retortedstork-mamma;"itwillneitherbringyouafairwind,noragoodmeal."

"thelittlenightingale,whoissingingyonderinthetamarindgrove,willsoonbegoingnorth,too."helgasaidshehadoftenheardhersingingonthewildmoor,soshedeterminedtosendamessagebyher.whileflyingintheswan'splumageshehadlearntthebirdlanguage;shehadoftenconversedwiththestorkandtheswallow,andsheknewthatthenightingalewouldunderstand.soshebeggedthenightingaletoflytothebeechwood,onthepeninsulaofjutland,whereamoundofstoneandtwigshadbeenraisedtoformthegrave,andshebeggedthenightingaletopersuadealltheotherlittlebirdstobuildtheirnestsroundtheplace,sothatevermoreshouldresoundoverthatgravemusicandsong.andthenightingaleflewaway,andtimeflewawayalso.

intheautumn,aneagle,standinguponapyramid,sawastatelytrainofrichlyladencamels,andmenattiredinarmoronfoamingarabiansteeds,whoseglossyskinsshonelikesilver,theirnostrilswerepink,andtheirthick,flowingmaneshungalmosttotheirslenderlegs.aroyalprinceofarabia,handsomeasaprinceshouldbe,andaccompaniedbydistinguishedguests,wasonhiswaytothestatelyhouse,ontheroofofwhichthestorks'emptynestsmightbeywereawaynowinthefarnorth,butexpectedtoreturnveryd,indeed,theyreturnedonadaythatwasrichinjoyandgladness.

amarriagewasbeingcelebrated,inwhichthebeautifulhelga,glitteringinsilkandjewels,wasthebride,andthebridegroomtheyoungarabprince.brideandbridegroomsatattheupperendofthetable,betweenthebride'smotherandgrandfather.buthergazewasnotonthebridegroom,withhismanly,sunburntface,roundwhichcurledablackbeard,andwhosedarkfieryeyeswerefixeduponher;butawayfromhim,atatwinklingstar,thatshonedownuponherfromthesky.thenwasheardthesoundofrushingwingsbeatingtheair.thestorkswerecominghome;andtheoldstorkpair,althoughtiredwiththejourneyandrequiringrest,didnotfailtoflydownatoncetothebalustradesoftheverandah,fortheyknewalreadywhatfeastwasbeingcelebrated.theyhadheardofitonthebordersoftheland,andalsothathelgahadcausedtheirfigurestoberepresentedonthewalls,fortheybelongedtoherhistory.

"icallthatverysensibleandpretty,"saidstork-papa.

"yes,butitisverylittle,"saidmammastork;"theycouldnotpossiblyhavedoneless."

but,whenhelgasawthem,sheroseandwentoutintotheverandahtostrokethebacksofthestorks.theoldstorkpairbowedtheirheads,andcurvedtheirnecks,andeventheyoungestamongtheyoungonesfelthonoredbythisreception.

helgacontinuedtogazeupontheglitteringstar,whichseemedtoglowbrighterandpurerinitslight;thenbetweenherselfandthestarfloatedaform,purerthantheair,andvisiblethroughfloatedquiteneartoher,andshesawthatitwasthedeadchristianpriest,whoalsowascomingtoherweddingfeast-comingfromtheheavenlykingdom.

"thegloryandbrightness,yonder,outshinesallthatisknownonearth,"saidhe.

thenhelgathefairprayedmoregently,andmoreearnestly,thanshehadeverprayedinherlifebefore,thatshemightbepermittedtogaze,ifonlyforasinglemoment,atthegloryandbrightnessoftheheavenlykingdom.thenshefeltherselfliftedup,asitwere,abovetheearth,throughaseaofsoundandthought;notonlyaroundher,butwithinher,wastherelightandsong,suchaswordscannotexpress.

"nowwemustreturn;"hesaid;"youwillbemissed."

"onlyonemorelook,"shebegged;"butoneshortmomentmore."

"wemustreturntoearth;theguestswillhaveallyonemorelook!