THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG STORKS
When the seven young storks set out, they walked or flew for fourteen
weeks in a straight line, and for six weeks more in a crooked one; and
after that they ran as hard as they could for one hundred and eight
miles; and after that they stood still, and made a himmeltanious
chatter-clatter-blattery noise with their bills.
About the same time they perceived a large frog, spotted with green, and
with a sky-blue stripe under each ear.
So, being hungry, they immediately flew at him, and were going to divide
him into seven pieces when they began to quarrel as to which of his legs
should be taken off first. One said this, and another said that; and
while they were all quarreling, the frog hopped away. And when they saw
that he was gone they began to
chatter-clatter,
blatter-platter,
patter-blatter,
matter-clatter,
flatter-quatter,
more violently than ever; and after they had fought for a
week they pecked each other all to little pieces, so that at last
nothing was left of any of them except their bills.
And that was the end of the seven young storks.