[Illustration: Woman and crow.]
Once upon a time a farmer’s wife was cutting corn in a field when a crow
came flying down, swooped off with a bit of the grain and carried it up
to a tree to eat it.
The farmer’s wife was very angry and scolded loudly:
“You robber, you, to steal my corn!” Picking up a clod of earth, she
threw it at the bird with such good aim that the crow fell to the
ground, dropping the grain of corn which rolled into a crack in the
tree.
The farmer’s wife ran up to the crow and, seizing him by the tail, she
cried; “You, robber, you! give me back my grain of corn, or I will kill
you.”
“Caw, caw, caw!” cried the crow. “If you will set me free, I promise to
get it for you.”
But, lo and behold, when the crow came to search for the corn, it had
rolled so far into the crack in the tree that he could not reach it with
his beak nor with his claw.
So the poor crow flew off through the forest until he met a woodman and
he said:
“Caw, caw! Man, Man! Cut tree,
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”
But the woodman refused to cut the tree.
So the crow flew and flew until at last he reached the palace of the
king. There were the king and the queen, walking in the courtyard. So
the crow flew down to the king and said:
“Caw, caw! King, King! Kill man!
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”
But the king refused to kill the man.
So the crow pulled at the royal robes of the queen, and said:
“Caw, caw! Queen, Queen! Coax king,
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”
“No, no,” said the queen. “I never coax the king to do anything against
his will.”
So the crow was very angry and he flew and flew until he met a snake,
and he said to the snake:
“Caw, caw! Snake, Snake! Bite queen;
Queen won’t coax king;
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”
“Hiss-ss! Hiss-ss!” hissed the snake. “I will not bite the queen.”
So the crow flew to a stick and said:
“Caw, caw! Stick, Stick! Beat snake!
Snake won’t bite queen;
Queen won’t coax king;
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”
But the stick refused to beat the snake.
So the crow flew on until he saw the fire, and said:
“Caw, caw! Fire, Fire! Burn stick;
Stick won’t beat snake;
Snake won’t bite queen;
Queen won’t coax king;
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”
But the fire refused to burn the stick.
So the crow flew and flew until he saw some water, and he said:
“Caw, caw! Water, Water! Quench fire;
Fire won’t burn stick;
Stick won’t beat snake;
Snake won’t bite queen;
Queen won’t coax king;
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”
But the water ran along as fast as possible and refused to quench the
fire.
So the crow flew on until he met an ox, and said:
“Caw, caw! Ox, Ox! Drink water;
Water won’t quench fire;
Fire won’t burn stick;
Stick won’t beat snake;
Snake won’t bite queen;
Queen won’t coax king;
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”
But the ox refused to drink the water.
So the crow flew and flew until he met a rope and said:
“Caw, caw! Rope, Rope! Bind ox;
Ox won’t drink water;
Water won’t quench fire;
Fire won’t burn stick;
Stick won’t beat snake;
Snake won’t bite queen;
Queen won’t coax king;
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”
But the rope wouldn’t bind the ox.
So the crow flew on until he met a mouse, and said:
“Caw, caw! Mouse, Mouse! Gnaw rope;
Rope won’t bind ox;
Ox won’t drink water;
Water won’t quench fire;
Fire won’t burn stick;
Stick won’t beat snake;
Snake won’t bite queen;
Queen won’t coax king;
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”
“Ee-EE-Ee-e-e-ee,” squeaked the mouse. “I won’t help you.”
So the crow flew and flew until he met a cat; and he said:
“Caw, caw! Cat, Cat! Catch mouse;
Mouse won’t gnaw rope;
Rope won’t bind ox;
Ox won’t drink water;
Water won’t quench fire;
Fire won’t burn stick;
Stick won’t beat snake;
Snake won’t bite queen;
Queen won’t coax king;
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”
“Miaow! Miaow!” said the cat. “I will—I will.” And the moment she heard
the word “mouse,” she was after it in a rush.