink up the sea: sea won't quench fire: fire won't burn stick: stick won't beat snake: snake won't bite queen: queen won't speak to king: king won't chide carpenter: carpenter won‘t cut mill-handle: my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

But the mouse said, "Be off with you: do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to cut the bhaunr?"

Then the little bird went to the cat and said, "Cat, cat, eat mouse: mouse won't cut bhaunr: bhaunr won't snare elephant: elephant won’t drink up the sea: sea won't quench fire: fire won't burn stick: stick won't beat snake: snake won't bite queen: queen won't speak to king: king won’t chide carpenter: carpenter won’t cut mill-handle: my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

And the cat said, "By all means: the mouse is my natural prey. Why should I not eat it?"

So the cat went to eat the mouse and the mouse went to cut the bhaunr, saying,

Hamko khao, a, o, mat koi,
Ham bhaunr ko kata loi.

"Oh! eat, oh! eat me no one. I will take and cut the bhaunr."

And the bhaunr went to snare the elephant, saying, "Oh! cut, oh! cut me no one. I'll take and snare the elephant."

And the elephant went to drink up the sea, saying, "Oh! snare, oh! snare me no one. I'll drink up the sea."

And the sea went to quench the fire, saying, "Oh! drink, oh! drink me no one. I will quench the fire."

And the fire went to burn the stick, saying, "Oh! quench, oh! quench me no one. I will burn the stick."

And the stick went to beat the snake, saying, "Oh! burn, oh! burn me no one. I will beat the snake."

And the snake went to bite the queen, saying, "Oh! beat, oh! beat me no one. I will bite the queen."

And the queen went to talk to the king, saying, "Oh! bite, oh! bite me no one. I will talk to the king."

And the king went to chide the carpenter, saying, "Oh! talk, oh! talk to me no one. I will chide the carpenter."

And the carpenter went to extract the pea, saying, "Oh! chide, oh! chide me no one. I will extract the pea."

And so the carpenter extracted the pea, which the bird took and went away rejoicing.