Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-10-13

how generous we really desire to be,
And will give us credit in His account
For all the pennies we long ito gi'e''
Il. H., ST. Nicholas for October.
Some Queer Ar imnls.
From st. Nicholas.
Before Columbus sailed so bravely off
out of sight of land, to discover the
half of the world that he felt sure was
on the other side, people had very queer
ideas about the countries that were be-
You'd Europe. Animals SO strange were
thought to inhabit them, that almost
any story tray eler Oh bose to tell would
be believed.
Such creatures as basilisks, griffns,
mermaids, sirens, harpies, centaurs,
unicorns, phenixes and dragons, were
never seen by any one; but they were
written about in poems and stories, and
some OF them were used in this way to
express various symbolic meanings, so
that, in writing at least, it seemed diff
cult to get on without them. One of
the most absurd of these animals was
the basilisk, most unpleasant creature
in every way, and not one that could
possibly be made pet OF. People were
silly enough to believe that it came
from an egg laid by very old cock
and hatched oy toad, and that it had
a cocks head and wings, lizards
body and tail, eight feet, and wore q
kingly crown as monarch of all the SER
penis and dragons, who ran away
whenever it came near them. It's
breath was poison, and the fearful glare
of its eyes killed both animals and men
whenever taey encountered it.
The Basilisk, sometimes called the
Cockatrice, lived in the deserts of At
RIGA; it could only live in desert, for
its dreadful breath burned up every
thing that grew, and no animal would
venture near it except the weasel, which
would bravely fight with it. The
weasel got the better of the Basilisk by
eating an herb called rue, which poison
ed the monster when it bit him, but the
poor little weasel always died too.
When the Basilisk was dead and
burned to ashes, people took little
comfort in it, for the ashes were said
to turn all kinds Of metal into gold;
and it would seem almost worth while
to have a live Basilisk about for
the chance OF getting dead one.
THE CENTAUR.
The Centaur; or bull-killer, was half
man and half horse; and pictures
usually represent it shooting with bow
and arrow. They were said to be wild
and savage, Of great size, and covered
with hair, and living in the forests and
mountains. There were real men in
Thessaly, province of Greece, who
spent most Of their time on horseback
hunting bulls; and it is thought that
the fable of the Centaurs had it's origin
in them.
Although great improvement on
the HAPPY and some other monsters, the
Centaur could not be very agreeable
companion; aud no one will be sorry
that there never was such creature.
THE DOLPHIN.
The Dolphin made very pleasant
variety in the list OF unreal creatures
as it was delightful in every way. Very
much larger than the common dolphin
or porpoise, the Dolphin of fable was
thoroughly good-natured and obliging,
and always swimming about and show
ing its pretty colors. These colors were
said to be brighter than ever when it
was dying, and some poet has written of
the hues Of the dying Dolphin"
The supposed home OF the Dolphins
was in the Grecian seas; they were said
to have many human tastes, as they
were very fond of music, could be
easily tanned, and became very fond of
their masters. They would let children
ride on their backs; and this must have
been even more exciting than riding on
an elephant, or driving pair of goats.
These Do]phins were very effectionate;
and story is told OF one, in the reign
OF the Emperor Augustus, which CARR
co boy to school every morning. But
after while the lad died, and the faith
ful Dolphin watched for him on the
shore day after day-until, finding that
he did not come, it pined away and
expired of grief.
THE GRYPHoN, OR GRIFFIN.
1t onght to have had long name like
'.Ichthyosaurus'' or .'Megatherium," OF
| some OF those other great creatures that
lived before the flood; for one Griffin
was said to be larger and stronger thar
q hundred eagles, SO that he could
carry, while flying to it's nest, large
horse Or even two oxen yoked toge Their {
they stood at the pillow. It's claws were
as large as the horns of oxen, so thai
| drinking cups were made of them. Its
head, wings and feet were those of ar
eagle, and its body that of lion.
Stone Griffins are often seen in ole
churches, and on the pillars of old gate
ways; for place that was guarded By
sach powerful creature was in ne
danger OF being invaded. So the figure