"Yes, it is a delightful place; there is nothing to do all day long but eat, and
while we are so well off out there, in this country there will not be a single
GREen leaf on the trees, and the weather will be so cold that the clouds will
freeze, and fall on the earth in little white rags." The stork meant snow, but
she could not explain it in any other way.
"Will the naughty boys freeze and fall in pieces?" asked the young storks. "No, they will not
freeze and fall into pieces," said the mother, "but they will be very cold, and be obliged to sit
all day in a dark, gloomy room, while we shall be flying about in foreign lands, where there are
blooming flowers and warm sunshine."
Time passed on, and the young storks GREw so large that they could stand upright in the nest and
look about them. The father brought them, every day, beautiful frogs, little snakes, and all
kinds of stork-dainties that he could find. And then, how funny it was to see the tricks he would
perform to amuse them. He would lay his head quite round over his tail, and clatter with his beak,
as if it had been a rattle; and then he would tell them stories all about the marshes and fens.
"Come," said the mother one day, "Now you must learn to fly." And all the four young ones were
obliged to come out on the top of the roof. Oh, how they tottered at first, and were obliged to
balance themselves with their wings, or they would have fallen to the ground below.
"Look at me," said the mother, "you must hold your heads in this way, and place your feet so.
Once, twice, once, twice--that is it. Now you will be able to take care of yourselves in the
world." Then she flew a little distance from them, and the young ones made a spring to follow
her; but down they fell plump, for their bodies were still too heavy.
"I don't want to fly," said one of the young storks, creeping back into the nest. "I don't care
about going to warm countries."
"Would you like to stay here and freeze when the winter comes?" said the mother, "or till the boys
comes to hang you, or to roast you?--Well then, I'll call them."
"Oh no, no," said the young stork, jumping out on the roof with the others; and now they were all
attentive, and by the third day could fly a little. Then they began to fancy they could soar, so
they tried to do so, resting on their wings, but they soon found themselves falling, and had to
flap their wings as quickly as possible. The boys again in the street singing their song:--
"Stork, stork, fly away."
"Shall we fly down, and pick their eyes out?" asked the young storks.
"No; leave them alone," said the mother. "Listen to me; that is much more important. Now then.
One-two-three. Now to the right. One-two-three. Now to the left, round the chimney. There now,
that was very good. That last flap of the wings was so easy and graceful, that I shall give you
permission to fly with me to-morrow to marshes. There will be a number of very superior storks
there with their families, and I expect you to show them that my children are the best brought
up of any who may be present. You must strut about proudly--it will look well and make you
respected."
"But may we not punish those naughty boys?" asked the young storks.
"No; let them scream away as much as they like. You can fly from them now up high amid the clouds,
and will be in the land of the pyramids when they are freezing, and have not a GREen leaf on the
trees or an apple to eat."
"We will revenge ourselves," whispered the young storks to each other, as they again joined the
exercising.