48 THE SWALLOW 



that no one had time to listen to the bird's 

 divine voice, so little by little she forgot her 

 song, and she learned instead to be an archi- 

 tect and to build her wonderful mud nests. 



Why the Swallows do not Sing 



A Legend of Flanders and of the German Tyrol 



Once upon a time the swallows knew well 

 how to sing and to find their food upon the 

 surface of the earth, instead of on the wing as 

 now. When Jesus was suffering upon the 



cross, many swal- 



'X.- 



^^^ . lows came and 



z^x >r. 



^ 



^^ Z^\S\^^" rested upon the 



%^^ ^^ arms of the cross 





^■^ and they set up 



a loud singing, 



■v^ ^ The agony of 



*t ^ Tesus was so. 



Z V %». great that the songs of the 



:-= ' birds became unbearable 



'V: • to him, and he said to them, — 

 j(#i*v* " Because you come and annoy me with 



