The Kingdom’s Safe
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LONDON — The first raven to be hatched at the Tower of London in more than 300 years made its public debut Friday, allowing superstitious Britons to relax at last.
Legend has it that if the ravens leave the fortified tower, the British kingdom will be destroyed.
“Now we have the knack of breeding them here,” said John Wilmington, keeper of the queen’s ravens. “Royalty, the fortress and England are safe.”
Ravens have always lived at the tower, London’s historic prison for traitors where the crown jewels are now on display, but superstitious British authorities have been shipping them in as fledglings for the last three centuries.
During the 17th century, King Charles II decided to get rid of the birds but, according to folklore, he was warned to keep some of them to safeguard the kingdom.
The chick, born six weeks ago but shielded from the limelight until Friday, joins the tower’s eight other ravens, all brought in as fledglings.
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