In these days the Kingfisher is a sad and solitary bird, caring not to
venture far from the water where she finds her food. Up and down the
river banks she goes, uttering a peculiar plaintive cry. What is she
saying, and why is she so restless? The American Kingfisher is gray, but
her cousin of Europe is a bird of brilliant azure with a breast of rusty
red. Therefore it must have been the foreign Kingfisher who was
forgetful, as you shall hear.
Long, long after the sorrows of Halcyone, the first Kingfisher, were
ended, came the great storm which lasted forty days and forty nights,
causing the worst flood which the world has ever known. That was a
terrible time. When Father Noah hastened to build his ark, inviting the
animals and birds to take refuge with him, the Kingfisher herself was
glad to go aboard. For even she, protected by Æolus from the fury of
winds and waters, was not safe while there was no place in all the world
for her to rest foot and weary wing. So the Kingfisher fluttered in with
the other birds and animals, a strange company! And there they lived
all together, Noah and his arkful of pets, for many weary days, while
the waters raged and the winds howled outside, and all the earth was
covered fathoms deep out of sight below the waves.
But after long weeks the storm ceased, and Father Noah opened the little
window in the ark and sent forth the Dove to see whether or not there
was land visible on which the ark might find rest. Now after he had sent
out the Dove, Noah looked about him at the other birds and animals which
crowded around him eagerly, for they were growing very restless from
their long confinement, and he said, "Which of you is bravest, and will
dare follow our friend the Dove out into the watery world? Ah, here is
the Kingfisher. Little mother, you at least, reared among the winds and
waters, will not be afraid. Take wing, O Kingfisher, and see if the
earth be visible. Then return quickly and bring me faithful word of what
you find out yonder."
Day was just beginning to dawn when the Kingfisher, who was then as gray
as gray, flew out from the little window of the ark whence the Dove had
preceded her. But hardly had she left the safe shelter of Father Noah's
floating home, when there came a tremendous whirlwind which blew her
about and buffeted her until she was almost beaten into the waves,
which rolled endlessly over the face of the whole earth, covering the
high hills and the very mountains. The Kingfisher was greatly
frightened. She could not go back into the ark, for the little window
was closed, and there was no land anywhere on which she could take
refuge. Just think for a moment what a dreadful situation it was! There
was nothing for her to do but to fly up, straight up, out of reach from
the tossing waves and dashing spray.
The Kingfisher was fresh and vigorous, and her wings were strong and
powerful, for she had been resting long days in the quiet ark, eating
the provisions which Father Noah had thoughtfully prepared for his many
guests. So up, up she soared, above the very clouds, on into the blue
ether which lies beyond. And lo! as she did so, her sober gray dress
became a brilliant blue, the color caught from the azure of those clear
heights. Higher and higher she flew, feeling so free and happy after her
long captivity, that she quite forgot Father Noah and the errand upon
which she had been sent. Up and up she went, higher than the sun, until
at last she saw him rising far beneath her, a beautiful ball of fire,
more dazzling, more wonderful than she had ever guessed.
"Hola!" she cried, beside herself with joy at the sight. "There is the
dear sun, whom I have not seen for many days. And how near, how
beautiful he is! I will fly closer still, now that I have come so near.
I will observe him in all his splendor, as no other bird, not even the
high-flying, sharp-eyed Eagle, has ever seen him."
And with that the foolish Kingfisher turned her course downward, with
such mad, headlong speed that she had scarcely time to feel what
terrible, increasing heat shot from the sun's rays, until she was so
close upon him that it was too late to escape. Oh, but that was a
dreadful moment! The feathers on her poor little breast were scorched
and set afire, and she seemed in danger not only of spoiling her
beautiful new blue dress but of being burned into a wretched little
cinder. Horribly frightened at her danger, the Kingfisher turned once
more, but this time toward the rolling waters which covered the earth.
Down, down she swooped, until with the hiss of burning feathers she
splashed into the cold wetness, putting out the fire which threatened to
consume her. Once, twice, thrice, she dipped into the grateful coolness,
flirting the drops from her blue plumage, now alas! sadly scorched.
When the pain of her burns was somewhat relieved she had time to think
what next she should do. She longed for rest, for refuge, for Father
Noah's gentle, caressing hand to which she had grown accustomed during
those stormy weeks of companionship in the ark. But where was Father
Noah? Where was the ark? On all the rolling sea of water there was no
movement of life, no sign of any human presence. Then the Kingfisher
remembered her errand, and how carelessly she had performed it. She had
been bidden to return quickly; but she had wasted many hours--she could
not tell how many--in her forgetful flight. And now she was to be
punished indeed, if she could not find her master and the ark of refuge.
The poor Kingfisher looked wildly about. She fluttered here and there,
backward and forward, over the weary stretch of waves, crying piteously
for her master. He did not answer; there was no ark to be found. The sun
set and the night came on, but still she sought eagerly from east to
west, from north to south, always in vain. She could never find what she
had so carelessly lost.
The truth is that during her absence the Dove, who had done her errand
faithfully, returned at last with the olive leaf which told of one spot
upon the earth's surface at last uncovered by the waves. Then the ark,
blown hither and thither by the same storm which had driven the
Kingfisher to fly upward into the ether-blue, had drifted far and far
to Mount Ararat, where it ran aground. And Father Noah, disembarking
with his family and all the assembled animals, had broken up the ark,
intending there to build him a house out of the materials from which it
was made. But this was many, many leagues from the place where the poor
Kingfisher, lonely and frightened, hovered about, crying piteously for
her master.
And even when the waters dried away, uncovering the earth in many
places, so that the Kingfisher could alight and build herself a nest,
she was never happy nor content, but to this day flies up and down the
water-ways of the world piping sadly, looking eagerly for her dear
master and for some traces of the ark which sheltered her. And the
reflection which she makes in the water below shows an azure-blue body,
like a reflection of the sky above, with some of the breast-feathers
scorched to a rusty red. And now you know how it all came about.