The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-03-24
CROWS AND THEIR LORE.
What Caused the Decline in the Re speetabiiity of the 'Blaek
 Advocate"
Saturday Reviev.l

Saturday Review.
 Long ago, says the Siamese Ebulist, the crow was very much handsomer than he is now, and quite as gay as very much less intellectual birds. But one day he met the nok-jung-the peacock-in the forest, and looking at the splendor of his colors and the magni6cence of his train, was moved 10 envy-not a cTeditable trait certainly, and for which he has, 1t would appear, suffered in the pages of Esop, but one which it IS difficult for even the most gifted to repress, especially in the case of outward appearance, which wins readier applause than any degree of mental power, however great The crow therefore. inquired whether 1t was not possible 10 dress him in such fine style also. The peacock was good natured- revolving years have soured his tempera- ment somewhat since then-and, more over. as a well-informed bird, remeni- bered the recent disappointment of the crow in the matter of the bird sovereignty, and he therefore declared himself quite ready to effect the metamorphosis. IL was a very easy matter, he said all that 1t was necessary To do was to cover over the crow With silver and gold afier the fashion mankind had of decorating the images. But previously to setting out to look for the materials he smeareG the crow all over with the black pitch of the rakh tree. withou; which the silver and gold leaf could not be got to stick on. The peacock was away some tune gath ering the requisite amount of tinsel, and the restlessness ot the crow Tn the mean 4 xrhIta vxx4S.-aA tia T..ttfA bear to remain doing nothing, and in his hoppings aoou; and peerings into holes and corners he came upon a dec2yed carcass in the underwood. Upon this he set to work with his accustomed good appetite, and when the peacock came back there was the crow irving and tug ging away 4 mass of rotten carron. This was too much for the delicate nerves of the nok-lung. He was so disgusted at the sight that he utterly refused to have anything tp do with gliding the ot- fender: and so. as the pitch would no, come of. the crow has had to remain ever since in his black dress, and has nothing to remind him of his former spright1y appearance but the little Cors.ns spterdenS of which poor consolation even unappreclaive and sinister na,uralists would fam rob him. The crow and pea cock have naturally been on very stand offlsh terms ever since. and this unfr.end- ly state of affair, Is unfouu nately perpet- uated as well as aggravated by the pitt ful and vindietivc malice of the peacock. who takes an unworthy pleasure Tn ex banding hls tail into resplendent wheel whenever he sees his victim. This East ern fable iinds conobora,ion in the clas- sical legend of Ovid that ravens were once white as swans, but lost their beauty through the family characteristic of undue meddlesomeness m matters which do not concern them al ali. 4 raven one day told Apollo that Coronis. a Thessa- iian nymph whom he passionately loved. was fairhiess. and the god sho, the nymph with his dart: but hating the ,eli-tale bird,
 He klacked he raven OCT,
 And bid nlFn pTaie in his ShItc plQrcs no
 more.
 It is evident, therefore, that the title of CorS'as ypIenders IS no ill-natured sheer. as the unlearned would have us believe bu; is an interesting bit ot history em- balmed. and therefore to be cherished as against the modern ernenda;ion of fnSa- -3;egs, which IS only redeemed from the charge of impertinence by the fac, that |, simply and unduly urges the graceless- ness of the crow, trait which no one is in any way concerned to deny in the presen, day. l, $ almost as gra- tuitous an insuli as appeared in the custom which used ,o prevail among the Greeks and Roman. The children of their wealthy families frequently kep, birds for ihcif anusements. and among these the croN ~4s very ottcn f1und. In their chilss,h eu4freis the boys ased 10 pull the feathers oai of each others pets. as means of making them and their owners ridiculous. No doubt the crow very violently resented this ;ndignity bu; still the fac $ preserved for us in the phrase, "l hare crow 10 pluck wish you. and the selection of him as he specimen b'fd Is compliment to the crow. in so far as | proves that Tn his case to the eradication q irritating his owner was added the excl;eusen. Of avoiding the angry resentment of the insui,ed bird l. Is not often. however. tha, we tiod the crow hgurIng m yhc position of victim. He IS usually tluinphan; ln the guIse of an aggressoF. As ihe raven he appears ou the standard Of Odin. the Danish war flag. with the expressive name If Lan- deyda--the desolatioa of the land. He is said to bodc famine. and when he for sakes the woods and comes into the open country, the inhabitants may prepare themselves for famine and mortality: for the bird bears the character of Saturn, who IS the author of these czi.sssisiez. and has an early perception of the bad dispo- sinons of that planet. There IS here