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The Neighbours 2073
more beautiful ; we can then look into those little holes of which
it is so full.”
By the holes in the sky she meant the stars, for roses know
no better.
“We are the life of the house,” said the mother of the
sparrows, “and people say that a swallow’s nest brings luck, so
they are glad enough to have us. But as to our neighbours, such
3 great rose-bush as that by the wall only makes the place damp;
[ should think it will be rooted up soon, and then, perhaps, corn
nay grow there. Roses are good for nothing but for people to
ook at and smell, or, at most, to stick in their hats. And this
{ have heard from my mother: every year they fall to pieces, the
peasant’s wife collects them and strews salt over them, then a
French name is given to them, and afterwards they are thrown
Into the fire to perfume the room. Such is their life ; they live
only to please the eyes and nose. Now you know all about
hem.”
As the evening advanced, and the gnats were dancing merrily
in the warm atmosphere, and the clouds above looking red and
oright, the nightingale came and sang to the roses. He sang
that beauty was like sunshine in the world, and that the beautiful
shall live for ever. But the roses believed that the nightingale
vas singing about himself, which indeed might have been true:
as to the song being addressed to them, of that they would never
have thought. Still they were pleased with it, and wondered
whether all the young sparrows would not become nightingales
also in due time,
“I understand quite well what that bird was singing about,”
said one of the young sparrows. “There was only one word that
Was not clear to me; what does he mean by ‘the beautiful ’>”
“It is nothing!” said the mother-bird; “it is only an
ippearance, At the hall, where the doves have a house of
their own, and peas and grains of corn are strewn for them
“very day, there are two birds with: green necks and a tuft on
their heads ; they can spread out the tail as though it were a
large wheel, and it has so many colours that one’s eyes are
lazzled by looking at it. That is ‘the beautiful’ The birds
A called peacocks; they should just be stripped of their