down over their heads, and settle in a business manner on the
ground. Quickly he drew the box from his girdle, took a good pinch
of the powder, and handed it to the grand vizier, who also took a
pinch, and then both cried out, "Mutabor!"

Immediately their legs shrivelled up, and became thin and red; the
beautiful yellow slippers of the caliph and his companion turned
into clumsy stork-feet; their arms became wings; their necks
stretched out from their shoulders, and were an ell long; their
beards disappeared, and their bodies were covered with soft
feathers, instead of clothes.

"That's a pretty bill of yours, Mr. Grand Vizier," said the caliph,
after a long pause of astonishment. "By the beard of the Prophet, I
never saw any thing like that in my life."

"Thank you kindly," answered the grand vizier, bowing; "but, if I
may he allowed the observation, your highness looks almost handsomer
as stork than as caliph. But come, if you please, let us listen to
our comrades yonder, and try whether we really do understand
Storkish."

In the mean time the other stork had alighted on the ground. He
arranged his feathers with his bill, put himself to rights, and
walked up to the first stork.

The two new storks made haste to approach them, and overheard, to
their astonishment, the following conversation.

"Good morning, Mrs. Longlegs; you are early on the meadow."