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'Dreadful!' cried the river, and wept so fast that water became quite salt.

By and by a cuckoo, coming to bathe in the stream, called out, 'Why, river! what has happened?You are as salt as tears!'

'Don't ask me!' mourned the stream; 'it is too dreadful for words!'

Nevertheless, when the cuckoo would take no denial, the river replied

'Oh dear! oh dear me!' cried the cuckoo, 'how very very sad!I must mourn too!'So it plucked out an cye, and going to a corn-merchant's shop, sat on the doorstep and wept.