criedthenaturalist."youseemtoknowagreatdealaboutnaturalhistory."

"butistherenotsomethingbeautifulinthepopularbeliefthatjustasthetoadistheugliestofanimals,itshouldoftencarrythemostpreciousjewelinitshead?isitnotjustthesamethingwithmen?whatajewelthatwasthataesophad,andstillmore,socrates!"

thetoaddidnothearanymore,nordidsheunderstandhalfofwhatshehadheard.thetwofriendswalkedon,andthussheescapedthefateofbeingbottledupinspirits.

"thosetwoalsowerespeakingofthejewel,"saidthetoadtoherself."whatagoodthingthatihavenotgotit!imighthavebeeninaverydisagreeableposition."

nowtherewasaclappingontheroofofthefarm-r-storkwasmakingaspeechtohisfamily,andhisfamilywasglancingdownatthetwoyoungmeninthekitchengarden.

"manisthemostconceitedcreature!"saidthestork."listenhowtheirjawsarewagging;andforallthattheycan'tclapyboastoftheirgiftsofeloquenceandtheirlanguage!yes,afinelanguagetruly!why,itchangesineveryday'sjourneywemake.oneofthemdoesn'tunderstandanother.now,wecanspeakourlanguageoverthewholeearth-upinthenorthandinegypt.andthenmenarenotabletofly,moreover.theyrushalongbymeansofaninventiontheycall'railway;'buttheyoftenbreaktheirnecksoverit.itmakesmybeakturncoldwhenithinkofit.theworldcouldgetonwithoutmen.wecoulddowithoutthemverywell,solongasweonlykeepfrogsandearth-worms."

"thatwasapowerfulspeech,"thoughtthelittletoad."whatagreatmanthatisyonder!andhowhighhesits!higherthaneverisawanyonesityet;andhowhecanswim!"shecried,asthestorksoaredawaythroughtheairwithoutspreadpinions.

andthemother-storkbegantalkinginthenest,andtoldaboutegyptandthewatersofthenile,andtheincomparablemudthatwastobefoundinthatstrangeland;andallthissoundednewandverycharmingtothelittletoad.

"imustgotoegypt!"saidshe."ifthestorkoroneofhisyoungoneswouldonlytakeme!iwouldobligehiminreturn.yes,ishallgettoegypt,forifeelsohappy!allthelongingandallthepleasurethatifeelismuchbetterthanhavingajewelinone'shead."

anditwasjustshewhohadthejewel.thatjewelwasthecontinualstrivinganddesiretogoupward-everupward.itgleamedinherhead,gleamedinjoy,beamedbrightlyinherlonging.

then,suddenly,upcamethestork.hehadseenthetoadinthegrass,andstoopeddownandseizedthelittlecreatureanythingbutgently.thestork'sbeakpinchedher,andthewindwhistled;itwasnotexactlyagreeable,butshewasgoingupward-upwardtowardsegypt-andsheknewit;andthatwaswhyhereyesgleamed,andasparkseemedtoflyoutofthem.

"quunk!-ah!"

thebodywasdead-thetoadwaskilled!butthesparkthathadshotforthfromhereyes;whatbecameofthat?

thesunbeamtookitup;thesunbeamcarriedthejewelfromtheheadofthetoad.whither?

asknotthenaturalist;ratheraskthepoet.hewilltellittheeundertheguiseofafairytale;andthecaterpillaronthecabbage,andthestorkfamilybelongtothestory.think!thecaterpillarischanged,andturnsintoabeautifulbutterfly;thestorkfamilyfliesovermountainsandseas,tothedistantafrica,andyetfindstheshortestwayhometothesamecountry-tothesamey,thatisalmosttooimprobable;andyetitistrue.youmayaskthenaturalist,hewillconfessitisso;andyouknowityourself,foryouhaveseenit.

butthejewelintheheadofthetoad?