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ROSE BUD STORIES
Mrs. Harriet Myrtle
NEW YORK
SHELDON & COMPANY
* * * * *
The Rose-Bud Stories,
FOR YOUNG CHILDREN.
Illustrated.
* * * * *
Adventure of a Kite.
BY
MRS. HARRIET MYRTLE.
* * * * *
New York:
SHELDON AND COMPANY.
1870.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, bySHELDON AND COMPANY, in the Clerk's Office of the District Courtof the Southern District of New York.
* * * * *
The Adventure of a Kite.
One evening, when Mary, her mamma, and Willie had all taken theirseats near the window, and the story was about to begin, Maryreminded her mamma of a merry adventure that she had mentioned ashaving happened when she and her brother and Master White wentout to fly their "new Kite."
"Do, mamma, tell us about that," said Mary.
Her mamma said she would, and after thinking for a few minutes,to recollect all about it, she began.
One fine, breezy morning in October, Master White came suddenlyto our house, with his eyes looking so bright, and his cheeks sored from running in the fresh air, and quite out of breathbesides.
"What is the matter, James?" we all cried out. "What a red faceyou've got!"
"Have I?" said he; "my nose is so cold! I ran here as fast as Icould, there is such a beautiful breeze for a Kite. Come, bothof you, and let us fly the Kite high up in the blue sky; come asmany of you as can, and this day you shall see what a Kite cando!"
Up we all jumped, the Kite was brought down, and away we allstarted into the meadows, running nearly all the way, and JamesWhite never ceasing to talk of the wonderful things he intendedthe Kite should this day perform.
We arrived in a large, grassy meadow, sloping down to a lowhedge. Beyond the hedge was a very large field, and beyond thatfield another large field, which had some high trees at thefarthest end. In the tops of these trees was a rookery; we knewthese trees very well, because we often used to walk that way,partly because it was a nice walk, and partly because an oldwoman, whom we were all very fond of, kept an apple andgingerbread-nut stall under the largest tree. However, as I saidbefore, these trees were a long way off--two whole fieldsoff--more, two whole fields and all the meadow. At the top of themeadow, near where we stood, there was also a high tree, and atthe foot of this we laid down the Kite.
"O, James," said my brother, "do you think we shall be able tomake the Kite fly as high as the tree we are under?"
"As high!" said James White, "six times as high, at the veryleast."
He now carefully unfolded the tail from the body of the Kite,being very particular to undo all the tangles near the tassel,which made quite a bunch; but he brought it out perfectly. Oneend of the ball of twine was now attached to the body of theKite. He then raised it up with the right hand, holding out thetail in three great festoons with the left, and in this waywalked to and fro very uprightly and with a stately air, andturning his head in various quarters, to observe the direction ofthe wind. Suddenly he dropped the tail upon the ground, andlifting up the Kite with his right hand in the air, as high as hepossibly could, off he ran down the meadow slope as fast as hislegs could carry him, shouting all the way, "Up, up, up! rise,rise, rise! fly, Kite, in the air!" He finished by throwing theKite up, continuing to run with the string in his hand, allowingit to slip through his fingers as the Kite rose. The breezecaught the Kite, and up it went in fine style. It continued torise rapidly, and we ran to and fro underneath, shouting all thetime, "O, well done, James White, and well done, Kite!"
By the excellent management of James, the Kite rose and rose,till we all said, "O, how high! how wonderful!" And then JamesWhite said he was satisfied.
Now you are all to recollect that this Kite was very large. Inthe story I told you in summer, where the making of this Kite wasdescribed, you remember that it was said to be as tall as JamesWhite himself, and of course very much broader. The consequencewas, that this Kite was extremely strong. So we all sat down onthe grass to hold the string, which James White said wasnecessary, as the Kite struggled and pulled so hard. It was nowup quite as high as the string would allow it to go. But the windseemed to be increasing, and James White said he began to berather afraid that he must draw the Kite downwards, for fear itshould have a quarrel with the wind up in the clouds, and thensome accident might happen. We accordingly began to draw down theKite slowly, winding the string upon the stick as it graduallydescended. But notwithstanding all this care, an accident didhappen after all.
Before the Kite was half-way down, a strong wind suddenly caughtit sideways, and the Kite made a long sweep downwards, like aswallow, rising up again at some distance, swinging its tailabout in a most alarming manner. "Bless my heart!" said JamesWhite.
Up we all jumped from the grass. "Help me to hold her!" cried JamesWhite; "how she struggles!" Again came the wind, again the Kitemade a sweep down and rose up again, as if indignant--then shookher tail and wings as if threatening to do some mischief--then madea quick motion to the right and a dance to the left--then made avery graceful courtesy deep down, as though she was very politelysaluting the wind, but suddenly rose up with a sharp jerk, asthough she had spitefully altered her mind--and the next momentmade a dart first to the right and then to the left, and continuedto do this till James White said he was sure something must happen.
We all held the string as fast as we could, and tried to pulldown the Kite; but it was impossible, for instead of bringingher down, we were all three dragged along down the meadow slope,crying out, "Somebody come and help us! somebody come and helpus!" But nobody else was near. In this manner the Kite waspulling us along, the string cutting our hands, and runningthrough our fingers like fire, till at last I was obliged to letgo, and being unable to get out of the way, was knocked down, andbeing also unable to roll myself out of the way, my brother fellover me. James White was thus left alone with the Kite, and wasdragged struggling and hallooing down the meadow slope.
He was determined, however, not to let go; nothing could make himloose the string; he was determined not to be conquered; butbefore he had got to the bottom of the slope, the string of theKite broke about half-way down, and up sprang the Kite againtowards the sky, taking its course over the meadow towards thegreat field beyond. We all three followed of course, as fast aswe could, staring up, and panting, and not knowing what to do.The Kite continued to fly in rather an irregular manner over thefirst great field. It then made a pitch downwards, and severaltosses upwards, and flew straight over the second great field, inthe direction of the high trees. "O, those trees!" cried JamesWhite, "it is flying towards the trees!"
He was right, the Kite did fly directly towards the trees, as JamesWhite said it would. Just as it arrived nearly over those trees, itmade a great pitch downwards, right into the top of the largesttree, and completely knocked over one of the rooks' nests t
hat wasbuilt there. We came running up as soon as we could, and then wesaw that it was the very tree, at the foot of which was the stallof our dear old woman, who sold apples and gingerbread-nuts.
"Make haste!" cried she;--"the Kite is safe among the boughs; Ican see its long tail hanging down. But do look here! the Kitehas made us a present of five young rooks; two are flutteringamong the golden pippins, and three are hopping and gaping amongthe gingerbread-nuts."
James White scarcely looked at the rooks; he said he had moreimportant business to attend to. He took off his jacket, andimmediately began to climb up the tree. In less than twentyminutes he succeeded in bringing down the Kite, with only twosmall rents in its left shoulder, and the loss of one wing, allof which he said he could easily repair.
We took the five young rooks home with us, and had greatamusement in rearing and feeding them, and as soon as they wereold enough, we took them out into their native fields, and letthem fly directly under the tree where they were born.
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