BIRD LEGEND AND LIFE 



In an English nursery rhyme, the owl sings : 



Once I was a monarch's daughter, 



And sat on a lady's knee. 

 But am now a mighty rover. 



Banished to the ivy tree. 



Crying, "Hoo hoo, hoo hoo, hoo hoo, 

 Hoo! hoo! hoo! my feet are cold! 



Pity me, for here you see me. 

 Persecuted, poor and old!" 



In another north-country nursery song she sings : 



"Oh! o o o o o 

 I once was a king's daughter. 



And sat on my father's knee ; 

 But now I'm a poor hoolet. 



And hide in a hollow tree." 



This owl princess is supposed to be none other than 

 Pharaoh's daughter. 



A Breton legend has it that once upon a time each of 

 all the birds gave a feather to the wren, who had lost her own 

 in trying to secure fire from heaven. The owl alone refused 

 this charity, saying: "I will not give up a single feather; 

 the winter is coming on, and I fear the cold." "Very well," 

 replied the king; "from this day on thoushalt be the most 

 wretched of birds, always shivering with cold. Thou shalt 

 never leave thy abode but by night, and if thou shouldst show 

 thyself in the daytime other birds shall pursue and persecute 

 thee." From that very time the owl has never ceased to cry 

 "hou, hou!" as if perishing with the cold. 



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