Біла пташка

           Thousandsgatheredroundhimdailytowatchhimdothesethings,justasyouwatchthepeacocks,andtheyscreamedwithdelightwhenheliftedthecruststheyflunghimwithhishandsinsteadofintheusualwaywiththemouth.AllhisfoodwasbroughttohimfromtheGardensatSolomon’sordersbythebirds.Hewouldnoteatwormsorinsects(whichtheythoughtverysillyofhim),sotheybroughthimbreadintheirbeaks.Thus,whenyoucryout,“Greedy!Greedy!”tothebirdthatfliesawaywiththebigcrust,youknownowthatyououghtnottodothis,forheisverylikelytakingittoPeterPan.

           Peterworenonight-gownnow.Yousee,thebirdswerealwaysbegginghimforbitsofittolinetheirnestswith,and,beingverygood-natured,hecouldnotrefuse,sobySolomon’sadvicehehadhiddenwhatwasleftofit.But,thoughhewasnowquitenaked,youmustnotthinkthathewascoldorunhappy.Hewasusuallyveryhappyandgay,andthereasonwasthatSolomonhadkepthispromiseandtaughthimmanyofthebirdways.Tobeeasilypleased,forinstance,andalwaystobereallydoingsomething,andtothinkthatwhateverhewasdoingwasathingofvastimportance.Peterbecameverycleverathelpingthebirdstobuildtheirnests;soonhecouldbuildbetterthanawood-pigeon,andnearlyaswellasablackbird,thoughneverdidhesatisfythefinches,andhemadenicelittlewater-troughsnearthenestsanddugupwormsfortheyoungoneswithhisfingers.