The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-05-01
LEGENDS OF THE WREN.


fits Trick Eagle Wins 1t Popularity
Among the Irish.
In Ireland the wren is called tho
king of birds. One old legend amons
the Irish, that dates as far back as the
days of the Druids. is thus stated by
the Boston Globe:
Once upon time the eagle, always
proud of his strength and valor. called
all the birds together for trial OF
flight, with this understanding. that he
who scared the highest would forever
command the distinctive title Of king
of birds.n
The eagle, by common consent. had
been invested with the honor from
time immemorial ard he had 30 idea
of giving it up; but the better to inn
press his superiority on all inferior
birds he called together the whole
feathered tribe for this flying tonrna-
ment.
At the appointed time the birds
came There were thrushes, linnets.
magpies. crows. blackbirds. bluebirds.
hawks. doves. robins. sparrows. night
ingales, larks, game birds from the
forest, seabirds from the coast and last
Of all, but as noisy as any of them.
came the turkeys. geese. ducks and
hens from the barnyards.
The eagle surveyed them all with
his piercing eyes. At some of them
he cast a contemptuous glance. but
when he saw the skylark he looked
little uneasy. This was the only bird
he really feared. for the skyiark can
fly very high. But his fears did not
last long, for Just then he saw some
thing to make him laugh. 1t was the
little wren hopping along saucfly with
his jaunty little tail perked up with
the utmost assurance One would
think he surely expected to win the
prize
The eagle began to poke fun at him.
and all the other birds Joined in. SO
that the poor little wren was glad to
escape out of sight
When the signal was given for the
birds to start he was nowhere to be
seen, and if any one thought Of him at
all it was probably to conclude that he
had realized the folly of his trying to
compete with those So much stronger
than himself. and had wisely gone
home to his nest in the hedge
At given signal away few the
birds. Up. up. upi The wild goose
did very well. SO did the hawk. and
the skylark kept close under the eagles
big wings; but one BY one they had to
give up. all but the proud old eagle
He kept on soaring until he reached 9
point from which ne could not raise
himself another inch.
Then he looked down proudly at all
the Representatives of the feathered
tribe below him. and they looked up
admiringly at him. when suddenly up
above him flew little dark speck. 1t
was a bird, and the horrifed eagle
looked up to see the despised little
wren lowering above him.
All the other birds saw him too. and
they set up a great shout. Then down
flew the crestfallen eagle.
As the birds touched the ground
they looked for the wren. and they
saw him hop off the eagles back He
had been nesting among the feathers.
and the big eagle did not feel his
weight.
So it was that when the eagle and
the other birds had used up all their
strength he was able to reach point
higher than all of them
According to the letter of the law the
wren was adjudged king of birds.
but, as one may suppose. the eagle
was very angry. He set to work and
cursed the wren and laid spell on
him SO that he should never agssin be
able to fly over anything and to this
day an Irish wren cannot even fly over
hedge; he must find an opening in it
somewhere before he can pass from
one field or garden to another.
The druids treated the wren with
great distinction, but when christianity
was introduced into the country the
first Christian missionaries. not above
superstition themselves. considered
their admiration a great offease. and
since then the poor little king has
sometimes had hard time of it.
Another incident to bring the wren
into ill-repute with the Irish is the
story that once when sue Danes had
invaded ireland a parry of thelr while
asleep were about to be surrounded by
the natives when several wrens awoke
them by peeking on their drums. The
same story is told of wrens awaking q
detachment of protestants during one
OF the religious wars of Ireland
Either affair would be enough to
make the Irish hate the poor little
wren. and they set apart ST. Stephens
Day-that is the day following Christ
mason which to persecute him.
On that day the idle men and boys
go wren hunting. They take sticks
or clubs and run like mad from hedge
to hedge until they succeed in killing
one. Then they form a procession
and carry about the poor little body.
hung by one leg in the center of two
hoops crossing each other at right
angles, the whole arrangement deco
rated with bits of colored ribbon.
They march from door to door, and in
front of each the funny one of the
party, called the ''drolleen," sings:
The wren, the wren,
The king of all birds,
St. Stephens Day
He was caught in the frs;
And although he is little,
His family's great.
So arise, good lady,
And give us treat
They usually receive a hearty well
come. and the treat-rhyming with
great-besides few pence dropped
into an old stocking which the drolleen
holds out as he sings. These receipts
are spent in Publication for the
evening. and the funnier the drolleen
is and the more apt he is at repartee
the heavier the stocking will be at the
close of the day.
Serving Subpoena.
While constable at Bayville. N. Y,
was trying to serve a subpoena the
other day the unwilling witness in