Little Greta of Denmark Part 4

"No, Greta. Thanks to Chouse, we got here in time. But if the wind should change suddenly, the whole forest could very easily burn down."

"How did such a fire ever get started?"

"I told old Peter to clear out some of the twigs and underbrush,"

explained her father, "but I also told him that he must never go away when these piles were burning. He must stay with them every minute."

"I wonder where he is now?"

"I don't know. But he should be right here, watching this fire."

"If the wind did change, how would he put out the fire?"

"By throwing earth on it, Greta."

While they were talking, Chouse was standing near by, wagging his tail and looking very proud of himself.

[Ill.u.s.tration: IN THE FOREST]

"Chouse, you are the best dog in the whole wide world," said the happy little girl. "First you rescued my kittens and now you have saved the whole forest from burning. We couldn't possibly send Chouse away. Could we, Father?"

Her father didn't answer right away. Finally he said, "By the way, Greta, have you named the kittens yet?"

"No, I haven't. I've been trying to think of some very special sort of names, but I just can't think of any."

"Maybe Anna can help you find the right names," her father suggested.

"Of course she can. But I wonder when Anna is coming? I haven't heard from her yet."

"Why don't you run home and see if you got a letter this morning? I must stay here and watch this fire until old Peter comes."

"All right, Father."

It didn't take Greta long to get home. Even Chouse could hardly keep up with her. She hadn't been away from her kittens for this long a time since the day Chouse had rescued them. You would never know now that they had been almost drowned. Their fur was just as soft and fluffy as it had ever been.

"Oh, there you are, Greta. I've been looking everywhere for you." Her mother greeted her at the door of the house. "Here is a letter for you from Anna."

Greta read the letter eagerly.

"_Dear Greta:_

_Thank you for your nice invitation. I shall be very happy to come.

Can you meet me at the train at Holstebro? I shall arrive next Monday at half past two._

_Lovingly yours, Anna_"

"Another letter came this morning, Greta, and I have a real surprise for you."

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE LETTER FROM ANNA]

"Oh, Mother, what is it?" Greta's eyes were already dancing with happiness.

"We are invited to Vosborg for dinner next week."

"You mean the beautiful castle up on the hill," asked Greta, "the one that I have always wanted to visit?"

"Yes, dear, that very castle."

"But I thought that Mr. Christianson didn't live there any more?"

"He has been away for many years, but now he has come back to live in Vosborg."

"And you mean that _I_ can go, and Hans, and Anna, too?"

"Yes, Greta."

"Oh, _Mother_!" Greta threw her arms around her mother's neck. "I must tell Hans right away." And off she dashed, with Chouse at her heels.

CHAPTER V

THE STORKS

"Greta, I didn't know that you had storks on your farm," said Anna.

"Of course we do," said Greta. "Every farm has a nest of storks."

Hans and Greta had been showing Anna the garden and the river and all the animals on the farm. Greta herself had almost forgotten about the storks, because she was so used to them. And anyway, they weren't animals you could play with, like the kittens and the dog.

"They bring us good luck," explained Hans. "Every farmer puts up an old wheel, or something else that is round, so the storks can build their nest on it. Sometimes he puts it on the roof of the barn and sometimes on the house."

"Don't you have storks at home, Anna?" asked Greta.

"Goodness, no! I don't think there's a stork in all Copenhagen, except maybe in the zoo." Anna couldn't take her eyes from the large round nest on the roof of the barn. "Do they stay here all the year round?" she asked.

"It's too cold for them here in the winter. When cold weather comes, they all fly south. Father says that some of them go as far as Africa.

But early in the spring they always come back."

"Does the same family of storks come back every year?" asked Anna.

"We _think_ it's the same family," answered Greta, "but we're never really sure, for you can't ever get very near the storks."

While the children had been talking, one of the storks was standing on one leg on the edge of the nest.

"That's the papa stork that you see now," explained Hans. "He's away most of the day, gathering food, but every now and then he comes back to the nest to rest. He always stands on one leg, just like that, when he rests."

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE STORKS]