The Burgess Bird Book for Children 



carrying nothing. Up, up he went, but all the 

 time King Eagle went up with him, circling round 

 him, screaming harshly, and threatening to strike 

 him with those great, cruel, curved claws. Peter 

 watched them, so excited that he fairly danced. 

 "O, I do hope Plunger will get away from that 

 big robber," cried Peter. "He may be king of 

 the air, but he is a robber just the same." 



Plunger and King Eagle were now high in the 

 air above the Big River. Suddenly King Eagle 

 swung above Plunger and for an instant seemed 

 to hold himself still there, just as Plunger had 

 done before he had shot down into the water after 

 that fish. There was a still harsher note in King 

 Eagle's scream. If Peter had been near enough 

 he would have seen a look of anger and determina- 

 tion in King Eagle's fierce, yellow eyes. Plunger 

 saw it and knew what it meant. He knew that 

 King Eagle would stand for no more fooling. 

 With a cry of bitter disappointment and anger 

 he let go of the big fish. 



Down, down, dropped the fish, shining in the 

 sun like a bar of silver. King Eagle's wings half 

 closed and he shot down like a thunderbolt. Just 

 before the fish reached the water King Eagle 

 struck it with his great claws, checked himself 

 by spreading his broad wings and tail, and then 

 in triumph flew over to the very tree towards which 

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