Show TIlE CITY OF THE BIRDS A FABLE Once on the shores of a great Salt Lake in a Territory called Utah there was a city of Birds This city was beautiful beau-tiful and the country in the midst of which it sat was fair to look upon and ripe with harvests for the gathering of the birds And the birds wished that their noble city and the rich region tributary to it be known to all the bird kingdoms of the earth for the birds by the Salt Lake wished to add to their numbers increase the habitations habi-tations of the city and roost as high as possible Now in this time of the world there was a benificent genii and he was called Progress And Progress gave gifts to all who were worthy of them and the birds of the city by the Great Salt Lake spoke unto Progress saying Behold we wish to increase and multiply mul-tiply We desire that our city shall enter upon a new growth We have harvests that await the gathering and fruits ripe for the plucking Our city is founded on a rock for stability and there is no reason why it should not grow and its growth be famous to the i uttermost parts of the earth Therefore 0 Progress help us in this matter And the genii Progress hearkened unto the cry of the birds who had built their city by the waters of the Great Salt Lake even in the Territory Terri-tory known as Utah And Progress summoned from their homes in the rays of the rising sun the two good faries Capital and Investment And Capital and Investment came apace at the call of their master Progress and looked over the city of the Birds and the region round about and said it was good and the birds rejoiced and said one to another Now our hopes are about to be realized We will take our rightful place and the city of the Birds by the Great Salt Lake shall be rich and mighty and of good report But there dwelt in the city of Birds a foolish Raven Ra-ven And the Raven after the matter of his kind and his foolishness was given to croaking And the croaking of the young and foolish Raven in the City of the Birds had for a burden Things are unsettled And the Raven drooped his wings looked not upward and his croak went abroad in the city and the birds heard it and were troibled for he that doth prophesy evil i hath always listeners And there also dwelt in the city of the birds a Magpie and the Magpie was after the manner of magpies both mischievous and greedy And the Magpie said to himself The Raven croaks and some of the birds hearken to him I will therefore reap both enjoyment and profit And the Magpia wended his way to the I Raven who was not hard to find for his croaking was loud And the Magpie chattered thus unto the Raven 0 Raven thy words are those of wisdom Wherefore should these foolish birds wish to improve their city when things are so unsettled And the Raven groveled yet closer to the ground and increased in-creased his croak fourfold and the mischievous and greedy Magpie watched him and communed with himself saying This foolish raven playeth into my hand and mine adversaries ad-versaries Progress Capital and Investment Invest-ment are caught on the hip The price of city lots must not be elevated And the Ravens foolish croak waxed louder And Progress said to the birds of the city 0 Birds what is this I hear in your midst the burden whereof is things are unsettled And the birds looted at one another foolishly and knew not what to say And Progress frowned and said Ye are not worthy and he gave orders to Capital and Investment Invest-ment and they left the city of the Birds and returned into their own land And the Raven croaked again and said unto the Magpie in the fullness of the wisdom of his kind See 0 Magpie it is even as I said And the Magpie made answer with a wink from his strongest eye and the croak of the Raven and tfie chatter of the Magpie arose together and overcame all other sounds in the streets of the City of the Birds by the great Salt Lake even in the Territory called Utah MoralListen not to croakers and watch a Magpie |