238 BIRD 



Without mentioning any one or thing ? 



You're as close as an old j^rey stone. 



Which sapless on yonder knoll wc see." 

 ** Boo-hoo-hoo ! You're a fool ! " 

 Said the bald bird of the kindly murmur. 



*' Tis I who am knowing in the case ; 



Dear and senseless is your chatter, 



I do not admire glig-clag, 



And never take pleasure in the hasty mouth. 



I will speak when I see 'tis necessary 



And my mouth won't bring me sorrow ; 



But others often mock you, 



While so many stupid mistakes 



Pour forth in the cowardly word 



Spoken flippantly by a senseless gab. " 

 Awhile they thus colloquied or discussed. 

 Criticising sharply each other's speech (or, cutting and 



slashing), 

 Till down leapt (or alighted) the graybird. 

 Who speedily settled each point or case. 



(Al. Then arose the ready true-bird 



That travels swiftly through the air ; 

 He punched the magpie on the head. 

 And left him cold and weak.) 

 When he had heard all sides of the case. 

 He said to them, with evident design, 



" If my words are worth listening to 



Thus would I do judgment among you : 



Many people, many opinions ; 



Some love what others hate. 



Some say sufficient for the purpose. 



Others hardly ever wish to stop ; 



There's a time for speech and a time for play, 



A time for sorrow and a time for joy ; 



Many are there who are thought intelligent. 



From whom come a thousand mistakes. 



Occasionally you'd think them daft. 



By the superfluity of their talk ; 



He who has his tongue under command 



Seldom causes any harm — 



The very fool may be thought wise 



If frequently he held his peace. " 



In the Duanaire we find the flying dragon ranked among 

 birds apparently, as on page 164 occurs the line, " Bu tu an 

 Dragon anns an ianlaith " — Thou wast (or art) the dragon in or 

 among the feathered tribes. This may, however, mean that the 

 party so apostrophised was as terrible among men as a winged 

 dragon was among birds. 



Mr Carmichael, inter alia, gives one version of the St Kilda 

 song of praise at the arrival there of the sea-birds, as follows : — 



Buidheachas dha 'n Ti, thainig na Thanks to The Being, the gannets 



gugachan have come, 



Thaine 's na h-eoin mhora cuide riu. Yes, and the great auks (birds) along 



with them. 



Na h-eoin air (iar) tighinn, cluinneara And the birds have come, glad sight 

 ftn ceoL I see (I hear their music). 



