THE STORK. 179 



ures that infest the town. It settles fearlessly upon 

 the chimneys and roofs of the houses, and builds a flat 

 nest of sticks, lined with twigs and straw, and dry 

 grass. There are laid three or four eggs of a bluish- 

 white color, and it takes thirty days to hatch them. 



In Holland and Germany the stork rears her young 

 in the utmost security on the tops of the houses, and 

 even walks about in the most crowded streets amid 

 men, women, and children, without the least danger. 

 To harm a stork is considered an act of barbarity. 

 The young birds come out of the shell, covered with 

 down, and remain in the nest until the end of sum- 

 mer. The parents watch over them with the greatest 

 attention, and feed them by putting food into their 

 mouths from their own beaks. Nothing could ever 

 induce a stork to leave her young ones; she would 

 rather remain and perish with them. 



There was once a great fire in the city of Delfth, 

 Holland. The flames spread to a house on which a 

 mother stork was rearing her young. The little ones 

 were too weak to fly, and their parents did all they 

 could to carry them away. They made many and 

 desperate efforts, but it was all in vain, and the little 

 ones were obliged to remain in the nest. 



Meanwhile the fire came nearer and nearer, and you 

 would think the old storks would be frightened and fly 

 away. But no ; they still refused to leave their little 

 ones, and staid close by them. Even when the 

 flames closed round the nest they did not stir, choos- 

 ing rather to die with their young than desert them. 



After such a touching history, one does not wonder 

 that the stork is respected and beloved. 



