OCR Text |
Show A CHRISTMAS LEGEND Crowing of the Cock to Keep Away Evil Spirits. Tah Saint Stephen, the First Mar-Whose Mar-Whose Day is Decem-oer Decem-oer Twenty-Six. EVER sin. e thai first Christmas ev? ihe cock has crowed all night long on ihe anniversary to keep away evil spirits; for the cock Is a holy bird and a knowing one. There is a pleas-j pleas-j ant tale of him ami Saint Stephen, (ho I first martyr, whose day Is JJecember "6. close by his dear Lotcis. Saint Stephen was Kiug Herod's steward, it seems, who served him In the kitchen and at table. One night as he was bringing In ihe boar's ted tor his master's dinner he saw me Star shining over Bethlehem, immediately imme-diately he set down the huge platter and exclaimed : "No longer, Herod, will I be thy servant, for a greater King than thou is born." "What aileth thee?'' cried the King wrathfully. "Do you lack meat or drink that you would desert my service for another's?" "Nay." answered Stephen. "I lack neither meat nor drink. But the Child that is born this night s greater than all of us; and Him only will 1 serve." "That Is as true," quoth Herod, smiting Ihe table with his fist, "as that l his roast cock on the platter shall crow before us." Hardly were the words out of his mouth when the cock stretched tils neck and crowed lustily, "Christus natus est!" At this proof that Stephen's words were true, Herod was so angry that he made his soldiers take Stephen outside the walls of Jerusalem and stone him to death. And this Is the reason why, unto this day, Saint Stephen Is the patron of stone-cutters. Abide Fans ell Brown, In LIppincott's Magazine. |