saidthestork-mamma."theycertainlyoughtnottoforgetthemostimportantpersonintheaffair,asyoureallyare.thelearnedmenhavedonenothingatallbutusetheirtongues.surelytheywillnotoverlookyou."

lateinthenight,whilethegentlesleepofpeacerestedonthenowhappyhouse,therewasstillonewatcher.itwasnotstork-papa,who,althoughhestoodonguardononeleg,couldsleepsoundly.helgaalonewasawake.sheleanedoverthebalcony,gazingatthesparklingstarsthatshoneclearerandbrighterinthepureairthantheyhaddoneinthenorth,andyettheywerethesamestars.shethoughtoftheviking'swifeinthewildmoorland,ofthegentleeyesofherfoster-mother,andofthetearsshehadshedoverthepoorfrog-childthatnowlivedinsplendorandstarrybeautybythewatersofthenile,withairbalmyandsweetasspring.shethoughtofthelovethatdweltinthebreastoftheheathenwoman,lovethathadbeenshowntoawretchedcreature,hatefulasahumanbeing,andhideouswhenintheformofananimal.shelookedattheglitteringstars,andthoughtoftheradiancethathadshoneforthontheforeheadofthedeadman,asshehadfledwithhimoverthewoodlandandmoor.toneswereawakenedinhermemory;wordswhichshehadheardhimspeakastheyrodeonward,whenshewascarried,wonderingandtrembling,throughtheair;wordsfromthegreatfountainoflove,thehighestlovethatembracesallthehumanrace.whathadnotbeenwonandachievedbythislove?

dayandnightbeautifulhelgawasabsorbedinthecontemplationofthegreatamountofherhappiness,andlostherselfinthecontemplation,likeachildwhoturnshurriedlyfromthegivertoexaminethebeautifulgifts.shewasover-poweredwithhergoodfortune,whichseemedalwaysincreasing,andthereforewhatmightitbecomeinthefuture?hadshenotbeenbroughtbyawonderfulmiracletoallthisjoyandhappiness?andinthesethoughtssheindulged,untilatlastshethoughtnomoreofthegiver.itwastheover-abundanceofyouthfulspiritsunfoldingitswingsforadaringflight.hereyessparkledwithenergy,whensuddenlyarosealoudnoiseinthecourtbelow,andthedaringthoughtvanished.shelookeddown,andsawtwolargeostrichesrunningroundquicklyinnarrowcircles;shehadneverseenthesecreaturesbefore,-great,coarse,clumsy-lookingbirdswithcuriouswingsthatlookedasiftheyhadbeenclipped,andthebirdsthemselveshadtheappearanceofhavingbeenroughlyused.sheinquiredaboutthem,andforthefirsttimeheardthelegendwhichtheegyptiansrelaterespectingtheostrich.

once,saythey,theostricheswereabeautifulandgloriousraceofbirds,withlarge,strongwings.oneeveningtheotherlargebirdsoftheforestsaidtotheostrich,"brother,shallweflytotheriverto-morrowmorningtodrink,godwilling?"andtheostrichanswered,"iwill."

withthebreakofday,therefore,theycommencedtheirflight;firstrisinghighintheair,towardsthesun,whichistheeyeofgod;stillhigherandhighertheostrichflew,farabovetheotherbirds,proudlyapproachingthelight,trustinginitsownstrength,andthinkingnotofthegiver,orsaying,"ifgodwill."whensuddenlytheavengingangeldrewbacktheveilfromtheflamingoceanofsunlight,andinamomentthewingsoftheproudbirdwerescorchedandshrivelled,andtheysunkmiserablytotheearth.sincethattimetheostrichandhisracehaveneverbeenabletoriseintheair;theycanonlyflyterror-strickenalongtheground,orrunroundandroundinnarrowcircles.itisawarningtomankind,thatinallourthoughtsandschemes,andineveryactionweundertake,weshouldsay,"ifgodwill."

thenhelgabowedherheadthoughtfullyandseriously,andlookedatthecirclingostrich,aswithtimidfearandsimplepleasureitglancedatitsowngreatshadowonthesunlitwalls.andthestoryoftheostrichsunkdeeplyintotheheartandmindofhelga:alifeofhappiness,bothinthepresentandinthefuture,seemedsecureforher,andwhatwasyettocomemightbethebestofall,godwilling.

earlyinthespring,whenthestorkswereagainabouttojourneynorthward,beautifulhelgatookoffhergoldenbracelets,scratchedhernameonthem,andbeckonedtothestork-father.hecametoher,andsheplacedthegoldencircletroundhisneck,andbeggedhimtodeliveritsafelytotheviking'swife,sothatshemightknowthatherfoster-daughterstilllived,washappy,andhadnotforgottenher.

"itisratherheavytocarry,"thoughtstork-papa,whenhehaditonhisneck;"butgoldandhonorarenottobeflungintothestreet.thestorkbringsgoodfortune-they'llbeobligedtoacknowledgethatatlast."

"youlaygold,andilayeggs,"saidstork-mamma;"withyouitisonlyonceinaway,ilayeggseveryyearbutnooneappreciateswhatwedo;icallitverymortifying."

"butthenwehaveaconsciousnessofourownworth,mother,"repliedstork-papa.

"whatgoodwillthatdoyou?"