BIRDS' NESTS. 179 



top of one of the trees which was easier to get 

 up than the rest, and after taking a great deal 

 of trouble he reached a nest, and found one 

 egg in it. He took this and was coming down 

 again, but as he had to use both his hands to 

 prevent himself from falling, he could only 

 carry the egg by putting it in his mouth. 

 Before he had got half way down, he had to 

 swing himself from one branch to another, 

 and in doing this, somehow or other, he jerked 

 himself so as to break the egg in his mouth. 

 It would not be a very nice thing to break a 

 fresh egg in one's mouth, but this was a great 

 deal worse, for it was addled. Joe saw him 

 sputtering and making wry faces, but he did 

 not know what was the matter until he had 

 come out of the park. The taste was so 

 horrible that he was obliged to fling himself 

 down and roll on the ground, though I don't 

 know what good that could do him. At last 

 he filled his mouth with earth, for there was 

 no water near ; but he could not get the 

 N 2 



