These birds are sacred; no one must harm them, nor even imitate their cry.

It would be hard to hurt them, for the spirit in them is so strong.

If any one even takes up a stick or stone to throw at them, hardly is it raised from the ground when the would-be assailant is forcibly knocked over, though he sees nothing but the little bird he was about to attack.

Then he knows the bird must be a spirit bird, and perhaps seeing him look at her, the bird calls a woman's name, then he knows whose spirit it is.
A black boy on the station was badly hurt by a fall from a tree.

It had seemed strange that such a good climber should fall.