Grierson. Hen-Sparrow and Crow

From Linguistic Survey of India by George Abraham Grierson.

You can also find the Rajasthani original there with an interlinear translation.

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

THE HEN-SPARROW AND THE CROW

There were a hen-sparrow and a crow who were sworn friends. It chanced that the sparrow found a pearl and the crow a ruby. The crow asked the sparrow to show him the pearl, and then flew away with it to the top of a neem tree.

Said the sparrow, "O neem tree, neem tree, shake the crow off his perch and make him fly away."

(neem tree)

Said the neem tree, "Why should I make him fly away? What has he taken of mine?"

So the sparrow went to a carpenter. "O carpenter, carpenter, cut down the neem tree."

"Why should I cut it down? What has it taken of mine?"

So she went to the king. "O king, king, fine the carpenter."

"Why should I fine him? What has he taken of mine?"

So she went to the queens. "O queens, queens, be angry with the king."

"Why should we be angry with him? What has he taken of ours?"

So she went to the mice. "O mice, mice, gnaw the clothes of the queens."

"Why should we gnaw? What have they taken of ours?"

So she went to the cats. "O cats, cats, kill the mice."

"Why should we kill them? What have they taken of ours?"

So she went to the dogs. "O dogs, dogs, kill the cats."

"Why should we kill the cats? What have they taken of ours?"

So she went to the sticks. "O sticks, sticks, beat the dogs."

"Why should we beat? What have they taken of ours?"

So she went to the fire. "Fire, fire, burn the sticks."

"Why should we burn them? What have they taken of ours?"

So she went to the pond. "Pond, pond, quench the fire."

"Why should I quench it? What has it taken of mine?"

So she went to the elephants. "Elephants, elephants, suck the pond dry."

"Why should we suck it dry? What has it taken of ours?"

So she went to the ants. "Ants, ants, crawl up the elephants’ trunks."

"Why should we crawl up the trunks? What have they taken of ours?"

"If you don’t crawl up the elephants’ trunks, I will kill you."

Then said the ant, "Why kill me? I will crawl up the elephants’ trunks."

Then said the elephants, "Why crawl up our trunks? We will suck the pond dry."

Then said the pond, "Why suck me dry? I will quench the fire."

Then said the fire, "Why quench me? I will burn the sticks."

Then said the sticks, "Why burn us? We will beat the dogs."

Then said the dogs, "Why beat us? We will kill the cats."

Then said the cats, "Why kill us? We will kill the mice."

Then said the mice, "Why kill us? We will gnaw the queens’ clothes."

Then said the queens, "Why gnaw our clothes ? We will be angry with the king."

Then said the king, "Why be angry with me? I will fine the carpenter."

Then said the carpenter, "Why fine me? I will cut down the neem tree."

Then said the neem tree, "Why cut me down? I will make the crow fly away."

Then said the crow, "Why make me fly away? I will give the sparrow back her pearl.’