Arkansas intelligencer., 1843-06-03
For the Arkansas Intelligencer.

Banks !" Blanks p Banks !r' shake
you name. and give vent to your angry temper
in enc good long roar; and retire to the oblivous
existence from which you were prematurelv arous-
ed by the warbling notes of the Pigmv Poets.'
Because you have been disturbed in your sum.
ber. by our Arkansas Nightingales, you conceive
that you have good cause to vent your spleen, not
only on the innocent warblers, but to foam and
Afret-to cut and slash indiscriminatey regardless
who or how you ,cound. Now, "Banks,'' we all
"knock undo. " to your super rioriiy-we assign to
y on tho place of Lion among tho BEASTS OF the
forest, but at the same time, humbly remind you
that strength and courage should be tempered by
mercy
Listen, Banks,' whilst recite to you n fable
that IS tradltionary in my family, that has been
handed down from generation to generaton, as
an heir loom, as the valued relic of an honored
ancestor-the morale is good, and is applicable to
yourself. "Many generations gone by. before my
fathers crossed the great Mississippi when they
were unacqu''inted with the white race; of
my progenitors, q distinguished hunter and war;
rior, who furnished his wigwam with the carcass
es Of many a noble buffalo, elk and deer-who
had frequently engaged his enemy in the battle
strife, but who was never known to be carried so
far, by the exciting yell whoop, to take
scalp, when he could bring home his enemy alive.
He was a warrior distinguished alike for his brave
ry and humanity, and was called Wee-oke KIau-
tarsh-see-or the Gentle Lion. In these days.
whilst man, beast and fowl, to certain extent
understood each others language, Wee-oks Klau-
tdrsh-see, was out upon hunt; ho had pitched his
camp in shady grove, close to purling strcam
Of evenings, when no would return. faligued by
the tolls Of the days hunt, he would throw himself
upon the green sward before his camp, and listen
with delight to the warbings Of a nest Of young
Nightngales, that, although were not perfect as
the older songsers Of the forest, their efforts af.
forded some music to his ears, and he reasoned
thus; that If they did not sing whilst young. they
never would become perfect. At MI ght his slum.
bers were disturbed-his waking faculties were
kept excited by the dscordant notes of the hoot.
ing Owl. Thus passed away days and weeks;
my ancestors ears were greeted alternately, by
the enllvening music Of the young Nightingale,
and the "doeful sounds" Of the Owl, until the
questions rose in his mind, whe,her he should de-
stroy the race Of owls, and at end their hoot-
tngs, but hlau.tarsh-See was wise as be was brave
and humane-and he concluded to submit to the
decree OF the Great Spirit and ler every Ovl hoot
so long as he did not attempt to prevent other
birds from singing. But the surIiness of the
owl brought about his own fate, for that night.
my ancestor heard great Glamour in the nest of
the young Nightingaes he went to see what was
the matter, when he found the hooiing Oacl about
to destroy the young Nighingaies. because they
were mol perJee IN their singing. Wee-oke KIau-
tdrshsee lnterfered, and decided that if the O,cl
'eoI1d sing better song than the young nightin-
gale that they should be destroyed, but he could
''of MS notes should be stopped so tha, he would
never again be heard in the forest or recoonized
by the species and gave him till next night to re-
port IN. When the time arrived, he was found
dehclent--his notes were stopped. That was the
father Of tribe f"Pgmy" Owls, now known as
the "screech." They are banished from the deem
shedes OF the dark foress, and are only to be
found screeching over grave stones, and hen rooss
near the habitations Of man. '''
49, SOBER SIDES