s manner the Kite was
pulling us along, the string cutting our hands, and running
through our fingers like fire, till at last I was obliged to let
go, and being unable to get out of the way, was knocked down, and
being also unable to roll myself out of the way, my brother fell
over me. James White was thus left alone with the Kite, and was
dragged struggling and hallooing down the meadow slope.

He was determined, however, not to let go; nothing could make him
loose the string; he was determined not to be conquered; but
before he had got to the bottom of the slope, the string of the
Kite broke about half-way down, and up sprang the Kite again
towards the sky, taking its course over the meadow towards the
great field beyond. We all three followed of course, as fast as
we could, staring up, and panting, and not knowing what to do.
The Kite continued to fly in rather an irregular manner over the
first great field. It then made a pitch downwards, and several
tosses upwards, and flew straight over the second great field, in
the direction of the high trees. "O, those trees!" cried James
White, "it is flying towards the trees!"

He was right, the Kite did fly directly towards the trees, as James
White said it would. Just as it arrived nearly over those trees, it
made a great pitch downwards, right into the top of the largest
tree, and completely knocked over one of the rooks' nests that was
built there. We came running up as soon as we could, and then we
saw that it was the very tree, at the foot of which was the stall
of our dear old woman, who sold apples and gingerbread-nuts.

"Make haste!" cried she;--"the Kite is safe among the boughs; I
can see its long tail hanging down. But do look here! the Kite
has made us a present of five young rooks; two are fluttering
among the golden pippins, and three are hopping and gaping among
the gingerbread-nuts."

James White scarcely looked at the rooks; he said he had more
important business to attend to. He took off his jacket, and
immediately began to climb up the tree. In less than twenty
minutes he succeeded in bringing down the Kite, with only two
small rents in its left shoulder, and the loss of one wing, all
of which he said he could easily repair.

We took the five young rooks home with us, and had great
amusement in rearing and feeding them, and as soon as they were
old enough, we took them out into their native fields, and let
them fly directly under the tree where the