Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-06-04
ASIORK.

~ f~ls A SI0RK. tlI'l df ht
"Did He give us the beautiful stork above
On the chimney-top, with its large round
nest? ?'-GOueb.
"No, not the stork; by God in Heaven, 81
As blessing, the dear white stork was
given. "-LOnQteu0U.
"No house so blessed as that whereon
the white stork has built its nest says
the voice OF the people who live in Hol-
land, Germany, and the regions of the
Northland; land nothing else brings
the ,benediction of peace and domestic
Joy that the dear white stork does, for
it sheds over the household something
of its, own spirit. IL haA adledi ,.,,i..
Far backin the days of ancient Greece,
when Priam was King of Troy, and the
beauty of Helen was rous,ng the Nation
to war, Juno, the jealous goddess, is
said to have changed sister of the
King into a white stor& because she
.boasted of her beauty, but knowing
that she was as lovely mentally as phys
ically, allowed her to retain all her
amiable qualities, Whether this is the
reason of the storks virtues or not we
cannot tell, but in all the countries of
the Old World il is regarded with an
affection, bordering on generation.
Even in the language of the ancient
Hebrews we find the word used for
stork signifying "pious' or 4" blessed" "
Early in the spring of 1880 pair of
newly-wedded storks few over the.
town of Lowenberg, Germany, to find a
suitable home for their summer house
keeping. Those who saw them used
every art to attract them to their
houses, but in vain. Even the Mayor,
or Burgomaster, failed to entice them
to settle on his handsome house, where
the chimney seemed TO have been built
on purpose for stork's nest. The
stork husband saw this at n glance, and,
ambitious to begin life under the most
favorable circumstances, he said to his
wife, in tones quite positive:
awe will build here, my dear; there
is no place like it in the whole. town."
But the stork wife replied even more
905THDlYc, bb BY ! lar Imagine our dainty
children annoyed from day to day by
the rafting of carts over the stones, the
shouts of noisy boys on their way to
school, and on Sundays the ringing of
bells. No, no, it would never do. |
have found most delightful spot,
shaded from the hot sun by the broad
leafed linden-tree, and far removed
from noise and confusion. There we
can rear our little family in seclusion,
and send out into the world storks that
will be an honor to it. Where is itP
On the top of the barn at the cross
roads; not another such place for a
stork's nest in the whole region" ,a
"Just as you say, my dear" said his
storkship; F'rll bring the sticks di-
rectly." Jt.a
Slowly the nest went up. Stick by
stick, selected by the stork husband
with great care, and brought from
hedge and forest and orchard, until the
nest was completed, the last stick hav.
inc been properly laid, and Mrs. StorB
settled herself with a satisfied air and
began housekeeping. In few days
eggs were to be seen in the nest; beau
tiful eggs all mottled with yellow Now
Mrs. Stork took no more long flights
not even to see what her friends were
doing-but she busted herself at home
sitting upon the eggs to keep then
warm. Three weeks passed by in pa
tience, and then one morning the gooC
creature was delighted by the sound o
young storkhngs under her wings, chat
tering with their little beaks or mandi
bles, and the stork papa and storl
mamma did nothing but wait upol
them.
Summer days drew near before tht
storklings could fly. The air wa
parched and heated, and the barn ha'
become as dry as tinder; if there coul'
only be a shower they would hav
strength to try their wings.
"Oh, how glad / am to see tina
cloud!n said the stork mamma, as
little shadow Aoated above the western
horizon; call my lledgelings need is
shower, and then they will fly to-mor
row. 18
: Larger and darker grew the storm
cloud, until at last the whole sky wa
covered From the north burst shar
flashes of lightning that shot across tn
heavens, cutting the darkness of tn
clouds as with knife; then the thur
| der began to roll in its grand moroton
} over the world; but the little stork
were not afraid, for had not thei
) mother said this was just what wa
| needed, and was she not flying owe
( their heads telling them what it a
t meant, and picturing to them the Dc
\ light they would feel when once the
/ found themselves upborne by tn
q dreamy, delicious air in the first ecstac
J, of flying.
3 Suddenly there came crash,
q binding light and deafening shock, a
/ most stunning the brave mother biz
o caring so tenderly for her children; an
p when she recovered her conseiousne
q it was to see flames kindling on I'll
! barn, that would hurn like tinder, an
" her storklings would be burned to deaf
v in the heat.
|. Without seconds pause to consid'
!. what might be done, she plunged in
). the flames and brought out one Of h
r. children in her beak. She flew to
v meadow near by, where a little broC
n triekled over q pebbly bed, and, layil
!, her burden under the overhanging s
! ders, she flew back for another. Th'
u