“We will revenge ourselves,” whispered the young storks to each other,
as they again joined the exercising.
Of all the boys in the street who sang the mocking song about the storks,
not one was so determined to go on with it as he who first began it. Yet he
was a little fellow not more than six years old. To the young storks he
appeared at least a hundred, for he was so much bigger than their father and
mother. To be sure, storks cannot be expected to know how old children and
grown-up people are. So they determined to have their revenge on this boy,
because he began the song first and would keep on with it. The young
storks were very angry, and grew worse as they grew older; so at last their
mother was obliged to promise that they should be revenged, but not until
the day of their departure.
“We must see first, how you acquit yourselves at the grand review,” said
she. “If you get on badly there, the general will thrust his beak through you,
and you will be killed, as the boys said, though not exactly in the same
manner. So we must wait and see.”
“You shall see,” said the young birds, and then they took such pains and
practised so well every day, that at last it was quite a pleasure to see them
fly so lightly and prettily. As soon as the autumn arrived, all the storks
began to assemble together before taking their departure for warm countries
during the winter. Then the review commenced. They flew over forests and
villages to show what they could do, for they had a long journey before
them. The young storks performed their part so well that they received a
mark of honor, with frogs and snakes as a present. These presents were the
best part of the affair, for they could eat the frogs and snakes, which they
very quickly did.
“Now let us have our revenge,” they cried.
“Yes, certainly,” cried the mother stork. “I have thought upon the best
way to be revenged. I know the pond in which all the little children lie,
waiting till the storks come to take them to their parents. The prettiest little
babies lie there dreaming more sweetly than they will ever dream in the
