The Complete Fairy Tales & Other Stories
By Hans Christian Andersen - online book

Oxford Complete Illustrated Edition all his stories written between 1835 and 1872.

Share page

	THE STORKS                               175 Storks did their part so well that they got as a mark, 1 Remarkably well, with frogs and snakes.' That was the highest mark ; and they might eat the frogs and snakes ; and that is what they did. 1 Now we will be revenged ! ' they said. 1 Yes, certainly ! ' said the Mother-Stork. ' What I have thought of will be the best. I know the pond in which all the little mortals lie till the stork comes and brings them to their parents. The pretty little babies lie there and dream more sweetly than they ever dream afterwards. All parents are glad to have such a child, and all children want to have a sister or a brother. Now we will fly to the pond, and bring one for each of the children who have not sung the naughty song and laughed at the storks.' ' But ho who began to sing—that naughty, ugly boy ! ' screamed the young Storks ; ' what shall we do with him ? ' ' There is a little dead child in the pond, one that has dreamed itself to death ; we will bring that for him. Then he will cry because we have brought him a little dead brother. But that good boy—you have not forgotten him, the one who said, " It is wrong to laugh at animals ! " for him we will bring a brother and a sister too. And as his name is Peter, all of you shall be called Peter too.' And it was done as she said ; all the storks were named Peter, and so they are all called even now.