THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, APRIL 2G, 1914,
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Some Cuckoo Stories
THE Germans tell this story of why
the cuckoo always sings Its own
name:
The cuckoo was very anxious to
know what the people thought of her
and this is what she found out: She
asked a starling what men said about
the blackbird and the starling- said
that some liked his voice. She then
asked about the lark and the nightin
gale and was told they were both ad
mired greatly. Then she asked about
herself and found out that nobody even
knew her name. So she decided to
sing her own praises and has sung
"cuckoo! cuckoo!" since then in many
different keys.
Once a cuckoo put one of its eggs in
a wagtail's nest. When it hatched out
it was fed by the wagtails until it
grew so big It fell out of the nest. The
gardener found it on the ground and
put it in an iron cage. There it was
fed, not by the wagtails, but by a
friendly sparrow, who appeared with
food many times. The sparrow fed it
until the cuckoo was big enough to be
set free and then the lazy bird had to
wait on itself.
A young cuckoo was put in the cage
of a thrush. The thrush waited on It
and fed it, always giving it the choicest
bits of food. One day a fine fat worm
was put in the cage and the thrush,
instead of giving it to the cuckoo, ate
it. The cuckoo was so angry about
not getting the worm that he pecked
at the thrush and put one of its eyes
out. Even after this the thrush was a,
slave to the cuckoo, until the cuckoo
was grown to be a large bird and then
it was let out of the cage to look after
itself.
HINTING BEARS IN LAPLAND.
When a Laplander starts on a bear
bunt it is a very important occasion,
and he is as solemn as if he were go
ing to a funeral. When the bear is
discovered and the hunters are attack
ing it they beg the bear not to be
offended and also not to hurt them.
If they kill the bear they are afraid
to be glad and do not even mention
him by name, but call him the "old
man in the fur coat."
A story is told by Sir John Richard
son of an Indian and his wife who
were sitting on th Dank of a little
river. Suddenly they looked up and
saw a large bear directly facing them
on the other side of the river. The
Indian had no weapons, so he made
this appeal to the bear: "O bear, I
never did you any harm and have al
mil L ' '- :
The Bird: A Story With a "Warning
Once on a time there lived a boy
Upon a Chinese plate;
He gobbled everything he saw.
And ate, and ate, and ate.
Beneath the plate, all in the dark.
There lived a dragon bold.
He was a Chinese dragon.
And very, ,very old.
One day the children took the plate,
Oh, dear, what do you think?
They fed that greedy little boy.
Upon the blackest ink.
No little boys are ever black,
(At least, so I have heard.)
The dragon felt so very sad.
He changed him to a bird.
And when, next day, they found the
plate.
They all commenced to cry, '
The boy was gone, a bird was there.
Who ate no mush or pie.
But cried aloud for Worms and bugs
And all such horrid things:
'Twas just from being greedy.
He had to wear black wings.
So, when you're hungry, best watch
out.
Don't eat of all In sight.
Else that old dragon 'neath the plate
Will make you black as night.
Philadelphia Record.
horses balked he could push them by
his shoulder.
But one day he met his match. He
entered a blacksmith's shop to have
his horses shod and broke several
horseshoes with his hand. He told the
blacksmith he did not want poor shoes
like that on his horses. When he paid
the bill the blacksmith took the money
and snapped it in two, asking for good
mon&y in return for the work he had
done. The Emperor gave him five or
six more pieces, but each be broke
in half. Finally Augustus gave him
gold piece, telling him this was sure
ly good money and this the smithy did
not break.
Peter the Great worked as a black
smith and developed his muscles won
derfully. He heard of a man who
claimed to be the only man in Russia
.who could lift an anvil from the
ground. So Peter challenged him to a
competition of strength. The black
smith managed to raise the anvil a foot
or so off the ground, but Peter picked
it up and placed it on his shoulder,
walking away with it. The blacksmith,
who did not .know who Peter was,
thought he was an evil spirit who had
come to steal hts anvil.
Grandmother Goose's
BedTime Rhymes
How a Horse Captured a City
ALTHOUGH 100,000 Greeks spent ten. cruel deed the Greeks collected a great
years in the siege of Troy, they "army and set sail in over 1100 ships
ways had great respect for you and could not take the city, but in one night tor Troy. It took them ten years to
your relations. Please go away and a wooden horse captured the stronghold Prepare for the war, and the ten years
don't hurt us.' And as the bear went of the Trojans. And the way it hap
they spent before Troy vainly trying to
TBRGU YEARS WITHOUT WATER
It has been proved by actual experi
ment that small rodents of arid regions
are able to live for two or three'years
on hard seeds- and without any water.
In "New Trails in Mexico" Karl Lum
holtz Bays that the animals of the des
ert have succeeded in making them
selves almost independent of the water
supply.
Holes or burrows in the ground that
indicate the presence of rodents or of
badgers are often found in great num
bers where there is no water nearer
than a lonely tlnja in a distant moun
tain range, of which they could hardly
have had any knowledge. The roving
mountain sheep require more water, al
though Mexicans and Indians Insist
that they drink only when rain falls. -
Moreover. I have it on the authority
of an intelligent and observant Ameri
can in Sonora that while the wblte
tailed deer in Eastern Sonora drink
regularly, those in its western part
never drink unless it rains, which hap
pens rarely. He has never seen their
tracks at the water holes there, al
though he has observed them elsewhere
not vety far- from water. Another
American of many years' residence,
who has shot deer southeast of Liber
tad, confirms this.
It is certain, also, that domesticated
animals in the arid regions are much
less dependent oil water than those of
moister regions. Cattle will live well
for months without any other water
than the juice of the cactus, which
plant la alao their principal means of
subsistence. Even horses do not come
in to drink of their own free will every
day during the Winter. In my travels
it was the usual thing for our animals
to go without water every second day:
such is the custom of that Western des- J
i u7l - J
the field of life, checkered with good
and evil, on which man is to play his
game and bo rewarded according to his
desserts.
The pawns may be regarded as rep
resenting those feelings which are first
excited by circumstances and from bar
riers to those stronger passions which
would be represented by the superior
pieces. The castle, moving on tli
board In direct lines( represents that
innate sense of justice pervading every
human breast, which, however at
tacked, when p'roperly maintained can
not be conquered.
The knight, eccentric in his move
ments, but regulated by fixed princi
ples of action, portrays that feeling of
honor which, deviating from the beaten
course, seeks for adventures. By tho
walk of the bishop may be considered
the religious feeling which is continu
ally crossed by the movements of or
dinary life: us they never leave tho
color of the square they start from,
they are typical of a firm faith.
The queen typifies ambition, and tho
king, moving only ono square at a time,
while every direction is open to his
choice, is highly characteristic of pru
dence. He seldom moves unless forced,
shelters himself behind, and claims the
succor of justice, honor, rrligion and
ambition.
away, the Indian believed he had lis- pened was that the Greeks finally re- capture It made 20 years all told and BUrprlslnsly ood condition.
tened to the eloqufmt appeal.
Ol'R WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
"Pound" comes from the Latin word
"pondus."
"Ounce" is from "uncia" or "twelfth,"
being one-twelfth of a pound, troy.
"inch" is from the same word, being
one-twelfth of a foot.
"Yard" from the Saxon "gyrd" or
sorted to strategy. They built a very lno woouen norse wok oniy one nigni
larffe wnni.n hnn. nr,H in.iHo of it hi to enter the city that had withstood
some of their very bravest warriors. tne "lege so long.
had 1
Then they pretended that they
given up the siege and that this was a
peace offering to Minerva on the eve
of their departure. Leaving it in full
view of the city, they set sail in their
ships.
The Trojans were delighted and after
much discussion and argument finally
"girth.".' At first a yard was the cir- dragged the wooden horse Into the city;
SOME FAMOUS STRONG MEN.
Among strong men of olden times
was Alexander IL who was called the
"Russian Samson." He was so strong
that he could break bars of iron across
his knee, snap coins In two without
much effort and by a push of his strong
cumference around the body, but Henry
I changed this and said that it should
be the length of a grown person's arm.
LEGEND OF THE RAINY SEASON.
It is said that early in October a
very long time ago St. Francis went
out to punish bad people and he beat
all such with the cord of his sash.
There was so much crying that tears
flooded the streets and this was the
beginning of the rainy season. Every
year since then this season Is sup
posed to commence in October.
but, alas! for these brave defenders.
On one occasion in March our horseB
and mules traveled all day and had no
water for 76 hours. It was only the
horses that suffered, and this was more
from the quality of the water they had
had than from the lack' of It. Man's
closest companion, the dog, however,
cannot adapt itself to desert conditions.
Besides suffering from thirst, the hot
soil makes Its feet sore and it docs not
know on which leg to stand, liven the
dogs of the Indians, when they travel.
stay panting in what little shade they ,
can find under the bushes during the
hot part of the day, and only follow
their masters in the cool of the even-
shoulders burst open even a strongly
That night the Greek fleet returned ?arrea ooor,
and the warriors Inside the wooden Qeorg Castnot, Prince of Albania,
horse crept out and opened the city's. could cut off a bull's head with one
eates. and Trov was taken and de- stroke of his sword. He could also
stroyed. easily lift a bench which was holding lng Kansas City, Star.
In a' wonderful poem called the several people.
"Iliad," by Homer, the story of Troy is Augustus the Strong, of Saxony, was ALERTLY SUSPICIOUS,
told. Priam, who was the ruler, had especially noted for his strength. He " " (Washington Star.)
many sons. One of them, -named Paris, could twist iron bars and fix crooked "Has that young man .- ny bad hab-
was the cause of all the trouble. He horseshoes with just one turn of his its?" asked the cautious father,
carried off the wife of a Oreek named wrist. When he was In good humor -goesnto'SaloTn "'" DV!T
Menelaus. Her name was Helen, and he would sometimes lift a person Vy -i know. But he' looks as if he spent
she was considered the most beautiful each hand and hold them for some a terrible amount of time hanging
woman at that time. To avenge this little time at arms' lenpth. When around tents' furnishlnir stores."
(Children, get your Mother Goose,
And if you'll take the time,
Tou'll find a poem within your book
That's something like this rhyme.)
THE JOLLY MILLER.
There was a jolly miller once
Went skating on the Dee,
The ice was thin and he fell in
. No fish so wet as he.
"Oh, dear!" he cried, "I did not know
The ice was quite so slim;
A bathing suit instead of skates
Were better for a swim!"
BABY BUNTING.
Bye-O.-Baby Bunting.
Father's gone a-hunting.
Gone to get a Teddy Bear
For his Baby Bunting fair.
OLD KING COAL.
Old King Coal
'' Is a merry old soul.
And a merry old soul is he;
He burns in the grate
From early till late.
And crackles so merrily.
He weighs quite a ton;
You can poke him in fun.
And he'll laugh and burn brightly in glee.
But, my ! how he'd pout
If you let him go out
What a chilly old Cinder he'd be !
-
And, then, let's make a SCRAP BOOK;
Get scissors and some paste,
- Cut out the verses carefully,
(Remember, "haste makes waster)
And paste them in o neatly
That any one can look,.
And by and by you'll find you have
A GRANDMA GOOSEY BOOK!
OUR AMERICAN DIPLOMATS
England and Germany to a notable
degree and France, Russia and soma
others of the great powers to a suffi
cient degree to be noticeable are train
ing men for all diplomatic positions
and promotions are made even to the
highest places almost entirely upon tho
merits and suitability of the candi
dates. The young man who enters
the Foreign Office service of England
or Germany in a subordinate position
liaa within his power, if he develops
accordingly, to become in time an am
bassador to some important country.
He Is thoroughly tried out, step by
step, as consul and minister, before the
highest rank is given to him. 11a is
moved about from one part of the world,
to anothef until he bee omen in truth
a cosmopolitan not only In thought
and habit, but In language and knowl
edge. The most serious part of tho
education of these men in. hrst, the
economics of their own country, and,
secondly, the economics of the country
to which they are to be accredited. Thin
education is practical and not theo
retical. This is true to so great an extent
that, when a technical matter of trado
enters into a controversy between tho
two state departments, tho minister or
ambassador is often found fully quali
fied to fight the battle himself In alti
of the material Interests of the coun
try he represents. There aro no more
practical men anywhere than a major
ity of these who now represent the
progressive Industrial countries of Eu
rope as foreign ministers or ambassa
dors. This particular feature of their equip
ment for the office is not unnecessarily
paraded, however, for their social and
political qualification!) arc more In the
public eye. It is in the private talks
at the State Department at Washington,
In London, Berlin, 1'aris. St. Petersburg,
or elsewhere, that their real fighting
strength is disclosed. It is not a ques
tion of private fortune with them, for
their governments remove any anxiety
on that score by an adequate and even
abundant allowance of funds not only
for salaries, but for housing and main
tenance. The Britixh Ambassador to
Washington receives more In salary
and expense allowance than does the
President of the United States In pro
portion to the necessary expenditures
of his off ice. Century.
Motor Goose Rhymes
Ancient Origin of
Chess Playing
SOME FACTS OF INTEREST.
Peaches first came from Persia.
f Ice eight Inches thick will bear teams
t with heavy loads.
I New York produces more milk than
J any other state in the Union. Every
year It has 800.000,000 gallons.
The largest plant in the world is &
kind of seaweed which sometimes
most rank, and at the end of the game sr0ws 300 feet long.
There was an old woman lived
under a hill.
She turned a big stump to an
automobile,
-And in it she sold her cran
berry pies.
And she's the old woman that
never told lies.
A, II CX. V d
t is hel
I at tin
knowi
In this new age the motor rage is spreading near and far. So Mother Goose said, "What's the use? I've got to have a car!"
If here you seek each coming week, you'll learn a thing or two, and read a verse, however terse, on what Motor Goose can do.
pawn may become a queen. Noth
ing iu impossible to the small while the
game Is being played and greatness is
there to be achieved.
According to Carrera the principles
THE origin of the game of chess Is of chess could be applied to the game
lost in the mists of antiquity. Rep- of life. The board may be considered
resentatives of It are to be seen on
ancient Egyptian vases, references to
it are made in the old Chinese books
of wisdom. All manner of birthplaces
have been assigned to it; its creator
Id to have been at times & man.
mes a god. Kotntng positive is
nown as to its origin, yet the greatest
probability is that it was derived from
the East. It is interesting to note just
a few of the hypotheses surrounding
its obscure birth.
John de Vlgney referred its invention
to a Babylonian philosopher, Xerxes.
Leneur attributes its origin to Chllo,
the Spartan, one of the seven sages of
Greece. Sir William Jones ascribes the
Invention of chess to the ancient Hin
dus. Gibbon says: "To admonish
kings that they are strong only in the
strength of their subjects, the same
Indians Invented the game of chess,
which was likewise introduced into
Persia during the reign of Nushlrvan."
An Indian philosopher describes chess
In these terms: "It Is a representative
contest, a bloodless combat, an Image
not only of actual military operation,
but of that greater warfare which
every son of the earth, from the cradle
:to the grave. Is continually waging
the battle of life."
One sees clearly that, even going
bi'.ck to its birth, the relation between
chess and men exists, for does any one
know just when, where and how the
first man appeared on earth? Also,
asks. an authority on the game, who is
a philosopher as well, is it not a fact
that man's attributes and nature have
remained unchanged throughout cen
turies, and. that chess was played much
in the same way, each chessman mov
ing in the allotted manner, even 6000
years apo?
It bus been pointed out thsvt chess
men. If taken to represent real char
acters, can teach us many things, for
the pawns, the most insignificant of all
the pieces, are standing In the fore-
Pears were brought from the East
by the Romans.
One cublo foot of water weighs
pounds.
The lowest point of dry land In the
United States is Death Valley. CaL It
is 127 feet below the sea level.
Onions first came from India.
"And
A Dizzy Walk
had a pleasant
have you
walk?"
Raid Aunt to little Teal:
"Oh. no, I've seen the cat-tail flags
And rather dlssy feel."
And how Is that, my little man?"
"Why their tails tuck up," ha
said.
And our old pussy staggers' round
When I stand her on her head."
Charles X. Sinnett.