July 14. Story of the Day: Susku and Mushu

This is another story from Persian Tales by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer with illustrations by Hilda Roberts, and you will see the same story opening formulas and closing formulas here as in the other stories I've taken from this book: The Fox's Pilgrimage to Mecca and The Mouse's Tail.

Watch out for the two uses of "ash" in this story: there is the usual English word ashes, but also Persian ash, which is a type of stew. You can find out more about ash at Wikipedia.

This type of story is classified as ATU 2023. Little Ant Marries, but it also shares the story motif of the chain of mourners with the related type: ATU 2022 The Death of the Little Hen. Storytellers are very adept at the mixing-and-matching of motifs. That makes a muddle of the folktale classifications schemes, but it also leads to all kinds of new stories!

And for yet more stories, you can click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

SUSKU AND MUSHU

Once upon a time there was a time when there was no one but God.

There was a Mouse who was called Mushu, and a little Beetle whose name was Susku. Susku was going along one day dressed up in her very best clothes when Master Mousie came out of his hole just in front of her, and said: "Whither away, with your cotton chader and your silken vest and your golden heels?"

"I'm going off to get married, and to get married, and to eat only the finest white bread," answered she, "and to ask no favour of any man."

Then Mushu asked: "Would you marry me?"

"Well," said Susku, "if I marry you, what will you put me to sleep on?"

"On a basket of dates."

"Oh," cried she, "now, just look, how could any one sleep on anything so sticky-wicky?"

"Then I'll put you to sleep on a skin of clarified butter."

"But now, how could any one sleep on anything so greasy-weasy?"

"All right, then, I'll put you to sleep on a sack of walnuts."

"But how could any one sleep on anything so nobbly-wobbly?"

"Well, then," said Master Mousie, "I'll put you to sleep in my own little arms."

And Susku said: "Right you are."

Then she asked: "And when we quarrel what will you beat me with?"

"With the pole of the weighing-machine."

"I'll die," said Susku.

"Then," said Mushu, "I'll beat you with my own little tail."

And Susku said: "Right you are."

When they had agreed about this Susku went off to the bath. As she was coming out and was just crossing a little stream, she fell in. There was a farmer-man there who was managing the irrigation and watching the flow of the water.

Susku called out to him: "Hullo, brother, run to Master Mousie and tell him that his lover and his sweetheart is in the water, and say: 'Bring a little ladder of gold and take your sweetheart out of the water.'"

So off went the farmer and told Mushu. Master Mousie ran to the door of the greengrocer's shop and stole two carrots, and with his little teeth he cut them up and carved them out and made a little ladder of gold and carried it to the stream. And he pulled Susku up out of the water, and they got married, and he was her husband and she was his wife. And Master Mousie carried her off to his home.

One day he said: "Wife, I want some nice ash. Go and cook me a little." As soon as he had gone out Susku made the broth and put the pot on the fire and cut up some fine strips of dough and went to put them in it, but the wind came and lifted her up in the air and threw her down into the pot of ash. When poor Mushu came home he saw that Susku had fallen into the pot of broth and been drowned. And so full of sorrow was he that he went to the fireplace and began to throw ashes on his head.

Just then a crow happened to pass that way and said to Master Mousie: "What's the matter with you?" and he said: "Haven't you heard?
Susku fell into the pot
And Mushu poured ashes on his head."

And the crow said: "Oh, I am so sorry," and gave himself a shake and shook all his feathers out and went and sat on a tree.

And the tree asked: "Crow, why have you shaken your feathers out?"

"Haven't you heard?
Susku fell into the pot,
Mushu poured ashes on his head,
And the crow shook his feathers out."

The tree said: "Oh, I am so sorry," and gave herself a shake and shed all her leaves.

The waters came to the foot of the tree to water her. They asked: "Tree, why have you shed your leaves?"

"Haven't you heard?
Susku fell into the pot,
Mushu poured ashes on his head,
The crow shook his feathers out,
And the tree shed her leaves."

The waters said: "Oh, we are so sorry," and they turned all muddy, and went out into the desert to water the corn. The corn asked: "Waters, why are you all muddy?"

"Haven't you heard?
Susku fell into the pot,
Mushu poured ashes on his head,
The crow shook his feathers out,
The tree shed her leaves,
And the waters turned muddy."

Then the stalks of corn said: "Oh, we are so sorry," and they put their heads on the ground and their feet in the air.

The farmer happened to pass that way; he asked: "O stalks of corn, what are you all doing, standing on your heads?"

"Haven't you heard?
Susku fell into the pot,
Mushu poured ashes on his head,
The crow shook his feathers out,
The tree shed her leaves,
The waters turned muddy,
And the stalks of corn stood on their heads."

Then the farmer said: "Oh, I am so sorry," and he fixed his spade in the ground and ran the handle of it right through his body.

The farmer's daughter was bringing his dinner out to him, and she said: "Daddy, how did you get like this?"

"Haven't you heard?
Susku fell into the pot,
Mushu poured ashes on his head,
The crow shook his feathers out,
The tree shed her leaves,
The waters turned muddy,
The stalks of corn stood on their heads,
And the farmer drove a spade through his body."

Then the farmer's daughter, who had a dish of curds in her hand, said: "Oh, I am so sorry," and threw the curds all over herself and ran to her mother.

Her mother was sitting beside the griddle cooking griddle-cakes, and she said: "Darling, what have you done?"

"Haven't you heard?
Susku fell into the pot,
Mushu poured ashes on his head,
The crow shook his feathers out,
The tree shed her leaves,
The waters turned muddy,
The stalks of corn stood on their heads,
The farmer drove a spade through his body,
And your daughter was covered with curds."

Then her mother said: "Oh, I am so sorry," and cut off her two thumbs and threw them on the griddle, and they became griddle-cakes.

And now my story has come to an end, but the sparrow never got home.

July 10. Story of the Day: The Mouse's Tail

This is another story from Persian Tales by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer. It is an example of ATU 2034. The Mouse Regains its Tail... although in this version, the mouse has not regained his tail by the story's end! Instead, the story ends abruptly with a story-ending formula that occurs in many of the Persian tales. The actual chain could either go on and on, or we could imagine that the blacksmith might comply, allowing the poor mouse to work her way on back down to the start of the chain, with the cobbler sewing the tail back on.

The story makes reference to the Jews of Iran, and you can find out more about the Persian Jews at Wikipedia. The story also makes reference to Gypsies, the Roma people, who have also lived in Iran for many centuries. You can read in Wikipedia about the legend from the Persian epic Shahnameh about how the Roma came to Iran.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day. You can also find several other stories from Lorimer's Persian Tales!

THE SAD TALE

OF THE MOUSE'S TAIL

(Public Domain Pictures)

Once upon a time there was a time when there was no one but God.

The Mouse went out a-stealing and fell into a trap, and her tail got torn off.

Away she went to the Cobbler and said:
Cobbler, Cobbler, sew on my tail!

The Cobbler said: "Run away and bring me some thread so that I can sew on your tail."

The Mouse ran to the Jew and said:
Jew, Jew, give me a thread
To give to the Cobbler to sew on my tail.

"Bring me an egg," said the Jew, "and I'll give you a thread."

So she came to the Hen and said:
Tutoo, Tutoo, give me an egg
To give to the Jew, who'll give me a thread
To give to the Cobbler to sew on my tail.

The Hen said: "Go and bring me a grain of corn and I'll give you an egg."

So she came to the Corn Heap and said:
Corn Heap, Corn Heap, give me a grain
To give to the Hen, who'll give me an egg
To give to the Jew, who'll give me a thread
To give to the Cobbler to sew on my tail.

"Bring me a sieve," said the Corn Heap, "so that I can get you a grain of corn."

So she came to the Tinker and said:
Gipsy, Gipsy, give me a sieve
To give to the Corn Heap, who'll give me a grain
To give to the Hen, who'll give me an egg
To give to the Jew, who'll give me a thread
To give to the Cobbler to sew on my tail.

"Go and bring me a goat-skin," said the Tinker, "so that I may make a sieve for you."

So she came to the Goat and said:
Goat, Goat, give me a skin
To give to the Tinker, who'll make me a sieve
To give to the Corn Heap, who'll give me a grain
To give to the Hen, who'll give me an egg
To give to the Jew, who'll give me a thread
To give to the Cobbler to sew on my tail.

The Goat said: "Go and bring me some grass, and I'll give you a skin."

So she came to the Farmer and said:
Farmer, Farmer, give me some grass
To give to the Goat, who'll give me a skin
To give to the Tinker, who'll make me a sieve
To give to the Corn Heap, who'll give me a grain
To give to the Hen, who'll give me an egg
To give to the Jew, who'll give me a thread
To give to the Cobbler to sew on my tail.

"Go and bring me a spade," said the Farmer, "so that I can dig you up some grass."

So she came to the Blacksmith and said:
Blacksmith, Blacksmith, give me a spade
To give to the Farmer, who'll give me some grass
To give to the Goat, who'll give me a skin
To give to the Tinker, who'll make me a sieve
To give to the Corn Heap, who'll give me a grain
To give to the Hen, who'll give me an egg
To give to the Jew, who'll give me a thread
To give to the Cobbler
TO SEW ON MY TAIL!

And now my story has come to an end, but the sparrow never got home.

CHAIN: cobbler/thread - Jew/egg - hen/grain - heap/sieve - tinker/skin - goat/grass - farmer/space - blacksmith

July 2. Story of the Day: Beetle, Mouse, and Ant.

This is another story from Persian Tales by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer with illustrations by Hilda Roberts.

This is classified as ATU 2023. Little Ant Marries. In this case, though, there are two brides: the beetle and the ant! Things do not turn out well for either of them, alas.

You will see a few Persian words in the story. For example, when the beetle dresses herself up, she calls herself "Naazi," which means "cute" (and the mouse is named Ramazan, and he lives in Hamadan in western Iran). Another Persian word you will meet in the story is sowaar, a member of the cavalry; more at Wikipedia.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

THE SAD STORY OF THE BEETLE,

THE MOUSE, AND THE ANT

There was once a Black Beetle who said to herself, "Why do I stay here? I'll go and visit the Mouse and marry him."

She started off and began walking along the road, and on her way she came to an old camping-ground. There she found a piece of goat's-hair webbing and she put it on as side-locks, and the skin of an onion she made into a chader.

Thus adorned, she went on her way, and presently she saw a man coming along riding on a cow.

He called to her, "Mistress Beetle, where are you going and where are you coming from?"

"May you become a beetle!" cried she. "May you become mud! May you be lost off the face of the earth that is no way to speak to me! They address me as: Sister Naazi, onion-veil, webbing-locks, forty-plaits!"

"Very good, Sister Naazi, onion-veil, webbing-locks, forty-plaits, where are you going and where have you come from?"

She answered, "I'm going to Hamadan to marry Ramazan. I shall eat wheaten cakes and worry his beard."

"Won't you come and go along with me then?" said he.

"What will you mount me on?"

"I'll mount you on my yellow cow," said he.

"It mustn't kick and buck, then, and break my delicate arms and legs."

"Oh, all right, don't come, then."

On went Sister Naazi, and on and on, and came to a certain place, and saw that a man was coming along riding on a mule.

"Mistress Beetle, where have you been and where are you going?" asked he.

"May you become a beetle!" cried she. "May you become mud! may you be lost off the face of the earth! Say: Sister Naazi, onion-veil, webbing-locks, forty-plaits, where are you coming from and where are you going to?"

"Very well, Sister Naazi, onion-veil, webbing-locks, forty plaits, where are you coming from and where are you going to?"

"I'm going to Hamadan, I am going to marry Ramazan. I shall eat wheaten cakes and worry his beard."

"Come along, I'll give you a mount and take you on your way," said the man.

"What will you mount me on?"

"On a mule."

"It mustn't kick and buck and break my delicate arms and legs."

"Very well," said he, "you know best," and he rode on without her.

She went on and on till she came to the mark of a cow's hoof. By chance she fell into it, and however much she tried she couldn't get up out of it again.

Just then some mounted men came riding along past her, and she called out, "O sowaars, you who are riding along, I hear the clatter of your horses' hoofs, and there is a greyhound with you; say to the Mouse, say to the Mouse with two teeth, say to the Terror of the Flourbag: Sister Naazi, onion-veil, webbing locks, forty-plaits has fallen into a pit, come and get her out."

The sowaars said, "Very good," and rode on, and they came to the Mouse's hole and told him all about it.

Master Mouse set out to the rescue, and came to the place and saw Sister Naazi lying at the bottom of a pit.

"Give me your hand," said he.

"You mustn't break my arm."

"Give me your leg, then," said he.

"You mustn't break my leg."

"Very well," said he, "then catch hold of my tail with your hand and climb up to the top."

She did so, and he said to her, "Get up and ride on my tail."

She mounted his tail and they went on towards Hamadan.

"Now wait here, my dear," said Master Mouse, "while I go on to find some food and bring it back, so that we may have something to live on."

"Off with you," said she.

But Master Mouse remained away for several days.

Now Mistress Ant was in that neighbourhood, and he said to her, "O Ant, won't you marry me?"

"No," said she.

Somehow or other, however, he got her consent at last, and took her as his wife.

Then he said, "Wife, you just stay here where you are till I come back."

"Very well," said she.

When he came home again, Mistress Beetle got very angry. She said, "You went off and married a wife."

But he took oath, saying, "If I have married a wife, may this head of mine be pulled off, and may a dog eat you!"

For all he could say, however, she wouldn't believe him, and she went off and flung herself into a puddle of water and drowned herself.

When Master Mouse came back, he saw that Sister Naazi, onion-veil, webbing-locks, forty-plaits had thrown herself into a water-hole and was drowned.

Then he went off to keep his appointment with Mistress Ant.

He took some sheep's trotters with him, and brought them and put them in a big pot on the fire, and said, "Wife, Companion of my Nights and Days, don't take the lid off this pot till I come back." With that he went off and was a long time in returning.

Mistress Ant, seeing that her husband hadn't come, went and lifted the lid off the pot, but then as she was trying to take out the trotters she herself fell in and was drowned, and her body was swollen up with the water.

Master Mouse came back presently, and not seeing his wife, said, "Mistress Ant isn't here. I'll just take out my share of the trotters and eat it." Then he went to the pot, and there he found Mistress Ant all swollen up with the water.

He beat his head and said:
"Dust on the head of the Mouse!
The water has killed Mistress Ant."

Then he went off and came under a tree.

"What's the matter with you?" said the tree, and he replied:
"Dust on the head of the Mouse!
The water has killed Mistress Ant."

Thereupon the tree shed its leaves. A crow came and alighted on the tree, and said, "O tree, what's the matter with you ? "

The tree replied :
"The tree has shed its leaves,
Dust on the head of the Mouse!
The water has killed Mistress Ant."

Thereupon the crow moulted all his feathers and went to a spring to drink water. The spring inquired, "O crow, every day you have come here with feathers on, what's the matter with you to-day ? "

The crow replied:
"The crow has moulted,
The tree has shed its leaves,
Dust on the head of the Mouse!
The water has killed Mistress Ant."

Then the spring became all bloody. Some ibex came to the spring and saw that it was all red. "O spring," they asked, "what is the matter with you? We have come here every day, and you have been nice and clear, but to-day we see that you have become all bloody."

The spring replied:
"The spring has become all bloody,
The crow has moulted,
The tree has shed its leaves,
Dust on the head of the Mouse!
The water has killed Mistress Ant."

The ibex did not drink the water; they each dropped one horn and then went off to graze and came to Master Hare. "Why have you become like this?" asked he, and they replied :
"The ibex have each dropped a horn,
The spring has become all bloody,
The crow has moulted,
The tree has shed its leaves,
Dust on the head of the Mouse!
The water has killed Mistress Ant."

Then the hare cut off his tail and went and lay down among the corn. An old man came up and saw the hare with his tail cut off.

"Master Hare," said he, "every day when you came among the corn you had a tail. Today I see you have none; what has happened?"

The hare replied:
"The hare has cut off his tail,
The ibex have each dropped a horn,
The spring has become all bloody,
The crow has moulted,
The tree has shed its leaves,
Dust on the head of the Mouse!
The water has killed Mistress Ant."

The old man stuck a spade through his body and went off to his house. His wife was going along the road to get a griddle from her neighbours, and she saw the old man coming towards her.

"Grandfather," said she, " what on earth's the meaning of this? What game are you playing at? Why have you stuck the spade through your body?"

He replied :
"Grandpa has stuck a spade through his body,
The hare has cut off his tail,
The ibex have each dropped a horn,
The spring has become all bloody,
The crow has moulted,
The tree has shed its leaves,
Dust on the head of the Mouse!
The water has killed Mistress Ant."

Then the wife threw the griddle round her neck and went into the house. The people in the house said, "Woman, have you gone mad? Why have you thrown the griddle round your neck?"

She replied:
"Auntie has thrown the griddle round her neck,
Grandpa has stuck a spade through his body,
The hare has cut off his tail,
The ibex have each dropped a horn,
The spring has become all bloody,
The crow has moulted,
The tree has shed its leaves,
Dust on the head of the Mouse!
The water has killed Mistress Ant."

Then these people too got up and they pulled down the house and ran away, and they came to see the corpse of Mistress Ant, and raised great mourning and lamentation, and they buried her to the sound of music and of drums.

Then every one went straight off on his own way, and they became wanderers on the face of the earth out of grief for Mistress Ant.

June 26. Story of the Day: The Fox's Pilgrimage to Mecca

Today's story comes from Persian Tales by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer with illustrations by Hilda Roberts.

You will see references here to King Suleman (Solomon), the son of King David, who is a key figure in Islamic folklore. There is more about Suleman at Wikipedia, and you can read about the hoopoe and Suleman at Wikipedia also.

(cover art by Hilmi Eltouni)

This is ATU 20 Animals Flee - Animals on a Pilgrimage, "the animals on a pilgrimage," and it also features some other familiar folktale motifs. Of the birds who join the fox on the pilgrimage, it is the wise hoopoe who outfoxes the fox in the end.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

THE FOX'S PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA

Once upon a time there was a time when there was no one but God.

There was a Fox who went one day into a reed-brake to play, and in playing he broke one of the reeds. He took it and put it over his shoulder like a pilgrim's staff and walked off.

A Cock happened to be standing on the edge of a wall, busy praising God by reciting His name aloud. When he caught sight of the Fox, he cried, "Hullo, Master Fox! What play-acting is this? What have you put a pilgrim's staff on your shoulder for?"

The Fox replied, "Nay, then, thou Muezzin of God who callest the Faithful to prayer, this is no playacting nor conjuring trick. Those evil deeds which you saw and which I used to do of old, I have renounced them all. I am now going on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
To the House of God I make my way,
There to worship and there to pray.
Though of old I did evil and went astray,
I repent, and turn from the world away.
Never again shall I steal or thieve
Or plunder the hen-roosts as long as I live.
The estate of my father lies in my hand,
In peace and in virtue I'll live on my land."

(illustration by Hilda Roberts)

The silly idiot of a cock was taken in by these pious words, and said, "O, Master Sheikh, I long to go with you on your pilgrimage."

"Very well," said the Fox, "you will be most welcome. Pray come, and let us set out."

So the Cock flew down and started off in company with the Fox. When they had travelled some little distance they came to the bank of a river. A Waterfowl was swimming about in the river, and when she saw the Cock coming along with the Fox she made her voice heard from the water, "O, thou Muezzin of God, hast thou forgotten to chant the praise of God that thou art thus fallen into the power of that base-born Fox?"

The Cock replied, "Nay, it is not as you think:
To the House of God he makes his way,
There to worship and there to pray.
Though of old he did evil and went astray,
He repents and turns from the world away.
Never again will he steal or thieve
Or plunder the hen-roosts while he shall live.
The estate of his father lies in his hand,
In peace and in virtue he'll live on his land."

The Waterfowl cried, "If that is the state of affairs, I should like to go with you both on this pilgrimage," and she came out of the water and joined them, and they travelled on all three together.

After they had gone some little way they came to a garden where a Hoopoe was sitting on the branch of a tree. When she saw the Cock and the Waterfowl coming along with the Fox she made her voice heard from the tree, "What extraordinary fools you are! I wonder what sin you have committed to have fallen into the clutches of the base-born Fox!"

But the Waterfowl said, "Nay, thou Messenger of the Prophet Suleman, things are not as you think:
To the House of God he makes his way,
There to worship and there to pray.
Though of old he did evil and went astray,
He repents and turns from the world away.
Never again will he steal or thieve
Or plunder the hen-roosts while he shall live.
The estate of his father lies in his hand,
In peace and in virtue he'll live on his land."

"Then," cried the Hoopoe, "if that is so, I should like to come with you all on your pilgrimage."

"Welcome in the name of God!" said they. So the Hoopoe flew down and started off with them.

On and on they travelled till they reached the door of the Fox's hole. When they caught sight of the hole they saw feet and paws and birds' feathers scattered about and piled into heaps, and they all began to tremble with terror. The Fox saw this and said, "Nay, do not fear, since I renounced the evil of the world I have not harmed a single bird. Come now and sleep here, be my guests tonight, and we shall start out early tomorrow morning."

So they went into the Fox's earth and passed the night as best they might. As soon as it was day the Fox rose up and first called the Cock. He came, and the Fox addressed him, "Do you remember when you were on the roof-top what curses you hurled at me and how you made fun of me?"

The Cock began to beg and implore, "O, Master Sheikh, I am God's Muezzin, calling the Faithful to prayer; I pray thee overlook my fault!"

"Very well, then," said the Fox, "but what right have you to climb up on to men's roof-tops, and, in the pretence that you are going to sound the Call to Prayer, cast your eyes upon their women-folk?"

"O, Master Sheikh, God created me for this sole purpose, that I should wake each dawn and sing to waken men that they should rise and pray."

The Fox cried, "Even if you yourself are one of the Faithful, at any rate your mother was no better than she should be!" And with that he ran in, and, seizing the Cock by the throat, strangled and ate him.

As soon as he had finished eating the Cock he called the Waterfowl. She also came. "Do you remember, when you made your voice heard from the water, what you said about me?" The poor bird began with apologies and tears to beg and implore him.

"Very well, I'll pass over that fault," said the Fox, "but how can I overlook this great sin? You go into the water and swim about and beat up the waters and defile them. Then comes a believer and wants to perform his ablutions before prayer, and finds the water all dirty and impure."

As he spoke he darted at the Waterfowl, and, seizing her throat, strangled and ate her.

Then he called up the Hoopoe, "Do you remember, when you were sitting on the branch of the tree, what senseless words you uttered? Whence do you get this fine name of yours, 'Messenger of the Prophet Suleman'? And how can you boast of the love which exists between you and the sons of men?"

"Well," said the poor Hoopoe,  you must admit that I was in charge of the water-wheels for the holy Suleman's army, and that I used to fly in the van and find water and camping-grounds for them."

"O, you son of a burnt father!" said the Fox, "if in very truth you have skill in finding water, let us see it now: find me some."

The Hoopoe alighted on the ground and began to peck at the earth with her beak to make water come forth, thereupon the Fox pounced on her from behind and made one mouthful of her. But from out of the Fox's mouth the Hoopoe raised her voice and said, "Master Fox, I have one piece of good advice to give you. Open your ears to it."

The Fox wanted to say, "Say on," but when he opened his mouth wide like a water-jar the Hoopoe flew off. As she was hurrying off she happened to pass an approaching army, and a Royal Falcon was flying in the van above them. The Hoopoe flew up to the Falcon and said, "Where are you off to?"

The Falcon answered, "O, Messenger of the Prophet Suleman, this army is marching forth on business."

"What business?" asked she.

"Our great King's daughter lies very ill,
And crowds of doctors surround her still.
This they prescribe with thought and with care:
The Gall of a Fox and the Heart of a Hare,
and now for three days we have been searching and have only just caught a hare, but so far we haven't lighted on a fox."

"That's all right," said the Hoopoe, "I've got a fox's earth close at hand. Come along and I'll show you."

Then the Hoopoe flew ahead and the Falcon and the horsemen followed behind till they came near the Fox's hole. The Hoopoe went to the mouth of it and called out, "Master Fox, you have shown me such great kindness that I am overwhelmed. Now I have come back to make you some return for it. There's a huge army coming along, and they'll certainly wreck your home. If you have any wish to save your life you must fly at once."

The Fox came to the door of his hole and saw that the Hoopoe was speaking the truth: the army was there all right. He tried to escape, but the horsemen saw him and loosed their hounds on him. He fled till he was weary, but at last the hounds overtook him and tore him to pieces. Then the horsemen came up and took his gall-bladder for the King's daughter.

And now my story has come to an end, but the sparrow never got home.