154 More Tales of the Birds 



"We knew very well, of course, how the mag- 

 pies were getting on, and when the eggs were 

 hatched ; and a few days after that, we got our 

 rope and reached the hillock by a roundabout 

 way, not to attract notice. Nelly had been 

 studying the bark of that tree for many a day, 

 though I never would let her go up lest she 

 should come to grief coming down again. Up 

 she went just like a creep-mouse, got a good seat 

 on the branch and tied the rope round it. Then 

 up I went too, hand over hand, and in five 

 minutes more I was at the nest ; a huge bit of 

 building it was, roofed all over with sticks. The 

 old birds flew round screaming, but I put one 

 young bird in my pocket, and came down safely 

 to where Nelly was sitting. Then the bird was 

 put into her pocket, and she let herself down by 

 the rope ; and lastly I untied the rope (for it 

 would never have done to have left it there), 

 and wondered how / was to come down. 



" At last I resolved on climbing out on my 

 stomach to the very end of the branch, where 

 I could bear it down with my weight, and then 

 dropping. But my weight was too little to pull 



