Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1867-11-26
HISTORY OF A WEATHERCOCK
BEING THE WONDERFUL AND INSTRUCTIVE
LEGEND OF MEDIC PoLLITo.

BEING THE WONDERFUL AND INSTRUCTIVE
LEGEND OF MEDIC PoLLITo.
Translated from the Spanish Of F. Osballero
So little is known up to the pres
cut day of the popular tales and
legends Of Spain, and the specimen
which we here present to our younger
readers is so good and so uncommon
of its kind, that we feel that we
stand in need Of no~excuse for oul
selection, even to the graver portion
OF our readers. No DR. Dasent has
as yet undertaken to explore the
folklore of Spain, and the formal and
punctilious Spaniard is in general
but little suspected to possess the
great fund of native humor which
in reality turks beneath his stateli-
ness. The conversation of the lower
orders, indeed, bristles all over with
quaint proverbs and humorous say.
ings, as is exemplifed in the mimi
table Sancho Panza of immortal &C.
lebrity; and an inquiry of into pop
ular tales, proverbs, and songs of
that lefrequented part of Europe
would richly repay the labor of
those interested in such matters.
The legend here given is the An
dalusian one, and processes to explain
the origin of weathercocks in the
history of Medio-Pollito, or Half
Chicken, the cross-grained founder
of his tribe. The curious supsrsti-
ton alluded to in it of eggs being
laid by old cocks, is firmly believed
by the people, and we have heard it
asserted by wellinformed Spaniard
that an unusually small egg he had
found in the hen-roost must certainly
have been laid by the cock. "A cock,
however, is said to lay once in his
life, and the basilisk contained in the
egg takes seven years to hatch.
The first person whom he sees on
breaking his shell he is able to kill
by the power of his eye; but if any
one should first see him, the basilisk
himself dies. Scarcely less curious
is the notion, on which the the final
catastrophe hinges, of St. Peters
dislike to the growing of a cock, and
his stooping to take revenge on one
that had offended him in this manner.
Our story is translated from ala
Gaviota," tale of Spanish life by
Fernan Caballero, the greatest living
Spanish novelist.
There was once upon a time a
handsome Hen, who lived very com.
fortably in a courtyard surrounded
by her numerous family, among
whom there was one chicken that
was both lame and ugly. Now this
was the very one that the mother
loved best of all, for that is the way
with mothers.
This cripple had been Matched
from a very tiny little egg. He
was indeed no more than half a
chicken, for he had only one eye,
one wing, and one claw; and for all
that he gave himself more airs than
his father did, who was the hand
soonest and bravest and most gentle.
manly cock in all the fowl yards for
sixty miles FOUND. This chick
thought himself the Phoenix of his
race II the other cocks laughed at
him, he thought it was out of envy
and it the hens did, he said that it
was for anger because of the little
attention that he paid them.
One day he said to his mother.
"Look here, mother. The country
wearies me; [ have made up my
mind to go to Court. | want to see
the King and Queen"
The poor mother began to tremble
when she heard these words.
"My son." she exclaimed, "who
could have put such nonsense into
your head? Your father has never
once been outside his own domain,
and he is the pride of his race.
Why, where would you find such
a court yard as you have here ?
Or where a grander manure-heap?
Where would you find better Or
more plentiful food, warmer hen,
roost, or a family that loves'you
more dearly 2"
"Nego',' said Medio-Pollito in
Latin, for he set up to be great
scholar "My brothers and my
cousins are ignorant clowns %
"But, my son. continued his
mother, "haye you never looked at