174 THE STORK. 



of the old birds, which are feeble and fatigued with 

 their long journey, resting on the backs of the younger 

 ones. 



These aged parents, it is said, are laid carefully on 

 their old nests, where they are fed and cherished by 

 the young ones, which they reared with so much 

 tenderness the year before. 



Thus we see that the general character of the Stork 

 is worthy of the highest praise. But we are sorry to 

 say that he sometimes behaves in a manner not so 

 worthy of approbation, for when insulted, he does not 

 forgive the injury, but seeks the first opportunity of 

 taking revenge on his enemy. 



A farmer, near Hamburgh, in Germany, had a tame 

 Stork, which lived for several years in the yard with 

 his poultry. This bird, from his size, and the influ- 

 ence he exerted among the geese, ducks, and chick- 

 ens, had become a kind of captain among them, arid 

 therefore, like other commanders, was quite jealous 

 of encroachments on his own ground. It happened, 

 however, that the farmer, not sufficiently aware of 

 this circumstance, brought a wild Stork into the yard, 

 as a companion for the tame one. This was exceed- 

 ingly provoking to the tame Stork, who was far from 

 wishing to divide his influence with a rival; he there- 

 fore, without considering who was to blame, fell upon 

 the poor stranger, and beat him so unmercifully that 

 he escaped with difficulty, but finally took wing and 

 left the place. But this piece of ill treatment the 

 stranger did not forget, nor forgive, for about four 

 months afterwards he revenged himself in the most 



