'MY INFANCY' 



45 



that time was this very child who is now talking to 

 you. I was uncommonly plump, at any rate, in 

 those days, and I felt sure that I could see his eyes, 

 with little gold beads all round them, pick me out 

 for the first breakfast dish. 



' Run for the hedge !' squeaked mother. ' Run 

 quick !' And run we did. I got there first, as usual, 

 and precious glad I was when I felt the grass 

 rubbing against my fat little sides. I nearly 

 squealed when a thorn pricked me. I felt sure 

 that it was the hawk's claw, and that I was done 

 for. Once inside the hedge and safe, we peeped 

 out, and saw the brave mother having a terrible 

 battle with the kestrel. Luckily, it was not a 

 sparrow-hawk, or she would not have had much 

 chance : they are so much quicker and more savage. 

 I expect that a sparrow-hawk would have whisked 

 away with one of us before ever we could have 

 reached the hedge. But the kestrel only blundered 

 down, and found nobody there but mother, and she 

 was quick enough to jump out of the way of his 

 ugly claws, so that he only sat down on the grass 

 and looked about to see where his breakfast had 

 gone. He must have been rather surprised when 

 his breakfast came at him with a jump, and took a 

 mouthful of feathers out of his neck. Just fancy if 



