Grey Heron

Seen not far from yesterdays canal bridge

"With evil people neither stay nor go

The Heron died for being with the crow

This is from the an old story of a heron and a crow who were nesting together in a huge tree. One hot day a traveller came across the hills and on seeing the tree took advantage of the shade. Soon he was fast asleep and with mouth agape snored away. So deep was he in sleep that the sun worked its way around the sky until the sleeping traveller was no longer in the shade. The Heron spotted this and shuffled along a branch which stretched over the man and then he spread his mighty wings thus shading him. Having seen this act of kindness the wicked crow also shuffled along the branch, when he was directly above the gaping mouth of the traveller he dropped an acorn into it and then flew off. Immediately the man awoke and choked and spluttered until he coughed up the acorn, he then looked into the tree and saw the heron perched overhead. Without a second thought he drew his pistol and shot the heron dead which in his eyes was fair play for the bird nearly killing him.