Pagina 418 di 626

'Now comes your turn,' said he to the young tailor; 'sew the eggs

and the young birds in them together again, so neatly that the

shot shall have done them no harm.' Then the tailor took his

needle, and sewed the eggs as he was told; and when he had done,

the thief was sent to take them back to the nest, and put them

under the bird without its knowing it. Then she went on sitting,

and hatched them: and in a few days they crawled out, and had

only a little red streak across their necks, where the tailor had

sewn them together.

'Well done, sons!' said the old man; 'you have made good use of

your time, and learnt something worth the knowing; but I am sure

I do not know which ought to have the prize. Oh, that a time

might soon come for you to turn your skill to some account!'