St. Paul daily globe., 1888-01-29

worm or lizard, of
which there was any number in the
swamp. But there was altogether too
much to eat, too warm, too still; they
longed for cold rain, raw air, and fresh
breeze.
Numberless flocks of wild geese and
swans were swimming about in the
open places between the rushes in the
far-Stretchlng SWampS. HerOnS and
storks raised their heads here and there,
as they stood crouching on one leg and
dropping their bills; how tireSome they
felt was something awful. All kinds
OF Snlpes and water-fowlS, lap-wingS,
ruffs, brants, water-hens, quails, swal-
lows, nay even the common startling,
all telt so tireSOme that the feathers
were about to drop off.
The ibis felt offended at this gray rab-
bic, and even cOndescended to complain
to the stupid fiamingoes, which it other
wise despiSed so heartily. The crocO-
dileS blinked with their mucous, light
green eyes, and snatched now and then
a fat goose, so there arose in the air
bawl and roar which was answered up
and down the river, then died far, far
away, and the stiffness from the desert
and the sluggish swarm of birds, as
they sat waiting-they knew not what
for. Then little gray bird started
straight up in the air, stood there for
awhile Tapping the wings very rapidly,
while 1t tWittered short piece. Then it
went down again and hid in the grass.
The whole army of birds had raised
their heads and listened. And then
there was cackling and twittering and
restless fuss in every nook and corner.
Young dudIsh lap-wingS took wing and
made tumbleS in the air Just to show
how well they knew their business.
But the Oldest of the white swans that
were to go clear up to Iceland held
general council to consider the lark's
motion to leave; for all had immedi-
ately known the lark by the sound,
though it had not been able to make out
more than two OF three notes. Its
throat was not quite in trim for singing
as yet. But while the swans werO con-
sulting, tremendous splash was heard
and the air became quite darkened.
The wild geese got under way. They
divided into large flOcks, Swarmed
about in the air. arranged themselves in
long rows and disappeared toward the
north as their noise lost itself in the far
Off. The StarlingS arose in black masses
and departed; the lap-WingS followed,
the stOrks screwed themselves by pairs
high up in the air till they almost be-
came invisible, and then they set their
course northward. The general council
of the swans was entirely broken up in
the general disturbance and tumult.
All the world liked to get off, there was
no longer any deliberate consideration;
every moment new fiOckS passed over
North Africa, saluting, each one in its
way, the smiling blue Mediterranean
below.
The male nightingales got off in the
night in small companies. They wanted
to find their old haunts in the rose
bushes of Provence and in the beech
groves of Danish) Zealand that they
might have their most beautiful songs
rehearSed and ready when their better
halves arrived. The Norwegian larks
were waiting the longest, but when
their Danish brethren departed thev
followed for the sake of friendship.
The travelling fever spread in such a
degree that even the swallows and the
cuckoOs had to leave. They would at
least fly across the Mediterranean, and
then they might consider the matter.
The ibis recovered its peace of mind
and stepped gravely like an archbishop
over the banks, and the rosy-cheeked
fiamingOeS gave way respectfully, as
they with piOuS demeanOr lowered their
stupid heads with the crushed bills.
More still and more warm it become up
along the Nile river. But night and
day the migrating herds flew north
ward. And as they came above their
old places each flock went down to it's
home, calling out goodbye to those
going still further, spreading life and
happiness over the old, frozen Europe,
in the woods and in the fields, around
the houses and far out in the rushes III
the large, quiet lakes.
There was dense endlessness of small
red rOsebudS in Italy. The apple trees
looked like hills of snow, with the pale
red blossoms, up along the south of
France, and on the boulevards of Paris
the leaves of the chestnut trees began
to burst their shining, strong coverings.
The good citizens of Dresden were
standing on the 'Bruhlsche Terrasse'
baSking in the sun as they observed the
ice flakes rushing down the river and
towering up in front of the heavy bridge
pillars. But further north it was cold,
spots of snow here and there, and a dis
agreeable wind from the North sea. The
flock of larkS dwindled as it went on. A
large number intended to camp OH the
PLAINS by Leipsic and later move on to
Duneburg. and when the rest passed
over Sleswick the Danish larks asked
their Norwegian brethren if they did
not feel like staying while and see how
the weather turned out.
The snow was lying along the bitches
and fences in Jutland, and the north
west wind was shaking old Denmark's S
beech-trees, on which the brown leave
coverings closed carefully about the
tender leaves. The birds crouched be-
hind stones and in the ling. Some ven
tured clear up to the farm-hOuses,
where the sparrOws ran rampant as if
they owned all of it, All were agreed
that they had come entirely too early,
and had they got hold of the mad-cap
who fooled them away from the flesh
pots of Egypt. they had surely plucked
him. Finally came on the south wind.
The Norwegian birds expressed their
thanks for good treatment and flew
across the sea. In Norway things
looked miserable at first. The snow
was lying far down into the valleys and
as deep in the dense woods. But in
company with the south wind came the
rain, and then the change was made in
twinkling, not gradually and peace
fully, but with crack and crash, with
snowslides and foaming rivers, so the
country looked like a giant washing
himself, the ice-cold water pouring
down the sinewy limbs.
And light green wells covered the
young birch trees on the mountain
slopes, the quiet hooks of the fjords, the
western plains by the sea, the cloud
berry marshes and the broad mountain
ridges--aye, the places up along the
cracks and crevIceS and the narrow val
leys between the mountains. But on
the tops the glaciers and snow cornices
remained quiet, as though the old
mountains did not deign to lift their hat
to such frivolous mad-cap of sum-
mer. And the sun shOne so warm and
gay, and the wind came carrying with
1t still more heat from the south, and
finally arrived the cuckoo to act as mas
ter OF ceremonies to see if everything