"Come, behold, I have seen something dead, lying at the door of our house, and
when I had seen it I came back to call you."
So all the Toads arose and followed him, and having come out, they all saw a
Stork lying at the door of their house; but they did not know that the Stork was
more cunning than themselves. They returned home, called a council together
and said: "What shall we do? Some one who came, we do not know whence, has
died before the gate of our town." All their great men answered, and said, "Arise
all of you, go out, drag this dead body far away, and leave it there."
So they all arose, went, and, taking the Stork by its wings and legs, dragged it
away.
The Stork was cunning; she saw them without their knowing it. They sang, as
they dragged her away:
"Drag her and leave her! Drag her and leave her!"
The Stork did not speak to them, as they all dragged her away, although she saw
them. Now when they had carried her far away, the Stork opened her eyes,
which when they saw they all began to run away. As soon as the Stork saw that
the Toads had begun to run away, she arose, and pursued them; having
overtaken one, she took and swallowed it, and went on taking and swallowing
them. The Toads kept running, but by the time they would have got home the
Stork had swallowed them all, one by one. She had filled her bag, and then
started on her way home. As soon as her children saw her, they all ran to their
mother, saying, "Our mother has brought us food." When they came their mother
threw all the Toads in her bag down to her children, and her children ate them,
so that their hunger was appeased.
The Stork arose, went to her friend, and said:
"My friend, what thou toldest me yesterday is excellent: I went and lay down by
the side of the brook, and when the Toads saw me in the morning, they thought I
was dead; they came, dragged me along, and when they had carried me far away,
not knowing that I was wiser than they and thinking that I was dead, I opened
mine eyes to look at them; but on seeing me open mine eyes, they all began to
run away. Then I arose, pursued them, and when I had overtaken one, I took and
swallowed it; and when I had overtaken a second I took and swallowed it; so by
the time they would have reached home I had swallowed them all, and filled my