Веснянки
Chapter II
Whendayafterdaytheonlythingthatrelievedhisutterlonelinesswasthecompanionshipofthebirdsandbeastsoftheswamp,itwasthemostnaturalthingintheworldthatFrecklesshouldturntothemforfriendship.Hebeganbyinstinctivelyprotectingtheweakandhelpless.Hewasastonishedatthequicknesswithwhichtheybecameaccustomedtohimandthedisregardtheyshowedforhismovements,whentheylearnedthathewasnotahunter,whiletheclubhecarriedwasusedmorefrequentlyfortheirbenefitthanhisown.Hescarcelycouldbelievewhathesaw.
Fromtheefforttoprotectthebirdsandanimals,itwasonlyashortsteptothepossessivefeeling,andwiththatsprangtheimpulsetocaressandprovide.Throughfall,whenbroodingwasfinishedandtheuplandbirdssoughttheswampinswarmstofeastonitsseedsandberries,Freckleswascontentwithwatchingthemandspeculatingaboutthem.Outsideofhalfadozenoftheverycommonesttheywerestrangerstohim.Thelikenessoftheiractionstohumanitywasanhourlysurprise.
WhenblackfrostbeganstrippingtheLimberlost,cuttingtheferns,shearingthevinesfromthetrees,mowingthesucculentgreenthingsoftheswale,andsettingtheleavesswirlingdown,hewatchedthedepartingtroopsofhisfriendswithdismay.Hebegantorealizethathewouldbeleftalone.Hemadeespecialeffortstowardfriendlinesswiththehopethathecouldinducesomeofthemtostay.Itwasthenthatheconceivedtheideaofcarryingfoodtothebirds;forhesawthattheywereleavingforlackofit;buthecouldnotstopthem.
