One autumn when the Hazel-nut child was twenty years old he said
to his parents: 'Farewell, my dear father and mother. I am going
to set out into the world, and as soon as I have become rich I
will return home to you.'
The parents laughed at the little man's words, but did not
believe him for a moment. In the evening the Hazel-nut child
crept on to the roof, where some storks had built their nest.
The storks were fast asleep, and he climbed on to the back of the
father-stork and bound a silk cord round the joint of one of its
wings, then he crept among its soft downy feathers and fell
asleep.
The next morning the storks flew towards the south, for winter
was approaching. The Hazel-nut child flew through the air on the
stork's back, and when he wanted to rest he bound his silk cord
on to the joint of the bird's other wing, so that it could not
fly any farther. In this way he reached the country of the black
people, where the storks took up their abode close to the
capital. When the people saw the Hazel-nut child they were much
astonished, and took him with the stork to the King of the
country. The King was delighted with the little creature and
kept him always beside him, and he soon grew so fond of the
little man that he gave him a diamond four times as big as
himself.
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