૧૩૬ વાર્તાનું શાસ્ત્ર-૧ the big river in front of his house, the old hen-sparrow, in her gay dress, looked out of the window, and I when she saw her old husband bringing home his young bride in such a sorry plight she burst out laughing shrilly, and called aloud. "That is right! Right! Remember what the song says - "Old Wives must scramble through water and mud, But young wives are carried day-shod o'er the flood." This allusion so enraged her husband that he could not contain himself, but cried out, "Hold your tongue, you shameless old cat !" Of course when he opened his mouth to speak, the poor draggled bride fell out and was drowned. going plump into the river, Whereupon the cock-sparrow was so distracted with grief that he picked off all his feathers until he was a bare as a ploughed field. Then going to a pipal tree, he sat all naked and forlorn on the branches, sobbing and sighing. "What has happened ?" cried the pipal tree, aghast at the sight. "Don't ask me !" wailed the cock-sparrow; "it isn't manners to ask questions when a body is in deep mourning." But the pipal would not be satisfied without an answer, so at last poor bereaved cock-sparrow replied: -
