Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 27, 1916.djvu/312

 284 Three Lives of Saints :

The lion is most interesting. When he is going along, he lashes his tail, not (as we might suppose) because he is angry, but in order to cover over his footsteps.

Also he sleeps with his eyes open.

In the sea are many wonders. The merman is like a maiden. She sinks ships and sings in many voices, thus luring men into danger.

The panther sends from his throat, when he roars, so sweet a smell as surpasses balsam, and attracts all animals within hearing to him. The only exception is the dragon, which lies still, when it hears the panther's roar, as if it were dead of fright.

The whale :

This fish that is unride

When he hungers he gapes wide

Out of his throat he sends a smell

The sweetest thing that is on land.

Therefore other fishes are drawn to him :

When he feels it he is glad This W^hale then locks his jaws These fishes are sucked in The small he will thus beguile The great may he not begrip.

Again :

This fish lives on the sea bottom, till the storms come when summer and winter strive.

Then it rises and ships are storm tossed. The sailors with might draw towards the whale ; make fast their ship, land — light a fire. The fire burns up, the whale feels the heat, and dives and drowns all the crew.

Such is the tale the translator has to tell.

But we need not imagine that their Natural History began and ended with these wonderful facts or myths. We have seen already how the whale cannot swallow large fish.