+----------------------------------+------------------------------------+ | THE OJIBBEWAY STORY. | THE IRISH STORY. | | | | | The birds met together one day | The birds all met together one | | to try which could fly the | day, and settled among themselves | | highest. Some flew up very | that whichever of them could fly | | swift, but soon got tired, and | highest was to be the king of | | were passed by others of | all. Well, just as they were on | | stronger wing. But the eagle | the hinges of being off, what | | went up beyond them all, and | does the little rogue of a wren | | was ready to claim the victory, | do but hop up and perch himself | | when the gray linnet, a very | unbeknown on the eagle's tail. So | | small bird, flew from the | they flew and flew ever so high, | | eagle's back, where it had | till the eagle was miles above | | perched unperceived, and, being | all the rest, and could not fly | | fresh and unexhausted, | another stroke, he was so tired. | | succeeded in going the highest. | "Then," says he, "I'm king of the | | When the birds came down and | birds." "You lie!" says the wren, | | met in council to award the | darting up a perch and a half | | prize it was given to the | above the big fellow. Well, the | | eagle, because that bird had | eagle was so mad to think how he | | not only gone up nearer to the | was done, that when the wren was | | sun than any of the larger | coming down he gave him a stroke | | birds, but it had carried the | of his wing, and from that day to | | linnet on its back. | this the wren was never able to | | | fly farther than a hawthorn-bush. | | For this reason the eagle's | | | feathers became the most | | | honorable marks of distinction | | | a warrior could bear. | | +----------------------------------+------------------------------------+ Compare the following stories: