When the Stork Called - Australian Fairy Tales
Description
Vocal Characteristics
Language
EnglishVoice Age
Middle Aged (35-54)Transcript
Note: Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors.
Story eight of Australian Fairytales. This is a Librivox recording. All Lieber VX recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Lieber VX dot org. Australian Fairytales by James Hume Cook. When the stork called once upon a time, a long while ago, I went with a stork to deliver a new baby. Next morning, the nurse told the baby's father and some friends who had called all about it and this is what she said. The boy and the girl were both a bed, their prayers were said and each little curly silken head was laid on its own downy pillow, wind sakes alive like beasts from a hive with a buzz and a boom that seemed to run from the earth to the sea and from there to the sun, there came such a knock, such a sharp rat tat. And the boy woke up and said, what's that? And the girl from her bed jumped out on her hat, a ridiculous place. You must all agree on the bedroom floor for a hat to be. And all the while that rapid rat tat made their little hearts beat a pity. Poor pat. Then the queerest of sounds on their quick ears fell. It was not a cry and it was hardly a yell, but they both felt sure as they sat. So still it was, the stork had knocked with his hard long bill. But oh, it was an aching time. The hall clock twice rang out its chime. Her grandma came and to them told how the stork had come through the night. So cold had called and said, as they lay a bed as sound asleep as if they were dead. Here's the baby for which you prayed a baby brother. I'll leave him with mother, treat him kindly and be not afraid. Then like a star that shoots afar away. He flew on pinion's light. Oh, so swiftly through the night ride away on Airy Wing through the pale moon's fairy ring on to where the babies weight just beside God's golden gate. Everybody seemed to be pleased with the effort of the storks companion but not to have a break in the night's proceedings sight. The third of the five storytellers was called upon to tell a tale and this is what he said. End of story read by Helen Cole December of 2022.