114 BIRDS IN LEGEND 



[Kyrie eleison — Lord have mercy !] to alleviate the agony 

 of his dying moments." 



Of all the legends connecting birds with this awful 

 scene those relating to the little robin-redbreast of Europe 

 are most familiar, for they have been celebrated in poems 

 that everyone reads. The story is that the robin, pitying 

 the pain of the cruel crown pressed on the Saviour's brow, 

 plucked away the sharpest of the thorns; and some say 

 that before that moment the bird was all gray, and was 

 bound to remain so until it had done something worthy 

 of its having a red breast. A forgotten writer, whose 

 lines have been preserved in an old volume of Notes and 

 Queries, tells the story thus: 



Bearing his cross, while Christ passed by forlorn, 

 His Godlike forehead by the mock crown torn, 

 A little bird took from that crown one thorn, 

 To soothe the dear Redeemer's throbbing head. 

 That bird did what she could ; His blood, 't is said, 

 Down-dropping dyed her tender bosom red. 

 Since then no wanton boy disturbs her nest; 

 Weasel nor wildcat will her young molest — 

 All sacred deem that bird of ruddy breast. 



The Spaniards, however, believe swallows — also "red- 

 breasts" in their way — to be the birds that pulled the 

 thorns from Christ's crown — two thousand of them ! 



Another northern tradition is that the robin carries in 

 its beak daily a drop of water to those shut up in the 

 "burning lake," and that its breast is red because scorched 

 by the flames of Gehenna. This old Swedish legend gave 

 Whittier the inspiration for an exquisite poem: 



He brings cool dew in his little bill, 

 And lets it fall on the souls of sin; 



You can see the mark on his red breast still 

 Of fires that scorch as he drops it in. 



