forthatlooksmuchbetter."

"whatkindofcreaturesarethoselittlegreyonesthatrunaboutbehindus?"askedanoldpigeon,withredandgreeninhereyes."littlegreyones!littlegreyones!"shecried.

"theyaresparrows,andgoodcreatures.wehavealwayshadthereputationofbeingpious,sowewillallowthemtopickupthecornwithus;theydon'tinterruptourtalk,andtheyscrapesoprettilywhentheybow."

indeedtheywerecontinuallymakingthreefoot-scrapingswiththeleftfootandalsosaid"peep!"bythismeanstheyrecognisedeachother,fortheywerethesparrowsfromthenestontheburnedhouse.

"hereisexcellentfare!"saidthesparrow.thepigeonsstruttedroundoneanother,puffedouttheirchestsmightily,andhadtheirownprivateviewsandopinions.

"doyouseethatpouterpigeon?"saidonetotheother."doyouseehowsheswallowsthepeas?sheeatstoomany,andthebestonestoo.curoo!curoo!howsheliftshercrest,theugly,spitefulcreature!curoo!curoo!"andtheeyesofallsparkledwithmalice."standingroups!standingroups!littlegreyones,littlegreyones!curoo,curoo,curoo!"

sotheirchatterranon,andsoitwillrunonforthousandsofyears.thesparrowsatelustily;theylistenedattentively,andevenstoodintherankswiththeothers,butitdidnotsuitthematywerefull,andsotheyleftthepigeons,exchangingopinionsaboutthem,slippedinunderthegardenpalings,andwhentheyfoundthedoorleadingintothehouseopen,oneofthem,whowasmorethanfull,andthereforefeltbrave,hoppedontothethreshold."peep!"saidhe;"imayventurethat."

"peep!"saidtheother;"somayi,andsomethingmoretoo!"andhehoppedintotheroom.noonewasthere;thethirdsparrow,seeingthis,flewstillfartherintotheroom,exclaiming,"allornothing!itisacuriousman'snestallthesame;andwhathavetheyputuphere?whatisit?"

closetothesparrowstheroseswereblooming;theywerereflectedinthewater,andthecharredbeamsleanedagainsttheoverhangingchimney."dotellmewhatthisis.howcomesthisinaroomatthehall?"andallthreesparrowswantedtoflyovertherosesandthechimney,butflewagainstaflatwall.itwasallapicture,agreatsplendidpicture,whichtheartisthadpaintedfromasketch.

"peep!"saidthesparrows,"it'snothing.itonlylookslikesomething.peep!thatis'thebeautiful.'doyouunderstandit?idon't."

andtheyflewaway,forsomepeoplecameintotheroom.

daysandyearswentby.thepigeonshadoftencooed,nottosaygrowled-thespitefulcreatures;thesparrowshadbeenfrozeninwinterandhadlivedmerrilyinsummer:theywereallbetrothed,ormarried,orwhateveryouliketocallit.theyhadlittleones,andofcourseeachonethoughthisownthehandsomestandcleverest;oneflewthisway,anotherthat,andwhentheymettheyrecognisedeachotherbytheir"peep!"andthethreescrapeswiththeleftfoot.theeldesthadremainedanoldmaidandhadnonestnoryoungones.itwasherpetideatoseeagreatcity,sosheflewtocopenhagen.

therewasalargehousepaintedinmanygaycoloursstandingclosetothecastleandthecanal,uponwhichlatterweretobeseenmanyshipsladenwithapplesandpottery.thewindowsofthehousewerebroaderatthebottomthanatthetop,andwhenthesparrowslookedthroughthem,everyroomappearedtothemlikeatulipwiththebrightestcoloursandshades.butinthemiddleofthetulipstoodwhitemen,madeofmarble;afewwereofplaster;still,lookedatwithsparrows'eyes,thatcomestothesamething.upontheroofstoodametalchariotdrawnbymetalhorses,andthegoddessofvictory,alsoofmetal,wasdriving.itwasthorwaldsen'smuseum.

"howitshines!