A long time ago, an old man and an old woman lived in the same village. They had no children, and therefore the old man kept the sparrow in a cage and loved it like his own child.
One day the old man went into the forest to get firewood, and the old woman stayed at home to do the laundry. She forgot the starch in the kitchen, went to get it, and it was gone. While the old woman was washing clothes at the well, a sparrow jumped out of the cage and ate everything clean. The old woman guessed that the sparrow had eaten the starch and became extremely angry. She caught the poor bird, unclenched its beak and said:
- Was it your tongue that did such a dirty trick to me? She grabbed the scissors - chick, and the sparrow was left without a tongue. The old woman threw him out into the street and laughed:
- Now go wherever you want!
“Oh, oh, oh!” the sparrow squealed pitifully and flew away from the yard.
In the evening, an old man returned from the forest with a bundle of firewood over his shoulders.
- Oh, I’m tired today! And the sparrow probably hasn’t been fed. I'll give him some grain.
He approached the cage, but the sparrow was not there. The old man was surprised and asked the old woman:
- Listen, old woman, do you know where our sparrow went?
- Ah, sparrow! Your sparrow ate all my starch! - the old woman answered angrily. “I cut off his tongue for this and drove him away.”
“Eh, poor fellow, how cruelly they treated you!” the old man exclaimed in despair.
The old man did not sleep that night, he kept wondering where his sparrow without a tongue had flown. The next day he got up at dawn and went in search of his pet. He walks, not knowing where, taps his stick and shouts:
-Where are you, little sparrow with a cut tongue? Respond! Where is your home? Where is your home? He crossed the field, crossed the mountain, again walked through the field and again through the mountains. Finally, I came to a place where bamboo grew. And suddenly he hears from there:
- A sparrow with a cut tongue lives here! The old man was delighted, followed the voice and saw: in the shade of dense bamboo thickets there was a red house, and a sparrow with a cut tongue had already unlocked the gate and was walking towards him:
- Welcome, old man!
- Well, how is your health, little sparrow? I really missed you so much - so I came to see you.
“I’m very glad, thank you, old man.” Come in, please!
He led the old man to his room. There the sparrow fell prostrate at the feet of the old man and said:
“I feel guilty before you for eating precious starch in your house without asking.” Please forgive me and don't be angry.
- What are you, what are you! It's my fault. After all, in my absence such a misfortune happened to you. But I'm happy to see you again.
The sparrow gathered all his close relatives and friends, they began to treat the old man with his favorite foods, and then, to the accompaniment of a cheerful song, the sparrows started dancing in front of him. And the old man was so pleased that he even forgot about his home. And it was time to return: it was already getting dark outside. The old man hurried:
“Thank you, sparrow, I had a fun day, and now let me take my leave.” Before the sun sets at all, we need to go home.
- My wretched hut, but I ask you, stay overnight! - asked the sparrow, and with him the others.
“I would love to, but the old woman is waiting at home.” Sorry, I can't today. I'll come to you again.
- It's a pity, it's a pity. Well, wait a little then, I have prepared a gift for you.
The sparrow left and soon returned with two baskets.
- Here, old man, are two baskets: one heavy, the other light. Choose any!
- Oh, what are you talking about, you gave me such a treat, and even gifts... Well, oh well, so be it - I’ll take it. But I’m already old, and the road is long, so I’d better take something easier.
The old man put a light basket on his shoulders and said goodbye to the sparrows.
- Well, goodbye. I'll come see you again.
- Necessarily! We'll wait! Look, take care of yourself... - So the sparrows escorted the old man to the very gate.
The old woman sits at home alone and is angry. The sun has already set, but the old man is still not there.
-Where did he go? - the old woman grumbles. But finally, an old man appeared with a basket over his shoulders.
- Where have you been until now?
- Don't be angry, old woman! I was visiting the sparrow today. Oh, what a treat they treated me there! What dances the sparrows showed! And on top of that, look, they gave me a gift.
The old man took the basket off his shoulders, and the old woman was already smiling welcomingly:
- Oh, that's good! What's in this basket? She lifted the lid and gasped. The basket is full of jewelry: gold, silver, coral, and pearls - everything shines so much that it hurts your eyes. The old man was happy.
“You know,” he says to the old woman, “the sparrow gave me two baskets: one heavy, the other light - take either one, they say.” Well, why should I take a hard one - I’m old, and the road is long - so I took the one that’s easier. Frankly, I didn’t even think that there were such expensive things in it.
The old woman pouted:
- Oh, you old fool! Couldn't lift the heavy basket. There was, of course, more in her than in this one.
- Don't be so greedy, old woman. That's enough for us.
- Why is this enough? Eh, what can I talk to you about! I’ll go myself and bring a heavy basket.
The old man began to dissuade the old woman, but she didn’t want to hear anything: she didn’t even wait for the morning, she left the house. It was already completely dark, but the old woman, not making out the road, still walked with a stick in her hand and shouted:
-Where are you, sparrow with a cut tongue? Answer me! She crossed the field, crossed the mountain, again walked through the field and again through the mountain. Finally, I came to the bamboo thickets. And suddenly he hears:
- A sparrow with a cut tongue lives here! "Finally!" - thought the old woman. She followed the voice and saw: a sparrow with a cut tongue was unlocking the gate.
- Oh, it's you, grandma! “Welcome,” he said affably and escorted the old woman into the house.
The sparrow wanted to take her upstairs to the rooms, but the old woman just looked around and refused.
- No, I already see that you are healthy, and there is nothing more for me to do here. You better give me the gift quickly, so I can go home!
“Oh, how greedy you are!” - the sparrow thought to himself.
And the old woman hurries and shouts:
- Hurry, hurry, move!
- Now, I’ll bring it now! “Wait a little,” said the sparrow, and soon brought two baskets.
- Here are two baskets: heavy and light. Choose any one.
- Give me the heavier one!
The old woman heaved the basket onto her back, said goodbye somehow, and set off on her way back. The basket was already heavy, but as the old woman carried it, it became even heavier. The old woman’s bones are cracking, her spine is about to break. No matter how persistent she was, she had to give up.
- Phew!.. If it’s so heavy, then how much goodness is there in it! What a joy! - the old woman mutters. - Let me see what's there! At the same time, I’ll rest a little.
She sat down on a stone that lay on the side of the road, lowered the basket to the ground and quickly lifted the lid. But instead of dazzling treasures, various monsters and reptiles suddenly began to crawl out of there.
- Here she is, this greedy old witch! - they shouted and attacked the old woman.
Some stared at her with scary eyes, others began to lick her face with sticky tongues. The old woman died.
- Help! Save! - she screamed in a wild voice and rushed to run headlong.
Only in the morning, barely alive, did she somehow reach home.
- What's wrong with you, old woman? - the old man was scared. She told what happened to her, and the old man said to her:
“You see what trouble you’re in.” Next time you won’t be so heartless and greedy!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru