theStorks byHansChristianAndersen（1838） ONthelasthouseinalittlevillagethestorkshadbuiltanest，andthemotherstorksatinitwithherfouryoungones，whostretchedouttheirnecksandpointedtheirblackbeaks，whichhadnotyetturnedredlikethoseoftheparentbirds.Alittlewayoff，ontheedgeoftheroof，stoodthefatherstork，quiteuprightandstiff；
notlikingtobequiteidle，hedrewuponeleg，andstoodontheother，sostillthatitseemedalmostasifhewerecarvedinwood. “Itmustlookverygrand，”thoughthe， “ywifetohaveasentryguardinghernest.TheydonotknowthatIamherhusband；
theywillthinkIhavebeencommandedtostandhere，whichisquitearistocratic；
”andsohecontinuedstandingononeleg. Inthestreetbelowwereanumberofchildrenatplay，andwhentheycaughtsightofthestorks，oneoftheboldestamongsttheboysbegantosingasongaboutthem，andverysoonhewasjoinedbytherest.Thesearethewordsofthesong，buteachonlysangwhathecouldrememberoftheminhisownway. “Stork，stork，flyaway，Standnotononeleg，Ipray，Seeyourwifeisinhernest，Withherlittleonesatrest.theywillhangone，Andfryanother；
Theywillshootathird，Androasthisbrother.” “Justhearwhatthoseboysaresinging，”saidtheyoungstorks；
“theysayweshallbehangedandroasted.” “Nevermindwhattheysay；
youneednotlisten，”saidthemother. “Theycandonoharm.” Buttheboyswentonsingingandpointingatthestorks，andmockingatthem，exceptingoneoftheboyswhosenamewasPeter；
hesaiditwasashametomakefunofanimals，andwouldnotjoinwiththematall.Themotherstorkcomfortedheryoungones，andtoldthemnottomind. “See，”shesaid， “Howquietyourfatherstands，althoughheisonlyononeleg.” “Butweareverymuchfrightened，”saidtheyoungstorks，andtheydrewbacktheirheadsintothenests. thenextdaywhenthechildrenwereplayingtogether，andsawthestorks，theysangthesongagain “theywillhangone，Androastanother.” “Shallwebehangedandroasted”askedtheyoungstorks. “No，certainlynot，”saidthemother. “Iwillteachyoutofly，andwhenyouhavelearnt，wewillflyintothemeadows，andpayavisittothefrogs，whowillbowthemselvestousinthewater，andcryCroak，croak，andthenweshalleatthemup；
thatwillbefun.” “Andwhatnext”askedtheyoungstorks. “then，”repliedthemother， “allthestorksinthecountrywillassembletogether，andgothroughtheirautumnmanoeuvres，sothatitisveryimportantforeveryonetoknowhowtoflyproperly.Iftheydonot，thegeneralwillthrustthemthroughwithhisbeak，andkillthem.Thereforeyoumusttakepainsandlearn，soastobereadywhenthedrillingbegins.” “thenwemaybekilledafterall，astheboyssay；
andharktheyaresingingagain.” “Listentome，andnottothem，”saidthemotherstork. “AftertheGREatreviewisover，weshallflyawaytowarmcountriesfarfromhence，wheretherearemountainsandforests.ToEgypt，whereweshallseethree-corneredhousesbuiltofstone，withpointedtopsthatreachnearlytotheclouds.TheyarecalledPyramids，andareolderthanastorkcouldimagine；
andinthatcountry，thereisariverthatoverflowsitsbanks，andthengoesback，leavingnothingbutmire；
therewecanwalkabout，andeatfrogsinabundance.” “Oh，oh”criedtheyoungstorks. “Yes，itisadelightfulplace；
thereisnothingtodoalldaylongbuteat，andwhilewearesowelloffoutthere，inthiscountrytherewillnotbeasingleGREenleafonthetrees，andtheweatherwillbesocoldthatthecloudswillfreeze，andfallontheearthinlittlewhiterags.”Thestorkmeantsnow，butshecouldnotexplainitinanyotherway. “Will the naughty boys freeze and fall in pieces” asked the young storks. “No， they will not freeze and fall into pieces，” said the mother， “but they will be very cold， and be obliged to sit all day in a dark， gloomy room， while we shall be flying about in foreign lands， where there are blooming flowers and warm sunshine.” Time passed on， and the young storks GREw so large that they could stand upright in the nest and look about them. The father brought them， every day， beautiful frogs， little snakes， and all kinds of stork-dainties that he could find. And then， how funny it was to see the tricks he would per to amuse them. He would lay his head quite round over his tail， and clatter with his beak， as if it had been a rattle；
and then he would tell them stories all about the marshes and fens. “Come，” said the mother one day， “Now you must learn to fly.” And all the four young ones were obliged to come out on the top of the roof. Oh， how they tottered at first， and were obliged to balance themselves with their wings， or they would have fallen to the ground below. “Look at me，” said the mother， “you must hold your heads in this way， and pl