being hungry and thirsty, he asked of Gertrude a morsel of bread to
eat and a cup of cold water to drink. But the wicked old woman refused,
and turned our Saviour from the door with harsh words. Our Lord
stretched forth his hand toward the aged crone, and, as a punishment,
she was immediately transformed into a black woodpecker; and ever since
that day the wicked old creature has wandered about the world in the
shape of a bird, seeking her daily bread from wood to wood and from tree
to tree. The red head of the bird is supposed to represent the red
nightcap worn by Gertrude."

Legends of this description were doubtless introduced in the early days
of Christianity in order to impress the new religion on the people, and
several have been preserved. Thus the turtle-dove is revered as a bird
which spoke kind words to our Lord on the cross; and, similarly, the
swallow is said to have perched upon the cross and to have pitied him;
while the legend of the crossbill relates how its beak became twisted in
endeavoring to withdraw the nails, and how to this day it bears upon its
plumage the red blood-stains from the cross.

One more Christian legend--about the lapwing, or peewit: The lapwing was
at one time a handmaiden of the Virgin Mary, and stole her mistress's
scissors, for which she was transformed into a bird, and condemned to
wear a forked tail resembling scissors. Moreover, the lapwing was doomed
forever and ever to fly from tussock to tussock, uttering over and over
again the plaintive cry of "Tyvit! tyvit!" ("Thief! thief!")

In the old viking times, before Christianity had found its way so far
north, the bird which influenced the people most was the raven. He was
credited with much knowledge, as well as with the power to bring good or
bad luck. One of the titles of Odin was "Raven-god," and he had as
messengers two faithful ravens, "who could speak all manner of tongues,
and flew on his behests to the uttermost parts of the earth." In those
days the figure of a raven was usually emblazoned on shield and
standard, and it was thought that as the battle raged, victory or defeat
could be foreseen by the attitude assumed by the embroidered bird on the
standard. And it is well known that William the Conqueror (who came of
viking stock) flew a banner with raven device at the battle of Hastings
where he won such a great victory.

But the greatest use of all to which the sable bird was put was to guide
the roving pirates on t