28 LEAVES FROM THE 



Then there was the ancient stork, that had nested for 

 I don't know how many years on one particular house. 

 This well-bred bird never returned in the spring without 

 stalking about before the door, and clattering his bill till 

 the master came out, when stork clattered more than 

 ever, as much as to say, — ' The top of the morning to 

 you, sir; here I am again/ To which the master would 

 reply, — 'Ah! old fellow, how are you?' When autumn 

 came the same ceremony was gone through; the stork 

 clattering, — ' Good bye, your honour ;' and the master 

 saying, ' A pleasant journey to you, old boy/ 



Another ancient, not contented with mere empty 

 greeting, is stated to have brought every time he returned 

 a root of ginger, which, after a sufficient exordium of 

 clattering, was disgorged as a new year's gift to the 

 master of the house. 



Every one knows the story of the little dog that 

 brought a bigger one to revenge his wrongs upon an 

 overgrown bully ; but Oppian caps this, when he tells us, 

 that once upon a time a huge serpent contrived year 

 after year to insinuate itself into the nest of a stork, and 

 destroy its young. At last the bereaved parents brought 

 back with them another biixl which had never been pre- 

 viously seen, shorter than a stork, but with a great sharp 

 sword-like beak. When the nestlings were ripe for 

 slaughter, forth crept the serpent ; but this time he was 

 confronted by the warlike ally, and a fierce combat 

 ensued between the bird and the reptile, which at length 

 terminated in the death of the murderous asrffressor ; not, 

 however, vdth. impunity on the part of the defender of 

 nestlings, which suffered so severely from the poisonous 

 bite of the snake that all its feathers fell off. The 

 grateful storks seeing this, would not leave their bene- 

 factor to his fate, but cherished him, and delayed their 

 departure till his feathers grew again, and he was able to 

 accompany them; when the whole party flew away 

 together. 



