criedhe;"ishouldliketorunmybeakdeepintotheirchests."

"andperhapsbreakitoff,"saidthemammastork,"thenwhatasightyouwouldbe.thinkfirstofyourself,andthenofyourfamily;allothersarenothingtous."

"yes,iknow,"saidthestork-papa;"butto-morrowicaneasilyplacemyselfontheedgeoftheopencupola,whenthelearnedandwisemenassembletoconsultonthestateofthesickman;perhapstheymaycomealittlenearertothetruth."andthelearnedandwisemenassembledtogether,andtalkedagreatdealoneverypoint;butthestorkcouldmakenosenseoutofanythingtheysaid;neitherwerethereanygoodresultsfromtheirconsultations,eitherforthesickman,orforhisdaughterinthemarshyheath.whenwelistentowhatpeoplesayinthisworld,weshallhearagreatdeal;butitisanadvantagetoknowwhathasbeensaidanddonebefore,whenwelistentoaconversation.thestorkdid,andweknowatleastasmuchashe,thestork.

"loveisalife-giver.thehighestloveproducesthehighestythroughlovecanthesickmanbecured."thishadbeensaidbymany,andeventhelearnedmenacknowledgedthatitwasawisesaying.

"whatabeautifulthought!"exclaimedthepapastorkimmediately.

"idon'tquiteunderstandit,"saidthemammastork,whenherhusbandrepeatedit;"however,itisnotmyfault,butthefaultofthethought;whateveritmaybe,ihavesomethingelsetothinkof."

nowthelearnedmenhadspokenalsooflovebetweenthisoneandthatone;ofthedifferenceofthelovewhichwehaveforourneighbor,tothelovethatexistsbetweenparentsandchildren;oftheloveoftheplantforthelight,andhowthegermspringsforthwhenthesunbeamkissestheground.allthesethingsweresoelaboratelyandlearnedlyexplained,thatitwasimpossibleforstork-papatofollowit,muchlesstotalkaboutit.histhoughtsonthesubjectquiteweighedhimdown;hestoodthewholeofthefollowingdayononeleg,withhalf-shuteyes,thinkingdeeply.somuchlearningwasquiteaheavyweightforhimtocarry.onething,however,thepapastorkcouldunderstand.everyone,highandlow,hadfromtheirinmostheartsexpressedtheiropinionthatitwasagreatmisfortuneforsomanythousandsofpeople-thewholecountryindeed-tohavethismansosick,withnohopesofhisrecovery.andwhatjoyandblessingitwouldspreadaroundifhecouldbyanymeansbecured!butwherebloomedtheflowerthatcouldbringhimhealth?theyhadsearchedforiteverywhere;inlearnedwritings,intheshiningstars,intheweatherandwind.inquirieshadbeenmadeineveryby-waythatcouldbethoughtof,untilatlastthewiseandlearnedmenhasasserted,aswehavebeenalreadytold,that"love,thelife-giver,couldalonegivenewlifetoafather;"andinsayingthis,theyhadoverdoneit,andsaidmorethantheyunderstoodthemselves.theyrepeatedit,andwroteitdownasarecipe,"loveisalife-giver."buthowcouldsucharecipebeprepared-thatwasadifficultytheycouldnotovercome.atlastitwasdecidedthathelpcouldonlycomefromtheprincessherself,whosewholesoulwaswrappedupinherfather,especiallyasaplanhadbeenadoptedbyhertoenablehertoobtainaremedy.

morethanayearhadpassedsincetheprincesshadsetoutatnight,whenthelightoftheyoungmoonwassoonlostbeneaththehorizon.shehadgonetothemarblesphinxinthedesert,shakingthesandfromhersandals,andthenpassedthroughthelongpassage,whichleadstothecentreofoneofthegreatpyramids,wherethemightykingsofantiquity,surroundedwithpompandsplendor,lieveiledintheformofmummies.shehadbeentoldbythewisemen,thatifshelaidherheadonthebreastofoneofthem,fromtheheadshewouldlearnwheretofindlifeandrecoveryforherfather.shehadperformedallthis,andinadreamhadlearntthatshemustbringhometoherfatherthelotusflower,whichgrowsinthedeepsea,nearthemoorsandheathinthedanishland.theveryplaceandsituationhadbeenpointedouttoher,andshewastoldthattheflowerwouldrestoreherfathertohealthandstrength.and,therefore,shehadgoneforthfromthelandofegypt,flyingovertotheopenmarshandthewildmoorintheplumageofaswan.

thepapaandmammastorksknewallthis,andwealsoknowitnow.weknow,too,thatthemarshkinghasdrawnherdowntohimself,andthattothelovedonesathomesheisforeverdead.oneofthewisestofthemsaid,asthestork-mammaalsosaid,"thatinsomewayshewould,afterall,managetosucceed;"andsoatlasttheycomfortedthemselveswiththishope,andwouldwaitpatiently;infact,theycoulddonothingbetter.

"ishouldliketogetawaytheswan'sfeathersfromthosetwotreacherousprincesses,"saidthepapastork;"then,atleast,theywouldnotbeabletoflyoveragaintothewildmoor,anddomorewickedness.icanhidethetwosuitsoffeathersoveryonder,tillwefindsomeuseforthem."

"butwherewillyouputthem?"