Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-07-03
A Friend TO the Vultures


calling her Noomo to her Mountain Garden.
A Friend TO the Vultures.
The following excellent satire on War and
Glory is said to have been written by DR. John
son. and constituted Number % of the Idler.
but on the republication of that work in vol
umes, was omitted. and another substituted
"Many natnalists are of opinion that the ami
mails which we commonly consider as mute
have the power of emparting their thoughts to
one another That they can express general
sensations is very certain every being that can
utter sounds has different voice for pleasure
and for pain. The hound informs his fellows
when he scents his game; the len calls her
chickens to their food by her cluck, and drives
them from the danger by her scream.
Birds have the greatest variety of notes /;
they have, indeed, variety which seems almost
sufficient to make speech adequate to the pur
poses of life which is regulated by instinct,
and can admit little change or improvement To
the cries of birds, curiosity Or superstition has
always been attentive; many have studied the
feathered tribes, and some have boasted that
they understood it.
The most skiful or most confident interpret
ers of the sylvan dialogues have been common
ly found among the philosophers of the East,
in country where the calmness of the air and
the mldness of the sea allows the student to
pass great part of the year in groves and
bowers but what may be done in one place by
peculiar opportunities, may be performed in
another by peculiar diligence. A shepherd of
Bohemia has. by long abode in the forests, en-
bled himself to understand the voice of birds
at least, he relates with great confidence story
of which the crcdibility is left to be considered
by the learned
'..As was sitting said he, ''within hollow
rock, and watching my sheep that fed in the
valley, heard two vulturcs interchangeably
CRYING on the summit of the cliff. Both voices
were earnest and deliberate, My curiosity pre-
vailed over the care OF my flock climcd slow
ly and silently from cras to crag, concealed
among the shrubs, till found a cavity where
might sit and listen without suffering or Civ
ing disturbance
Il soon perceived that my labor would be
repaid for an old vultura was sitting on ma
kod prominence, with her young about her,
whom she was instructing in the arts of II vul-
lures life, and preparing, by her last lecture,
for their final dismissioh to the mountain and
the Skies
"My Children" said the vulture, "you will
the less want my instructions because you have
had my practice before your eyes; you have
seen me snatch from tn, farm the household
fowl, you have seen me seize the leverent in the
bush, and the kid in the pasture, you know
how to fix your talons, and how to balance
your fight when you arc laden with your prey
But you remember the taste of more delicious
food l have often regaled you with the Aest
of man." Tell u.s." said the young vultures
'where man may be found, and how he may h
found, and how he may be known ; his flesh il
surely the natural food of a vulture why hav
you never brought man in your taons to tn
nest!" ''He is too bulky said the mother
y "when we find man we can only tear ava
his flesh, and leave his bones upon the ground.
r 'Sinco man is so big" said the young ones
= show do you kill him You are afraid of tn
~ ~ wolf and of the bear by what power are WI
- lures superior to man Is man more defenceles
than Il sheep!" "We have not the strength o
man." returned the mother, "anl am SOM
- times in doubt whether we have the subtility
y and the vulture would seldom feed upon hi
flesh, had not nature, that devoted him to OF
uses infused into him strange terocity viii,
= | have never observed many other being ths
- feeds upon the eirth. Two hords Of men wi
J often meet aud shake the earth with noise, IN
''' fill the air with fire. When you hear noise ant
see fire, with flashes along the road, haste
q to the place with your swiftest wing, for mt
m are surely destroying one another you vi
4 then find the ground smoking with blood al
p covered with carclsses of which many are d
ID membered and mangled for the convenience
re the vulture" "Bat when men have killed the
prey" said the pupil, "why do they not c
- it When the wolf has killed sheep, he sufy
m not the vulture to touch it till he is satis(
IN himself. Is not man another kind of wolf
th "Man," said the mother, sis the only beast W
at kill that which he does not devour, and ii
lis quality makes him so much beneflctor to o
ps species. "lf man kill our prey, and lay it
he our way" said the young one, "wbat ne
ng shall we have of laboring for ourselvesp' {"
rd cause man will sometimes" replied the moth
ed "remain for II long time quiet in his den. L
old vulture will tell you when you are to wal
he his motions. When you see men in great nu
srs bers moving close together, like u flock
for storks, you may conclude that they are huntil
MS. and that yon will soon reye in human blood
KY "But still, said the young ne, II would 81,
ly know the reason of this mutual saughtt
vas | could never kill what could not cat" 81
, q child" said the mother, "this is a quest
es- which cannot answer, though am reoor
of the most subtle bird of the mountain. WI
ing was young used frequently to visit the @
rm of an old vultnrc, who dwelt upon the Car