第39章 鸛鳥 The Storks(第5/10 頁)

會把頭完全繞到尾巴上，用喙咔噠作響，就好像那是一個撥浪鼓一樣。然後他會給他們講所有關於沼澤和溼地的故事。

the father brought them, every day, beautiful frogs, little snakes, and all kinds of stork-dainties that he could find. And then, how funny it was to see the tricks he would perform to amuse them. he would lay his head quite round over his tail, and clatter with his beak, as if it had been a rattle; and then he would tell them stories all about the marshes and fens.

“來吧，” 有一天媽媽說，“現在你們必須學會飛了。” 於是四隻小鸛鳥都不得不來到屋頂上。哦，一開始他們搖搖晃晃的，不得不揮動翅膀保持平衡，不然就會摔到下面的地上。

“e,” said the mother one day, “Now you must learn to fly.” And all the four young ones were obliged to e out on the top of the roof. oh, how they tottered at first, and were obliged to balance themselves with their wings, or they would have fallen to the ground below.

“看著我，” 媽媽說，“你們必須這樣昂起頭，這樣放好你們的腳。一，二，一，二 —— 就是這樣。現在你們在這個世界上就能照顧好自己了。”

“Look at me,” said the mother, “you must hold your heads in this way, and place your feet so. once, twice, once, twice — that is it. Now you will be able to take care of yourselves in the world.”

然後她飛到離他們一小段距離的地方，小鸛鳥們一躍而起去追她，但是他們撲通一聲掉了下來，因為他們的身體還太重。

then she flew a little distance from them, and the young ones made a spring to follow her; but down they fell plump, for their bodies were still too heavy.

“我不想飛。” 一隻小鸛鳥說，爬回了巢裡。“我不在乎去溫暖的國家。”

“I don’t want to fly,” said one of the young storks, creeping back into the nest. “I don’t care about going to warm countries.”

“你想在冬天來的時候留在這裡挨凍嗎？”