David and the Phoenix (PDF, MOBI, EPUB, FB2, TEXT)

napping 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 the bird at last, "that you are not of a scientific turn of mind?" "I don't know," said David. "I'm interested in things, if that