The Bird, the Mouse, and the Loaf

    I

    Once there was a Bird, a Mouse, and a Loaf. They lived in a little house. The house was near a forest. There was a garden at the front of the house full of pretty flowers. There were flowers in the window, and a little tree on each side of the door.

    The Bird, the Mouse, and the Loaf did all the work of the house. Each day the bird went to the forest and brought wood. The mouse brought water from the river and made the house clean. The loaf was the cook; she cooked the food and made bread.

    They were all very happy.

    One day the bird was going to the forest to get wood. He saw a friend in the lane: it was another bird; the name of the other bird was Mr. Magpie.

    Mr. Magpie said, "I am very glad to see you. I have not seen you for many days. Are you happy?"

    The bird said, "I am very happy. I live in a pretty house. I am now going to get the wood from the forest. "

    "I did not know that you had become a servant", said Mr. Magpie.

    "I am not a servant," said the bird; "I live with friends. Mr. Mouse and Mrs. Loaf live with me in the house. "

    "And do you do all the work of the house?" asked Mr. Magpie.

    "No," said the bird, "Mrs. Loaf is the cook; she cooks the food and makes bread. I bring the wood from the forest; and Mr. Mouse does all the other things."

    You do more work than the others," said Mr. Magpie. " It is not just that you should do more than the others do."

    "The house is not far from the forest," said the bird.

    "But on some days you have to go twice," said Mr. Magpie.

    "That is so," said the bird; and he was angry that he should have to do more work than the others.

    When Mr. Bird was bringing the wood from the forest, Mr. Mouse brought water from the river, put the water in the pot, put water on all the flowers, set the table ready for food, cleaned the rooms, cleaned the windows, cleaned all the pots and tins, and cleaned everything.

    Mrs. Loaf got the food, made it ready, put the pot on the fire, made the water hot, and cooked the food.

    Mr. Bird came into the house. He threw down the wood and sat down at the table. He did not speak to Mr. Mouse or Mrs. Loaf.

    Mrs. Loaf said, "Poor Mr. Bird is ill――or he is angry. What has made you angry, Mr. Bird?"

    Mr. Bird said nothing .

    Mrs. Loaf brought the food and set it on the table.

    "This is very good bread," said Mr. Mouse; 'Mrs. Loaf makes very good bread."

    Mr. Bird did not speak.

    "There is much work to do in the garden," said Mr. Mouse. "Will you help me in the garden, Mr. Bird?" 'I will not help you in the garden," said Mr. Bird, "or do any other work. I do too much work. I work all day. I do all the work in the house." Mrs. Loaf said, " Mr. Mouse cleans the house, and I cook the food; you do not do more work than we do."

    Mr. Bird said, "That is not work. You sit in the house and do little things, but I go far away to the forest and get all these big bits of wood, and bring them here."

    Mrs. Loaf said, "After this I will go to the forest and get the wood, and Mr. Mouse shall cook the food. You shall clean the house. Then you will not do too much work. I shall be glad to go to the forest: I have never been there."

    Ⅱ

    So, on the day after that, Mrs. Loaf went out to bring wood from the forest; Mr. Mouse went to cook the food; and Mr. Bird went to get water from the river.

    Mr. Bird took the pot with his foot, and went out to get the water. He came to the river, and put the pot in the water. When the pot was full of water, he took it with one foot; but the pot was too big. Then he took it with the other foot, but the pot fell. Then he got another pot, and brought the water.

    Mr. Mouse went to cook the food. He put the pot on the fire, but he put his foot in the fire. The fire burned his foot, and he cried. But he made the food ready. Mr. Bird came back from the river. Mr. Mouse was angry because he had burned his foot; Mr. Bird was angry because the pot had fallen. And Mrs. Loat had not come back from the forest.

    Mr. Mouse said, "Shall we wait for Mrs. Loaf? Or shall we eat our food now?"

    "We will wait a little," said Mr. Bird.

    They waited for an hour; Mrs. Loaf did not come. Then Mr. Bird said, "I will go to the forest and get the wood, and tell Mrs. Loaf to come home."

    So Mr. Bird went down the lane to the forest. He saw some bits of wood in the lane, but he could not see Mrs. Loaf. She was not in the forest; she was not in the lane. Then he saw a wolf sitting near the bits of wood.

    Mr. Bird asked, "Mr. Wolf, have you seen Mrs. Loaf today?"

    Mr. Wolf said, "That is Mrs. Loaf's wood."

    "But where is Mrs. Loaf?" asked Mr. Bird.

    "She was here," said Mr. Wolf.

    "Where is she now?" asked Mr. Bird.

    "She is here now " said Mr. Wolf.

    "I do not see her," said Mr. Bird.

    "She is inside me," said Mr. Wolf, "I have eaten her up."

    "Then you are a bad wolf" said Mr. Bird. "Mrs. Loaf was a very good cook――and now you have eaten her!"

    "Mrs. Loaf should not go to the forest," said the wolf. "Loaves should stay in the house. Go away, or I shall eat you too."

    Mr. Bird took the wood and went home: he was crying. Mr. Mouse cried too when he heard that Mrs. Loaf was dead.

    Then Mr. Mouse said, "I cannot eat today. But will you have your food now? I will go and get it ready."

    The pot was a big pot; Mr. Mouse was a little mouse. He could not take the pot down from the fire: he fell into the pot and was killed.

    Mr. Bird went to get ready the table. He set all ready, and then he waited. He waited, and waited. Then he called, "Mr. Mouse, Mr. Mouse; do come and have something to eat."

    "Mr. Mouse," he called, " if the food is not ready, we will eat bread." But he heard nothing.

    Then he went into the other room. He could not see Mr. Mouse. He went to the pot on the fire, and there he saw that poor Mr. Mouse was dead.

    A bit of burning wood fell out of the fire. "The house is on fire!" said Mr. Bird. " It will all be burned!" He ran to the river to bring water to put out the fire. But he fell into the river, and was killed too.

    And the house was burned.

    That is what comes if you do not do your own work, but want to do the work for others.

    We should each do our own work, and then we shall all be happy.

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