ble," answered the little old man, "so I will take the
light one."

He thanked the sparrow, and, shouldering the basket, said good-bye. Then
he trudged off leaving the sparrow family sad and lonely.

When he reached home the little old woman was very angry, and began to
scold him, saying:--

"Well, and pray where have you been all these days? A pretty thing,
indeed, for you to be gadding about like this!"

"Oh," he replied, "I have been on a visit to the tongue-cut sparrow, and
when I came away it gave me this wicker basket as a parting gift."

Then they opened the basket to see what was inside, and lo and behold!
it was full of gold, silver, and other precious things!

The little old woman was as greedy as she was cross, and when she saw
all the riches spread before her, she could not contain herself for joy.

"Ho! Ho!" cried she. "Now I'll go and call on the sparrow, and get a
pretty present, too!"

She asked the old man the way to the sparrow's house and set forth on
her journey. And she wandered on and on over mountain and valley, and
dale and river, until at last she saw the tongue-cut sparrow.

"Well met, well met, Mr. Sparrow," cried she. "I have been looking
forward with much pleasure to seeing you." And then she tried to flatter
it with soft, sweet words.

So the bird had to invite her to its nest-house, but it did not feast
her nor say anything about a parting gift. At last the little old woman
had to go, and she asked for something to carry with her to remember the
visit by. The sparrow, as before, brought out two wicker baskets. One
was very heavy and the other light.

The greedy little old woman, choosing the heavy one, carried it off with
her.

She hurried home as fast as she was able, and closing her doors and
windows so that no one might see, opened the basket. And, lo and behold!
out jumped all sorts of wicked hobgoblins and imps, and they scratched
and pinched her to death.

As for the little old man he adopted a son, and his family grew rich and
prosperous.

THE QUAILS--A LEGEND OF THE JATAKA

FROM THE RIVERSIDE FOURTH READER

Ages ago a flock of more than a thousand quails lived together in a
forest in India. They would have been happy, but that they were in great
dread of their enemy, the quail-catcher. He used to imitate the call
of the quail; and when they gathered together in answer to it, he would
throw a great net over them, stuff them into his basket, and carry them