"Or we might have brought some of those lavender
berries with us, instead of so many purple ones,"
suggested Trot regretfully.
Cap'n Bill made no reply to this statement, which
showed he did not fully agree with the little girl; but
he fell into deep thought, with wrinkled brows, and
finally he said:
"If those purple berries would make anything grow
bigger, whether it'd eaten the lavender ones or not,
I could find a way out of our troubles."
They did not understand this speech and looked at
the old sailor as if expecting him to explain what he
meant. But just then a chorus of shrill cries rose from
outside.
"Here! Let me go -- let me go!" the voices seemed to
say. "Why are we insulted in this way? Mountain Ear, come
and help us!"
Trot ran to the window and looked out.
"It's the birds you caught, Cap'n," she said. "I didn't
know they could talk."
"Oh, yes; all the birds in Mo are educated to talk,"
said the Bumpy Man. Then he looked at Cap'n Bill uneasily
and added: "Won't you let the poor things go?"
"I'll see," replied the sailor, and walked out to where
the birds were fluttering and complaining because the
strings would not allow them to fly away.
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