ThelateMrWatertonhaving，sometimeago，expressedhisopinionthatravensaregraduallybecomingextinctinEngland，Iofferedthefewfollowingwordsaboutmyexperienceofthesebirds。

　　Theraveninthisstoryisacompoundoftwogreatoriginals，ofwhomIwas，atdifferenttimes，theproudpossessor。Thefirstwasinthebloomofhisyouth，whenhewasdiscoveredinamodestretirementinLondon，byafriendofmine，andgiventome。Hehadfromthefirst，asSirHughEvanssaysofAnnePage，’goodgifts’，whichheimprovedbystudyandattentioninamostexemplarymanner。Hesleptinastable——generallyonhorseback——andsoterrifiedaNewfoundlanddogbyhispreternaturalsagacity，thathehasbeenknown，bythemeresuperiorityofhisgenius，towalkoffunmolestedwiththedog’sdinner，frombeforehisface。Hewasrapidlyrisinginacquirementsandvirtues，when，inanevilhour，hisstablewasnewlypainted。Heobservedtheworkmenclosely，sawthattheywerecarefulofthepaint，andimmediatelyburnedtopossessit。Ontheirgoingtodinner，heateupalltheyhadleftbehind，consistingofapoundortwoofwhitelead;andthisyouthfulindiscretionterminatedindeath。

　　WhileIwasyetinconsolableforhisloss，anotherfriendofmineinYorkshirediscoveredanolderandmoregiftedravenatavillagepublic-house，whichheprevaileduponthelandlordtopartwithforaconsideration，andsentuptome。ThefirstactofthisSage，was，toadministertotheeffectsofhispredecessor，bydisinterringallthecheeseandhalfpencehehadburiedinthegarden——aworkofimmenselabourandresearch，towhichhedevotedalltheenergiesofhismind。Whenhehadachievedthistask，heappliedhimselftotheacquisitionofstablelanguage，inwhichhesoonbecamesuchanadept，thathewouldperchoutsidemywindowanddriveimaginaryhorseswithgreatskill，allday。PerhapsevenIneversawhimathisbest，forhisformermastersenthisdutywithhim，’andifIwishedthebirdtocomeoutverystrong，wouldIbesogoodastoshowhimadrunkenman’——whichIneverdid，havingunfortunatelynonebutsoberpeopleathand。

　　ButIcouldhardlyhaverespectedhimmore，whateverthestimulatinginfluencesofthissightmighthavebeen。Hehadnottheleastrespect，Iamsorrytosay，formeinreturn，orforanybodybutthecook;towhomhewasattached——butonly，Ifear，asaPolicemanmighthavebeen。Once，Imethimunexpectedly，abouthalf-a-milefrommyhouse，walkingdownthemiddleofapublicstreet，attendedbyaprettylargecrowd，andspontaneouslyexhibitingthewholeofhisaccomplishments。Hisgravityunderthosetryingcircumstances，Icanneverforget，northeextraordinarygallantrywithwhich，refusingtobebroughthome，hedefendedhimselfbehindapump，untiloverpoweredbynumbers。Itmayhavebeenthathewastoobrightageniustolivelong，oritmayhavebeenthathetooksomepernicioussubstanceintohisbill，andthenceintohismaw——whichisnotimprobable，seeingthathenew-pointedthegreaterpartofthegarden-wallbydiggingoutthemortar，brokecountlesssquaresofglassbyscrapingawaytheputtyallroundtheframes，andtoreupandswallowed，insplinters，thegreaterpartofawoodenstaircaseofsixstepsandalanding——butaftersomethreeyearshetoowastakenill，anddiedbeforethekitchenfire。Hekepthiseyetothelastuponthemeatasitroasted，andsuddenly。turnedoveronhisbackwithasepulchralcryof’Cuckoo！’SincethenIhavebeenravenless。

　　NoaccountoftheGordonRiotshavingbeentomyknowledgeintroducedintoanyWorkofFiction，andthesubjectpresentingveryextraordinaryandremarkablefeatures，IwasledtoprojectthisTale。

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