The lioness had a cub and the cow had a calf, and these two grew up together and played together every day. The lion cub was a gentle, well-mannered little creature, but the calf was a disobedient, unruly child, and gave great trouble to his mother. Near the house was a well of fresh water, […]
Bird stories, Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
The Bohemians declare that the heron warns men of their danger when lost in the marshes, and endeavours by her cry to lead them to a safe place. It is said in Ireland that small eels pass through the intestines of a, heron uninjured, so that it swallows the same individual several times in succession. […]
Bird stories, Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
In the far-away time is told how the wren came about. One day, a young man of Heidelberg lay idly dreaming and pondering under an oak. A beautiful maiden crept forth from a great hole in the trunk of the tree and stood smiling at him. The youth immediately arose and made love to her, […]
Bird stories, Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
The Seminoles have a story about the Turkey, who was once the king of the birds and flew high in the air like the eagle. He would swoop down on the council ground and bear away a man. Then people devised a plan to catch him. Four men were to roll four big balls along […]
Bird stories, Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
A person went hunting and made a camp. While he was sitting by it a Horned Owl and a Hawk. came flying thither. The Hawk came on without stopping and settled between the man’s knees. The Horned Owl came and perched on the other side of the fire. He kept saying, “Throw that one over […]
Bird stories, Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Big Man-eater had a wife but stole another woman and carried her to the place where his wife lived. Next day he started off. After he had traveled about hunting for a while he came back without having killed anything. Then he said to his wife, “Cut off a piece of your body and roast […]
Bird stories, Eurasian Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
After the creation of the world, the God ordered all birds to dig an individual well for each of them to wash there. Everyone obeyed, apart from the buzzard who was absent at the moment. When it finally arrived it decided to use trickery and get a well for free. The buzzard suggested the crow […]
Bird stories, Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
A story told by Australian aboriginals. Jawayak-wayak (Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike) had a sore foot because it had a boil on it. Wakwak (Torresian Crow) went and burst the boil and, as he did so, pus flew up and into his eyes so that now Wakwak has white eyes. After that, Jawayak-wayak went and killed a kangaroo; […]
Bird stories, Emerald-spotted Dove (Turtur Chalcospilos)
This story originates from the Zulu tribes in South Africa. Now here we have got another bird with a very remarkable and somehow sad history amongst our people. It is a plump beautiful creature. This bird, our people say, is the bird of mourning, a bird of sadness, a bird of sorrow. It is a […]
Bird stories, Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus)
The nomadic Bedouin of the Sinai Peninsula believed that if the body of an Egyptian Vulture was buried for forty days, then dug up and boiled until all of the flesh had dissolved, a single bone would stick up among the others, signifying that it held great power. All that was required to win the […]