312 THE MAGPIE 



messengers of Odin, to procure the "water of 

 speech" and "the water of life," and so undo the 

 evil work. In Classical mythology, she is the sacred 

 bird of Bacchus, and in her loquacity rivals that of 

 the worshippers of the god, whose tongues have 

 been unloosed by wine. So unlimited is her self- 

 conceit that she challenges the nightingale nay, 

 the nine Muses themselves to compete with her in 

 song ; and when the gossiping Pierides, the nine 

 daughters of Pierus and Evippe, follow her example, 

 they are, as a fitting punishment, so Ovid tells us, 

 changed by the Muses into her shape, and become 

 as many magpies. 



"And still their tongues ran on, though changed to birds, 

 In endless clack, and vast desire of words." 



In German folk-lore, the magpie is a bird of the 

 infernal regions, now changing herself into a witch, 

 now acting the part of the traditional broomstick, 

 and carrying a witch through the air, upon her 

 back. But she is never represented as wholly bad ; 

 she is white as well as black, a " motley " in fact : a 

 beneficent as well as a malignant influence, and she 

 gives warning by her chatter and here the folk- 

 lore is based on facts, as we have already seen of 

 the prowling of the wolf, or of the unexpected 



