A NORWEGIAN LEGEND.

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 286, 29 August 1931, Page 21

A NORWEGIAN LEGEND.

The Norwegians have several quaint old legends connected with some of their birds. This is the story of the goldcrest, known in Norway as the “bird-king.” Once upon a time the golden eagle determined to be publicly acknowledged as king of the birds, and he called a meeting of every kind of bird in the world. As many of the birds would come from tropical countries, he appointed a day In the warmest month, and the place he chose was a vast tract called Granfjeld, where every species of bird would feel' at home, since it bordered on. the sea, yet was well provided with trees, shrubs, flowers, rocks, sand, and heather, as well as with lakes and rivers full of fish. So on the morning'of the congress the birds began to arrive in steady stream, and by noon every description of bird was represented—even the dstrich, though how he contrived to cross the seas the story does not say. The’ eagle welcomed them, and when the last humming bird had settled down he addressed the meeting, saying that there was no doubt that he had a right to demand to be proclaimed their king. The spread of his wings was prodigious, he could fearlessly look at the sun, and to whatever height he soared he could detect the slightest movement of a fly on the earth. But the birds objected to the eagle on account of his plundering habits, and then each In turn stated his own case as a claimant for the kingship—the ostrich could run the fastest, the bird of paradise and the peacock looked the prettiest, the parrot could talk the best, the canary could sing the sweetest, and every one of them, for some reason or other, was in his own opinion , superior to his fellows. After several

days of fruitless discussion it was finally decided that whichever bird could soar the highest should be, once and for. all, proclaimed king. Every bird who could fly at all tried his best, and the golden eagle, confident of success, waited till last. .Finally he spread his wings, and as he did bo au impudent little goldcrest hopped (unbeknown to his great rival) on to his back. Up went the eagle, and soon outdistanced every other bird. Then, when he had almost reached the sun, he shouted, “Well, here I am, the highest of all!”' “Not so,” answered the goldencrest, as, leaving the eagle’s back, he fluttered upward, until suddenly he knocked his head against the stm and set fire to his crest. Stunned by the shock, the little upstart fell headlong to the ground, but, soon recovering himself, he immediately flew up on to the royal rock and showed the golden crown which he.had. assumed. Unanimously he was proclaimed king of the birds, and by this name, concludes the legend, he has ever since been known, his sunburnt crest remaining as a proof of his cunning and daring. \ t In those parts of Norway where the goldencrest is rarely seen the same story, ’omitting the part about the suu and the burnt crest, Is told of the common wren, who is said to have broken' off his tail In his great fall. And to this is applied the moral: “Proud and ambitious people sometimes, meet with an unexpected downfalL’’

Kind Lady: “I wouldn’t cry like that If I were you.” Little Girl: “Well, you cah cry any way you like, but this is my way!"