from that day forward, the slaves on paquetá island prayed at the pier, hoping that through the strength of their faith, they too would be taken by a star and released.  

the superstitious and reverent character of paquetá carries even to its wildlife. every carioca knows the grey heron is a lucky bird - witness the smile of a fisherman as one flies across his bow, or on the faces of anyone whose path they cross, tickled by their auspicious encounter.

they are rare birds - most herons are white and there are few of any stripe on the island. an old slave tale tells of the first one, found in its shell by the indian kuru-mi, in the arms of an abandoned baby boy on the shores of ajrubá.