Once upon a time a mouse， a bird， and a sausage formed a partnership. They kept house together， and for a long time they lived in peace and prosperity， acquiring many possessions. The bird's task was to fly into the forest every day to fetch wood. The mouse carried water， made the fire， and set the table. The sausage did the cooking.

    Whoever is too well off always wants to try something different！ Thus one day the bird chanced to meet another bird， who boasted to him of his own situation. This bird criticized him for working so hard while the other two enjoyed themselves at home. For after the mouse had made the fire and carried the water， she could sit in the parlor and rest until it was time for her to set the table. The sausage had only to stay by the pot watching the food cook. When mealtime approached， she would slither through the porridge or the vegetables， and thus everything was greased and salted and ready to eat. The bird would bring his load of wood home. They would eat their meal， and then sleep soundly until the next morning. It was a great life.

    The next day， because of his friend's advice， the bird refused to go to the forest， saying that he had been their servant long enough. He was no longer going to be a fool for them. Everyone should try a different task for a change. The mouse and the sausage argued against this， but the bird was the master， and he insisted that they give it a try. The sausage was to fetch wood， the mouse became the cook， and the bird was to carry water.

    And what was the result？ The sausage trudged off toward the forest； the bird made the fire； and the mouse put on the pot and waited for the sausage to return with wood for the next day. However， the sausage stayed out so long that the other two feared that something bad had happened. The bird flew off to see if he could find her. A short distance away he came upon a dog that had seized the sausage as free booty and was making off with her. The bird complained bitterly to the dog about this brazen abduction， but he claimed that he had discovered forged letters on the sausage， and that she would thus have to forfeit her life to him.

    Filled with sorrow， the bird carried the wood home himself and told the mouse what he had seen and heard. They were very sad， but were determined to stay together and make the best of it. The bird set the table while the mouse prepared the food. She jumped into the pot， as the sausage had always done， in order to slither and weave in and about the vegetables and grease them， but before she reached the middle， her hair and skin were scalded off， and she perished.

    When the bird wanted to eat， no cook was there. Beside himself， he threw the wood this way and that， called out， looked everywhere， but no cook was to be found. Because of his carelessness， the scattered wood caught fire， and the entire house was soon aflame. The bird rushed to fetch water， but the bucket fell into the well， carrying him with it， and he drowned.

    譯文：

    從前，有一只老鼠、一只小鳥和一根香腸住在一個家里，它們和睦相處，生活充滿了幸福和快樂。他們分工合作，積累不斷增加，變得十分富裕。小鳥每天飛到森林里去銜柴回來；老鼠擔水，生火，佈置飯桌；香腸則負責做飯。

    一個人生活太順暢，就會開始變賴，會想著法子玩新花樣。有一天，小鳥遇到了另外一個朋友，它向朋友很自豪談起自己生活的愜意現狀。那只鳥卻嘲笑它是一個可憐的傻瓜，說它辛辛苦苦在外面干活，另兩個夥伴待在家里干輕松的活：老鼠每天生火、擔水之后就回到自己的房間里躺下休息，到了吃飯的時候才去擺好桌椅，鋪上桌布。香腸則坐在鍋子旁，除了看食物烹煮的情況外，甚么事都不做。到了要吃飯的時候，只加一點油、鹽就算了事，不到一分鐘就干完了。小鳥聽了這些話，心里很不是滋味。它飛回家，把柴擔放在地上。大家和平時一樣一起坐在桌子邊吃飯，進餐之后又都回房睡覺，一直睡到第二天早晨起來。

    還有甚么生活比這種默契、合理分工的生活更令人滿意呢？

    可是小鳥受了朋友的挑撥，第二天不想到森林里去了，還說自己一直在服待它們兩個，做了很久的傻子，現在應該交換一下工作，家務事應該大家輪著來干。盡管老鼠和香腸苦苦勸說，講明它們這樣分工最合理，這樣才可能繼續(xù)維持正常的生活。但小鳥聽不進去，堅持它的提議。最后，它倆只好順著它。它們用抽籤的方式決定了這樣的分工：香腸去背柴，老鼠做飯，小鳥去擔水。

    人要是離開了適合自己干的工作崗位時，會有甚么結果呢？

    香腸出發(fā)到森林里去了，小鳥生起火，老鼠架好鍋子，只等香腸回家擔來第二天用的柴枝。但香腸去了很久都沒有回來，它倆意識到它一定出事了。小鳥馬上飛出去沿著小路去找香腸，但它飛了不遠就發(fā)現路上有一條狗，狗說它遇到了可憐的小香腸，把它當作可以捕食的獵物抓起來吃掉了。小鳥指責狗公開搶劫，行兇殺人。但一切話都已毫無用處，因為狗說它發(fā)現香腸從事的工作與它的身份不符合，斷定它是偽裝的間諜，這樣才把它殺死的。小鳥非常傷心地銜起柴枝回到家里，把自己所看到和聽到的都告訴了老鼠。他和老鼠都很悲痛，但它們兩個商定，最好還是住在一起。

    小鳥把桌子鋪好了，老鼠把菜也做好了，但當老鼠去盛菜時，熱氣一沖，它一子就掉進了鍋里，連淹帶燙死去了。小鳥來到廚房想把飯菜端到桌子上去，可它沒有看到廚師。它把柴枝翻來翻去扔得到處都是，這里叫，那里喊，每個地方都尋遍了，就是找不到廚師。就在這時，灶里的火掉到柴枝上，柴枝馬上燃了起來。小鳥急忙去擔水，但匆忙間又把木桶掉到井里去了，它也跟著一起掉了下去。一個好端端的家庭就這樣完了。