The witch went away, threatening the baker with dire calamity, and her words were not empty ones, as the event proved, for from that time Baas and his poor wife Maritje knew no peace. For a year everything went wrong. The chimney fell in, the neighbours fell

An Old Dutch Town 537 out, the trade fell off. It was a l)ad season and the rotund haker and his wife shrank pereeptiblv. Then Xew \'ear's eve eanie again, and while Baas stood Ijehind his counter and thought gloomily of his changed condition, suddenly the hag stood before him once more.

"I want a dozen New Year's cookies," she said. One look Baas gave her, then silently counted out thirteen of the fragrant cakes. "I see that you have learned your lesson," said the witch. "Rememljer then that henceforth thirteen shall be a baker's dozen, and all will prosper with you." The idea that this transaction should be considered in any wa\' tyi)ical of the union of the thirteen States that was to come is held b>' many Albanians to be naught but superstitious nonsense. For \'ery man\' A^ears Albany was altogether a trading city. Its inhabitants took what measures they could to prevent the intrusion of aliens, and, in order to secure the cream of the traffic in ])eltries, the merchants sent runners into the wilderness to intercept Indians who might carr)' their goods to other markets. They owned a fleet of x'cssels, u])on which all, or nearly all, of the carrying trade of the city was done. They ha\-e been charged with unfairness and craft in their dealings with the savages, but this animadversion seems to be aljundantly refuted by the fact that the Indians were not only at peace but very friendl}' with the Albanians through the troubled years when other