Page:Our Grandfather by Vítězslav Hálek (1887).pdf/22

 whereas the pigeons settled by themselves, in order that they might look with scorn on other birds. “But a time must come,” said he, “when they will have to look out for another nest” and the like—briefly he smoked them.

The other sparrows pecked and laughed in full chorus, until they toppled over with their wings flapping against their sides.

But this clique, which wished to live at the expense of others, did not end here. Hither came also the proletarian hog, which routs in the earth and wallows in filth. At one side sneaked and lurked the cat, on the look out to see whether she could not arrest one of those impudent sparrows. Then came the geese and paraded like ladies in long dresses, and after them the little golden goslings, fresh and lively, but the geese so took them in hand with drill and schooling, that they turned out nothing but geese after all. Out of their holes the rabbits crept, and licked their lips and showed their teeth, but hearing the sparrows gasconnade, they got frightened and crept back again into their holes. Even the poetical butterfly also hovered here. But, of course, no one gave him a thought, for who could eat a butterfly?

Like a true sage, dog Danube behaved himself. Не constantly had for his aim an objective standpoint, frisked and sported in the sun like a Diogenes, and stretched himself idly like a very Sultan; but he had the intellect of a doctor of letters, only that he kept it all to himself.

And above it all shone the old sun, and the heaven smiled like the face of Betuska.

Betuska spent many a happy hour with her poultry, and, as it were, they completely understood each other.

She understood housewifery too, excellently, but the