A Stork's Journey

1

Get outta my way!

I called dibs!

- Are those what I think they are?

- Wow!

Oh, boy, I had to be late on cookie day!

Cookie? Cookie? Cookie?

- Here they come!

- Ah, it's crumb time!

- I want a piece!

- Cookies! Cookies!

They're at it already!

- Out of my way! I want it!

- Hey, can I squeeze in, guys?

- I've got beaks to feed!

- Snooze, you lose, Robert!

- Oh...

- I want that cookie!

- Hey!

- I called it!

Snooze, you lose!

- No touchbacks!

- Hey, no elbows!

Oh!

Aha!

Come to papa! Ha! Score!

- Wow!

- Yeah!

Come on wings, don't fail me!

Don't want to miss it!

My fellow storks.

Now that we all have nested,

we must concentrate on

the education of our offspring.

Almost there!

- The migration... Watch out!

- Whoa!

- Incoming!

- Whoa! Oops! Oh!

Sorry! Very late.

Sparrows!

Made it! Come on, cookie, let's do this.

Did I miss it? Did I miss it?

Don't worry, hon, you're just in time.

Aw, and you brought a treat.

To celebrate our new arrival!

Richard, your Dad's here!

Ha ha, he looks just like

I did at that age.

Yeah, that's my boy.

He definitely has your impatience.

Looks like he's got

your pecking skills too!

Come on. You can do it!

Push, Richard. Push!

Robert!

Oh!

You chose the wrong day, buddy!

Oh?

Ooh...

Who have we here?

Richard.

Well, hello, Richard. I am Aurora.

Shh... it's all right.

Here.

Mmm!

That's good, isn't it?

Where are your parents?

Oh.

Mommy!

- Oh, I am not your...

- Mmm...

Oh... come here.

Mm... What am I gonna do with you?

Hold on tight, Richard.

Wow!

No fish? What's in here? Frogs?

No, Max, this is...

Claudius, my dear.

One of those pesky sparrows nearly

ruined my speech at the gathering!

Mmm?

Pests! What's for dinner?

There is something I wanted

to talk to you about...

Daddy!

Aaah! Get off! Aurora!

- Claudius, Max, this is...

- Get it off!

- Richard!

- Off! Off, off, off!

What is he doing here?

He's fun! Can he stay for dinner?

Certainly not.

Get this feathered leech off me!

Go play with him, Max.

Wanna go for a ride, Richard?

- Max!

- Whoo!

I found him alone in his nest.

Sparrows. Stork parents

would never leave a chick!

They didn't have a choice, Claudius.

Their nest was... was ravaged.

Oh...

Still, this is none of our business.

Take him back.

I won't, my dear. I can't.

Imagine if it was our son,

all alone in the woods.

Hold on, kid. Turbulence ahead!

Whoa!

Where'd you go?

All right. The sparrow can stay.

I knew you would understand...

Only... till the Fall.

After that, he'll have to

look after himself. Agreed?

And...

I don't want the other storks

to know about this.

And...

he doesn't call me "Daddy".

- Daddy!

- Mm?

Look what I taught him!

Hee, hee.

Whoa!

Whoa! Crazy, Max!

- Can't handle it, little brother?

- Oh, I can handle it!

- Ha ha.

- Faster, Max! Faster!

Oh... oh... whoa!

I meant that!

- Sure you did!

- Whoa!

Mm-hmm. But silent, okay?

- I got it!

- Well done, my boy.

That doesn't look so hard...

Oh...

Gotcha!

Eeeh! Gross! Hmm.

Whoa! Richard! Flying fish!

- Yeah! Yeah! Yeah...

- Incoming!

Ugh! I got it!

Oh... oh...

Nice!

Hmm?

Sorry, I fell out of bed.

Come on, Max, I thought you were fast!

Fast? I'll show you fast!

Whatever you say, big brother!

I'm waiting!

- I've almost got you!

- Ha ha, that's what you think!

- Watch this!

- Richard!

- Catch me if you can!

- The trees... they're so small!

Hey! We're not allowed to go that high!

Come on. Whoa!

You worry too much!

No, it's too windy! Let's turn around.

Chicken! A cool breeze

never hurt anyone.

- Richard!

- Ah! Me and my big mouth!

Gotcha!

You didn't get me.

- I came to you.

- Ha ha, oh, yeah?

I was nose-diving, beanpole!

Good catch, though.

- Dad's calling!

- Let's go!

Why can't we take Richard with us?

I mean, he's no burden,

and I could carry...

Oh, be reasonable, Aurora.

You knew this day would come.

You are a wonderful mother, and

you have done all you can for him.

But he won't survive

the journey to Africa.

He has to live the life of a sparrow.

Here we are. What's this all about?

Finally! I've summoned the flock.

- Come, Max.

- Hey, what about me?

- I'm coming too, right?

- Hmm. Richard...

Wait here until we return, all right?

- What?! Why?!

- Do as you are told.

- But we go everywhere together!

- Yeah, Mom!

I'll explain everything

later. I promise.

This is not fair!

Max! Quit your lollygagging!

Ahem. My fellow storks.

Today, the old oak

has dropped its first leaf.

The time of the great

migration has arrived.

Citizens, we must migrate

before the winter comes.

We will form a flock and fly south

to the Great Lake in Africa.

Wow! Africa!

Our journey is long and dangerous.

- Oh, no no no no...

- And we...

Mm?

Hehe, hi there!

- Richard!

- You know this bird?

Know me? She's my mom!

Claudius! Maybe we should

postpone our departure

until your "family matters"

are resolved?

My family matters are just fine.

Richard, your mother... I mean,

Aurora should have told you long ago.

Told me what?

You are a sparrow, Richard.

You cannot migrate.

You belong here,

with the other sparrows.

You almost had me there, Dad!

You always did have such a...

Sense of humor.

Haha. Hmm. Oh?

Poor little thing.

Come with me.

I have something to show you.

Hmm. Mom?

Mom! What do you mean?

- Wait!

- Richard!

You stay here, Max.

- But Dad? I...

- Stay!

Our meeting is over.

We shall depart at the break of dawn.

Where are we?

I found you here,

in this sparrow's nest.

Your parents were... taken...

before you hatched.

No!

You're my Mom. And I'm coming with you.

Richard, you can't go to Africa.

I can, Mom!

- It's Dad, isn't it?

- Richard, listen, we...

Maybe my legs are short,

and my beak is tiny.

But that's because I'm a small stork!

But I'm gonna grow up to be a big stork!

Big and strong! He'll see!

- Wait!

- You'll all see!

I can feel it, I can make it to Africa!

Hmm.

How hard can it be? It's not like

crossing an ocean or anything.

Hurry up, you lame ducks!

The Great Lake awaits!

I'll show 'em how it's done!

Speedy stork, coming through!

Look at that little fella!

With his speed, we'd be

in Africa in no time.

My thoughts exactly!

Ha ha! I'll just swing by to pick up

the family, then next stop, Africa!

Argh!

- Give him a chance, Dad!

- Do not provoke me, son.

Storks could never survive the winter

and sparrows could never

survive the migration.

Never! That's just fact.

But he can fly way better than I can!

Did I not make myself clear?

Sparrows are not made for

high altitudes. You know this!

Richard would never

make it there alive, son.

Is that what you want?

I... I... Hm.

- Hey, everybody! I'm home!

- Richard!

- Are you all right?

- All right?

Never been better!

I could fly around the world!

Enough of this! Time to nest.

We have a long first leg ahead of us.

I can't wait!

Whooo.

I knew this would happen.

Hey, why are you so gloomy?

We're going to Africa!

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