A young woman lived alone on the bank of a large river. One day she thought, “I am old enough to have a husband. It is lonely here by myself.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She oiled her hair, painted her face red, put on her best clothes and went to a spring. She dipped up a bucket of water and looking in it said, “I am nice enough for any man.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she started off along the bank of the river that ran through a forest. Toward midday she came to a place where she saw signs of people living near, and, seating herself on a log she began to sing, “I wonder if any man around here wants a wife. I wonder if any man around here wants a wife.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Soon some one far off in the forest answered, “I want a wife. I want a wife.” Then the woman sang back, “What will we live on? What will we live on when we live together?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And he sang, “We will live on moss.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And she, singing, answered, “I couldn’t live on moss. I am too good for such coarse food; I’m a nice looking girl.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again she traveled along the bank of the river. It was near sunset when the young woman came to a place where she saw signs of people living near. She seated herself on a log and sang, “I wonder if any man around here wants a wife. I wonder if any man around here wants a wife.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some one, not far off, answered, singing, “I want a wife. I want a wife.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she sang, “What will we live on? What will live on? What will we live on when we live together?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And he, singing, answered, “We will live on hawthorn berries and roots.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She sang, I cannot live on hawthorn berries and roots. I am too good for such food; I’m a nice looking girl.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The young woman traveled on till dusk then, seeing signs of some one having been along a short time before, she seated herself on a log and sang, “I wonder if any man around here wants a wife. I wonder if any man around here wants a wife.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Close by some one sang, “I want a wife. I want a wife.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And she, singing, asked, “What will we live on? What will we live on when we live together?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And he sang back, “When we live together we will live on seeds.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Singing, she answered, “That is the food I like; seeds are nice and soft.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The singer, hearing her answer, was pleased. He came and sat on a log by her side, and, singing, asked, “Did you understand my song when you asked what we would live on when we lived together?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She, singing, answered, “Yes, seeds. I love seeds, they are sweet and soft.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then the two flew off along the bank of the river, and ever since have lived happily together–The first birds of Spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first man to answer the young woman’s call was a deer, the second was a bear; the third was a bird like herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n