At a certain city there are a King and a Queen. There are also two
Princes.
During the time while they were living thus, while the Queen was
lying down at noon, a hen-sparrow had built a house (nest) on the
ridge-pole. The Queen remained looking at it. When the Queen was
there on the following day [the bird] hatched young ones.
When they had been there many days, a young sparrow, having fallen to
the ground, died. The Queen, taking the young sparrow in her hand,
looked at it. Having opened its mouth, when she looked in it there
was a fish spine in the mouth. The Queen threw the young one away.
After that, the hen-sparrow was not at the nest; another hen having
come, stayed there. Afterwards, two young sparrows having fallen to
the ground again and died, when the Queen taking them in her hand
looked at them, two fish spines were in their mouths. The Queen threw
them both away, too.
On account of what she saw the Queen thought, "[This] is not the hen
which hatched these young ones. [The cock-sparrow] having called in
another one [as his mate], she has been making them eat these spines
to kill them." Then from this the Queen got in her mind, "When I am
not [here] it will indeed be like this for my children." Well then,
through that grief the Queen died.
After she died the King brought another Queen. This Queen beats and
scolds the two Princes. Afterwards the Princes said to their father
the King, "We must go even to our uncle's [88] house."
"Why must you go?" asked the King.