Читать книгу Mystery in the Windflower Wood - Flora Klickmann - Страница 5

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“Where’s Adelaide?” Mrs. Thrush asked in great concern, as she looked at the nest.

“She’s gone to find something to eat,” whimpered Eric, “but she says she isn’t going to bring us any, ’cos we’re lazy. We’re so hungry, Mother”--which reminded Mrs. Thrush that she had quite forgotten to get the breakfast, in her surprise at finding “The Hollies” had vanished.

She looked around to see if she could discover the missing Adelaide, but there was no sign of her. As the other two children were crying loudly for something to eat, she decided to get breakfast before she did anything else, in case they too should disappear.

Adelaide had always been an “up-and-doing” sort of a child, and much more forward than her brother and sister. And as she was nearly old enough to walk, she had struggled out of the nest, and toddled off on her own little legs, which seemed rather weak at first, but got stronger as she went on. She meant to find her own breakfast, as no one else seemed to be doing it. None of the neighbours noticed her go, they were all so intent on watching Policeman Crow. She was soon out of sight under a clump of big ferns, where, to her delight, she found several very nice morsels, that were just what she fancied.

She could hear her poor distracted father and mother flying from tree to tree, and calling her name. But not a scrap of notice did she take. She merely went on gobbling.

She was really enjoying herself immensely; and thought it was much more fun to be out in a huge world like the one she had found under the ferns, instead of being stuffed up in a nest, with Eric always kicking, and Ellen taking up more than her share of the room. Every day the nest had seemed to grow smaller, every day the children seemed to grow bigger, and every day there was less chance to turn round and have a good stretch than there was the day before. No! Adelaide decided that she wasn’t going to put up with that cramped nest any longer--and perhaps be starved to death into the bargain. Just look how they had left her this very morning, with not a morsel of food!

And Adelaide went on gobbling.

I daresay the other fathers and mothers would have helped to search for the missing child, but at the moment Mr. Crow was shutting up his notebook, and stalking off majestically, a big foxglove bell started to ring over the other side of the wood and everyone exclaimed:

“Good gracious! there’s the school bell! And the children haven’t had their breakfast yet!”

Each mother rushed home and hastily got her family ready for school, giving them some breakfast to eat on the way there.

By this time, Eric and Ellen were cheeping loudly for something to eat. And, what was also very worrying, they had both scrambled out of the nest, and were now actually on the path that ran through the wood, where they might easily be stepped on by anyone passing that way who didn’t happen to notice them.

Evidently something would have to be done, and done quickly too.

“We must get them to a safe spot,” said Mrs. Thrush. “Under that great fir tree wouldn’t be at all a bad place. Those big branches touching the ground are just like a tent and would hide them beautifully.”

“The very thing!” said Mr. Thrush, who was getting really exasperated with the collection of troubles which seemed to have rained down upon his head. “And while you are getting them there, I’ll go to the top of the tree and sing the song I composed yesterday. It will make that conceited Missel Thrush across the river simply pale-blue with envy.” (The Missel Thrushes--who love mistletoe berries--have rather harsh voices, not like the lovely Song Thrushes.) “And I’m sure you will enjoy this new song, my dear,” he added.

“I should enjoy a new caterpillar much more!” said Mrs. Thrush. She was getting exasperated too. “And so would the children. If you’ll just hunt about for a nice one, I’ll also get one, and then we’ll set about removing to ‘The Firs.’ Besides, I don’t feel a bit like listening to a concert this morning, with poor dear Adelaide” (here she began to weep) “perhaps dead with starvation by now.”

Mr. Thrush hadn’t thought of that! And of course he was very sorry too.

Little did they think that all the while that Adelaide was not so very far away, with so much food already inside her that she wouldn’t have died if she had had nothing more all day! And that naughty person was actually giggling to think how she had hidden herself. And still she went on gobbling! Creeping farther and farther away.

Shocking, wasn’t it!

Father and Mother soon found something they knew the children would like. But--here is the curious part. Instead of flying down and feeding the youngsters, Mr. Thrush went to a low branch of a tree, near the spot where they were, and dangling the choice morsel in his beak, he called out to Eric to come and get it.

Of course Eric wailed that he couldn’t possibly fly so far.

But his father encouraged him; told him it was ever such a little way. And quite easy. And such a lovely breakfast treat when he got there. And “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again!” which Eric did, because he was desperately hungry by this time, and willing at last to do anything, if only he could get some food.

Finally, after several floppity, feeble, half-afraid attempts, he made one mighty effort and flew across the few inches which separated him from his father. And wasn’t he proud of himself, too, when he was actually perched on the branch! Though his legs felt very wobbly, and he was sure he would topple off.

But when he saw his mother on another branch, dangling another tit-bit, and trying to get Ellen to come to her, he felt very superior indeed, and called out: “Hurry along Ellen. It’s quite simple. See how easily I hopped up here.”

This gave Ellen a little courage; she, too, made a hop and a jump and a sort of tumble, which landed her on a low branch beside Mother. And oh! how good it was to find something popped into her mouth!

The children were told to cling tightly to the branches, while father and mother got them something more to eat, that would be very nice. So they waited, hoping the food would come soon, as they felt top-heavy, and likely to tumble off! When they saw their parents coming, they opened their beaks so as to be quite ready.

Yet, instead of flying down and settling beside Ellen, Mrs. Thrush again stopped on a branch a little distance away, dangling the delicacy she had brought and telling Ellen to come and get it. While Father Thrush was doing exactly the same thing, in order to get Eric to come to him.

Well--the children hesitated for a minute; but it didn’t seem worth while to stay hungry, when there was such a beautiful morsel only a little way off. So, after another desperate effort, each child managed to land beside its parent once more.

In this way, by degrees, the thrushes got the children moved--a little way at a time, and then a little more--from branch to branch, until at last they reached the big fir tree which was to be their new home.

Wasn’t it clever of them?

It was really a long journey for the children, as they were so young. They were glad to nestle down among the warm, dry pine needles, which were like a thick bed under the sweeping dark-green branches. And soon they were asleep.

But what about that Adelaide?

Ah----!