THE KOEL AND ITS ALLIES 285 



iiotes^ are most tantalizingly pleasant to 

 the i ver-wrought imagination of a pining 

 lover. The Indian thrills at the high- 

 pitched call of the Koel and gives himself 

 up to the sweetest day-dreams. The 

 European staying in India, on the other 

 hand, has not a single good word for this 

 bird. In summer, when the cool morn- 

 ing is trying to soothe him into sleep 

 after a night's restless tossing in bed, the 

 koel's sudden torrent of loud hilarity jars 

 on his tired nerves and fills him with 

 resentful intentions ; unable to get at his 

 tormentor, he breaks into words which, 

 instead of hitting their objective, hit 

 King's English very hard. These un- 

 pleasant associations have lowered the 

 cuckoo in his estimation. The deliberate 

 opinion of an English writer is, *'The 

 villainy of the cuckoo is most thorough- 

 going and consistent... He begins his days 

 with a sin and passes through life steeped 

 in iniquity." This judgement is not likely 

 to be reconsidered, since the Koel will lead 



