The Little White Bird; Or, Adventures in Kensington Gardens (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902 edition. Excerpt: ...between birds are about the best way of building nests. Other birds, said Solomon, omitted to line their nests with mud, and as a result they did not hold water. Here he cocked his head as if he had used an unanswerable argument; but," unfortunately, a Mrs. Finch had come to the meeting uninvited, and she squeaked out, "We don't build nests to hold water, but to hold eggs," and then the thrushes stopped cheering, and Solomon was so perplexed that he took several sips of water. "Consider," he said at last, "how warm the mud makes the nest." "Consider," cried Mrs. Finch, "that when water gets into the nest it remains there and your little ones are drowned." The thrushes begged Solomon with a look to say something crushing in reply to this, but again he was perplexed. "Try another drink," suggested Mrs. Finch pertly. Kate was her name, and all Kates are saucy. Solomon did try another drink, and it inspired him. "If," said he, "a finch's nest is placed on the Serpentine it fills and breaks to pieces, but a thrush's nest is still as dry as the cup of a swan's back." How the thrushes applauded Now they knew why they lined their nests with mud, and when Mrs. Finch called out, "We don't place our nests on the Serpentine," they did what they should have done at first: chased her from the meeting. After this it was most orderly. What they had been brought together to hear, said Solomon, was this: their young friend, Peter Pan, as they well knew, wanted very much to be able to cross to the Gardens, and he now proposed, with their help, to build a boat. At this the thrushes began to fidget, which made Peter tremble for his scheme. Solomon explained hastily that what he meant was not one of the cumbrous boats that humans use; the proposed boat was to be...