Белая птичка
The Thrush’s Nest
“Preposterous!”criedSolomoninarage,andhepresentedittoPeter;anythinguselesswhichdriftedupontheislandwasusuallygiventoPeterasaplay-thing.
Buthedidnotplaywithhispreciousbank-note,forheknewwhatitwasatonce,havingbeenveryobservantduringtheweekwhenhewasanordinaryboy.Withsomuchmoney,hereflected,hecouldsurelyatlastcontrivetoreachtheGardens,andheconsideredallthepossibleways,anddecided(wisely,Ithink)tochoosethebestway.But,first,hehadtotellthebirdsofthevalueofShelley’sboat;andthoughtheyweretoohonesttodemanditback,hesawthattheyweregalled,andtheycastsuchblacklooksatSolomon,whowasrathervainofhiscleverness,thatheflewawaytotheendoftheisland,andsatthereverydepressedwithhisheadburiedinhiswings.NowPeterknewthatunlessSolomonwasonyourside,younevergotanythingdoneforyouintheisland,sohefollowedhimandtriedtoheartenhim.
NorwasthisallthatPeterdidtogainthepowerfuloldfellow’sgoodwill.YoumustknowthatSolomonhadnointentionofremaininginofficeallhislife.Helookedforwardtoretiringby-and-by,anddevotinghisgreenoldagetoalifeofpleasureonacertainyew-stumpintheFigswhichhadtakenhisfancy,andforyearshehadbeenquietlyfillinghisstocking.Itwasastockingbelongingtosomebathingpersonwhichhadbeencastupontheisland,andatthetimeIspeakofitcontainedahundredandeightycrumbs,thirty-fournuts,sixteencrusts,apen-wiperandaboot-lace.
