January 21, Austria Post issued 10ATS definitive stamp of its Tales and Legends of Austria series: House of the Basilisk in Vienna.

The legendary House of the Basilisk situated in Vienna's first district can be found on Schonlaterngasse 7 - unmistakably labeled by the sign that reads "Zum Basilisken". The cellar walls of this house date back partly to the 13th century. As one strolls through this idyllic street in the old part of the city, one inevitably pauses in front of House No. 7: a somewhat peculiar bird in stone can be seen in a niche in the wall between the windows of the second floor. It is actually a sandstone carving of a rooster wearing a little golden crown and with a cast-iron beak and tail. According to legend, this peculiar creature, whose image appears on the house's facade, lived in a deep well in the courtyard. An old rooster laid an egg, a toad incubated it to maturity, and a basilisk was hatched. This terrifying legendary reptile had the shape of a large rooster. It had the body and legs of a giant toad, misshapen claw-like talons covered with warts, its tail was long and scaly, and its eyes had a terrifying flash about them. On its head rested a small fiery crown. The basilisk is said to have been discovered in the well of the house on the morning of June 12, 1212. The well was sealed with large boulders, thereby ridding the entire city of this terrible anathema.