THE SPARROW HOTEL
Every visitor that goes to Kyoto in Japan is taken to see the world’s only sparrow hotel. One morning 200 years ago a very little sparrow took refuge in the house of the Kagimoto family. It was welcomed with kindness, warmed, and given rice, and soon it was well enough to fly away.
Two weeks later the Kagimotos had another visit from their little friend, but this time he was not alone. He had brought his family with him, and they all sat in a tree and twittered as though giving thanks for the kindness received.
Touched by the birds’ ’tribute, the Kagimotos decided to build a comfortable house for them, and under the eaves of their house a gourd was hung lined with straw and with a hole in the side for an entrance. The sparrows were delighted with their new abode and told their friends about it, and soon there were two gourds, and then three.
To-day all the ceilings of the house are covered with these gourds, many of them given by distinguished Japanese families, for the fame of the Kagimotos’ sparrow 1 hotel has spread far and wide.
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Bibliographic details
Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 12824, 19 August 1939, Page 6
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195THE SPARROW HOTEL Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 12824, 19 August 1939, Page 6
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