. Bird legend and life . ng who could flythe highest. The eagle, who everyone thought would win,in full confidence of victory, immediately began his flight to-ward the sun. When he had distanced all his competitorsand his strength was spent, in a loud voice he announcedhis monarchy over all things with wings. A crafty wren, who had hidden among the eaglesfeathers, emerged, and, flying a little higher, called in ashrill, jubilant voice: Birds, look up and behold your king! rThe other birds allowed the claim of the wren, who wasduly installed in office, when the angry eagle, exasperated atthe de
. Bird legend and life . ng who could flythe highest. The eagle, who everyone thought would win,in full confidence of victory, immediately began his flight to-ward the sun. When he had distanced all his competitorsand his strength was spent, in a loud voice he announcedhis monarchy over all things with wings. A crafty wren, who had hidden among the eaglesfeathers, emerged, and, flying a little higher, called in ashrill, jubilant voice: Birds, look up and behold your king! rThe other birds allowed the claim of the wren, who wasduly installed in office, when the angry eagle, exasperated atthe decision, caught the wren in his talons, and, flying almostout of sight, dropped him to the earth. The wren, morefrightened than hurt, when he had gathered himself togetherand taken an inventory of his injuries, discovered that he hadsuffered no loss except a piece of his tail, which was brokenoff in the fall. Derisively flipping the expressive stub, heflew to the highest bough of a great elm and sang an ex-ultant song. 28. Photograph by Francis H. Herrick WREN SCOLDING WREN LIFE THE story does not say that the Heidelberg youth, too,was transformed into a wren, but it must have beenthat the Dryad wrens angry chirp caused him, also,to grow small, for when she comes out of the hole in the treeto-day the lover who keeps tryst with her is as small as amouse and quite like herself in every way. Besides, did theynot promise to be true to each other forever and ever? Andthe hole in the tree, too, is smaller! What changes has angerwrought! It was early in April when they arrived, too early forany great abundance of insect life, their principal food, tobe abroad, but they were not seriously inconvenienced by itsscarcity, for, being plump with southern feasting, theirstorage system made this, for the time being, a matter ofminor importance. She, attractive little body, had many admirers of herkind, and he was often compelled to defend his exclusiveright to her favor. This was usually accom
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidbirdlege, booksubjectbirds
