146 
BIRD-LIFE. 
was always obliged to carry him to his sleeping-place, 
owing to his great dislike to going there himself. If the 
weather was bad he liked to be taken to bed early; if, on 
the contrary, it was fine, he would hide up in the evening 
at the approach of his keeper. Now he no longer seeks 
her assistance but his friendship for her is still the same, 
and it is only when she allows him to call in vain for his 
food, when hungry, that he shows his displeasure. 
“ He is never ungrateful to those who are kind to him. 
An insult from a friend he regards with the greatest 
indignation, though he never so far forgets himself as to 
retaliate in an indignant manner, and soon either forgets 
or forgives the injury done him. His politeness to 
women is not to be denied, always treating them with 
deference; he reposes the utmost trust in them, and will 
undergo anything at their hands, even insult, without 
resenting it. With strangers, however, he behaves quite 
differently. I once saw him hunting after insects among 
the plants in a garden. The owner of the garden, catch¬ 
ing him at his work, chastised him with a good blow 
of his stick. Insulted in the highest degree, the Crane 
drew himself up to his full height, and springing close to 
the man began screaming, as much as to say, ‘ What do 
you mean by this ? ’ As he only received a further 
thrashing by way of answer, he pocketed his indignation 
for the moment, and retired from the field. With injured 
pride the bird walked to a bridge over a ditch, some 
distance from the garden, over which his adversary had 
to pass on his return home. As soon as the latter 
appeared walking towards him, the bird advanced from a 
distance with haughty strides, and loud cries, declaring 
war. He rushed to meet the enemy on the bridge, and 
sought to dispute the passage, and the man was obliged 
