", "
", "center", "70", "5", "5", "[Illustration]") ?> upon a time a farmer's wife was winnowing corn, when a crow, flying past, swooped off with a grain from the winnowing basket and perched on a tree close by to eat it. The farmer's wife, greatly enraged, flung a clod at the bird with so good an aim that the crow fell to the ground, dropping the grain of corn, which rolled into a crack in the tree. The farmer's wife, seeing the crow fall, ran up to it, and seizing it by the tail, cried, "Give me back my grain of corn, or I will kill you!"

The wretched bird, in fear of death, promised to do so, but, lo and behold! when he came to search for the grain, it had rolled so far into the crack that neither by beak nor claw could he reach it.

So he flew off to a woodman, and said—

But the woodman refused to cut the tree; so the crow flew on to the King's palace, and said—

But the King refused to kill the man; so the crow flew on to the Queen, and said—

But the Queen refused to coax the King; so the crow flew on till he met a snake, and said—

But the snake refused to bite the Queen; so the crow flew on till he met a stick, and said—

But the stick refused to beat the snake; so the crow flew on till he saw a fire, and said—

But the fire refused to burn the stick; so the crow flew on till he met some water, and said—

But the water refused to quench the fire; so the crow flew on till he met an ox, and said—

But the ox refused to drink the water; so the crow flew on till he met a rope, and said—

But the rope wouldn't bind the ox; so the crow flew on till he met a mouse, and said—

But the mouse wouldn't gnaw the rope; so the crow flew on until he met a cat, and said—

The moment the cat heard the name of mouse, she was after it; for the world will come to an end before a cat will leave a mouse alone.