A shepherd’s dog had a master who took no care of him, but often lethim suffer the greatest hunger. At last he could bear it no longer; sohe took to his heels, and off he ran in a very sad and sorrowful mood.On the road he met a sparrow that said to him, «Why are you sosad, my friend?» «Because,» said the dog, «I am very very hungry, andhave nothing to eat.» «If that be all,» answered the sparrow, «come withme into the next town, and I will soon find you plenty of food.» Soon they went together into the town: and as they passed by a butcher’sshop, the sparrow said to the dog, «Stand there a little while till Ipeck you down a piece of meat.»
So the sparrow perched upon the shelf:and having first looked carefully about her to see if anyone waswatching her, she pecked and scratched at a steak that lay upon the edgeof the shelf, till at last down it fell. Then the dog snapped it up, andscrambled away with it into a corner, where he soon ate it all up.«Well,» said the sparrow, «you shall have some more if you will; socome with me to the next shop, and I will peck you down anothersteak.» When the dog had eaten this too, the sparrow said to him,«Well, my good friend, have you had enough now?» «I have had plentyof meat,» answered he, «but I should like to have a piece of bread toeat after it.» «Come with me then,» said the sparrow, «and you shallsoon have that too.» So she took him to a baker’s shop, and pecked attwo rolls that lay in the window, till they fell down: and as the dogstill wished for more, she took him to another shop and pecked downsome more for him. When that was eaten, the sparrow asked him whetherhe had had enough now.
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