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Storks adore the Netherlands. They fly all the way from Africa and feel at home among the dykes and windmills. There are thousands of them. Sometimes they stroll through the streets, unafraid of people, building their nests on roofs, chimneys, and even on church towers.
If someone sets up a few flat boards or a wooden wheel on the top of a tree, storks take it as an invitation. When they arrive in spring, they start with a thorough grooming before even building their nest. For hours, they clean their feathers and preen with their long beaks. Then, as ceremoniously as a master builder, they begin collecting sticks and pieces of bark to construct their home, never in a hurry.
A pair of storks will use the same nest year after year, repairing and expanding it every spring. Storks don’t like changes. When treated well in one place, Mr. and Mrs. Stork will return there every spring. In the Netherlands, the return of the storks is a grand celebration.
The gentleman with red legs always finds plenty of food here, as it’s a frog paradise. So, there’s no rush for dinner, and often, you can see him resting, laying his long beak among the thick feathers on his chest, dozing off while standing on one long leg. In the evening, he shakes his wings, flutters them once or twice, and leisurely goes for a walk. Soon, he has enough frogs, mice, larvae, worms, and insects for a full meal for himself and his family. The Dutch say, “On the same field, a cow eats grass, a dog hunts hares, and a stork hunts frogs.” Indeed, without the stork, the Netherlands, like ancient Egypt, would be overrun with frogs.
To find out how it happened that storks came to love the Netherlands so much, we must go back to Africa a million years ago. We should also ask the local nymphs how they managed to make the new northern land so popular in the world of storks. Why did these wise birds migrate to a cold country thousands of kilometers away?
Centuries ago in Africa, when there were already camels and caravans, the Netherlands didn’t exist yet; the area was then covered by the sea. In Africa and India, there were so many storks that they began to run out of food. When the North Sea receded, frogs were the first to arrive in these lands. They came quickly and in such numbers that one might consider them the lords of these lands – they were huge and incredibly loud in their croaking.
The Dutch nymphs, who also lived in these lands, were dissatisfied with this turn of events. When they wanted to dance in the meadow during a moonlit night, there was always a large frog sitting nearby, drowning out everything with its roar. So, when they heard about the storks in Africa and their great appetite for aquatic jumpers, crawlers, and croakers, they decided to invite them over.
They knew nothing about the habits of this bird, nor could they even imagine what it might look like. However, they had heard many stories about the good character of the stork. He had an excellent reputation, was kind to his young, and also took care of his elderly parents. The nymphs sent a delegation to Egypt.
The storks convened a council to decide what to do with the invitation. Birds living among the Nile’s reeds, on temple roofs, on pyramids, and on top of old columns came. Birds from cities, villages, and rivers. The invitation was discussed and unanimously accepted. Only the old grannies and grandpas grumbled, fearing they wouldn’t be well-fed in a foreign land. It was decided that the strongest birds would fly. Those who were afraid or too weak would stay behind to take care of the elders.
When storks travel, they fly in flocks. Thousands of them left Egypt together. In spring, high in the air, with wide wings spread and long legs extended in flight, they flew across all of Europe. When they arrived, they dispersed across the swampy lands of the new country. They agreed that each pair would find its own home. They also planned that when autumn came and it began to get cold, they would return to Egypt.
The inhabitants of the Netherlands were amazed by the newcomers. The snow-white storks were beautiful and dignified, walking in the meadows, wading in ponds and ditches, or standing quietly by the riverbanks. Their long beaks allowed them to fish out prey even from deep mud, and their slender legs let them wade even in deep water. Frogs grew quiet during the day and were afraid to venture onto the meadows.
When the nymphs got to know their new guests better, they almost died of laughter. They soon discovered that storks are not singing birds but communicate by clacking their long beaks. Everyone envied them for their snow-white feathers and long bright legs. At first, the nymphs thought their guests wore red stockings, so they wondered how hard it would be to wash them. In the Netherlands, everything must be clean.
The people were also so happy with the war against frogs and snakes and the storks’ victory that they honored them as saviors of the country. They placed boxes on their house roofs for the birds to nest in. They trimmed willows and placed old wagon wheels on them for the storks to perch and rest. Knights put the stork’s figure on their shields, banners, and coats of arms, and officials on city seals. The country’s capital, The Hague, was dedicated to this bird, and a pond was dug within the city limits where storks were fed at the city’s expense.
Wherever marshes were drained or ponds filled to establish a village, it was not considered part of the Netherlands until storks settled there. Even in remote areas, tall poles were set up with invitations for stork families to fly there and settle. Along the roads, poles were erected for stork nests. When they returned in spring, people rejoiced and feasted. Meanwhile, Dutch children, even under the reign of Queen Wilhelmina, treated their bird friends like postmen. They tied tiny pieces of paper to their red legs, sending messages in autumn to boys and girls in the land of the sphinx and pyramids.
That’s why storks love the Netherlands.
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