Kreutzwald and Juku the stork

Kreutzwald and Juku the Stork

The writer’s long walks were often accompanied by Juku the stork.

When the artist Johann Köler visited Kreutzwald in the summer of 1864, he saw Juku with his own eyes and included him in a painting of the Võru landscape. On 1 September of the same year, Kreutzwald wrote to Köler:

“Our Juku must have taken on a farmhand’s job, as for the past four weeks he has been leaving every afternoon between five and seven and returning between six and eight in the morning. He departs for his evening shift on wings, but returns on foot, strutting like a Spaniard! If the weather permits, we shall continue our walks together. Once, he walked almost 12 kilometres in a single day without even attempting to fly. Some of his brothers are said to have already travelled south. That makes us curious to see whether he will join them or stay with us.”

In October, Kreutzwald informed Köler that Juku had probably perished because of the cold and lack of food. Feeding him and keeping him sheltered indoors day and night could not save him.

Let this remind us that birds live lives of their own. They must be able to cope independently in the wild.