Storks ^ Cranes 233 



That year one of the young storks arrived with 

 a broken wing, and had to be taken to the hospital, 

 which was really the drying-ground of the laundry. 

 And a professional nurse was in attendance — she 

 happened to be with us at the time — who bound up 

 the broken wing with the tender care of one whose 

 heart was naturally a soft one for all wounded crea- 

 tures, human or dumb. 



For some days the bird seemed to be a rather 

 refractory patient, for he constantly managed to 

 struggle about and peck the bandages loose. 



At last the bone seemed to have joined, but 

 the wing for a long time drooped at the shoulder, 

 and the bird, unable to fly, looked yearningly up 

 at his brothers as they sailed over his head. 



But one day he managed to get on the wing, 

 and although he was rather a lop-sided kind of a 

 boat ; still he went along fairly well, at no great 

 height from the ground. 



When his fellows left, he, poor bird, had to 

 stay behind, but during September his wing seemed 

 to grow stronger, until at last he too soared round 

 at great heights ; and, by dint of perseverance, to 

 be imitated by many a malade imaginaire, finally 

 was lost to sight in the far, far distance of a clear 

 September sky, soaring round in ever-widening 

 circles, until his bearings were ascertained. 



Let us hope he reached the land of pyramids 

 and temples in safety ; where in the marshes of 

 the Soudan he could join that mighty host of 

 comrades. 



