The Sparrow Whose Tongue was Cut

A long time ago, an old man and woman lived together.  One day, the old woman made paste and left it in a porch-like wooden floor outside a Japanese tongue.  The sparrow was crying.  Then a kind old man treated her.  She was grateful for his kindness.  She took the old man to her palace.  The location of her palace was a bamboo thicket.  The old man ate a gorgeous dinner, got drunk and watched the dancing of the sparrows.  He had a lot of fun.  When it was time to return to his house, the sparrow showed him two gifts.  One was big, the other was small.  The old man chose the small gift because he couldn't do heavy work.  The old man returned to his house with the small gift and he told the old woman everything.  The small gift was a very good thing, money and clothes.  As the old woman was greedy, she was angry at his behavior.  She said, "Why didn't you choose the big gift?"  She went to the palace of sparrows.  And she did like the old man did.  The sparrow showed her two gifts.  She chose the big gift right away.  She returned to her house.  She opened the big gift.  The contents were garbage.
1996
-Chieko