English Fairy Tales / Английские сказки. Elementary

The husband tasted them and shook his head. He said they tasted very strangely. She gave some to the little boy, but he would not eat. She tried to force him, but he refused, ran out into the garden, took up his little sister, put her in a box and buried the box under a rose-tree; and every day he went to the tree and wept till his tears ran down on the box.

One day the rose-tree flowered. It was spring, and there among the flowers was a white bird. The bird sang, and sang and sang like an angel out of heaven.

“My wicked mother slew me,

My dear father ate me,

My little brother whom I love

Sits below, and I sing above

Stick, stock, stone dead.”

“Sing again that beautiful song,” asked the shoemaker.

“Please give me those little red shoes that you are making.”

The cobbler gave the shoes, and the bird sang the song, then flew to a tree in front of a watchmaker’s[133 - watchmaker – часовых дел мастер] and sang:

“My wicked mother slew me,

My dear father ate me,

My little brother whom I love

Sits below, and I sing above

Stick, stock, stone dead.

“Oh, a beautiful song! Sing it again, sweet bird,” asked the watchmaker.

“Please give me that gold watch and chain in your hand.” The watchmaker gave the watch and chain. The bird took it in one foot, the shoes in the other, and repeated the song.

“My wicked mother slew me,

My dear father ate me,

My little brother whom I love

Sits below, and I sing above

Stick!”

Then one of the men put down his tool and looked up from his work,

“Stock!”

Then the second miller’s man laid aside his tool and looked up,

“Stone!”

Then the third miller’s man laid down his tool and looked up,

“Dead!”

Then all three cried out with one voice: “Oh, what a beautiful song! Sing it, sweet bird, again.

“Please put the millstone round my neck,” said the bird. The men did what the bird wanted, and away to the tree it flew with the millstone round its neck, the red shoes in one foot, and the gold watch and chain in the other. It sang the song and then flew home.