round rapidly in a narrow circle. Never before had
she seen such creatures--great clumsy things they were, with wings
that looked as if they had been clipped, and the birds themselves
looking as if they had suffered violence of some kind; and now for the
first time she heard the legend which the Egyptians tell of the
ostrich.

Once, they say, the ostriches were a beautiful, glorious race of
birds, with strong large wings; and one evening the larger birds of
the forest said to the ostrich, "Brother, shall we fly to-morrow, _God
willing_, to the river to drink?" And the ostrich answered, "I will."
At daybreak, accordingly, they winged their flight from thence, flying
first up on high, towards the sun, that gleamed like the eye of
God--higher and higher, the ostrich far in advance of all the other
birds. Proudly the ostrich flew straight towards the light, boasting
of his strength, and not thinking of the Giver or saying, "God
willing!" Then suddenly the avenging angel drew aside the veil from
the flaming ocean of sunlight, and in a moment the wings of the proud
bird were scorched and shrivelled up, and he sank miserably to the
ground. Since that time, the ostrich has never again been able to
raise himself in the air, but flees timidly along the ground, and runs
round in a narrow circle. And this is a warning for us men, that in
all our thoughts and schemes, in all our doings and devices, we should
say, "God willing." And Helga bowed her head thoughtfully and gravely,
and looked at the circling ostrich, noticing its timid fear, and its
stupid pleasure at sight of its own great shadow cast upon the white
sunlit wall. And seriousness struck its roots deep into her mind and
heart. A rich life in present and future happiness was given and won;
and what was yet to come? the best of all, "_God willing_."

In early spring, when the storks flew again towards the North,
beautiful Helga took off her golden bracelet, and scratched her name
upon it; and beckoning to the stork-father, she placed the golden hoop
around his neck, and begged him to deliver it to the Viking woman, so
that the latter might see that her adopted daughter was well, and had
not forgotten her.

"That's heavy to carry," thought the stork-papa, when he had the
golden ring round his neck; "but gold and honour are not to be flung
into the street. The stork brings good fortune; they'll be obliged to
acknowledge that over yonder."

"You lay gold and I lay eggs,"