Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

     We can tell you an anecdote about the condor’s power of life. A miner in Chili, a very strong man, once saw a condor enjoying his feast on the mountains. He had eaten so much that he could not fly, and the man attacked and tried to kill him. The battle lasted a long time, and the man was nearly exhaused. But in the end he thought he was the victor, and he left the condor dead, as he imagined, on the field. Some of the feathers he carried off in triumph to show his companions and told them he had never fought so fierce a battle. The other miners went to look at the condor, when, to their surprise, he was standing erect, flapping his wings in order to fly away. A bird with such powers of life continues to exist years and years. Indeed, the condor is said to live for a century. The Indian tries to catch the condor by stratagem. He employs him to fight in a ring at those cruel bull fights which are the favorite amusements in that part of the world. He does not attempt to attack the condor openly, for he knows how strong he is, and he wishes, besides, to take him alive. He procures the skin of a cow, and he hides himself beneath it. Some pieces of flesh are left hanging to the skin, and are sure to attract the condor. He comes pouncing on his prey, and while he is feeding with his usual greediness the Indian contrives to fasten his legs to the skin. When this is done, he comes out of his concealment, and the bird sees him for the first time. He flaps his wings and would fly but his feet are entangled; and more than this, a number of other Indians come running up and throw their mantles over him.-Stories About Birds.