. The swallow book; the story of the swallow told in legends, fables, folk songs, proverbs, omens and riddles of many lands . IN LEGEND AND HISTORY 91 of days the garrison could hold out. Then heset her free and she flew to friends outsidethe walls. They understood the meaning ofthe knots and at once came to their relief. Plutarch tells this story: A certain Bessushad killed his father, and for many years hehad kept the murder a secret. One eveninghe went to sup in the house of one of hisfriends, and while there he angrily struckto the ground a nest of swallows whichwas in the house. Then in g
. The swallow book; the story of the swallow told in legends, fables, folk songs, proverbs, omens and riddles of many lands . IN LEGEND AND HISTORY 91 of days the garrison could hold out. Then heset her free and she flew to friends outsidethe walls. They understood the meaning ofthe knots and at once came to their relief. Plutarch tells this story: A certain Bessushad killed his father, and for many years hehad kept the murder a secret. One eveninghe went to sup in the house of one of hisfriends, and while there he angrily struckto the ground a nest of swallows whichwas in the house. Then in great wrath hetrampled upon and killed the little birds inthe nest. When asked why he did such acruel thing he replied: Didnt you hearthose birds saying over and over thatI had killed my father? It is a lie. His friends wondered greatly at his words,and they went at once to the king and toldhim what had taken place. The king thenmade diligent inquiries through his minis-ters, and after finding certain proof that thissame Bessus had really murdered his father,he ordered the culprit put to 92 CHAPTER IV THE SWALLOW IN BELIEFS AND OMENS As we have learned from the stories ofnatural history and legend, the swallow is avery sociable bird. She lives not only inlarge communities of her own kind, but sheloves and seeks the companionship of man,building in the eaves and windows of hisbarns and houses, and rearing her youngfamily in his very dooryard. It is natural,therefore, that the folk of all countries havecome to be familiar with her daily observed her busily fetching mud andfashioning it into her curious nest. Theysaw her fighting her old enemy, the sparrow,in his attempts to rob the pretty new watched her, when the heavens wereclear, soaring almost out of sight in the blueabove; and again, when dark clouds hung 93 94 THE SWALLOW v^ ^,j low, skimming the shining surfaces of pondsand the waving fields of grain. Then, whenthe first cool winds of autumn ch
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1912
