The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1910-07-07
LEGEAE0F ANIMALS
Interesting Old Time Stories Of
!. -, Bird and Beast.
THE HORSE AND THE CAMEL.
An Arabian Folklore Tale Tolls WHY
Every steed Shoulders on, a Fret
: Meeting With camel-soIonon and
Che Neck Of tho Vulture,

Every steed Shoulders on, . First
Meeting With = Camel-soIomon and
|. Che Neck Of tho Vulture.
In the beginning the birds had no
feathers. but at last word was brought
that the Great Spirit had their clothes
ready II they would send some one for
them. AS the distance was long, the
turkey buzzard was selected on &C.
count or bis endurance. and In recogni-
lion or the service he was to have first
cno'ce OF apparel, the one condition be-
Ing that he could try no suit on the
second time. Can you guess the 70.
suit? For one triting objection or
another he let oil the fine feathers 20
by until. to his Mortified establishment.
there was nothing left but the Door,
commonplace suit that be wears TO-
day.
we talk conceitedly Of the airship
as though a brand new invention of
the modern brain when thousands of
years ago King Solomon had q most
satisfactory one. magic carpet upon
which he frequently took spin
through space. Only one fault could
De round with this carpet touring car.
IL had no covering. and too often the
sun shone uncomfortably upon the
royal head. Now. tho wisdom of Solo
mon included a rare linguistic accom-
pllshment. The king spoke the Ian
guage or birds. So one day when out
riding on his carpet he called upon
some passing vultures to hold their
wings over him by way Of awning.
But they were going north, the king
toward the south, and to his righteous
indignation the birds insolently> re-
fused. ~ -,
Cursed be ye. o vulturesr' he cried
IN wrath. and because YOU will not
OBEY the commands Of your lord who
rules over the whole world the feath-
ers OF your necks shall fall Off and the
neat or the sun and the coldness OF
winter and the keenness Of the wind
and the beating Of the rain shall fall
upon your rebellious necks. which shall
not be protected with feathers like the
hecks or other birds. and, whereas YOU
nave hitherto fnred delicately, hence
forward you shall eat carrion and
of the world"
According to Arab folklore, one day
Allah called the south wind to him.
condensed 1t. took handful, blew
upon 1t the breath of life and thus ere.
ated horse. But the steed at once
began to find fault. His neck, he com.
planned, was too short to reach the
grass, his back had nothing to steady
saddle. his hoofs were so sharp that
they would surely sink into the sand,
lhstead or ,reproying his ,mgratitude
III words Allah then created the camel
as an object lesson of reproath
The horse shuddered at the sight of
what he wanted to become, and this
Is the reason that every horse starts
when first meeting his caricature.
Perhaps you have not had the on
porfunity OF gazing dentist wise into
the mouth OF coyote and so have
never WoAdered why its back teeth
looked as though they were broken off
and forced down into the gums, but
you. must surely have come across
many an empty locust skin.
10 the south Of the Zuni lands in
New Mexico coyote once started out
hunting. but got no farther than the
foot Of certain old pine tree, so fas-
c1nated did he become in a locust who
sat playing flute and singing In one
or ITS branches. In fact, such was the
anlmals enthusiasm that he insisted
upon taking lesson on the spot His
voice proved hOarse and growly, but
he persevered until he learned the
words Of the locust song and turned
homeward, proudly repeating them,
when by bad luck he fell into a 60
piers hole, said other words under his
breath and forgot bis lines.
Back to the pine tree he trotted,
again imposed upon the locusts good
nature, once more sailed forth In tri-
umph. But this time as he practiced
aloud he frightened q flock Of pigeons
that few out with such noise as com
pletely to muddle his brain, and there
was nothing left for him but another
appeal to the wornOut locust.
Now, even music teacher will turn,
and the locust, seeing him coming from
afar and having heard that coyotes ate
insects, decided to rid himself Of this
ureSOme FELLOW. NO SOOner thought
than done. In a fash he swelled up,
split his skin and crawled out. Find
ing at hand clear, light colored bi,
Of quartz, he put 1T In the empty skin,
mucilaged 1t up the back with pitch
and flew off to another tree
The trick worked to charm. The
coyote called out to the supposed TO-
Gust again and again without receiving
reply, became enaged, snatched the
ettigy out Of the tree and bit 50 hard
on the stone that he ran yelping away
The water Of creek partly soothed
his pain. but ever since the mouth Of
coyote has shown the effect Of that
tragic bite, and whenever a locust
ventures out ON summer morning to
sing a song 1t Is his custom to protect
himself FROM the consequences Of at.