The Stork and the Snake
Once upon a time, beside a lush green marsh where cool waters murmured, there lived a majestic stork. With its snow-white wings and its long red beak, this elegant bird had won the respect of all the creatures around. With the coming of spring it had built a safe nest at the top of a tall plane tree and had begun to watch over its eggs tenderly. But in the shadowy depths of the marsh, a jealous and cunning snake was hiding and prowling stealthily. Every day the snake watched the stork's peaceful nest from afar and waited for a chance to destroy the happiness there. One noon, the stork had to leave the nest for a short while in order to look for food.
The cunning snake, not wanting to miss the chance, coiled around the smooth trunk of the plane tree and began to climb silently. Just as it reached the nest and stretched toward the eggs, the stork suddenly returned with the rustling of the wind. Seeing the danger, the stork beat its wings with fury and cried out: "With what courage do you dare to sneak into my home?" The snake fixed its cold eyes on the stork and said: "I only wanted to enjoy this high view." The stork at once grasped the treacherous intention behind these sweet words of the snake. "Do not play the innocent, I know that your intention is hidden not in your sweet words but in your poisonous teeth," it replied.
When the snake understood that it had been caught, it hissed, showed its sharp teeth and tensed to attack. Without hesitating at all, the stork moved to defend its nest with its strong beak and its broad wings. With a swift move it thwarted the attack of the snake and seized it firmly. The snake, helpless before that sharp beak, writhed and let itself fall down from the tree. The treacherous snake that fell to the ground had to flee wounded to the darkest corner of the marsh. The stork, however, drew a deep breath after securing the safety of its nest and its eggs. One must always stay awake against enemies who try to hide their evil intention with sweet words. Do not take upon you the curse of the oppressed; it comes out slowly.