The ancients called the owl the bird of wisdom, because he looked so sober and solemn. Many superstitious people now-a-days look upon him with foolish dread. The owl is frequently mentioned in the Bible; but the most interesting allusion is that of Isaiah, chap. xiii., in which the prophet foretells the coming destruction and desolation of Babylon, then a great and powerful city. His words are, “Wild beasts of the desert shall lie there, and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures, and owls shall dwell there.” This prophecy has been literally fulfilled. Many years after the time of Isaiah, Babylon was destroyed, and the place became a scene of desolation. Travellers tell us, that now the place is surrounded with caverns, which are the refuge of jackals and other savage animals, and that in these cavities there are numbers of bats and owls. Origin of “The House that Jack Built.” The following curious article shows that the idea of the popular legend of “The House that Jack built,” is of ancient date, and derived from the Jews. That famous story is in fact modelled after an ancient hymn, conceived in the form of a parable, sung by the Jews at the feast of the passover, and commemorative of the principal events of the history of that people. The original, in the Chaldee language, is known to scholars; and, as it may not be uninteresting to my readers, I will furnish the literal translation, which is as follows: 1. A Kid, a Kid, my Father bought for two pieces of money. _A Kid, a Kid._ 2. Then came the Cat, And ate the Kid, That my Father bought for two pieces of money. _A Kid, a Kid._ 3. Then came the Dog, And bit the Cat, That ate the Kid, That my Father bought for two pieces of money. _A Kid, a Kid._ 4. Then came the Staff, And beat the Dog, That bit the Cat, That ate the Kid, That my Father bought for two pieces of money. _A Kid, a Kid._ 5. Then came the Fire, And burned the Staff, That beat the Dog, That bit the Cat, That ate the Kid, That my Father bought for two pieces of money. _A Kid, a Kid._ 6. Then came the Water, And quenched the Fire, That burned the Staff, That beat the Dog, That bit the Cat, That ate the Kid, That my Father bought for two pieces of money. _A Kid, a Kid._ 7. Then came the Ox, And drank the Water, That quenched the Fire, That burned the Staff, That beat the Dog, That bit the Cat, That ate the Kid, That my Father bought for two pieces of money. _A Kid, a Kid._