Sky Sweepers 255 



wings." Tennyson beautifully states: "For knowledge is the 

 swallow on the lake." Elizabeth Barrett Browning writes an 

 "Ode to the Swallow." Few poets have omitted some refer- 

 ence to these birds. 



The swallow is found among the fables. There was the 

 bird who had built her nest under the eaves of the court of 

 justice and whose young had been devoured by a serpent. 

 When reminded that others had met with similar misfor- 

 tunes, she replied that she mourned not the young ones but 

 that she should have been wronged in the very place where 

 the injured fly for justice. And there was the discussion of 

 plumage between the raven and the swallow. It ended by 

 the raven saying that the swallow's beauty was but for sum- 

 mer while his would stand for many winters. The folly of 

 overestimating one's capabilities is shown by the spider 

 which, hating the swallow because of its competition, de- 

 cides to snare it. The extra heavy net does entangle the swal- 

 low, but it soon flies off uninjured and carrying the entire 

 net, thus convincing the spider that it had better stick to the 

 catching of flies. 



Here is an old recipe which indicates the swallow's con- 

 nection with superstition and love potions : 



If anyone takes its [a swallow's] young ones, and puts them in a 

 pot, and when it is luted up, bakes them, then opening the pot, if he 

 considers, he will find two young ones kissing one another. If, there- 

 fore, you take those that kiss one another, and dissolve them in oil of 

 roses, or give the ashes to drink, it is a love potion. 



Some of the American Indians, ordinarily indifferent about 

 small birds, were fond of the martin. They erected nests by 

 putting gourds on crossbars at the top of long poles and thus 

 protected the birds. It is said that they and southern Negroes 

 who still follow this practice believe that martins keep away 

 the hawks. 



All of this tells us much of the position which the swallows 



