228 SACRED BIRDS. 



was a fatal presage to the Danes. This banner, adorned 

 with the figure of a raven, is said to have been woven by 

 Hubba's sisters in one noontide. It was believed that the 

 bird appeared as if flying when the Danes were to conquer, 

 but was motionless when they were threatened with defeat.* 



MRS. F. 



The raven is, I know not why, considered as the emblem 

 of constancy, and is, among the Swedes, as sacred a bird as 

 the stork among the Dutch. 



ESTHER. 



Or the crane among the Calmucs; for I was reading in the 

 travels of some Russian missionaries, that, when their ser- 

 vant shot a crane, the greatest horror was expressed by the 

 bystanders, who quoted an old proverbial saying among the 

 Calmucs, that " the man who killed a crane would be pun- 

 ished by fate." They prophesied great misfortunes for the 

 deed upon the servant, who was at last so intimidated by their 

 denunciations, that it was some time before his master could 

 calm his apprehensions. 



MRS. F. 



Thank you, Esther; but now let us endeavor to proceed 

 with our emblems. That of Stephen comes next, which was 

 a Sagittarius, because he entered England when the sun was 

 in that sign of the zodiac. 



Then it must have been in the month of November. 



MRS. F. 



Yes; and another reason assigned for his adopting it is 

 that he obtained a great victory chiefly by help of his archers. 

 Stephen, therefore, took this sign for his arms, and discontin- 

 ued bearing his paternal arms. 



ESTHER. 

 We now come to the Plantagenets. 



* Wheatman's History of the Northmen. 



