snake won’t bite queen; queen won’t talk to king; king won’t chide carpenter;
carpenter won’t cut mill-handle; my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle; what
shall I eat, what shall I drink, and what shall I take to foreign countries?’ But the
stick said, ‘Be off with you, do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am
going to beat the snake?’
“Then the little bird went to the fire, and said, ‘Fire, fire, burn stick; stick won’t
beat snake; snake won’t bite queen; queen won’t talk to king; king won’t chide
carpenter; carpenter won’t cut mill-handle; my pea is in the socket of the mill-
handle; what shall I eat, what shall I drink, and what shall I take to foreign
countries?’ But the fire said, ‘Be off with you, do you think that for the sake of a
single pea I am going to burn the stick?’
“Then the little bird went to the sea, and said, ‘Sea, sea, quench fire; fire won’t
burn stick; stick won’t beat snake; snake won’t bite queen; queen won’t talk to
king; king won’t chide carpenter; carpenter won’t cut mill-handle; my pea is in
the socket of the mill-handle; what shall I eat, what shall I drink, and what shall I
take to foreign countries?’ But the sea said, ‘Be off with you, do you think that
for the sake of a single pea I am going to quench the fire?’
“Then the little bird went to the elephant, and said, ‘Elephant, elephant, dry up
the sea; sea won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat snake;
snake won’t bite queen; queen won’t talk to king; king won’t chide carpenter;
carpenter won’t cut mill-handle; my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle; what
shall I eat, what shall I drink, and what shall I take to foreign countries?’ But the
elephant said, ‘Be off with you, to dry up the sea would take the whole host of
elephants; do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to assemble
all of my kith and kin?’
“Then the bird went to the bhaunr, (a tangled creeping plant,) and said, ‘Bhaunr,
bhaunr, snare the elephant; elephant won’t drink up sea; sea won’t quench fire;
fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat snake; snake won’t bite queen; queen
won’t talk to king; king won’t chide carpenter; carpenter won’t cut mill-handle;
my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle; what shall I eat, what shall I drink,
and what shall I take to foreign countries?’ But the bhaunr said, ‘Be off with
you, do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to snare the
elephant?’
“Then the bird went to the mouse, and said, ‘Mouse, mouse, cut bhaunr; bhaunr
won’t snare elephant; elephant won’t drink up sea; sea won’t quench fire; fire