The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1868-02-25
4 Story for the Little Folks
THE sToRK,s NEST.

~ Il j
4 The time of harvest in Southern Ger
many is season of universal rejoicing
THE Sunday before the harvest is to be
lgin, the little village churches are atten
Ided by probably the largest congrega
Itions that they have in the whole year
when special music is, provided, ant
1.-THE ringing Of the bells expresses .hl
lgladness Of all hearts. When Monda,
tmorning comes, almost all the people
i young and old leave their homes and gt
tout into the fields together. It is cnlJ
tthe very smallest children that are lef
TAT home, with one or two Of the larges
!. ones to take of several families IN the alb.
sence of the fathers and mothers. There
4 lis, indeed, but one man left in the village
twho is called the watchman, but even he
manages to get out into the fields and
Iwork half of the day, if he thinks the
lvillage can take care Of itself. IF you
Ewere to 60 through one of these villages
la. such time as I am speaking Of, you
would be surprised at the quiet and lone
illness Of the scene. The chickens, the
Istorks, and the children seem to be the
tsole occupants of the place Ali the
lwindows are closed, the doors are fasten-
led, and the children are out in the mar
lkst place. .'''
i It was one beautiful day, the second
day of harvest, that Fritzchen and Hans
Ichen, each of whom was about twelve
Iyears of age, had been left to take care
Iof five or six familiesaof children. They
were considered by everybody as very
ltrusty boys, and, indeed, they had been
Iquite reliable the year before when plac-
ed in charge Of the same number Of FAM
lilies. s
"Listen,' said Hanschen; "there is the
stork just leaving her nest at the top Of
the church-chimney."
| Now, many of the little folks may not
know that in South Germany the atorks
lare thought great deal Of. They are
very large birds, and I cannot tell you
how many centuries they have been great
fayorites ID that part Of Germany. In
some Of the villages there is stork' $
nest on the top Of the chimney of almost
leyerybody's house. You may think it a
strange thing that there should be a
lnest on the top of every chimney, but I
will tell you how it is. The chimney is
SO built thai tiles are laid across the top,
the smoke escaping around the sides, the
tiles being supported By little columns
| just Ikea little piazza. So, when the
storks build up there, they have real
nice warm place for their nests and the
smoke never seems to hurt their eyes.
T. Both Hanschen and Fritzschen had
privately expressed q wish the day be-
fore to get up to the big stork's nest on
the top Of the church chimney, and now,
las their parents, and indeed, allthe ether
persons of the village, we're out in the
fields, itseemed to them very good oc-
easion to carry out their project.
| II wonder if the church key can be
found, said Hansohen. aThe old sexton
has gone out harvesting, and I know just
where he hangs the key in his little
lhouse. 1t usually hangs right b5hind
the front door, and he hangs an old cra-
vat over it TO hideit. .s
aBut, said Franschen, s'perhsps he has
locked his house, and if that is so, there
lis no use to say anything more about it,
every vel, "said Hanschen, 1--WE can
soon decide that matter"
1 So they both left the little children
THAT had been committed to them, in the
i imarket-place, and hurried OFF as quickly
las possible to tho old sections cottage
True, his front door was fastened, but his
lback window was nots So the boys, in
order to carry out their plan, committed
/ the great impropriety of raising the sex
s|ton's window, getting into his house, and
finding the key. Soon they were in the
1 church, when another important question
lNas to be decided. How could they get
on the outside of the roof, and SO climb
lup into the stork's nest, and take good
Hook at it? They clambered away upthe
staircase leading to the steeple, which
Twas indeed very dark. They had to light
Ia match now and then, in order to see
their way, for they never thought to take
la candle with. them. By and by they
1reacned the steeple window and Chamber
ed out Of it onto the roof. The church
Twas covered with tiles, as is the case with
Inearly all of the German houses, The
titles are not cemented together, but are
only held together by grooves. If one is
pulled out Of its place it will slide down
loft the roof, and viii perhaps take others
with it. The tiles are very smooth, and
4 lit is dangerous to try to getover them.- =
Both Hanschen and Fritzchen disturbed
la number Of the tiles as they we're max
ling their way towards the stoFk's nest,
and several slid down on the ground
i They now saw the danger Of their under
i taking; but, said they:
Il cit is as dangerous to go back as it is
to 60 on; SO We might as well carry out
our project anyhow.
| u suppose they loosened as many as
Twenty tiles, which fell down on the
lground, and would certainly have injured
anybody upon whom they had fallen. AT
| last they reached the other end Of the
lchurch, where the chimney was, on which
1 the storks had their nest. q
! Just as they reacheethe chimney, they
looked down into the little market-place,
and saw COW running violently through
1.-THE village. Theyth then saw what danger
the little children were in who had been
committed to their charge, and would
have given anything if it had been posi-
! BILE for them to have been present and ta-
ken. the children out of the way. But
j that was impossible. Hsnschen's little
brother and Fritzohon's little sister were
run over BY Che COW, and they lay in the