226 LABOUR. 



perhaps the wisest course to adopt, especially in the presence of such 

 an admirable shot. And this proved his good sense. A vulgar 

 sportsman, the woodpecker, which knows the coarseness of his flesh, 

 would have suffered to approach him. But in the presence of such a 

 connoisseur and so keen a friend of birds, he had great cause for fear, 

 lest he should be impaled to adorn his collection. 



I beg this illustrious writer to consider also the moral habitudes and 

 disposition which would be acquired from such continuous toil. The 

 papillonne counts for nothing here, and the length of such working- 

 days far exceeds the convenient limit of what Fourier calls agreeable 

 labour. The woodpecker toils alone and on his own account ; un- 

 doubtedly he makes no complaint ; he feels that it is for his interest 

 to work hard and to work long. Firm on his robust legs, though in 

 a painful attitude, he remains at his post all day, and even far into 

 the night. Is he happy ? I believe so. Gay ? I doubt it. Melan- 

 choly ? By no means. The passionate toil which renders us so 

 grave, compensates by driving away sorrow. 



The unintelligent artisan, or the poor over-wrought slave, whose 

 only idea of happiness lies in immobility, would not fail to see in a 

 life of such assiduity the malediction of Fate. The artisans of the 

 German towns assert that he is a baker, who, in the indolent ease of 

 his counting-house, starved the poor, deceived them, sold them false 

 weight. And now, as a punishment, he works, they say, and must 

 work until the day of judgment, living on insects only. 



A poor and unmeaning explanation ! I prefer the old Italian 

 fable : Picus, son of Time or Saturn, was an austere hero, who 

 scorned the deceitful love and illusions of Circe. To avoid her, 

 he took to himself wings, and flew into the forest. If he bears no 

 longer a human figure, he has what is better a foreseeing and 

 prophetic genius; he knows that which is to come, he sees that 

 which is to be. 



A very grave opinion upon the woodpecker is pronounced by the 

 Indians of North America. These heroes discern very clearly that the 

 woodpecker himself was a hero. They are partial to wealing the head 



