“Good morning, Mr. Thrush,” said St. Peter, when he saw him sitting there huddled together and trembling.
“Thank you,” he replied angrily.
“But what are you doing now? Why are you sitting so huddled up?”
“To-day I am dying, and to-morrow a brother of mine is dying,” he answered, letting his beak down and ruffling his feathers to protect himself a little more against the frost which had struck him to the heart.
From that time on the thrush does not boast any more that he is making summer, and that he is going to marry; but he cries anxiously: “Socks and sandals, for to-morrow it snows, good socks of cloth and sandals of leaves to go in them to my beloved.” This he sings because of the fear of being caught again in snow and frost, and of not being able to walk about in safety.
XXXVIII.
WHY HAS THE PARTRIDGE A MOTTLED COLOUR?
In the beginning the partridge had red feathers. God had painted her so when he painted all the other creatures, but for one reason or another the partridge was not very pleased with this colour. After a time she thought she would go to God and ask him to change her colour. When she came to God, he asked her, “What ails thee?”
“Well,” she said, “I do not like the dye of my feathers.” And God asked her what was the reason for it.