"nothingatall,"answeredtheirmother;"that'sonlysomethingexternal.upatthehall,wherethepigeonshavetheirownhouse,andcornandpeasarestrewnbeforethemeveryday-ihavedinedwiththemmyself,andthatyoushalldointime,too;fortellmewhatcompanyyoukeepandi'lltellyouwhoyouare-upatthehalltheyhavetwobirdswithgreennecksandacrestupontheirheads;theycanspreadouttheirtailslikeagreatwheel,andthesearesobrightwithvariouscoloursthatitmakesone'seyesache.thesebirdsarecalledpeacocks,andthatis'thebeautiful.'iftheywereonlypluckedalittletheywouldlooknobetterthantherestofus.iwouldhavepluckedthemalreadyiftheyhadnotbeensobig."

"i'llpluckthem,"pipedtheyoungsparrow,whohadnofeathersyet.

inthefarmhouselivedayoungmarriedcouple;theylovedeachotherdearly,wereindustriousandactive,andeverythingintheirhomelookedverynice.onsundaystheyoungwifecamedownearly,pluckedahandfulofthemostbeautifulroses,andputthemintoaglassofwater,whichsheplaceduponthecupboard.

"nowiseethatitissunday,"saidthehusband,kissinghislittlewife.theysatdown,readtheirhymn-book,andheldeachotherbythehand,whilethesunshonedownuponthefreshrosesanduponthem.

"thissightisreallytootedious,"saidthesparrow-mother,whocouldseeintotheroomfromhernest;andsheflewaway.

thesamethinghappenedonthefollowingsunday,foreverysundayfreshroseswereputintotheglass;buttherose-bushbloomedasbeautifullyasever.theyoungsparrowsnowhadfeathers,andwantedverymuchtoflywiththeirmother;butshewouldnotallowit,andsotheyhadtostayathome.inoneofherflights,howeveritmayhavehappened,shewascaught,beforeshewasawareofit,inahorse-hairnetwhichsomeboyshadattachedtoatree.thehorse-hairwasdrawntightlyroundherleg-astightlyasifthelatterweretobecutoff;shewasingreatpainandterror.theboyscamerunningupandseizedher,andinnogentlewayeither.

"it'sonlyasparrow,"theysaid;theydidnot,however,lethergo,buttookherhomewiththem,andeverytimeshecriedtheyhitheronthebeak.

inthefarmhousewasanoldmanwhounderstoodmakingsoapintocakesandballs,bothforshavingandwashing.hewasamerryoldman,alwayswanderingabout.onseeingthesparrowwhichtheboyshadbrought,andwhichtheysaidtheydidnotwant,heasked,"shallwemakeitlookverypretty?"

atthesewordsanicyshudderranthroughthesparrow-mother.

outofhisbox,inwhichwerethemostbeautifulcolours,theoldmantookaquantityofshiningleaf-gold,whiletheboyshadtogoandfetchsomewhiteofegg,withwhichthesparrowwastobesmearedallover;thegoldwasstuckontothis,andthesparrow-motherwasnowgildedallover.butshe,tremblingineverylimb,didnotthinkoftheadornment.thenthesoap-mantoreoffasmallpiecefromtheredliningofhisoldjacket,andcuttingitsoastomakeitlooklikeacock'scomb,hestuckittothebird'shead.

"nowyouwillseethegold-jacketfly,"saidtheoldman,lettingthesparrowgo,whichflewawayindeadlyfear,withthesunshininguponher.howsheglittered!allthesparrows,andevenacrow-andanoldboyhewastoo-werestartledatthesight;butstilltheyflewafterhertolearnwhatkindofstrangebirdshewas.

drivenbyfearandhorror,sheflewhomeward;shewasalmostsinkingfaintingtotheearth,whiletheflockofpursuingbirdsincreased,someevenattemptingtopeckather.

"lookather!