And so it has remained as God said. The people like the cuckoo, whilst the hoopoe is detested by everybody.
XLIV.
WHY DOES THE CUCKOO LEAD A RESTLESS LIFE?
The Story of the Cuckoo and the Wonderful Bush.
Many a tale is told about the origin of the cuckoo. Curiously enough, they generally agree in seeing in the cuckoo a man punished for his wickedness and cruelty, or for his faithlessness against his companion or brother whom he is now seeking in vain.
There are, however, also other tales and legends in which the cuckoo is the victim of the cruelty of others; one is the preceding one, and others now follow: in the first place, one which tells also of the greed of the wife—The Story of the Cuckoo and Hoopoe.
Once upon a time there lived in a village a man who was so poor that sometimes days passed and he could not get a crumb of bread. So one day he said to his wife, “What is the good of my stopping here any longer. We are both dying of hunger; I will go away into the wide world and see what luck may bring.” So he took up his axe and went along. Before he left, his wife said to him: “Do not go far away, and do not forsake me and the children, for we have no one else to look to for help.” So he went away. Walking alone, he came to a forest. At the edge of the forest he saw a beautiful bush with shining leaves, and all the twigs of equal length. It was so beautiful that the man thought, “I will just cut it up.” When he drew near, how great was his astonishment when he saw the bush bending its boughs towards him, and speaking with a human voice, it said, “Do not touch me, do not hurt me, for I will do you much good.”
“What good can you do me?” enquired the man.