ARAB LEGEXD. 339 



lent to twenty-four of the common fowl's eggs. According to 

 Andersson they afford an excellent repast ; while Dr. Livingstone 

 tells us they have a strong disagreeable flavour, which only the 

 keen appetite of the desert can reconcile one to. The flesh of 

 the ostrich is decidedly coarse, but as there is no accounting 

 for tastes, the Eomans seem to have prized it ; and Firmus, one 

 of their pseudo-emperors, most likely desirous of emulating 

 the gormandising powers of the bird on which he fed, is said to 

 Iiave devoured a whole ostrich at one meal. 



A legend of the Arabs gives the following poetical account 

 of the origin of the crippled wings and ruffled coat of the 

 ostrich. ' About a thousand years ago,' say the wandering tribes 

 of Kordofan, ' the ostrich still resembled the Hubahra or 

 Arabian bustard, and both together inhabited the grassy plains. 

 Then also he flew remarkably well, nor was he so shy as at 

 present, when he avoids the approach of man with gigantic 

 strides, but lived in friendship and confidence both with him 

 and the other animals of the desert. One day the Hubahra 

 thus addressed him : " Dear brother ! if thou art inclined we will, 

 inschalla I (with God's permission) fly to-morrow to the river, 

 bathe, drink, and then return to our young ! " " Well," replied 

 the ostrich ; " we will do so : " but he did not add — " inschalla I " 

 for he was arrogant, and did not bow before the might of the 

 all-merciful and eternal God, " whose praise the angels in heaven 

 proclaim, and whose glory the thunder in the clouds celebrates," * 

 as hitherto he only had known His inexhaustible goodness, and 

 prided himself upon his own strength and his strong wings. 

 On the following morning they prepared for their journey, but 

 the Hubahra before starting said, "Be issm lillahi ! " (in the 

 name of Allah) while the ostrich remained mute, and then they 

 both flew towards the eye of God (the sun). And the ostrich 

 rose higher and higher, and striking the air with his mighty 

 wings left the Hubahra far behind. His heart was full of 

 arrogance ; he forgot the blessings of Him who is the fountain 

 of all blessings, and relied only upon himself. But the measure 

 of God's mercy was filled to overflowing, and the anger of Allah 

 was roused against the offender. Higher and higher he rose, as 

 if he wanted to reach the sun. But now the avenging angel 



* Words of the ' Koran.' 



