The stork is a very kind parent, and is, in fact, more careful of the
welfare of its young than most birds; but it never goes to the length
of surrendering its homestead to its children.
The young storks will be carefully nurtured and reared by their
parents; when they grow old enough they will be taught to fly, and
encouraged in the most earnest way to strengthen and develop their
wings by exercise; and, in the annual expedition to the south, they
are not left to themselves, but are conducted to the happy lands where
all good storks spend their winters. But the young storks cannot have
everything. If they wish to live in the nest in which they were born,
they must wait until their parents are dead.
It may be that we have now seen enough of birds' nests, and so I will
not show you any more.
The next nest which we will examine--
"But I thought you were not going to show us any more birds' nests!"
you will say.
That is true. I did say so, and this next one is not a bird's nest but
a fish's nest.
It is probably that very few of you, if any, ever saw a fish's nest;
but there certainly are such things.
[Illustration]
The fish which builds them is called the Stickleback.
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