re provisions away, and the director, great Captain Hinoyossa, when
Van Swearingen became the schout, allowed the latter's sister to
inhabit one end of the warehouse, and that the farthest end from the
water. The rest was uninhabited, and Nanking, looking at the chimney
which surmounted the river gable, said to himself:

"That will never do for my stork, as there is no fire lighted there. I
never saw smoke from that chimney in my life. The stork requires a
nest where there is heat, and plenty of it."

He therefore prepared to climb to the chimney on the land-side and
establish a nest. There was a broken cart-wheel in the warehouse,
which Nanking procured and drew to the roof, and when daylight broke
upon the town the earliest loungers and fishermen saw the happy
simpleton working like a chimney-sweep, as they thought, except that
instead of brushing he was piling brush around the chimney on the
cart-wheel. His mother came out and looked joy to see him back; the
soldiers strolled down from the fort and the boys and women from the
town. Uncle Van Swearingen was there, smiting the ground with his
shodden staff, and ejaculating, "_Foei! weg! fychaam u!_ Fie! leave
off! fie on you! What absurdity is this on the property of our
_hoofstad_, our metropolis?"

"Never mind, uncle!" answered the beaming Nanking. "I have been a
great man in the last few days. I have lived among the fierce
Susquehannocks. Presently you shall see something that you shall see!"

Peter Alrichs also came down to the quay with his pretty daughter, who
could no longer keep her secret. "Good Nanking," she whispered, "is
building a nest for a real stork. He has found one, just like the dear
creatures in Holland!"

The news was presently dispersed, and all felt an interest, until
finally Nanking produced his stork.

"It is like a stork, indeed!" uttered Peter Alrichs; "'tis big as one,
too, but its wings are all white!"

"'Tis a stork, _yah, op myne eer_! Upon my honor, it is!" muttered
uncle Van Swearingen.

"Nanking is not an idiot, papa!" said Elsje, overjoyed.

The widow was delighted at the enterprise of her son.

When Nanking had carried the great bird to the nest he made a little
speech:

"Worshipful masters and good people all, I have been at great pains to
get this stork, not for my own gratification entirely, though there
are some here I expect to please particularly. (He looked at Elsje and
his mother.) This stork will pick up the of