Adventure of a Kite

One fine breezy morning in October, Master White came suddenly to our house with his eyes looking so bright, and his cheeks so red from running in the fresh air, and quite out of breath. Besides, what is the matter, James, You'll cried out? What a wrecked face you've got? Have? I said he? My nose is so cold. I ran here as fast as I could. There's such a beautiful breeze for a kite. Come both of you and as fly the kite high up in the blue sky. Come as many of you as can, and this day you

shall see what a kite can do. Up We all jumped, the kite was brought down, and away we all started into the meadows running nearly all the way, and James White never ceasing to talk of the wonderful things intended the kite should this day perform. We arrived at a large grassy meadow sloping down to a low hedge. Beyond the heads was a very large field, and beyond that field another large field, which had some high trees. At the farthest end in the tops of these trees was a rookery.

We knew these trees very well because we often used to walk that way, hardly because it was a nice walk. Hartly because an old woman whom we were all very fond of, kept an apple and gingerbread nutstill under the largest tree. However, as I said before, these trees were a long way off, two whole fields, off more two whole fields, and all the meadow. At the top of the meadow, near where we stood, there was also a high tree, and at the foot of this we laid

down the kite. Oh, James, said, my brother, do you think we should be able to make the kite fly as high as the tree we are under? As high, said James Wright, six times as high at the very least. 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 got it out perfectly. One end of the ball of twine was now attached to the body of the kite.

He then raised it up with the right hand, holding out the towel in three great for stoons with the left, and in this way walked to and fro very up, brightly and with a stately air, and turning his head in various quarters to observe the direction of the wind. Suddenly he dropped the towel upon the ground, and lifting up the kite with his right hand in the air as high as he possibly could off he ran down the meadow slape as fast as his legs could carry him,

shouting all the way. Up, Up, Rise, Rise, Rise, Fly kite in. He finished by throwing the kite up, continuing to run with the stringer's hand, allowing it to slip through his fingers. As the kite rose, the breeze caught the kite, and up it went in fine style. He continued to rise rapidly, and we ran to and fro underneath, shouting all the time, Oh well done, James, White, and well done kite. By the excellent management of James the kite rose and rose till we all said, oh, how high,

how wonderful. And then James White said he was satisfied. Now you are all to recollecting that the kite was very large. In the story I told you in Summer, where the making of the kite was described, you remembered there was said to be as tall as James White himself, and of course very much broader. The consequence was that this kite was extremely strung. So we all sat down on the grass to hold the string, which James White

said was necessary. As the kite struggled and pulled so hard, was now up quite as high high the string would allow it to go. But the wind seemed to be increasing, and James White said he began to be rather afraid that he must draw the kite downwards, for fear it should have a quarreled with the wind up in the clouds, and then some accident might happen. We accordingly began to draw down the kite, slowly, winding the string upon the

stick as it gradually descended. But notwithstanding all this care, an accident did happen. After all before the kite was half way down, a strong wind suddenly caught its sideways, and the kite made a long sweep downwards like a swallow, rising up again at some distance, swinging its tail about in a most alarming manner. Bless my heart, said James White. I'll be all jumped from the grass. Help me to hold her, cried James White. How she struggles again. Came

the wind again. The kite made her sweep down and rose up again as if indignant, then shook her towl and wings as if threatening to do some mischief, then made a quick motion to the right and a danced to the le left, then made a very graceful courtesy deep down, as though she was very politely saluting the wind, but suddenly rose up with a sharp jerk, as though she spitefully altered her mind, and the next moment made a dart first to the right and then to the left,

and continued to 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 pull down the kite, but it was impossible, for instead of bringing her down, we were all three dragged along down the meadow slope, crying out, somebody come and help us, somebody

come and help us, But nobody else was near. In this manner, the car 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 roamse 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 had determined, however, not to let go.

Nothing could make him lose 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 halfway 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 fas as we could, staring up and hunting and not knowing what to do. The kite continued to fly in a rather irregular manner over the first great field.

He then made a pitch downwards and several tosses upwards, and flew straight over the second great field in the direction of the high trees. Oh, those trees, cried James Wright. 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 not over one of

the rook's nests that was built there. We came running as soon as we could, and then we saw that it was the very tree at the foot of which was a stool of our dear old woman who sold apples and gingerbread nuts. Make haste, cried she. The card is safe among the boughs. I could see its long tail hung down. But do look here. The card has made us a present of five young rooks. Two are fluttering among the golden pippins, and three are harping 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. Less than twenty minutes he succeeded in bringing down the kite. Were 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 they were born. The End of Adventure of a Kite by Missus Harriet Myrtle, read by Adam Wybray