HAWKING-BIRDS. 
that I shall extract it for the delectation of my readers : — 
“ Once upon a time,” runs the legend, “ a king of Persia went 
out hawking, carrying his favourite falcon on his wrist. A 
deer started up, and the king let fly his bird, which pursued 
the deer, and, finally, brought it to the ground. The king, 
being eager in the chase, outstripped his attendants and 
courtiers, and, at the death of the deer, found himself alone. 
“ He took the falcon again upon his wrist, and, remounting 
his horse, began to search for water, for the chase had been a 
very severe one, and he was exceedingly heated and thirsty. 
At last he discovered, at the foot of a mountain, a stream of 
water, that came trickling down among the rocks. So he 
took out of his quiver a little cup, and, with some trouble, 
filled it at the spring, — for the water dropped very slowly. 
By patiently waiting, however, he filled the cup, and raised it 
to his lips. Just as his hand was raising the cup, the hawk 
clapped his wings, and upset the contents. 
“ The king was vexed at the interruption, but thinking it 
an accident, he again applied the cup to the gently-trickling 
stream, and again raised it to his lips. A second time the 
falcon shook its pinions, and threw it out of the cup. The 
king was so angry with the bird that he dashed it to the 
ground in his anger, and killed it on the spot in his rage. 
“ Just then, one of his attendants came up, and the king, 
giving him the cup, desired him to wipe it clean, and to bring 
him some of the water. But he was so very thirsty that he 
had not patience to wait for the filling of the cup, drop by 
drop, and directed the servant to climb up the rocks, and fill 
it at the spring itself. 
“ The servant obeyed his master, and when he had reached 
the top of the rock he discovered there a crystal spring, at 
which he filled the cup. But, a little lower down, he caught 
sight of a huge serpent lying dead, with its head resting in 
the course of the stream, and polluting the water with the 
poisonous foam that issued from its jaws. 
“ He presented the cup, and told his master of his discovery. 
The king was much affected by the thought that he had, in 
his blind rage, destroyed the faithful bird who had endeavoured 
to save his master from ill, even at the risk, and, finally, at 
the cost of his own life.” 
From time out of mind the sport of hawking has been 
favoured in England. King Alfred wrote a treatise upon it, 
for the edification of his nobles and the glory of the “ royall 
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