SOME PRETTY LEGENDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8985, 19 July 1907, Page 2

SOME PRETTY LEGENDS.

* DUMB NATURE'S SHARE. The part that dumb nature took in the Crucifixion is peculiarly interesting from the legendary side. It is said that the crown of thorns was woven from branches of tho hawthorn, and when Jesus had been nailed to the cross tho thorns were pressed into His brow, causing tho blood to flow freely. At this the branches of the hawthorn wept, at tho cruelty forced upon them by the executioners, and Jesus, noting their tears, changed the drops of His blood into flowers. The hawthorn never blossomed before -Chat day. Birds, too, played a part at the Crucifixion, according to legend. After JeMis had been nailed to the cross, two birds came and alighted on the extended arms of tho instrument of death. One was a magpie, with a beautiful aigrette on its head and a long waving tail, then tho handsomest of birds, but the wickedest, chirping insult at the suffering Jesus. The other bird was a modest little bird with grey plumage, which approached the cross timidly, uttering cries of grief. With its beak it tried to pluck away one of the thorns. A single drop of the blood fell on the breast of the pitying little bird, and gave the world the Robin Red Breast. To the bird Jesus said: '■Blessed bo thou, little bird, which sharest my sorrows. May joy accompany thee everywhere. Thine eggs shall be blue as the sky above; thou shalt bo the ' bird of God, bearer of good tidings.' " To- the magpie Jesus said : ' Thou shalt be an accursed bird ; thou shalt lose that brilliant aigrette and the beautiful colours on which thou pndcst thyself so highly. Thy message shall be only evil, and the ram ironheaven shall always fall on thy nest. The peasants of France, m accordance with this tradition, pierce the head of a magpie with a thorn whenever they catch one. _ . In Spain the swallow is considered the ( 'Ood bird, and they say that when the Roman soldiers pressed the crown of thorns on Jesus' brow the swallows came and tried to remove the thorns with their beaks.