There are a good many stories told about the hoopoe, some of them in connection with the cuckoo. These two birds seem to be found very often together, and the people believe them to be a pair, the cuckoo being the male and the hoopoe the female bird. The following story is told of them. […]
The Story of the Hoopoe and its Greed.
When God had created all the creatures, he gave everyone the food which he thought best for them. When the turn of the hoopoe came, God said to her, “Thy food shall be millet seed.†The hoopoe was not satisfied. She did not think it was good enough for her. So God in his goodness […]
The Story of the Brutish Innkeeper
There lived in a town a brutish man, a grocer, who had only one care, and that was how to cheat and rob in the quickest fashion the people who came to deal with him. But this was not all, for, bad as it is, one might let it pass, as there are so many […]
The thistle-finch and his colors
When God created the world, he made all the creatures to be of one colour, or rather none of them of any colour at all. You see, God was too busy to bother about these little things. When he had finished making everything that he intended to make, he called all the birds together and […]
The mottled color of the Partridge
In the beginning the partridge had red feathers. God had painted her so when he painted all the other creatures, but for one reason or another the partridge was not very pleased with this colour. After a time she thought she would go to God and ask him to change her colour. When she came […]
The Story of the Boastful Thrush and St. Peter
It was in the month of March, when Christ was walking on the earth with St. Peter. Going through a forest they saw a thrush strutting about on the top of a tree. “Good morning, Mr. Thrush,†said St. Peter. “I have no time for you,†replied the thrush. “And why not, prithee?†“Oh, you […]
The Story of the Nightingale, the Blackbird and the Thrush
The king of the birds, feeling one day in a good humour, wanted to find out which of his subjects could sing best. So he sent an order to his birds to select from amongst themselves those whom they thought to be the best singers. All the birds came together, and, after having heard many […]
The Turtle-dove and the Nightingale
Once upon a time the nightingale met the turtle-dove. After greeting one another, the nightingale said, “Sister, let us keep awake during the night and learn some tunes to sing.†“Quite agreeable,†said the turtle-dove, “and in the morning we shall see what each one of us has learned.†In the following night the nightingale […]
The boring Nightingale
When God created the world he made all the living creatures of one colour, or rather with none, for no one had any colouring on its wings, feathers, or skin. So, one day, God called all his creatures to paint them with different colours as he chose. All the birds and beasts and creeping things […]
The Story of God and the Food of the Titmouse
When God had made all the creatures, he called every one of them and told them what their food should be. Among the birds was the titmouse. To her God turned and said, “Thy food shall be the seed of the pumpkin.†The titmouse, knowing that the seed of the pumpkin was very sweet, did […]