This small opening had once been fitted with a sort of lid, which was attached by leather hinges on its upper edge to a wooden bar or cleat nailed to the side of the house, just over the square hole. This lid formed, of course, a sort of door, opening outward and upward. When up, it could be fastened in that position, by means of a wooden button. The button and the bar of wood remained in its place, but the door was gone. "Where is the door?" asked Stuyvesant, after he had examined all this very carefully. "Why, I took it off," said Phonny, "to make a little stool of. I wanted a square board just about that size." "And did you make a stool?" asked Stuyvesant. "No," said Phonny. "I found that I could not bore the holes for the legs. I _tried_ to bore a hole, but I split the board." "Then I must find another piece of board, somewhere," said Stuyvesant. Stuyvesant next turned his attention to the great door. He swung it to and fro, to see if the hinges were in order. They were. Next he shut it, but he found there was nothing to keep it shut. "There used to be a button," said Phonny. "Where is the button now?" asked Stuyvesant. "I don't know," said he. "Let me see;--it must be about here somewhere." So saying, Phonny began to look around upon the ground. There was some litter upon the ground, formed of sticks, straws, &c., and Phonny began to poke this litter about with his foot. "I saw it lying down here somewhere, once," said he, "but I can't find it now." "Why didn't you pick it up and put it away in some safe place?" said Stuyvesant, "or get it put on?" "Why, I don't know," said Phonny. "You see we don't want to shut up the hens much in the summer." "No," replied Stuyvesant; "but it is a great deal better to have the doors all in order." "Why is it better?" asked Phonny. "It is more satisfactory," said Stuyvesant. "Satisfactory!" repeated Phonny. "Hoh!" Stuyvesant went into the hen-house. Phonny followed him in. It was a small room, with a loft upon one side of it. The floor was covered with sticks, straw and litter. In one corner was a barrel, three quarters filled with hay. There were two or three bars overhead for the hens to roost upon. Stuyvesant looked around upon all these objects for a few minutes in silence, and then pointing up to the loft, he asked, "What is up there?" "That is the loft," replied Phonny. "There is nothing up there." "How do you get up to see?" asked Stuyvesant. "I can't get up, except when Beechnut is here to boost me," said Phonny. "I mean to make a ladder," said Stuyvesant. "Hoh!" said Phonny, "you can't make a ladder." "I will try, at any rate," said Stuyvesant. Then after a short pause and a little more looking around, he added, "Well, I am ready now to go and help you find your box. I see what I have got to do here." "What is it?" asked Phonny.