Белая птичка
The Thrush’s Nest
“If,”saidhe,“afinch’snestisplacedontheSerpentineitfillsandbreakstopieces,butathrush’snestisstillasdryasthecupofaswan’sback.”
Howthethrushesapplauded!Nowtheyknewwhytheylinedtheirnestswithmud,andwhenMrs.Finchcalledout,“Wedon’tplaceournestsontheSerpentine,”theydidwhattheyshouldhavedoneatfirst:chasedherfromthemeeting.Afterthisitwasmostorderly.Whattheyhadbeenbroughttogethertohear,saidSolomon,wasthis:theiryoungfriend,PeterPan,astheywellknew,wantedverymuchtobeabletocrosstotheGardens,andhenowproposed,withtheirhelp,tobuildaboat.
Atthisthethrushesbegantofidget,whichmadePetertrembleforhisscheme.
Solomonexplainedhastilythatwhathemeantwasnotoneofthecumbrousboatsthathumansuse;theproposedboatwastobesimplyathrush’snestlargeenoughtoholdPeter.
Butstill,toPeter’sagony,thethrushesweresulky.“Weareverybusypeople,”theygrumbled,“andthiswouldbeabigjob.”
“Quiteso,”saidSolomon,“and,ofcourse,Peterwouldnotallowyoutoworkfornothing.Youmustrememberthatheisnowincomfortablecircumstances,andhewillpayyousuchwagesasyouhaveneverbeenpaidbefore.PeterPanauthorisesmetosaythatyoushallallbepaidsixpenceaday.”
Thenallthethrusheshoppedforjoy,andthatverydaywasbegunthecelebratedBuildingoftheBoat.Alltheirordinarybusinessfellintoarrears.
