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Now a little bird and his wife and three little baby-birds lived on that tree, in a nest. This little bird looked down and saw the three people under the tree and said to his wife. “My dear, what shall be done ; here are some guests in the house, and it is winter, and we have no fire?” So he flew away and got a bit of burning firewood in his beak and dropped it before the guests, and they added fuel to it and made a blazing fire. But the little bird was not satisfied. He said again to his wife, “My dear, what shall we do? There is nothing to give these people to eat, and they are hungry, and we are householders ; it is our duty to feed any one who comes to the house. I must do what I can. I will give them my body.” So he planged down into the midst of the fire and perished. The guests saw him falling and tried to save him, but he was too quick for them and dashed into the fire and was killed.. * The little bird's wife saw what her husband did, and she said, “Here are three persons and only one little bird for them to eat. It is not
