The things we do!

Now and again half, a dozen small birds
swoop down on one of these birches, to peck at the catkins, and then look
about for a stone or a rough tree trunk to rub the gum from their beaks.
Each is jealous of the rest; they watch and chase and drive one another
away, though there are millions of catkins for them to take all they will.
And the one that is chased never does anything but take to flight. If a
little bird comes bearing down towards a bigger one, the bigger one will
move away; even a full-grown thrush offers no resistance to a sparrow, but
simply takes itself off. I fancy it must be the speed of the attack that
does it.
The cold and discomfort of the morning gradually disappear; it amuses me
to watch the various things I meet with on my way, and think a little,
idly enough, of every one. The birds were most diverting; also, it was
cheering to reflect that I had my pocket full of money.
Falkenberg had chanced to mention that morning where Petter's home was,
and I now made for that.


Pages:
125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149