Page:Fairy Tales for Worker's Children.djvu/26

 pulled his torn boots off, looked woefully at his blistered feet and said, "I can't run any more, I must rest a day."

"Just another half hour," the other man said comfortingly. "Just to the next railroad station. There we will hide in a freight car and ride until morning. Then it will not be far to the sea."

The Sparrow had listened carefully to their conversation. "So people get tired, too," thot he, "and then they ride. I don't know what that means, but I know that one does not tire oneself that way. If people ride, why shouldn't Sparrows also ride?" He decided to follow the men, and since they left in a short time he flew after them.

They arrived at a house in front of which two shining bands were stretched on the ground. Now night had really come. All was hidden in darkness, only the stars shone faintly in the sky. The Sparrow stayed near the two men and waited.

Suddenly something dreadful appeared. Thru the darkness a gigantic black beast came rattling, its red eyes shining so brightly that one could see them from a great distance, it puffed and panted, the earth shook after it. It shrieked frightfully as it came near, Then suddenly it stopped. It let out clouds of smoke from its long black nose.

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