Once upon a time there was a sparrow. And he had a thorn in his paw. He flew back and forth, flew from place to place, and finally spotted an old woman. And the old woman was collecting wood for the stove - she wanted to light a fire and bake fresh bread.
- Grandma, grandma! – the sparrow called her. “Take the thorn out of my paw, and then go about your business.” At least I can peck something calmly, otherwise I might die of hunger. The old woman took the splinter out of the sparrow’s foot, and then returned to her business.
The sparrow, meanwhile, jumped and jumped around, and then returned to the old woman and began to demand his splinter back. “I threw it into the stove fire,” the old woman answered. The sparrow began to demand: “Either give me my splinter back, or I will take your bread.”
The old woman gave her bread to the sparrow, and it flew away. The sparrow flew and flew further and met a shepherd who dined on milk alone, without bread. “Shepherd, ah, shepherd!” – the sparrow called him. - Why do you have only milk for lunch and no bread? Here, take mine. Crumble it into milk and eat for your health. But at least I can calmly peck at something, otherwise I might die of hunger. The sparrow jumped and jumped around, and then returned to the shepherd and began to demand his bread back. “I already ate it,” answered the shepherd. “Well, if so, then give me the lamb in exchange for the bread!” The shepherd gave the lamb to the sparrow, and he flew away.
The sparrow flew and flew further and met people who had gathered to celebrate a wedding. But they didn’t have any meat on the tables at all. “Don’t worry,” the sparrow tells them. - Take my lamb, slaughter it and cook something tasty for the holiday. And I’ll go and peck a little, otherwise you might die of hunger.” The sparrow jumped and jumped back and forth, and then returned and began to demand the lamb back. “So we’ve already eaten it,” the people answered. “How will we return it to you?” “Either return my lamb,” the sparrow shouted at them, “or I will take your bride.” He grabbed the bride and flew away.
A sparrow flew and flew and looked: a minstrel was walking along the road, a wandering musician, a people's favorite. “Minstrel, ah, minstrel,” the sparrow called him. “Take yourself a bride, and I’ll at least go and peck something, otherwise you might die of hunger.” The sparrow jumped and jumped back and forth, and then returned and began to demand the bride back. “And the bride went home to her lover,” answered the minstrel. “Either return the bride, or give up your saz,” demanded the sparrow.
The minstrel gave the saz to the sparrow. He hung it on his shoulder and flew away. The sparrow chose a more comfortable and attractive place, sat down there on a tree branch, took out a saz and started playing and singing: Chark-chvark! Chirk-chvark! I exchanged a splinter for bread, And I exchanged bread for a lamb. I gave the lamb for a bride, And I gave up the bride for a saz. Now I have a saz, And now I am a sweet-voiced minstrel! Chark-chvark! Chirk-Chvyrk!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru