FABLE AND FOLKLORE 157 



disposition has more than once involved in serious mis- 

 fortune servants accused of purloining lost articles, as 

 happened in the case of the Jackdaw of Rheims. 



The tradition on which Barham's Ingoldsby Legend is 

 embroidered is a very old one, the earliest statement of which, 

 probably, is that in Mignie's Patrologia Latinia, compiled by a 

 monk of Clairvaux. The narrative is that of an incident in the 

 time of Frederick Barbarossa (12th century) when the mon- 

 astery of Corvey was ruled by a prince-bishop named Conrad. 

 One day he left his episcopal ring lying on the dining-table, and 

 it disappeared. The bishop blamed the servants and suspected 

 his guests, and finally issued a decree of excommunication to- 

 ward any one who had stolen it. Thereupon the bishop's pet 

 jackdaw "began to sicken little by little, to loathe his food, to 

 cease more and more from his droll croakings and irrational 

 follies whereby he was wont to delight the minds of fools who 

 neglect to fear God." 



At this dreadful stage it occurred to some bright genius that 

 this portentous change in the bird was the effect of the curse, 

 and that it was the sought-for thief. Its nest was searched, the 

 precious ring was found, the curse was taken off, and the jack- 

 daw recovered its plumage and good spirits. 



Where ravens can get other food plentifully they 

 seldom attack living animals. Bendire frequently saw 

 them feeding among his chickens without harming them, 

 yet undoubtedly they are occasionally guilty in our West 

 of killing young lambs, game-birds, and poultry, sins 

 of which they are much accused in Europe. Certainly 

 they rob wild birds of eggs and fledglings, but these evil 

 deeds are done mainly in spring, in providing their own 

 nestlings with soft food. During most of the year the 

 food of the raven consists of carrion, grasshoppers, 

 worms, mussels and other shellfish (the larger kinds of 

 which they lift high in the air and then drop to break 

 their shells), and of ground-squirrels and young rabbits 

 when they can get hold of them. 



