in legend and fable 41 



Why the Swallow's Tail is Forked 



A Circassian Legend 



In the good old times, Solomon, son of 

 David, ruled over all things. He understood 

 the language of animals and of plants, and 

 to each animal he assigned a given food — 

 to the serpent he assigned the blood of man. 

 But man, knowing not how to resign him- 

 self to the assaults of the serpent, cried out 

 against the allotment. 



King Solomon, impressed with the just 

 complaints of man, one day gathered , to- 

 gether in a large field all living creatures, 

 and he began to question man. The ani- 

 mals all began to talk in a loud voice, but 

 Solomon listened only to man. After hear- 

 ing him, Solomon decreed that the tiniest of 

 the animals, the mosquito, should go about 

 and find out which was the sweetest and 

 most delicate blood of creation, and that this 

 should be assigned as food to the serpent. 



On New Year's Day another reunion was 



