Біла пташка
Pilkington’s
”
“Whichofus?”theycriedtogether.
“Bothofyou,”Isaid.“NevershallIforgetmyamazementwhenIsawyougetthatlightbyrubbingtwostickstogether.”
Atthistheywaggledtheirheads.“Youcouldn’thavedoneit!”saidDavid.
“No,David,”Iadmitted,“Ican’tdoit,butofcourseIknowthatallwreckedboysdoitquiteeasily.Showmehowyoudidit.”
Butafterconsultingaparttheyagreednottoshowme.Iwasnotshowneverything.
Davidwasnowfirmlyconvincedthathehadoncebeenwreckedonanisland,whileOliverpassedhisdaysindubiety.Theyusedtoargueitouttogetherandamongtheirfriends.AsIunfoldedthestoryOliverlistenedwithanopenknifeinhishand,andDavidwhowasnotallowedtohaveaknifeworeapirate-stringroundhiswaist.Ireneinherusualinterferingwayobjectedtothisbaubleanddroppeddisparagingremarksaboutwreckedislandswhichwerelittletohercredit.Iwasfordefyingher,butDavid,whohadtheknackofwomen,knewabetterway;hecraftilyproposedthatwe“shouldletIrenein,”inshort,shouldwreckher,andthoughIobjected,sheprovedagreatsuccessandrecognisedtheyuccafilamentosabyitslongnarrowleavestheverydayshejoinedus.ThereafterwehadnomorescoffingfromIrene,wholistenedtothestoryashotlyasanybody.
ThisencouragedusintimetoletinDavid’sfatherandmother,thoughtheyneverknewitunlesshetoldthem,asIhavenodoubthedid.
