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PIGEONS. 145
looked up at me smiling, and said, " Do you
understand their language then ? "
" I fancy I do," I answered.
" Let us hear what he says then," eagerly
urged the mirthful inquirer.
" I think by your appearance you must
be—" I said, hesitatingly, to the bird.
" Roman pigeons," answered the noble little
creature in the twinkling of an eye. " You
may see that by our distinctive markings, and
by the red imperial ring round our eyes. We
are descendants from the patrician birds that
were despatched as messengers from the
Roman arena to announce, in the provinces,
the issue of the gladiatorial fights; and others
of our ancient race did a similar service in
Greece, at the Olympian games and other
national sports. Would you and your young
friends like to hear a little story handed down
by us through a thousand generations from
that time ? " he inquired.
" What do you say, boys ? " I asked, for the
sake of formality with the Roman bird.
" Go on! go on!" the boys answered in
chorus; and the Roman pigeon began,—
" There lived at Milo, one of the islands of
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