Recueillis et traduits par E. Jacottet . Paris : Leroux , Editeur . There was once a dove who built a nice soft nest as a home for her three little ones . She was very proud of their beauty , and perhaps talked about them to her neighbours more than she need have done , till at last everybody for miles round knew where the three prettiest baby doves in the whole country-side were to be found . One day a jackal who was prowling about in search of a dinner came by chance to the foot of the rock where the dove 's nest was hidden away , and he suddenly bethought himself that if he could get nothing better he might manage to make a mouthful of one of the young doves . So he shouted as loud as he could , ` Ohe , ohe , mother dove . ' And the dove replied , trembling with fear , ` What do you want , sir ? ' ` One of your children , ' said he ; ` and if you do n't throw it to me I will eat up you and the others as well . ' Now , the dove was nearly driven distracted at the jackal 's words ; but , in order to save the lives of the other two , she did at last throw the little one out of the nest . The jackal ate it up , and went home to sleep . Meanwhile the mother dove sat on the edge of her nest , crying bitterly , when a heron , who was flying slowly past the rock , was filled with pity for her , and stopped to ask , ` What is the matter , you poor dove ? ' And the dove answered , ' A jackal came by , and asked me to give him one of my little ones , and said that if I refused he would jump on my nest and eat us all up . ' But the heron replied , ` You should not have believed him . He could never have jumped so high . He only deceived you because he wanted something for supper . ' And with these words the heron flew off . He had hardly got out of sight when again the jackal came creeping slowly round the foot of the rock . And when he saw the dove he cried out a second time , ` Ohe , ohe , mother dove ! give me one of your little ones , or I will jump on your nest and eat you all up . ' This time the dove knew better , and she answered boldly , ` Indeed , I shall do nothing of the sort , ' though her heart beat wildly with fear when she saw the jackal preparing for a spring .
However , he only cut himself against the rock , and thought he had better stick to threats , so he started again XXXXX his old cry , ` Mother dove , mother dove !
So about as at because of past than to with