CHAP. iv. THE LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. 69 



get up ! don't lie sleeping in the sun there ; it's very 

 dangerous I" On wakening up he was much dazed,and 

 he did not at first remember where he was. When 

 he finally got up, he asked the gentleman the road to 

 Cupar. On being properly directed, he set off again. 



The road along which he passed lay for some time 

 through a wood. Among the various birds which he 

 saw and heard, he observed a group of little round 

 birds not much bigger than a hazel nut, with very long 

 tails. They squeaked like mice, and hung to and went 

 round about the slenderest twigs. He had never seen 

 such little birds before. He did not know their 

 names, but he afterwards found that they were the 

 Long-tailed Titmouse. The little things were the 

 young brood of the parent bird, which was, no doubt, 

 hanging or flying somewhere near them. 



Edward went into the wood to see them and follow 

 them. As he passed along he was called to from 

 behind, and a man came up and seized him by the 

 collar. The man, doubtless a keeper, roughly asked 

 him where he was going. " Xaewhere ! " "What 

 are you doing here then ? " " Naething ! " " What's 

 that in your bundle ? " " My stockings and shoes." 

 " Let me see." His bundle was then overhauled, 

 and nothing being found in it but his stockings and 

 shoes, he was allowed to depart, with the injunction 

 " never to return there again unless he wished to be 

 sent to jail." 



After walking a few miles he reached Cupar, and, 



