One day, the birds decided among themselves to clean the small lake where they lived, as the lake had become shallow, its waters had decreased, mud had accumulated on it, and it became full of filth. The birds of all types gathered except the stork, who did not attend with them. They sent a bird from among them to invite him to join them in cleaning the lake. But the arrogant stork refused this and replied to him:
I am not prepared to soil my clean legs in this lake full of filth. I have a basin of clean water on the rocks up there where I live, and I don’t need your lake. Stay away from me.
The messenger bird replied to him: That’s your concern, do what you want. But beware of regretting our lake. After that, the birds began cleaning the lake’s water of algae and filth, and threw pebbles at the bottom of the lake until it became completely clean.
At that time, the temperature began to rise extremely, and as a result, the water basins that used to collect on the rocks dried up. The stork began lamenting his condition and suffering from lack of water. His little children started crying, and they were shouting in sad voices asking for water. The stork was helpless to do anything, and he himself was in dire need of drinking.
So the stork carried a cup and crept with it at night to the lake, filled it from its clean water to give his thirsty children water. Suddenly, the other birds attacked him from all sides, beating him, saying: Don’t soil your clean legs in our lake full of filth.
The stork began pleading to them, saying in apology: Let me for the sake of my little children, for they are in desperate need of some water. My legs will become dirty and fill with mud, but I promise you that I will be the first bird to come and clean the lake the next time. The birds felt pity for the stork and allowed him to take the water. From that time on, the stork became the first bird to participate in cleaning the small lake with his fellow birds.