And when beneath his dooryard trees the father met his child, The bells rung out their merriest peal, the folks with joy ran wild. And soon from Rambin's holy church the twain came forth as one, The Amptman kissed a daughter, the miller blest a son. John Deitrich's fame went far and wide, and nurse and maid crooned o'er Their cradle song: "Sleep on, sleep well, the trolls shall come no more!" For in the haunted Nine Hills he set a cross of stone; And elf and brown dwarf sought in vain a door where door was none. The tower he built in Rambin, fair Rugen's pride and boast, Looked o'er the Baltic water to the Pomeranian coast; And, for his worth ennobled, and rich beyond compare, Count Deitrich and his lovely bride dwelt long and happy there.. -JOHN G. WHITTIER. WHY THE OWL IS A BIRD OF NIGHT ONCE there was no such thing as an owl. Indeed, there were no birds of the night. All loved the bright sunshine, and liked to sing by day and sleep by night. One day all the birds had a meeting for the of They were choosing a king. when a witch came by their meeting place. She saw all the beautiful birds, and wished to have them for servants. 66 "What fine helpers they will be," she said to herself. "I can send them everywhere to do my will. And nobody will suspect them. They are much better than cats and toads." So she chanted an evil song, threw some magic dust into the air, and waved her stick three times over her head. "Birds. big, birds little, birds one and all, follow me,' she cried; and every bird, without knowing why, left the limb on which he was seated, and followed the witch. There was one bird that had been late in coming. It was the nightingale. She had been singing very late the night before, and so had overslept. She saw the other birds departing, and flew up to the lark. "Who was chosen king?" she asked. "We have chosen no king," said the lark. "We were just discussing the matter. Most of us thought there should be some test to prove who was fit to be king. Then all at once a strange thing happened. Every one felt a desire to follow that strange woman yonder. So off we came." "You are all bewitched," cried the nightingale in fright. "What will become of you? You surely will all be killed. Oh! what can I do?" The nightingale sat down on the bough of an old oak to think. The witch turned and saw her. She ordered her to come along with the others; but she had already used all of the magic dust. So the nightingale flew away. She decided to go to the king of the fairies. So away she flew. She came at last to the very center of the woods. There the trees were the most beautiful. There she saw all sorts of beautiful flowers. The sun seemed softer and the breezes gentler too. In a bower of lilies she found the fairy king, and told him what had happened. "Won't you save all my dear friends?" the nightingale asked. "The world will be a very lonely place without them." "What are birds good for?" asked the fairy king. 66 By their sweet songs they make the world brighter. By their work they destroy many harmful insects," said the nightingale. "Show me how they can make the world brighter," answered the king. So the nightingale sang her sweetest song. It was a little sad, because the nightingale was worried. But even the fairy king had never heard anything so sweet. "Sweet Mistress Nightingale," he said, "surely I will do anything in the world for you." So the little king took his wand and went with the nightingale. Through the forest they traveled until they came to the great oak tree. "This is where I saw them last," said Mistress Nightingale. "But I see no tracks left by the witch. How shall we tell which way they went?" The fairy king tapped the earth with his wand. Every place where the witch had stepped turned brown. It looked as if fire had scorched the earth. "Now we can follow easily," said the king. And they came to a great cave. Mistress Night went on till they ingale drew back. "Have no fear, She was afraid to enter. dear Nightingale," said the fairy king. "No harm shall come to you." So in they went. The witch did not see them. She was making all the birds sing. At last she seemed to please her best. came to the lark. His song She seized him. "So I shall "Your song I want for myself," she said. have to cut it out of you. I shall eat your heart; then your song will come to me." But just as she was about to kill the poor little lark, the fairy king waved his wand. "Stop! cruel witch!" he cried. "I am more powerful than you, for good is always able to conquer evil. For your wicked plans, I shall change you into a bird. But you shall not show yourself by day, but shall hide when other birds are enjoying the beautiful sunshine.” So saying, he waved his wand. The old witch became small in a twinkling. Feathers came out over her body. Her feet became claws, and her hands became wings. Her face, however, did not become like that of other birds. It remained like that of a human being. eyes were wide with fright. But the With a shriek of terror, the owl flew away into the woods to hide herself. She did not look to see where she was going, but just flew and flew. The light hurt her big round eyes. She closed them, and flew on as fast as she could. All at once she thought she was killed. She had flown against a tree. Her face was made almost flat by the crash, but the great beak remained. When she was able to fly again, she hid herself in a hollow tree. She did not want any one to see her. From that day to this the owl has kept herself hidden in the daytime. She only feels free to come out of her hiding place at night, when other birds cannot see her. |