348 Bird - Lore 



were reaching out and up toward something higher. Aristophanes, a Greek 

 poet who Uved four centuries before Christ, pictures in Unes of beautiful though 

 quaint conceit, the world of his day, which was struggling for purer ideals 

 of democracy. In Athens, where he lived, law and order not infrequently 

 were upset by headstrong, ambitious men or enemies of a free government. 

 Perhaps to point the way to a higher conception of the state, Aristophanes 

 wrote a merry play entitled 'The Birds," in which two citizens of Athens, by 

 name Peisthetairus and Euelpides, engage the birds to build a new city in 

 mid-air, called 'Cloud- Cuckoo-borough,' which shall enjoy the benefits of 

 nearness to the gods and at the same time cut off quarreling communities 

 below from those privileges which belong to those who observe order and 

 right living. 



This new city is described by the messenger who comes down to announce 

 its completion to Peisthetairus as "a most amazing, astonishing work," with its ' 

 surrounding wall so broad that two four-in-hand chariots might with ease be 

 driven abreast upon it. 



Peisthetairus exclaims: "You surprise me," and the narrative continues 

 as follows: 



Mess. And the height (for I made the measurement myself) 



Is exactly a hundred fathoms. 

 Peis. Heaven and earth! 



Mess. How could it be? such a mass! who could have built it? 



The Birds; no creature else, no foreigners, 



Egyptians brick-layers, workmen or masons, 



But they themselves, alone, by their own efforts, — 



(Even to my surprise, as an eye-witness) 



The Birds, I say, completed everything: 



There came a body of thirty thousand cranes, 



(I won't be positive, there might be more) 



With stones from Africa in their craws and gizzards. 



Which the stone-curlews and stone-chatterers 



Worked into shape and finished. The sand-martens 



And mud-larks, too, were busy in their department. 



Mixing the mortar, while the water-birds. 



As fast as it was wanted, brought the water 



To temper and work it. 

 Peis. {In a fidget.) But who served the masons? 



Whom did you get to carry it? 

 Mess. To carry it? 



Of course, the carrion crows and carrying pigeons. 

 Peis. {In a fuss, which he endeavors to conceal.) 



Yes! yes! but after all, to load your hods, 



How did you manage that? 

 Mess. Oh, capitally, 



I promise you. There were the geese, all barefoot 



Trampling the mortar, and when all was ready 



They handed it into the hods, so cleverly. 



With their flat feet. 



