_push_.

Then the sparrow-hawk began to seize the hen, the hen began to peck
the worms, the worms began to gnaw the pole-axe, the pole-axe began to
hit the ox, the ox began to drink the water, the water began to quench
the fire, the fire began to burn the Tartars, the Tartars began to
slay the people, the people began to kill the wolf, the wolf began to
eat the goat, the goat began to nibble the bush, and the bush cried
out:

"_Swing away, swing away, swi-i-i-i-ing!
Little daddy sparrow, have your fli-i-i-ing!_"

THE OLD DOG

There was once a man who had a dog. While the dog was young he was
made much of, but when he grew old he was driven out of doors. So he
went and lay outside the fence, and a wolf came up to him and said,
"Doggy, why so down in the mouth?"--"While I was young," said the dog,
"they made much of me; but now that I am old they beat me." The wolf
said, "I see thy master in the field; go after him, and perchance
he'll give thee something."--"Nay," said the dog, "they won't even let
me walk about the fields now, they only beat me."--"Look now," said
the wolf, "I'm sorry, and will make things better for thee. Thy
mistress, I see, has put her child down beneath that wagon. I'll seize
it, and make off with it. Run thou after me and bark, and though thou
hast no teeth left, touzle me as much as thou canst, so that thy
mistress may see it."

So the wolf seized the child, and ran away with it, and the dog ran
after him, and began to touzle him. His mistress saw it, and made
after them with a harrow, crying at the same time, "Husband, husband!
the wolf has got the child! Gabriel, Gabriel! don't you see? The wolf
has got the child!" Then the man chased the wolf, and got back the
child. "Brave old dog!" said he; "you are old and toothless, and yet
you can give help in time of need, and will not let your master's
child be stolen." And henceforth the woman and her husband gave the
old dog a large lump of bread every day.

THE FOX AND THE CAT

In a certain forest there once lived a fox, and near to the fox lived
a man who had a cat that had been a good mouser in its youth, but was
now old and half blind. The man didn't want puss any longer, but not
liking to kill it, took it out into the forest and lost it there. Then
the fox came up and said, "Why, Mr Shaggy Matthew! How d'ye do! What
brings you here?"--"Alas!" said Pussy, "my master loved me as long as
I could bite, but now that I can