a corner, and cried, holding her apron
before her eyes, till the apron was quite wet through.

The bird perched upon the Juniper-tree, and sang--

"My mother, she killed me;"

Then the mother stopped up her ears, and shut her eyes tight, and did
not want to see or hear; but there was a roaring in her ears like the
loudest thunder, and her eyes burned and flashed like lightning--

"My father, he ate me;"

"Oh, wife," said the man, "look at that beautiful bird!--he sings so
splendidly. And the sun shines so warm, and there is a smell like
real cinnamon!"

"My sister, little Margery,"

Then Margery laid her head on her knee, and sobbed out loud; but the
man said, "I shall go out--I must look at the bird quite close."

"Oh, do not go," said the wife; "it seems to me as if the whole house
shook, and was in flames."

But the man went out and watched the bird, which still went on
singing--

"Gathered up all my bones,
Tied them in a silk handkerchief,
And laid them under the Juniper-tree:
Kywitt! Kywitt! what a beautiful bird am I!"

After that, the bird let the gold chain fall, and it fell right on to
the man's neck, fitting exactly round it. He went in and said, "See
what a beautiful bird that is--it has given me such a splendid gold
chain!"

But the wife was frightened, and fell flat down on the floor, and her
cap dropped off her head.

Then the bird sang again--

"My mother, she killed me;"

"Oh, that I were a thousand feet under the earth, so that I might not
hear!"

"My father, he ate me,"

Then she fell down, as if she was dead.

"My sister, little Margery,"

"Oh!" said Margery, "I will go out too, and see if the bird will give
me anything."

"Gathered up all my bones,
Tied them in a silk handkerchief,"

And the shoes were thrown down.

"And laid them under the Juniper-tree:
Kywitt! Kywitt! what a beautiful bird am I!"

Then Margery was very joyful; she put on the new red shoes, and danced
and jumped about. "Oh," said she, "I was so unhappy when I came out,
and now I am so happy! That is a wonderful bird; he has given me a
pair of red shoes."

"For me," cried the wife, and jumped up, and her hair stood on end
like flames of fire, "I feel as if the world were come to an end; I
will go out--perhaps I shall feel easier."

But as she went out of the door--smash!--the bird threw the millstone
on her head, and she was crushed to piec