the Juniper Tree 檜樹

　　then the bird flew away to a shoemaker, and lit on his roof and sang:

　　My mother, she killed me, My father, he ate me, My sister Marlene, Gathered all my bones, Tied them in a silken scarf, Laid them beneath the juniper tree, Tweet, tweet, what a beautiful bird am I.

　　Hearing this, the shoemaker ran out of doors in his shirtsleeves, and looked up at his roof, and had to hold his hand in front of his eyes to keep the sun from blinding him. "Bird," said he, "how beautifully you can sing."

　　then he called in at his door, "Wife, come outside. There is a bird here. Look at this bird. He certainly can sing." Then he called his daughter and her children, and the journeyman, and the apprentice, and the maid, and they all came out into the street and looked at the bird and saw how beautiful he was, and what fine red and GREen feathers he had, and how his neck was like pure gold, and how his eyes shone like stars in his head.

　　"Bird," said the shoemaker, "now sing that song again for me."

　　"No," said the bird, "I do not sing twice for nothing. You must give me something."

　　"Wife," said the man, "go into the shop. There is a pair of red shoes on the top shelf. Bring them down." Then the wife went and brought the shoes.

　　"there, bird," said the man, "now sing that piece again for me." Then the bird came and took the shoes in his left claw, and flew back to the roof, and sang:

　　My mother, she killed me, My father, he ate me, My sister Marlene, Gathered all my bones, Tied them in a silken scarf, Laid them beneath the juniper tree, Tweet, tweet, what a beautiful bird am I.

　　When he had finished his song he flew away. In his right claw he had the chain and in his left one the shoes. He flew far away to a mill, and the mill went clickety-clack, clickety-clack, clickety-clack. In the mill sat twenty miller's apprentices cutting a stone, and chiseling chip-chop, chip-chop, chip-chop. And the mill went clickety-clack, clickety-clack, clickety-clack.

　　then the bird went and sat on a linden tree which stood in front of the mill, and sang:

　　My mother, she killed me,

　　then one of them stopped working.

　　My father, he ate me,

　　then two more stopped working and listened,

　　My sister Marlene,

　　then four more stopped,

　　Gathered all my bones, Tied them in a silken scarf,

　　Now only eight only were chiseling,

　　Laid them beneath

　　Now only five,

　　the juniper tree,

　　Now only one,

　　Tweet, tweet, what a beautiful bird am I.

　　then the last one stopped also, and heard the last words. "Bird," said he, "how beautifully you sing. Let me hear that too. Sing it once more for me."

　　"No," said the bird, "I do not sing twice for nothing. Give me the millstone, and then I will sing it again."

　　"Yes," he said, "if it belonged only to me, you should have it."

　　"Yes," said the others, "if he sings again he can have it."

　　then the bird came down, and the twenty millers took a beam and lifted the stone up. Yo-heave-ho! Yo-heave-ho! Yo-heave-ho!

　　the bird stuck his neck through the hole and put the stone on as if it were a collar, then flew to the tree again, and sang:

　　My mother, she killed me, My father, he ate me, My sister Marlene, Gathered all my bones, Tied them in a silken scarf, Laid them beneath the juniper tree, Tweet, tweet, what a beautiful bird am I.

　　When he was finished singing, he spread his wings, and in his right claw he had the chain, and in his left one the shoes, and around his neck the millstone. He flew far away to his father's house.

　　In the room the father, the mother, and Marlene were sitting at the table.

　　the father said, "I feel so contented. I am so happy."

　　"Not I," said the mother, "I feel uneasy, just as if a bad storm were coming."

　　But Marlene just sat and cried and cried.

　　then the bird flew up, and as it seated itself on the roof, the father said, "Oh, I feel so truly happy, and the sun is shining so beautifully outside. I feel as if I were about to see some old acquaintance again."

　　"Not I," said the woman, "I am so afraid that my teeth are chattering, and I feel like I have fire in my veins." And she tore open her bodice even more. Marlene sat in a corner crying. She held a handkerchief before her eyes and cried until it was wet clear through.

　　then the bird seated itself on the juniper tree, and sang:

　　My mother, she killed me,

　　the mother stopped her ears and shut her eyes, not wanting to see or hear, but there was a roaring in her ears like the fiercest storm, and her eyes burned and FLASHed like lightning.

　　My father, he ate me,

　　"Oh, mother," said the man, "that is a beautiful bird. He is singing so splendidly, and the sun is shining so warmly, and it smells like pure cinnamon."

　　My sister Marlene,

　　then Marlene laid her head on her knees and cried and cried, but the man said, "I am going out. I must see the bird up close."

　　"Oh, don't go," said the woman, "I feel as if the whole house were shaking and on fire."

　　But the man went out and looked at the bird.

　　Gathered all my bones, Tied them in a silken scarf, Laid them beneath the juniper tree, Tweet, tweet, what a beautiful bird am I.

　　With this the bird dropped the golden chain, and it fell right around the man's neck, so exactly around it that it fit beautifully. Then the man went in and said, "Just look what a beautiful bird that is, and what a beautiful golden chain he has given me, and how nice it looks."

　　But the woman was terrified. She fell down on the floor in the room, and her cap fell off her head. Then the bird sang once more:

　　My mother killed me.

　　"I wish I were a thousand fathoms beneath the earth, so I would not have to hear that!"

　　My father, he ate me,

　　then the woman fell down as if she were dead.

　　My sister Marlene,

　　"Oh," said Marlene, "I too will go out and see if the bird will give me something." Then she went out.

　　Gathered all my bones, Tied them in a silken scarf,

　　He threw the shoes down to her.

　　Laid them beneath the juniper tree, Tweet, tweet, what a beautiful bird am I.

　　then she was contented and happy. She put on the new red shoes and danced and leaped into the house. "Oh," she said, "I was so sad when I went out and now I am so contented. That is a splendid bird, he has given me a pair of red shoes."

　　"No," said the woman, jumping to her feet and with her hair standing up like flames of fire, "I feel as if the world were coming to an end. I too, will go out and see if it makes me feel better."

　　And as she went out the door, crash! the bird threw the millstone on her head, and it crushed her to death.

　　the father and Marlene heard it and went out. Smoke, flames, and fire were rising from the place, and when that was over, the little brother was standing there, and he took his father and Marlene by the hand, and all three were very happy, and they went into the house, sat down at the table, and ate.