Page 116 - Adventures in shadow-land

“ I would, with pleasure/' Eva said, “ if I had

any corn with me, for that is what jackdaws eat."
The jackdaw tossed his head at this.

“ Pooh ! you are silly j can’t you see I ’m a pea­
cock? Just look at my fine feathers, and tell me

what you suppose i want with corn? If you
really are willing to give me something to eat,

why, I ’ll take one of those fine, fat fish swim­
ming near the boat.”

is That I cannot let you do,” Eva said. " I
know who yon are, now: you arc the bird who

stole the peacock’s feathers; I saw a picture of
you in a little book I once read.”
(t Found out! Found out!” cawed the jack­

daw; and, with that, off he flew j and he was in

such a hurry to be gone that he dropped two of
the long feathers which had been in his tail, and
Eva picked them up and stuck them into the side

of the boat.
Then one of the trout, after the jackdaw

was gone, pul his head up out of the water and
said:

“ It is a good thing for all of us that you said
*no ’ to the bird. For, if you had said he might