Identifier: audubonmagazine02nati (find matches)
Title: The Audubon magazine
Year: 1887 (1880s)
Authors: National Audubon Society
Subjects: Birds -- Periodicals Birds -- Conservation Periodicals
Publisher: (New York, N.Y. : Forest and Stream Publishing Co.)
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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feathers flew in all directions; nowthe combatants, driven as by a whirlwind,flew through the air; then again theywould sink upon the adjacent house-tops,until finally the murderer sought safety inflight, and closely pursued by the enragedparents, they were soon out of sight. The sequel is soon told: Never fromthat hour forth did I see the solitary storkupon the chimney; he must have fallen aguilty sacrifice to the wrath of the injuredparents. Innumerable traditions and legends cen-ter in this interesting bird in Germany, inwhich country he is regarded, by the chil-dren at least, as something sacred. Hehas always been regarded as the herald ofspring. A very old tradition, recorded asearly as the thirteenth century, states that The Stoi^k. 21 r the storks only adopt the form of birds he would speak, and then he would betraywhen with us; but in the distant countries, everybodys secrets, because he hears andwhither they wend their way every autumn, sees everything. However, as it is, he
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they are human beings, and merely under- manages to give notice of any special oc-go an annual transformation into storks on currence by chattering with his beak,visiting our northern climes The Swabian These birds protect the house from light-peasantry say that if a stork had a tongue ning and must therefore never be disturbed. 212 The Stork. There is a theory in North Germany andSwabia that when a nest is manufacturedfor the stork, which is occasionally doneby putting up an old cartwheel withboughs twined round the spokes, he willtestify his gratitude to the owner of thehouse by throwing down a feather the firstyear, an ^%g the second year, and the thirdyear a young stork. Then he recommenceswith a feather, and so on. The demeanor of the stork on his firstappearance is very important. Should hebe chattering, the spectator will break agreat deal of crockery during the ensuingtwelvemonth; if silent, he will be lazy; ifflying, he will be diligent. Thus say thepeasants of Hanover and Me

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