The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-02-09
CuriOuS Legends.

The festival of the asses, which has
been for long ages observed in Verona,
grew out OF the following circumstances:
According TO the legend, the young ass
on which our Savior entered Jerusalem
was set at liberty Immediately after,
and, protiting by his opportunity, took to
travelling in Palestine, from whence he
made the tour of Egypt, visiting every
place of interest or note. and nobody ap-
pears to have caught him! Crossing the
Nj Mediterranean dry-shOd without the aid
pf any ship or bark whatsoever, he went
TO Cyprus, Rhodes, Gambia, Malta and
Sicily; he then walked up the Adriatic
to Venice, which city, by the way, was
not then in existence; but he seems not
to have liked the little island, ior soon
he passed on to Verona, where he fixed
his residence, and where he died at a
very ripe old age. The pious and hospit-
able Neronese placed his remains in q
reliquary uf the same shape, and they
kept il in the church dedicated to "Saint
Mary of the Organs;" every year this IN
teresting and valuable donkey was car
RED III solemn procession through the
town Of Verona; at The present date the
festival OF the asses has become mere
name.
The Genoese were fortunate enough to
obtain the tail Of the above mentioned
ass, and they kept it with great plety in
the church of st. Dominick, which stood
where the Theatre Carlo Felico was al
terward built.
In the city of Constance, on the lake OF
the same name, among the relics may be
seen the spider swallowed by st. Conrad
when taking the wine at mass. The spi-
der seems to have made good his clam
to mummiiicat. by making his exit
Of fha hon h.itr
ing done any harm from his residence
within.
Two lambs belonging to st. Francis OF
ASSIST distinguished themselves inn
menseiy by pious acts. One Of them
Went early to wake a lady whom he al
terwards conducted to mass, and the
other lamb attended mass every day. re-
naming on his knees during the entire
Sc vice.
| in the curious legend of Saint Julian
| encOuutering Il deer in the wood, there
| is trace Of the Eastern belief in trans.
migration. The saint went hunting deer
| III II forest, when suddenly the animal he
was following stood at bay and spoke
thus: 'Do not Kill me, for in so doing
| thou wouldst kill thine ancestors"
Saint Rocn, or Rogue, is always por-
trayed with a dog Iu close company,
to commemorate the story, that being
struck down by the plague when tar
| from all human aid in "a wood, he was
discovered by this dog,who brought him
| food every day until he was entirely re-
stored to health.
| The crab OF Saint Francis Xavier has
been rendered more notorious by some
curious old trescos i'll Sienna, tnan by
the printed histories which relate that
| the saint, being desirous to calm a sud.
den squali, reached his hand out beyond
the bulWark of the ship, intending to
show the crucitiX in his hand to the wa.
| ters, but his hold relaxed and the cruel.
ii tell into the sea, whereupon, a s'saint
ly crap" as the legend calls him, hasten
ed after the vessel, politely offering the
recovered crucitiX to Saint Francis, and
tue frescO shows the courtly crustacean
holding up the recovered treasure i'll his
| claws.
| he cock of Saint Peter is said to have
| been carried into Spain by the Apostle
James,; feathers were sold at great
prices to the pilgrims who visited Com
postella. The poet Southey gives the
story with ONE unimportant variations
| in his humorous "Pilgrimage to COmpos
| ella."-Scribner for February.