Stories about Birds
I. The Ravens
Two Ravens met once, and one asked the other in Bird language:
‘Is there nothing new at you?’
‘The white Horse is dead,’ said he.
‘Is he fat? Is he fat?’ said the other.
‘Delicious, delicious,’ said he.
Then he repented that he had told him that, and called out:
‘Bare bones, bare bones!’
II. Blackbird’s Morning Song
Old Robin Quirk one fine morning was sitting sunning himself before his cottage door, when the Blackbird, living in the Tramman Tree in his garden, flew down, settled near Robin, and began to talk to him in Manx:
‘Irree, Robin, as gow smook.’ ‘Rise, Robin, and take a smoke.’
‘Cha nel thombaga aym.’ ‘I have no tobacco,’ said Robin.
‘Kionn eh, kionn eh.’ ‘Buy it, buy it,’ cried Blackbird.
‘Cha nel ping aym.’ ‘I have not a penny,’ poor Robin said.
‘Gow er dayl, gow er dayl.’ ‘Credit it, credit it,’ was Blackbird’s bad advice.
‘Cha der ad dayl dou, boy.’ ‘They won’t give me credit, boy.’
‘Quit eh, eisht, quit eh.’ ‘Quit it, then, quit it,’ whistled Blackbird, flying home and closing the discussion.
‘The imperence of sin is in them Blackbirds!’ Robin said.