The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-10-01

of the wilderness that Bayal the Porcu.
pine owned disagreeahle temper. He
showed neither Kindness nor consideas
tion toward those he CHANGED to meet,
and if he spoke at all to other animals
it was in a sneering or sarcastic tone
that really made them wish he had re-
manned silent
The reason for this lay in the fact
that Bayal was dissatisfied because he
had been created porcapine. As he
rubbed his nose against the ground In
search of insects for feed, his sharp
eyes saw the antelopes go bounding
through the forests with the speed of
the wind; saw the tribes of the wilder.
ness shrink back back In silence as the
majestic tiger stalked proudly along his
path; saw the huge form of the eie'
phant loom dark against the sky and
many of the wild PROSTATE themselves
in awe of the Mighty One, Noting all
this, Bayal moanei to himself;
They are magniticent-they are
grand! II is worth living to be one of
the Masters of the Wilderness. But
what am 1. A pig! A stupid, roofing
hedgehog. Does the antelope see met
Does the tiger turn from his path be.
cause l am nearf Does the elephant
know hedgehog exists! No! l am
nothing. There are no songs in my
praise. There are no legends telling of
my deeds. | am unknown and unnon-
ored!"
And then he would roll himself into
ball until his quils spread in every
direction. and moan and groan and
grieve until those who heard him hearti.
ly wished he had never been born.
Athlos, the fairy OF his race, whose
duty il was to watch over the lives of
the porcupines, was exceedingly sweet
tempered and loyal TO her charges, but
the selfshness and peevish disposition
of Bayal became SO hard TO bear that
more than once the gentle fairy was
tempted to leave him to his fate and
devote herself to more cheerful porcu.
pines.
OF course Bayal did not know Ath.
los, nor that she listened always to his
weary complaints, for with such knowl.
edge he would not have dared to try
her temper so severely. So he kept
on grimbling and growing until the
fairy, losing patience, resolved to- teach
him a lesson.
She appeared before Bayal one morn
ing while he was grubbing for ants, in
his usual diseontented fashion; and the
sight of ,Atlilos radiant and beautiful
filed him with reverent awe and clf,ised
him to drag his quilts upon the ground
in humiliation.
Tell me, Bayal," she said, looking on
him with calm eyes, why are you al.
ways unhappy"
Because ] am lowly porcupine," he
with eagerness. 1T Is not
bad to be alive when some one is of i'm
portance in the world. But, il one must
be so small and insignificant as | am,
it were better not to live at ALL"
''Do you, then, desire deatht" Ath-
los asked in a grave tone.
The porcupine hesitated.
"No," he replied, after pause; Il
prefer to live. But l also prefer to be
an animal of Importance"
And 80 you are in your present form
declared the fairy. "The beetles sctirry
from your path as you draw near; the
lizard slips beneath its rock, the, mole
seeks its burrow; even the hare and
squirrel fear you. To them Bayal, the
Porcupine is mighty"
"Puhl They are trash!" said Bayal
1T surprises me that you,
most gracious fairy, should know of
the existence of such insignificant crea-
lures as those you mentionl And to win
from them either fear or respect does
not content me while | am myself
obliged to shrink from the leopard, the
lion the bear and the wolf. Why, alas!
am | not one Of those grand animalsi
The fairy sighed and looked sorrow-
fully upon him.
Wisdom may not argue with folly"
said she. Have your desire, Bayal, If
you will. l am your guardian fairy.
Choose, then, what form you will have
among the animals of the forest or plain
and /, by means Of my fairy powers,
will bestow 1t upon you"
To hear this delighted Bayal beyond
measure.
u win be an elephant, most gracious