Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-04
FABLES AND FOLKLORE.

FABLES AND FOLKLORE.
Curious Tales and Traditions Of Different
Nntions--A Falcon That Saved kins's
Life-How Mice Defeated n Great Army
Tho Origin Of Beer.
One of the most interesting and picturesque
spots in Wales is Beth Gellert, with its we'll
preserved dogs grave. Every tourist climbs
Snowdon. and nearly all see the grave Of Beth
Gellert. and hear the story. which the guide is
apt to conclude with remark that clever folks.
say 1t is all nonsense, but that If the tale isn't
true it ought to be. Prince Llewellyn, mighty
man of war and a true sportsman. was the pos
SCISSOR of a very fine greyhound, as remarkable
for Its perfect docility at home as for its fero-
city III. the chase The Prince also had baby
son, and the dog, whose name was Gellert
was frequently left in charge Of the cradle
and its occupant On one occasion Lewellyn
returned home and found the cradle
upset and empty while the dogs mouth and
several articles Of furniture we're a mass of
blood. Without waiting for any search the
Prince decided that his dog had killed and
eaten the infant, and In his Just rage he drew
his sword and took life for life. An infants
cry diverted the grief of the unhappy man,
who found to his Joy the little one lying behind
tne cradle uniniured. A brief search disclosed
tne cause OF the confusion and blood. a huge
wolf had evidently entered the house and had
attacked the cradle. The faithful and mis-
Judged dog had fought nobly for his charge
and had killed the wolf. So runs the tale. 1t
mas an air OF lmprobability about 1t, but every
one in the neighborhood of Snowdon believes
Ine story, and points to the monument which
Llewellyn in his anguish erected to the mem
ory OF the dog he SO hastily slew.
Remarkably Intelligent Falcon.
History abounds in tales and fables of this
description, and, strange to say. they nearly all
point In the same direction as the Gellert story,
which may owe its origin to any one Of them.
Inc story OF Folliculus is, perhaps, the most in
teresting OF these. This knight was a great
hunter. and among his possessions were noble
greyhound and an exceptionally intelligent
FALCON. He had also an only son, whom he
loved very dearly. and for whom three nurses
were provided. On one occasion. master, mis-.
tress and servants all went to tournament,
leaving the child in company with the dog and
the falcon. The dog fell asleep by the side of
the cradle, and the falcon watched from his
perch. After awhile the silence encouraged
serpent. which had hole near the cradle, to
come forth and reconnoiter. Seeing the child
in the cradle, the venomous monster prepared
to seize It
The falcon at once awoke the dog by Tapping
Its wings. and the dog lost no time in attacking
the serpent. The fight was long and severe
the cradle was upset and the dog seriously
wounded. But in the end virtue, as represented
by the faithful hound. was victorious, and the
serpent met with well.merited death. When
the nurses returned they found chaos prevail
ing, the cradle upset, and the baby and the dog
Wi
dog had killed the child the nurses fed in
terror. but were Thy their mistress, to whom
tney related the sad tale. She in turn narrated
the events of the tragedy to the knight who
rushed to the house. The poor wounded dog
crept forward to receive the usual recognition,
pat the master, attributing its condition to
found the uninjured child and the dead reptile. |
In remorse, he destroyed the fatal weapon and |
made pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Animals That Reasoned Well.
That the ancients had high appreciation of |
the reasoning power of animals of the lower |
order is clear from the great number of fables |
in Sanscrit, Greek and Chinese concerning in |
dividual instances of thought and sagacity. |
These tales are told repeatedly in various forms,
each writer giving a different locality for the /
occurrence and changing the details slightly, |
while adhering to the narrative of the main in
cident. Thus the story about the ichneumon is |
repeated, with various animals, including the
polecat, named as the hero. In the way of |
averting disasters which might have over
men, animals are said by myth-makers
to have done wonders. An Egyptian fable
states that on one occasion man had prepared
q very savory pot of herbs, which wall will
fully broke. The unfortunate animal was
severely thrashed for its interference, but when
the man went to pick up the fragments of his
prepared delicacy he found a Yenomous SER
pent concealed among them.
A very similar story, in all probability arising
out or the same fable, tells how favorite
falcon saved king from swallowing live SER
pent. His Majesty had raised drinking ves-
sci, presumably one of the old style earthen-
ware pots to his lips, when the faithful bird
few suddenly down, and throwing its full
weight against the vessel, upset it. The King,
in his wrath. killed the bird whereupon he dis
covered that there had been a small serpent in
the water, and that the martyred bird had
saved his life. In the Greek there is another
story of this kind. A peasant liberated an
eagle from the clutches of dragon. The latter
out of revenge poisoned some water which the
peasant was about to drink, but the eagle
showed its gratitude by upsetting the vessel
and spilllng its contents.