The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-03-07
LEGENDS oF THE WREN.
It's Trick on an Eagle Wins It Popularit!
Among the Irish.

It's Trick on an Eagle Wins It Popularity
Among the Irish.
In Ireland the wren is called the king
Of birds One old legend among the
Irish, that dates as far back as the days
of the Druids, is thus stated
Once upon Il 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"
The eagle, by common consent, had
been invested with the honor from time
immemorial and he had no idea of Civ
ing it up; but the better to impress his
superiority on all inferior birds he called
together the whole feathered tribe for
this grand flying tournament.
At the appointed time the birds came.
There were thrushes, linnets, magpies,
crows, blackbirds, blucbirds, hawks,
doves, robins, sparrows. nightingales,
larlks, game birds from the forest, sea
birds 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 sltylark he looked little un.
easy. This was the only bird he really
feared, for the sllylarl1 can fly very high
But his fears did not last long, for just
then he saw something to make him
laugh. 1t was the little wren hopping
along saucily with his jaunty little tail
perlied up with the utmost assurance
One would think he surely expected tc
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 10 start he was nowhere to be
seen, and il any one thought of him at
all it was probably to conclude that he
had realized the folly of his trying tc
compete with those so much stronger
han himself, and had wisely gone home
to his nest in the hedge.
At given signal away flew the birds
Up, up, up! The wild goose did very
well, so did the hawk, and the slSylarl
kept close under the eagles big wings
but one by one they had to give up, al
but the proud old eagle. He kept OF
soaring until he reached point from
which he could not raise himself another
inch.
Then he looked down proudly at al
the representatives of the feathereC
tribe below him, and they looked ur
admiringly at him, when suddenly III
above him flew little dark specll. II
was a bird, and the Mortified eagle
looked up to see the despised little wrer
lowering above him.
All the other birds saw him too, ant
they set up great shout. Then dowr
flew the crestfallen eagle.
As the birds touched the ground they
looked for the wren, and they saw hin
hop off the eagles back. He had beer
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 thar
all of them.
According to the letter of the law the
wren was adjudged king of BIRDS but
as one ruay suppose, the eagle was very
angry. He set to work and cursed tn,
wren and laid spell on him so that h,
should never again be able to fly owe
any thing, and to this day an Irish wrel
can not fly over % hedge; he must fine
an opening in it somewhere before h,
can pass from one field orgardcn to an
other.
The Druids treated the wren will
great distinction, but when Christianit,
was introduced into the country the frs
Christian missionaries, not above super
stition themselves. considered their ad
miratiou a great offense, and since ther
the poor little king has sometimes haC
Il hard time of it.
Another incident to bring the wrer
into ill-repute with the Irish is the story
that once when the Danes had invaded
| Ireland party of them while asleeI
were about to be surrounded by the ma
tiveS when several wrens awolle then
by peclling on their drums. The same
story is told of wrens awaking detach
ment of Protestants during one of the
religious wars of Ireland.
Either affair would be enough to make
the Irish hate the poor little wren, anC
they set apart st. Stephens Day-tha
is the day following Christmas-or
which to persecute him.
On that day the Nile men and boys &C
a wren hunting. They take sticks oi
clubs and run like mad from hedge tc
hedge until they succeed in killing one
Then they form procession and carr,
about the poor little body, hung by on,
leg in the center of two hoops crossing
each other at right angles, the whole ar
rangement decorated with bits of col
ored ribbon. They march from door t.
| door, and in front of each the funny ont
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 uOOl lDdv