The Sparrows Gift
A Japanese Fairy Tale

Long, long ago and far, far away, an old woman lived with her husband on the edge of a forest. The old man was kind-hearted and kept a sparrow as a pet, playing with the little bird each morning and evening. He fed the sparrow tidbits from his own plate and sang songs to it.

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His wife, however, complained constantly about the creature.

“It’s noisy! It eats too much! It dirties the house!” she grumbled.

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None of this was true, but the old woman complained about everything under the sun.

One day, the old man went to work in his fields. His wife made some starch for her laundry and went to fetch her clothes. But when she returned, the starch was gone. She cursed and complained until the little sparrow came flying down.

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It spread its wings, bowed to the old woman, and said,

“I’m sorry. I ate the starch—but I thought it was for me!”

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The old woman was enraged to hear this.

“You eat everything in the house!” she shouted, and said many worse things. Then, in a fit of anger, she grabbed the poor creature with one hand, a pair of scissors with the other, and cut off the bird’s tongue.

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“Let’s see you eat without a tongue—and chirp so cheerfully!” she cried.

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The poor bird flew away, moaning in pain.

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That evening, the old man returned home. When the sparrow did not greet him, he became concerned, and when it did not answer his calls, he grew alarmed.

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“It must have flown away,” said his wife. “Such an ungrateful thing—after all the kindness we showed it!”

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The old man did not believe her and pressed for the truth. Finally, she confessed.

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“Oh no!” he exclaimed. “You cut off her tongue!”

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He wanted to rush out to search for the poor bird, but it was already night, so he waited until morning. At dawn, he hurried into the woods, whistling and calling for the sparrow. Soon, the bird fluttered down from a bamboo grove.

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The old man apologized again and again for what his wife had done, asking if the sparrow needed any help.

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“Please don’t worry,” the sparrow said kindly, smiling.

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The old man saw that the little bird had grown a new tongue.

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“Let me take you to my home in the woods,” said the sparrow.

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So he followed her deep into the forest until he came upon the most beautiful house he had ever seen. He knew at once that his pet was no ordinary bird, but a fairy.

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The sparrow introduced the old man to her family. They brought out a wonderful meal for him to eat, and her daughters danced and played music. The old man enjoyed himself so much that he did not notice how the hours passed. When he finally saw the sun low in the sky, he exclaimed,

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“Oh dear! I must return home!”

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He bowed deeply to the sparrow fairy, thanking her for her hospitality.

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The sparrow brought out two boxes—one large and one small.

“Please take one as a present,” she said.

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The old man, not wishing to be greedy, chose the small box and hurried home.

His wife was cross about his absence, and when he told her of his wonderful day, she became even more irritated.

“You left me to slave by myself while you amused yourself!” she scolded.

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The old man took out the small box.

“Look at the gift the sparrow gave me!” he said, and opened it.

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To their astonishment, gold coins spilled out.

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“What a wonderful present!” the old man cried.

“How much more gold must have been in the larger box!” complained his wife.

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All night she could think of nothing else.

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The next morning, she asked her husband how to reach the sparrow’s home.

“Don’t go there,” he warned. “Remember—you cut off her tongue.”

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But the old woman ignored him, thinking only of gold, and quickly made her way to the sparrow’s house.

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The sparrow and her family were astonished to see her. Some wanted to punish the cruel woman, but the sparrow fairy was kind and welcomed her politely.

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“My husband sent me for the large box he left behind,” lied the old woman.

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The sparrow fairy brought out the chest and gave it to her. The woman hoisted the heavy box onto her back and started home. It grew heavier and heavier as she walked, but her greed drove her on.

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At last she stopped to rest and decided to open the box. She untied the cords and peeked inside.

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Instantly, a host of demons leapt out! They jumped upon the old woman, beating and clawing her. She shrieked and fled through the forest, but the monsters pursued her, tearing her clothes and nipping at her heels.

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In the distance she saw her husband working in the fields. She ran to him and hid behind him, crying,

“Protect me! The sparrow is trying to kill me—such a cruel and wicked bird!”

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“No,” said the old man sternly. “I told you not to go to her. You are the wicked one, and that is why the demons attack you!”

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The old woman trembled and clutched at her husband’s legs until at last the demons vanished back into the forest.

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From that day on, she changed her ways. She no longer complained or lost her temper, and she stopped yelling at the village children. With each passing day she grew kinder and more gracious.

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And so, she and her husband lived happily for the rest of their days, treasuring the sparrow fairy’s gifts—gold from the small box, and wisdom from the large.