a01-第1章

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1872
FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN
THE　STORKS
by　Hans　Christian　Andersen
　
ON　the　last　house　in　a　little　village　the　storks　had　built　a　nest；
and　the　mother　stork　sat　in　it　with　her　four　young　ones；　who　stretched
out　their　necks　and　pointed　their　black　beaks；　which　had　not　yet
turned　red　like　those　of　the　parent　birds。　A　little　way　off；　on　the
edge　of　the　roof；　stood　the　father　stork；　quite　upright　and　stiff；　not
liking　to　be　quite　idle；　he　drew　up　one　leg；　and　stood　on　the　other；
so　still　that　it　seemed　almost　as　if　he　were　carved　in　wood。　〃It
must　look　very　grand；〃　thought　he；　〃for　my　wife　to　have　a　sentry
guarding　her　nest。　They　do　not　know　that　I　am　her　husband；　they　will
think　I　have　been　commanded　to　stand　here；　which　is　quite
aristocratic；〃　and　so　he　continued　standing　on　one　leg。

In　the　street　below　were　a　number　of　children　at　play；　and　when
they　caught　sight　of　the　storks；　one　of　the　boldest　amongst　the　boys
began　to　sing　a　song　about　them；　and　very　soon　he　was　joined　by　the
rest。　These　are　the　words　of　the　song；　but　each　only　sang　what　he
could　remember　of　them　in　his　own　way。
〃Stork；　stork；　fly　away；
Stand　not　on　one　leg；　I　pray；
See　your　wife　is　in　her　nest；
With　her　little　ones　at　rest。
They　will　hang　one；
And　fry　another；
They　will　shoot　a　third；
And　roast　his　brother。〃
〃Just　hear　what　those　boys　are　singing；〃　said　the　young　storks；
〃they　say　we　shall　be　hanged　and　roasted。〃
〃Never　mind　what　they　say；　you　need　not　listen；〃　said　the
mother。　〃They　can　do　no　harm。〃

But　the　boys　went　on　singing　and　pointing　at　the　storks；　and
mocking　at　them；　excepting　one　of　the　boys　whose　name　was　Peter；　he　said　it　was　a　shame　to　make　fun　of　animals；　and　would　not　join　with　them　at　all。　The　mother　stork　comforted　her　young　ones；　and　told　them　not　to　mind。　〃See；〃　she　said；　〃How　quiet　your　father　stands；　although　he　is　only　on　one　leg。〃
〃But　we　are　very　much　frightened；〃　said　the　young　storks；　and　they
drew　back　their　heads　into　the　nests。
The　next　day　when　the　children　were　playing　together；　and　saw
the　storks；　they　sang　the　song　again…
〃They　will　hang　one；
And　roast　another。〃
〃Shall　we　be　hanged　and　roasted？〃　asked　the　young　storks。
〃No；　certainly　not；〃　said　the　mother。　〃I　will　teach　you　to　fly；
and　when　you　have　learnt；　we　will　fly　into　the　meadows；　and　pay　a
visit　to　the　frogs；　who　will　bow　themselves　to　us　in　the　water；　and
cry　'Croak；　croak；'　and　then　we　shall　eat　them　up；　that　will　be　fun。〃
〃And　what　next？〃　asked　the　young　storks。

〃Then；〃　replied　the　mother；　〃all　the　storks　in　the　country　will
assemble　together；　and　go　through　their　autumn　manoeuvres；　so　that
it　is　very　important　for　every　one　to　know　how　to　fly　properly。　If
they　do　not；　the　general　will　thrust　them　through　with　his　beak；　and
kill　them。　Therefore　you　must　take　pains　and　learn；　so　as　to　be
ready　when　the　drilling　begins。〃

〃Then　we　may　be　killed　after　all；　as　the　boys　say；　and　hark！
they　are　singing　again。〃

〃Listen　to　me；　and　not　to　them；〃　said　the　mother　stork。　〃After　the
great　review　is　over；　we　shall　fly　away　to　warm　countries　far　from
hence；　where　there　are　mountains　and　forests。　To　Egypt；　where　we　shall　see　three…cornered　houses　built　of　stone；　with　pointed　tops　that　reach　nearly　to　the　clouds。　They　are　called　Pyramids；　and　are　older　than　a　stork　could　imagine；　and　in　that　country；　there　is　a　river　that
overflows　its　banks；　and　then　goes　back；　leaving　nothing　but　mire；
there　we　can　walk　about；　and　eat　frogs　in　abundance。〃

〃Oh；　o…　h！〃　cried　the　young　storks。

〃Yes；　it　is　a　delightful　place；　there　is　nothing　to　do　all　day
long　but　eat；　and　while　we　are　so　well　off　out　there；　in　this
country　there　will　not　be　a　single　green　leaf　on　the　trees；　and　the
weather　will　be　so　cold　that　the　clouds　will　freeze；　and　fall　on　the
earth　in　little　white　rags。〃　The　stork　meant　snow；　but　she　could　not
explain　it　in　any　other　way。

〃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　perform　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　place　your　feet　so。　Once；　twice；　once；　twice…　that　is　it。　Now
you　will　be　able　to　take　care　of　yourselves　in　the　world。〃

Then　she　flew　a　little　distance　from　them；　and　the　young　ones　made
a　spring　to　follow　her；　but　down　they　fell　plump；　for　their　bodies
were　still　too　heavy。

〃I　don't　want　to　fly；〃　said　one　of　the　young　storks；　creeping　back
into　the　nest。　〃I　don't　care　about　going　to　warm　countries。〃

〃Would　you　like　to　stay　here　and　freeze　when　the　winter　comes？〃
said　the　mother；　〃or　till　the　boys　comes　to　hang　you；　or　to　roast
you？…　Well　then；　I'll　call　them。〃

〃Oh　no；　no；〃　said　the　young　stork；　jumping　out　on　the　roof　with
the　others；　and　now　they　were　all　attentive；　and　by　the　third　day
could　fly　a　little。　Then　they　began　to　fancy　they　could　soar；　so
they　tried　to　do　so；　resting　on　their　wings；　but　they　soon　found
themselves　falling；　and　had　to　flap　their　wings　as　quickly　as
possible。　The　boys　came　again　in　the　street　singing　their　song：…
〃Stork；　stork；　fly　away。〃
〃Shall　we　fly　down；　and　pick　their　eyes　out？〃　asked　the　young
storks。

〃No；　leave　them　alone；〃　said　the　mother。　〃Listen　to　me；　that　is
much　more　important。　Now　then。　One…two…three。　Now　to　the　right。
One…two…three。　Now　to　the　left；　round　the　chimney。　There　now；　that　was　very　good。　That　last　flap　of　the　wings　was　so　easy　and　graceful；
that　I　shall　give　you　permission　to　fly　with　me　to…morrow　to　the
marshes。　There　will　be　a　number　of　very　superior　storks　there　with
their　families；　and　I　expect　you　to　show　them　that　my　children　are　the
best　brought　up　of　any　who　may　be　present。　You　must　strut　about
proudly…　it　will　look　well　and　make　you　respected。〃

〃But　may　we　not　punish　those　naughty　boys？〃　asked　the　young
storks。

〃No；　let　them　scream　away　as　much　as　they　like。　You　can　fly　from
them　now　up　high　amid　the　clouds；　and　will　be　in　the　land　of　the
pyramids　when　they　are　freezing；　and　have　not　a　green　leaf　on　the
trees　or　an　apple　to　eat。〃

〃We　will　revenge　ourselves；〃　whispered　the　young　storks　to　each
other；　as　they　again　joined　the　exercising。

Of　all　the　boys　in　the　street　who　sang　the　mocking　song　about
the　storks；　not　one　was　so　determined　to　go　on　with　it　as　he　who　first
began　it。　Yet　he　was　a　little　fellow　not　more　than　six　years　old。　To
the　young　storks　he　appeared　at　least　a　hundred；　for　he　was　so　much
bigger　than　their　father　and　mother。　To　be　sure；　storks　cannot　be
expected　to　know　how　old　children　and　grown…up　people　are。　So　they　determined　to　have　their　revenge　on　this　boy；　because　he　began　the　song　first　and　would　keep　on　with　it。　The　young　storks　were　very
angry；　and　grew　worse　as　they　grew　older；　so　at　last　their　mother
was　obliged　to　promise　that　they　should　be　revenged；　but　not　until　the
day　of　their　departure。

〃We　must　see　first；　how　you　acquit　yourselves　at　the　grand
review；〃　said　she。　〃If　you　get　on　badly　there；　the　general　will　thrust
his　beak　through　you；　and　you　will　be　killed；　as　the　boys　said；　though
not　exactly　in　the　same　manner。　So　we　must　wait　and　see。〃

〃You　shall　see；〃　said　the　young　birds；　and　then　they　took　such
pains　and　practised　so　well　every　day；　that　at　last　it　was　quite　a
pleasure　to　see　them　fly　so　lightly　and　prettily。　As　soon　as　the
autumn　arrived；　all　the　storks　began　to　assemble　together　before
taking　their　departure　for　warm　countries　during　the　winter。　Then
the　review　commenced。　They　flew　over　forests　and　villages　to　show　what　they　could　do；　for　they　had　a　long　journey　before　them。　The　young　storks　performed　their　part　so　well　that　they　received　a　mark　of
honor；　with　frogs　and　snakes　as　a　present。　These　presents　were　the
best　part　of　the　affair；　for　they　could　eat　the　frogs　and　snakes；
which　they　very　quickly　did。

〃Now　let　us　have　our　revenge；〃　they　cried。

〃Yes；　certainly；〃　cried　the　mother　stork。　〃I　have　thought　upon　the
best　way　to　be　revenged。　I　know　the　pond　in　which　all　the　little
children　lie；　waiting　till　the　storks　come　to　take　them　to　their
parents。　The　prettiest　little　babies　lie　there　dreaming　more　sweetly
than　they　will　ever　dream　in　the　time　to　come。　All　parents　are　glad　to
have　a　little　child；　and　children　are　so　pleased　with　a　little　brother
or　sister。　Now　we　will　fly　to　the　pond　and　fetch　a　little　baby　for
each　of　the　children　who　did　not　sing　that　naughty　song　to　make　game
of　the　storks。〃

〃But　the　naughty　boy；　who　began　the　song　first；　what　shall　we　do
to　him？〃　cried　the　young　storks。

〃There　lies　in　the　pond　a　little　dead　baby　who　has　dreamed
itself　to　death；〃　said　the　mother。　〃We　will　take　it　to　the　naughty
boy；　and　he　will　cry　because　we　have　brought　him　a　little　dead
brother。　But　you　have　not　forgotten　the　good　boy　who　said　it　was　a
shame　to　laugh　at　animals：　we　will　take　him　a　little　brother　and
sister　too；　because　he　was　good。　He　is　called　Peter；　and　you　shall　all
be　called　Peter　in　future。〃

So　they　all　did　what　their　mother　had　arranged；　and　from　that　day；
even　till　now；　all　the　storks　have　been　called　Peter。

THE　END

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Written　By　Anderson