The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage

Once upon a time, a mouse, a bird, and a sausage became friends. They kept house together, lived well and happily, and grew richer every day. The bird’s job was to fly into the forest every day and bring back wood. The mouse had to carry water, light the fire, and set the table. The sausage did the cooking.

But when you are too well off, you often want something new. One day, the bird met another bird on the way and told him about their wonderful life and boasted about it. The other bird called him a poor simpleton for working so hard, while those at home had an easy time.

“When the mouse has made the fire and carried the water,” he said, “she goes into her little room to rest until they call her to set the table. The sausage stays by the pot, sees that the food is cooking well, and when it is almost time for dinner, rolls itself through the broth or vegetables once or twice, and then they are buttered, salted, and ready.

When you come home and put down your load, you all sit down to eat. After the meal, you sleep until morning. That’s a splendid life!”

The next day, the bird, persuaded by the other bird, refused to go to the forest. “I have been the servant long enough,” he said. “They have made a fool of me. We must change things for once and try a different arrangement.” The mouse and the sausage begged him not to, but the bird insisted. They drew lots. The sausage was to carry wood, the mouse became the cook, and the bird was to fetch water.

So the little sausage set off for the forest. The little bird lit the fire, and the mouse stayed by the pot and waited alone for the sausage to come home with wood for the next day. But the sausage stayed away so long that they both feared something was wrong.

The bird flew a little way into the air to meet him. Not far off, he met a dog on the road. The dog had fallen upon the poor sausage as lawful prey, seized it, and swallowed it down. The bird accused the dog of robbery, but it was no use.

The dog said he had found forged letters on the sausage, so the sausage’s life was forfeited to him.

Sadly, the bird picked up the wood, flew home, and told what he had seen and heard. They were very upset, but they agreed to do their best and stay together. The bird laid the cloth, and the mouse prepared the food. She wanted to season it as the sausage used to do—to get into the pot and roll and creep among the vegetables to mix them. But before she got into the middle of them, she was stopped. She lost her skin and hair and life in the attempt.

When the bird came to carry up the dinner, there was no cook. In his distress, the bird threw the wood here and there, called and searched, but no cook could be found. Because of his carelessness, the wood caught fire. A blaze started. The bird hurried to fetch water, but the bucket dropped from his claws into the well. He fell in after it and could not save himself. He drowned there.