"That's a pretty bill of yours, Mr. Grand Vizier," said the caliph,
after a long pause of astonishment. "By the beard of the Prophet, I
never saw any thing like that in my life."
"Thank you kindly," answered the grand vizier, bowing; "but, if I
may he allowed the observation, your highness looks almost handsomer
as stork than as caliph. But come, if you please, let us listen to
our comrades yonder, and try whether we really do understand
Storkish."
In the mean time the other stork had alighted on the ground. He
arranged his feathers with his bill, put himself to rights, and
walked up to the first stork.
The two new storks made haste to approach them, and overheard, to
their astonishment, the following conversation.
"Good morning, Mrs. Longlegs; you are early on the meadow."
"Thank you, dear blatterbeak! I have been getting a little
breakfast. Will you take a bit of lizard, or a frog's leg?"
"Much obliged, but I have no appetite this morning. I came on to the
meadow for quite a different purpose. I am to dance before the
guests at my father's to-day, and I thought I would exercise a
little in private beforehand."
At the same time the young storkess marched about the field making
the oddest gesticulations. The caliph and Mansor looked on with
wonder. But at last, when she put herself into a picturesque
attitude on one foot, and gracefully waved her wings, they could
stand it no longer; an inextinguishable laugh burst from their
bills, from which they did not recover for some time.
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