64 WHY TOMMY FELT ASHAMED 



and all. They were so woven together that one 

 could not come without the other. I held them 

 both in my hands. Then I heard a sharp voice 

 crying, ' Cheep, cheep, cheep.' 



" I looked up and there, on a bough, was the 

 golden thrush. I felt her round eye looking me 

 through and through, and all the time she cried, 

 ' Cheep, cheep, cheep I ' Things then got worse, 

 for her mate had flown on the bough beside her, 

 and he also made a great noise. They hopped 

 up and down the bough, always crying ' Cheep, 

 cheep,' and kept their round eyes on me till I felt 

 more ashamed than I'd ever done in my life. 



" I started to get away from that place quickly; 

 but even after I'd turned my back on them I could 

 feel they were still looking at me. 



" I knew I'd nearly broken the heart of that 

 little bird, and perhaps I should have quite, if her 

 mate had not come to her so quickly to help her 

 cry ' Cheep.' I felt sad enough when I walked 

 away, and until to-day I've never been in those 

 woods since. 



" I had now and then taken one egg from a 

 bird's nest. The hen doesn't mind that. She 

 often lays another egg to take its place. But 

 that day I tore up even the nest, just as though 

 it were worth no more than a handful of dried 

 leaves. That pair of little birds must have felt 

 pretty badly when they saw me walking off with 

 all they had In the whole world. For a long time 



