The Dog and the Sparrow

The Dog and the Sparrow
The Dog and the Sparrow
Folk tale
Name	The Dog and the Sparrow
Also known as	Der Hund und der Sperling
Aarne–Thompson grouping	ATU 248 (The Man, the Dog, and the Bird)
Region	Germany
Published in	Kinder- und Hausmärchen, by the Brothers Grimm

Last updated December 14, 2024

"The Dog and the Sparrow" (German: Der Hund und der Sperling) is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm (KHM 58). It is a story of Aarne-Thompson type 248 ("The Man, the Dog, and the Bird").^[1]

Origin

According to the Grimms, the story was "told with variations in Zwehrn, Hesse and Göttingen."^[2]

Synopsis

A dog owner lets his shepherd dog starve from hunger, causing it to leave home. The dog meets a sparrow and accompanies it to the city. The bird captures meat and bread for the dog as a sign of gratitude. When they leave town, night falls, and they decide to go to sleep. During the night, a man in a horse carriage approaches the dog and sparrow. The sparrow alerts the man that he is going to run over the dog who is in the road, but he ignores the sparrow and runs over the dog nevertheless. The sparrow curses the man, announcing that he will turn into a poor man. It pecks the wine barrels the man was transporting open, so that the precious wine leaks out. The bird also pecks out the horses' eyes. When the man tries to kill the bird with an axe, he accidentally slays his own horses down. As a result, the man is forced to leave his now useless carriage behind and returns home.

At home he notices that birds have eaten all his wheat. He notices the sparrow, still out on revenge, and throws his axe at him, only to smash his own windows, his stove and the rest of his household. Finally he manages to capture the bird, and his wife asks him whether he is going to strike it dead. The man feels this death is not cruel enough for the bird. He swallows it in one big bite. However, the bird still sticks its head out of the man's mouth, prompting him to let his wife take a final swing with his axe at the bird. This kills the man and the bird flies off.

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References

↑ Ashliman, D. L. (2020). "Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales (Grimms' Fairy Tales)". University of Pittsburgh.
↑ Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (1823). German Popular Stories. C. Baldwyn; reprint H. Frowde, 1904. p. 227.

External links

Works related to The Dog and the Sparrow at Wikisource
The complete set of Grimms' Fairy Tales, including The Dog and the Sparrow at Standard Ebooks

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[1] Ashliman, D. L. (2020). "Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales (Grimms' Fairy Tales)". University of Pittsburgh.

[2] Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (1823). German Popular Stories. C. Baldwyn; reprint H. Frowde, 1904. p. 227.

[1]

[2]

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Works	Grimms' Fairy Tales Deutsche Sagen Deutsche Mythologie Deutsches Wörterbuch
Notable tales	"Bearskin" "The Brave Little Tailor" "Brother and Sister" "Cat and Mouse in Partnership" "Cinderella" "The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs" "Doctor Know-all" "The Dog and the Sparrow" "The Elves and the Shoemaker" "The Fisherman and His Wife" "The Four Skillful Brothers" "The Frog Prince" "The Gnome" "Godfather Death" "The Golden Bird" "The Golden Goose" "The Goose Girl" "The Goose-Girl at the Well" "The Grave Mound" "Hans My Hedgehog" "Hansel and Gretel" "The Hut in the Forest" "The Jew Among Thorns" "Jorinde and Joringel" "The Juniper Tree" "The King of the Golden Mountain" "King Thrushbeard" "Little Red Riding Hood" "Mary's Child" "Mother Holle" "Old Hildebrand" "Old Sultan" "Pied Piper of Hamelin" "The Queen Bee" "Rapunzel" "The Riddle" "The Robber Bridegroom" "Rumpelstiltskin" "The Seven Ravens" "The Singing, Springing Lark" "The Six Servants" "The Six Swans" "Sleeping Beauty" "Snow White" "Snow-White and Rose-Red" "The Story of the Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was" "The Three Little Men in the Wood" "The Three Spinners" "Thumbling" "Town Musicians of Bremen" "Trusty John" "The Turnip" "The Twelve Brothers" "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" "The Water of Life" "The White Snake" "The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats" "The Wonderful Musician"
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