New Ulm weekly review., 1882-04-12
Bird MYTHS.

ADOuC OlfOS many interesting SCOIlo9
are told Tin Rolland's s'F'atne Populairc
de Ia Framce). The owl has every
where acquired an evil reputation, for
which many legends account. Thus it
is said that when the wren had brought
down fire from heaven, the grateful
birds, with one exception, contributed .
feather apiece to replace it's scorched
plumage. Only the owl refused to do
as the others did, saying it would re-
quire all its feathers during the ap-
preaching Winter; on which account it
was condemned to eternal seclusion dur
ing the warm day, and to perpetual suf-
fering from cold during the night. This
is the real reason why '.the owl, for all
its feathers, was as cold'' on St. Agnes
eye, and why the other bids poster it if
it makes its appearance in sunshine. 1t
may be true, we may observe, that an
omelet made of OWLS eggs is cure for
drunkenness. But it is false etymology
to connect the owls name of Chathua'st
with it's supposed likeness to unchat qui
hue. The name is really corruption
of its old designations of Chavan, Conan,
or cathouani. Equally incorrect is the
explanation of its name of Efraie, as
meaning cello qui efraie. The term is
q corruption of the word fresaie, which
is connected with the Latin pr9sage, the
predictor of misfortune. The woodpeck-
er is another bird which has Jared Ill in
popular fiction, 1t is supposed to have
been the only bird which refused to help
WIEN the water-courses of the earth were
being made. As it would not join in
digging the ground at that time it was
condemned to dig into wood forever,
and to be eternally prevented from
drinking any water except such rain
drops as it can catch in it's bill That is
why it usually maintains vertical posi-
ton, and frequently utters plaintive
cry of pluie-pluie. The king fishers blue
coat and rosy waistcoat, and its habit of
flying along rivers, are accounted for
by the following tale: When Noah sent
forth the dove from the ark, he sent out
the king-tisher also, knowing it to be q
bird familiar with water. It=few up in
to the air so high that the sky turned its
back blue, and the sun scorched the
lower part of its body, which became
red. By the time it returned the earth
had began to appear, but the ark had
vanished. Since that time it has been
ever looking for its lost home, seeking
it with plaintive cries along the rivers,
where it may possibly find it. The
nightingale's habit of singing at night,
and the imaginary sadness of its song,
are accounted for by legend to the ef-
feet that in ancient days the nj ghtingale
and the blind worm had only one eye
apiece. The bird borrowed the reptiles
eye in order to 90 with two eyes to q
feast, and afterward refused to restore
it. The blind worm vowed vengeance
on its perfdious friend. Consequently,
the nightingale is afraid to 20 to sleep
at night, lest blindworm should attack
it during its slumber. And in order to
keep itself awake it sings, resting it's
breast against thorn, the pain caused
by which renders its singing sad. The
blackbird was originally, it seems, COM
pletely white, it's bill included. But it
offended the Prince of Riches ono day
by taking up in its beak some of the
gold dust it found in his palace, without
previously asking his permission. The
Prince exhaled his wrath against the
bird in fire and smoke, and was on the
point of putting it to death, when it
pleaded so piteously for its life that he
forgave it. Butt the fire and smoke gave
to its plumage the somber hue from
which it derives its present name, and
the gold dust it stole has given to its
beak a yellow lingo. 1t is probably the
blackness of the crows coat which has
given rise to the idea that bad priests
turn into crows after death.