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It is pleasant to travel as we do in a family party, not like the chaffinches and strutting cocks. Among their species the males fly by themselves, and the females by themselves: that, to say the least of it, is not at all seemly. What a miserable sound the stroke of the swans' wings has compared with ours!" "Every one flies in his own way," said the stork-father.
But now it were best, perhaps, for us to hear what had happened formerly. We shall then be better acquainted with the story at least, we shall know as much as the stork-father did. "Love bestows life; the highest love bestows the highest life; it is only through love that his life can be saved," was what had been said; and it was amazingly wisely and well said, the learned declared.
"Let us now have some chat," said the stork-father, "now we understand each other's language, even though one bird's beak is not exactly made after the pattern of another's. It is most fortunate that you came to night; to-morrow we should all have been away the mother, the young ones, and myself. We are off to the south. Look at me!
"Well, this is a new finale to the story," said the stork-father, "which I by no means expected; but I am quite satisfied with it." "I wonder what the young ones will say to it?" replied the stork-mother. "Ah! that, indeed, is of the most consequence," said the stork-father. The Quickest Runners.
Love such as lovers felt, and that between parents and children; between light and plants; how the sunbeams kissed the ground, and how thereby the seeds sprouted forth it was all so diffusely and learnedly expounded, that it was impossible for the stork-father to follow the discourse, much less to repeat it.
Alas! never will she return to the land of Egypt." And they both wept bitterly; and the old stork-father, when he heard it, rubbed his bill until it was quite sore. "Lies and deceit!" he cried. "I should like, above all things, to run my beak into their breasts." "And break it off," said the stork-mother; "you would look remarkably well then.
Early in the spring, when the storks were again about to journey northward, beautiful Helga took off her golden bracelets, scratched her name on them, and beckoned to the stork-father.
In early spring, when the storks flew again towards the North, beautiful Helga took off her golden bracelet, and scratched her name upon it; and beckoning to the stork-father, she placed the golden hoop around his neck, and begged him to deliver it to the Viking woman, so that the latter might see that her adopted daughter was well, and had not forgotten her.
It made him very thoughtful, however; he half closed his eyes, and actually stood on one leg the whole of the next day, reflecting on what he had heard. So much learning was difficult for him to digest. But this much the stork-father understood.
"It was a kind thought of hers," said the stork-father. "It is very little," said the stork-mother. "She could hardly have done less." And when Helga saw them she rose, and went out into the verandah to stroke their backs. The old couple bowed their necks, and the youngest little ones felt themselves much honoured by being so well received.
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