72 



THE SWALLOW 



she found her too credulous friend 

 all cooked and ready to be eaten. 



The European cuckoo is a bird 

 who builds no nest of her own, but 

 lays her eggs in the nests of other 

 if birds. By so doing she shirks the 

 cares and responsibilities of rais- 

 ing her own family. What 

 quality in the swallow does 

 ^ the next legend show? 



The Swallow and the 

 Cuckoo 



a Fable of Finland 



A cuckoo asked a swal- 

 low if, for the sake of 

 economy, they might share 

 a nest in common. The. 

 swallow at once demanded 

 of him : — 

 " What can you do to earn a living ? " 

 " I bring the cry of summer at a given 



