Robin Red Breast.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 32, 7 August 1902, Page 27

Robin Red Breast.

The late Rev. Eugene o'Growney in the course of an article in ' Donaw line n Magazine ' some tune ago, narrated a pretty legend explaining the Irish name given to the Robins Redbreast— 1 Mary's little one '— i V -u°m. it is not ri g) ht to hunt on fi xT I^ 6 le &end has iv that when ■„ S oly family fled into Egypti with Mary and the Infant riding, onf the ass (thiat accordingly has a cros* on its back and is a privileged animal ever since), they passed a meifciieal or working party of men sowing wheat. St. Joseph asked thai men if strangers came inquiring whethen such a party as they haS passed, to say : 'Yes, when thel corn was sowing.' The emissaries' ot Herod appeared next day, p.uru suing the Hjoly Family, butl no such persons had passed that way 'since* the day we were sowing the corn, 7 saitl the reapers who were now cut•i" 8 ° orn ' miraculously grown to its ruli ripeness during the ndrixt), "lhe doal or cock (chafer) p,ut in with its information : •> Ne, ne, yesterday, yesterday ' (the squeak of the chafer! is somewhat like the Gaelic ' ne ')„ but the soldiers did not understandBirt ever Pince the people feel justified in capturing and destroying tha doal. On the other hand the robin had busied itself covering, up with! leaves the footmarks of St. Joseph! stained with the blood of his; toiL, worn feet. Hence its red breast and) *]"» privileges the robin has from that day down.