Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-03-12

appearance. 1t stood in the midst of a large
garden, which in summer time was full of
fruits and flowers. But when / first saw it,
in March, the snow still fingered about the
hedges and the pastors children were eager
ly counting the days until it should be spring
On the south gable of the house, built
snugly up against the warm chimney, was a
storks nest. 1t was a rough, ugly pile of
sticks and twigs, nearly as large as baby's
cradle, and at this season was unoccuped
The pastors family told me that for many
years past a pair of storks had been accus-
toned to spend the summer here, arriving al
ways on the first of April, and leaving on the
first of August for warmer southern cline.
There were many little villages surrounding
ours, each of which had one pair of storks in
it, and the birds all arrive and depart togeth-
er in body on the same day.
Many a story did the children tell me of
their own special storks, which they called
by the names Of Hans and Mena, and seemed
to consider as almost part of the family.
"When the storks come, said Bertha, ''it
will be spring and the crocuses will blossom.
It is funny, but the crocuses always do wait
for the storks."
One day there was n storm, with rain and
lightning. The pastors wife was alarmed
for in this fat, sandy country the lightning
often strikes the houses, and sometimes whole
| villages are thereby consumed
"When the storks come" said Fritz, 1--WE
shall be safe from the lightning, for it never
| strikes a house where there arc storks in the
nest"
This is the belief of many persons in Ger
many and they are, therefore, very glad to
have the storks build upon their houses, and
are very careful not to injure or frighten
! them away.
| In time the snow was all gone, and little
brown leaf buds began to swell on the trees,
and tnge of green showed itself about the
garden and on the heath.
One bright sunny day, as l sat writing in
my room, a sudden glad cry arose from the
children in the garden
The storks the storks."
! turned hastily to the almanac for the day
of the month. 1t was the first of April.
Looking from my window l saw son the
| lower roof. a few feet below me, a splendid
| large bird. with snow-white plumage touched
with Jet black, and long legs, and bill of q
! brilliant red color. He stood erect, turning
! his head from side to side with bright, sharp
! glances, as if examining what changes had
! taken place in his absence. Then, after
waiting awhile, he threw his head back over
his shoulder and struck his hard bill upon the
strong hollow bone Of his wing, producing
loud rafting sound that could be heard at a
I Z,
| for the stork has no voice. and this is the on
! ly sound he can produce at any time.
The children shouted, How do you do,
| Hans Welcome home, Hans! Where is
| Mena = But Hans took no notice. He was
apparently very uneasy. and for some hours
| kept up an incessant rattling. The pastor
began to fear that poor Mena had perished
| by the way, as so many do in their annual
migration. At length the bird took wing,
and for hours could be seen slowly sailing
| high in air, above the village and the heath
as if looking for his mate. He came back
sad and dispirited, and moped till dark on
the house-top, refusing the food which we
sympathizingly offered. Next morning he
was of again. Evening came on, when, 10 !,
there was a rush and a tutter in the air, and
n weary bird, dropping and bedraggled, de
sccnded to the house gable and there rested,
seemingly too tired to move. 1t was the miss
ing Mena.
When Hans came home what a rattling aud
rejoicing there was on the house-top And
next day, when the birds had rested and
dressed their plumage, how busy they be-
came cleaning and repairing their nest Now,
too they lost their first shyness and became
familiar AZ they recognized their old friends
| Hans was always rather distant and proud,
but Mena would come when called to be fed
Just as the poultry did, and would sometimes
even allow her back to be stroked. They
would daily take long flights from home :;
and once when we were riding on the heath,
many miles away from our village, we recog-
nized Hans and MenG stalking about newly
ploughcd field busily picking up the worms
aud grubs which, but for them, would have
done mischief to the farmers flax and buck
wheat We called to them, and Hans stood
on one leg and surveyed US with n surprised
and naughty air, while Mena threw her head
back and ratified. l suppose she knew us.
II the birds had contented themselves with
a diet of worms and mice, and frogs, all
would have been well. But they were also
very fond of picking the bees from the flow
ers, when the little insects were busily gath
ering honey and would even stand near the
hives at the bottom of the garden, and snap
them up with quick motion, as they flew
in and out of the hives. We built lattice
around the hives, and this in q measure pro-
tected the little honey makers. But it was
not long before the birds were guilty of q
greater mischief than killing bees.
The children had other pets beside the
storks Fritz had pair of rabbits, and Lima
took great delight in watching and feeding
the little brown sparrows which occupied the
box in the great linden tree, whose broad
branches spread over half the house, One
day there was great fiutter and commotion
| III lLc lluNlttl. anu Ou BOllB Oul " bcb NlhN
was the matter, we found all the sparrows
dartng in and out of the tree in great dis
tress, while Hans with very satisfied air,
stood on one of the branches within reach of
| the box We hastened to drive him away,
but it was too late. He had already thrust
his long bill into each of the little round
holes of the box, and devoured every one of
the young birds. After that we placed the
box in another part of the tree, against the
side of the house, where he could not reach
it. BY and by more little sparrows came,
but the stork never got another taste of them.
Meantime Fritzs rabbits had little fam
lily of twelve young ones-tiny creatures,
scarce three inches long, soft and shining as
satin. They had their nest under the house,
and had been there two weeks before we ev-
er saw them. And how delighted the chill
dren were when one day Mother Rabbit came
forth with her dozen of little ones hopping and
skipping around her. What pretty sight it
was and how funny to see them all, on the
least alarm, melt away as it were, from sight,
and disappear into their hole like magic. All
the children in the village came to see them,
and never was boy SO happy as Fritz with his
rabbits.
But alas when some days had passed, on
counting the young family, We found that
one was missing. On the day following
there were only ten, and next day but nine.
What could have become of the rabbits
1 was sitting in an arbor one morning read
ing, when l observed the old rabbits come
out from their hole, and watched to see the
little ones follow. How wild and shy they
had lately become! Suddenly l saw the old
ones crouch, throw back their long ears, and
stare in mingled fear and rage with protrud-
ing eyes, at some object around the corner OF
the house. Soon it came in sight-the stork,
Hans, walking gingerly along, turning his
long, crooked neck this way aud that, pre-
tending not to see the rabbits, yet all the
time siding nearer, in a sly, sneaking sort of
way. knew it in a moment it was he who
had eaten the rabbits
The little ones fed into their burrow al