askedtheyoungstorks.

"no;leavethemalone,"saidthemother."listentome;thatismuchmoreimportant.nowthen.one-two-three.nowtothe-two-three.nowtotheleft,roundthechimney.therenow,thatwasverygood.thatlastflapofthewingswassoeasyandgraceful,thatishallgiveyoupermissiontoflywithmeto-morrowtothemarshes.therewillbeanumberofverysuperiorstorkstherewiththeirfamilies,andiexpectyoutoshowthemthatmychildrenarethebestbroughtupofanywhomaybepresent.youmuststrutaboutproudly-itwilllookwellandmakeyourespected."

"butmaywenotpunishthosenaughtyboys?"askedtheyoungstorks.

"no;letthemscreamawayasmuchastheylike.youcanflyfromthemnowuphighamidtheclouds,andwillbeinthelandofthepyramidswhentheyarefreezing,andhavenotagreenleafonthetreesoranappletoeat."

"wewillrevengeourselves,"whisperedtheyoungstorkstoeachother,astheyagainjoinedtheexercising.

ofalltheboysinthestreetwhosangthemockingsongaboutthestorks,notonewassodeterminedtogoonwithitashewhofirstbeganit.yethewasalittlefellownotmorethansixyearsold.totheyoungstorksheappearedatleastahundred,forhewassomuchbiggerthantheirfatherandmother.tobesure,storkscannotbeexpectedtoknowhowoldchildrenandgrown-uppeopleare.sotheydeterminedtohavetheirrevengeonthisboy,becausehebeganthesongfirstandwouldkeeponwithit.theyoungstorkswereveryangry,andgrewworseastheygrewolder;soatlasttheirmotherwasobligedtopromisethattheyshouldberevenged,butnotuntilthedayoftheirdeparture.

"wemustseefirst,howyouacquityourselvesatthegrandreview,"saidshe."ifyougetonbadlythere,thegeneralwillthrusthisbeakthroughyou,andyouwillbekilled,astheboyssaid,thoughnotexactlyinthesamemanner.sowemustwaitandsee."

"youshallsee,"saidtheyoungbirds,andthentheytooksuchpainsandpractisedsowelleveryday,thatatlastitwasquiteapleasuretoseethemflysolightlyandprettily.assoonastheautumnarrived,allthestorksbegantoassembletogetherbeforetakingtheirdepartureforwarmcountriesduringthewinter.thenthereviewcommenced.theyflewoverforestsandvillagestoshowwhattheycoulddo,fortheyhadalongjourneybeforethem.theyoungstorksperformedtheirpartsowellthattheyreceivedamarkofhonor,withfrogsandsnakesasapresent.thesepresentswerethebestpartoftheaffair,fortheycouldeatthefrogsandsnakes,whichtheyveryquicklydid.

"nowletushaveourrevenge,"theycried.

"yes,certainly,"criedthemotherstork."ihavethoughtuponthebestwaytoberevenged.iknowthepondinwhichallthelittlechildrenlie,waitingtillthestorkscometotakethemtotheirparents.theprettiestlittlebabieslietheredreamingmoresweetlythantheywilleverdreaminthetimetocome.allparentsaregladtohavealittlechild,andchildrenaresopleasedwithalittlebrotherorsister.nowwewillflytothepondandfetchalittlebabyforeachofthechildrenwhodidnotsingthatnaughtysongtomakegameofthestorks."

"butthenaughtyboy,whobeganthesongfirst,whatshallwedotohim?"criedtheyoungstorks.

"thereliesinthepondalittledeadbabywhohasdreameditselftodeath,"saidthemother."wewilltakeittothenaughtyboy,andhewillcrybecausewehavebroughthimalittledeadbrother.butyouhavenotforgottenthegoodboywhosaiditwasashametolaughatanimals:wewilltakehimalittlebrotherandsistertoo,becausehewasgood.heiscalledpeter,andyoushallallbecalledpeterinfuture."

sotheyalldidwhattheirmotherhadarranged,andfromthatday,eventillnow,allthestorkshavebeencalledpeter.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

thestormshakestheshield

byhanschristianandersen

intheolddays,whengrandpapawasquitealittleboy,andranaboutinlittleredbreechesandaredcoat,andafeatherinhiscap-forthat'sthecostumethelittleboysworeinhistimewhentheyweredressedintheirbest-manythingswereverydifferentfromwhattheyarenow.therewasoftenagooddealofshowinthestreets-showthatwedon'tseenowadays,becauseithasbeenabolishedastooold-fashioned.still,itisveryinterestingtoheargrandfathertellaboutit.

itmustreallyhavebeenagorgeoussighttobehold,inthosedays,whentheshoemakerbroughtovertheshield,whenthecourt-housewaschanged.thesilkenflagwavedtoandfro,ontheshielditselfadoubleeaglewasdisplayed,andabigboot;theyoungestladscarriedthe"welcome,"andthechestoftheworkmen'sguild,andtheirshirt-sleeveswereadornedwithredandwhiteribbons;theelderonescarrieddrawnswords,eachwithalemonstuckonitspoint.therewasafullbandofmusic,andthemostsplendidofalltheinstrumentswasthe"bird,"asgrandfathercalledthebigstickwiththecrescentonthetop,andallmannerofdingle-dangleshangingtoit-aperfectturkishclatterofmusic.thestickwasliftedhighintheair,andswungupanddowntillitjingledagain,andquitedazzledone'seyeswhenthesunshoneonallitsgloryofgold,andsilver,andbrass.

infrontoftheprocessionrantheharlequin,dressedinclothesmadeofallkindsofcoloredpatchesartfullysewntogether,withablackface,andbellsonhisheadlikeasledgehorse.hebeatthepeoplewithhisbat,whichmadeagreatclatteringwithouthurtingthem,andthepeoplewouldcrowdtogetherandfallback,onlytoadvanceagainthenextmoment.littleboysandgirlsfellovertheirowntoesintothegutter,oldwomendispenseddigswiththeirelbows,andlookedsour,andtooksnuff.onelaughed,anotherchatted;thepeoplethrongedthewindowsanddoor-steps,andevenalltheroofs.thesunshone;andalthoughtheyhadalittleraintoo,thatwasgoodforthefarmer;andwhentheygotwettedthoroughly,theyonlythoughtwhatablessingitwasforthecountry.

andwhatstoriesgrandpapacouldtell!