THE STORKS.
so motionless was he. “It, no doubt, looks very grand
for my wife to have a sentinel by her nest!” thought
he. “They can’t know that I am her husband, and
they will of course conclude that I have been com-
manded to stand here. It looks so noble!” And he
continued standing on one leg.
A whole swarm of children were playing in the
street below; and when they perceived the stork, the
forwardest of the boys sang the old song about the
stork, in which the others soon joined. Only each
sang it, just as he happened to recollect it :—
187
¢“ Stork, stork—fly home and rest,
Nor on one leg thus sentry keep!
Your wife is sitting in her nest,
To lull her little ones to sleep.
There’s a halter for one,
There’s a stake for another;
For a third there’s a gun,
And a spit for his brother!”
“Only listen to what the boys are singing!” said
the young storks. “They say we shall be hanged and
burned.”
“You shouldn’t mind what they say,” said the
mother stork ; ‘if you don’t listen it won’t hurt you.”
But the boys went on singing, and pointing at the
stork with their fingers. Only one boy, whose name
was Peter, said it was a shame to make game of
animals, and would not join the rest. The mother
stork comforted her young ones. “Don’t trouble your
heads about it,” said she; “only see how quiet your
father stands, and that on one leg!”
“We are frightened!” said the young ones, draw-
ing back their heads into the nest.
Next day, when the children had again assembled
to play, they no sooner saw the storks than they began
their song :—
“There’s a halter for one,
There ’s a stake for another.”