HOW the rain did pour down! Hjalmar could hear it in his sleep;. and when Ole-Luk-Oie opened the window, the water flowed quite up to the window-sill. It had the appearance of a large lake outside, and a beautiful ship lay close to the house.

“Wilt¹ thou sail with me to-night, little Hjalmar?” said Ole-Luk-Oie; “then we shall see foreign countries, and thou shalt return here in the morning.”

All in a moment, there stood Hjalmar, in his best clothes, on the deck of the noble ship; and immediately the weather became fine. They sailed through the streets, round by the church, and on every side rolled the wide, great sea. They sailed till the land disappeared, and then they saw a flock of storks³, who had left their own country, and were travelling to warmer climates. The storks flew one behind the other, and had already been a long, long time on the wing. One of them seemed so tired that his wings could scarcely carry him. He was the last of the row, and was soon left very far behind. At length he sunk lower and lower, with outstretched wings, flapping them in vain, till his feet touched the rigging of the ship, and he slided from the sails to the deck, and stood before them. Then a sailor-boy caught him, and put him in the hen-house, with the fowls⁴, the ducks, and the turkeys, while the poor stork² stood quite bewildered amongst them.

“Just look at that fellow,” said the chickens.

Then the turkey-cock puffed⁵ himself out as large as he could, and inquired who he was; and the ducks waddled⁶ backwards⁷, crying, “Quack⁸, quack.”

Then the stork told them all about warm Africa, of the pyramids, and of the ostrich⁹, which, like a wild horse, runs across the desert. But the ducks did not understand what he said, and quacked¹⁰ amongst themselves, “We are all of the same opinion; namely, that he is stupid.”

“Yes, to be sure, he is stupid,” said the turkey-cock; and gobbled.

Then the stork remained quite silent, and thought of his home in Africa.

“Those are handsome thin legs of yours,” said the turkey-cock. “What do they cost a yard?”

“Quack, quack, quack,” grinned the ducks; but, the stork pretended not to hear.

“You may as well laugh,” said the turkey; “for that remark was rather witty¹¹, or perhaps it was above you. Ah, ah, is he not clever? He will be a great amusement to us while he remains¹² here.” And then he gobbled, and the ducks quacked, “Gobble, gobble; Quack, quack.”

What a terrible uproar¹³ they made, while they were having such fun among themselves!

Then Hjalmar went to the hen-house; and, opening the door, called to the stork. Then he hopped¹⁴ out on the deck. He had rested himself now, and he looked happy, and seemed as if he nodded to Hjalmar, as if to thank him. Then he spread his wings, and flew away to warmer countries, while the hens clucked, the ducks quacked, and the turkey-cock turned quite scarlet¹⁵ in the head.

“To-morrow you shall be made into soup,” said Hjalmar to the fowls; and then he awoke, and found himself lying in his little bed.

It was a wonderful journey which Ole-Luk-Oie had made him take this night.