He was stuck. This was the end. He closed his eyes and waited, too numb with fear to think or cry out.

Nothing happened. Slowly he turned his head around. The bird, although it still glared menacingly, seemed undecided whether to attack or flee.

"What, may I ask, are you doing here?" it said at last, in a severe voice.

"I--I--I was taking a walk," David said faintly. "I'm awfully sorry if I bothered you or anything.""You should not have come up here at _all_," the bird snapped. 

"Well, I'm really sorry. But there was a bee in the bush here. I--I didn't mean to...." The fright had been too much. Tears started in David's eyes, and his lip began to tremble.

The bird seemed reassured, for its manner visibly softened. It lowered and folded its wings, and the glare faded from its eyes. 

"I'd go away," David mumbled apologetically, "only I'm stuck." He rubbed his eyes on his sleeve. 

The bird looked at his dismal face and began to fidget awkwardly. "There, there," it said. "I had no intention of--I am afraid that I--Stuck, did you say? Very easily mended, my dear fellow! Merely a question of--Here, let me look." It crashed through the thicket to where David was caught and thrust its head down through the branches. Its muffled voice came floating up. "Take heart! There seems to be--aha! just so--One moment, please--bit of vine--_there_ we are!" There was a snapping sound from below, and David's foot was released. He unstuck the snag from his shirt, pushed his way out of the thicket, and sat down weakly on the grass. Whew! At least the bird was not going to harm him. It seemed to be quite a kindly creature, really. He had just frightened it and made it angry by bursting out of the bushes so suddenly. 

He heard a flailing in the thicket, followed by the bird's anxious voice: "Hello! Are you still there?" 

"Yes. What--?" 

There were more sounds of struggle. "This is rather awkward. I--the fact is, I am afraid, that I am stuck myself. Could you--" 

"Yes, of course," said David. He smiled to himself, a little shakily, and re-entered the thicket. When he had disentangled the bird, the two of them sat down on the grass and looked at each other. They hesitated, not quite sure how to begin. 

"I trust," said 

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