WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>Venture of a kite. One evening, when Mary, her mamma,

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<v Speaker 1>and Willie had all taken their seats near the window

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<v Speaker 1>and the story was about to begin, Mary reminded her

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<v Speaker 1>mamma of a merry adventure that she had mentioned as

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<v Speaker 1>having happened when she and her brother and Master White

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<v Speaker 1>went out fly their new kite. Do Mamma plus about that,

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<v Speaker 1>said Mary. Her mamma said she would, and after thinking

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<v Speaker 1>for a few minutes to reflect all about it, she began.

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<v Speaker 1>One fine breezy morning in October, Master White came suddenly

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<v Speaker 1>to our house with his eyes looking so bright, and

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<v Speaker 1>his cheeks so red from running in the fresh air,

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<v Speaker 1>and quite out of breath. Besides, what is the matter, James,

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<v Speaker 1>You'll cried out? What a wrecked face you've got? Have?

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<v Speaker 1>I said he? My nose is so cold. I ran

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<v Speaker 1>here as fast as I could. There's such a beautiful

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<v Speaker 1>breeze for a kite. Come both of you and as

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<v Speaker 1>fly the kite high up in the blue sky. Come

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<v Speaker 1>as many of you as can, and this day you

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<v Speaker 1>shall see what a kite can do. Up We all jumped,

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<v Speaker 1>the kite was brought down, and away we all started

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<v Speaker 1>into the meadows running nearly all the way, and James

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<v Speaker 1>White never ceasing to talk of the wonderful things intended

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<v Speaker 1>the kite should this day perform. We arrived at a large

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<v Speaker 1>grassy meadow sloping down to a low hedge. Beyond the

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<v Speaker 1>heads was a very large field, and beyond that field

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<v Speaker 1>another large field, which had some high trees. At the

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<v Speaker 1>farthest end in the tops of these trees was a rookery.

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<v Speaker 1>We knew these trees very well because we often used

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<v Speaker 1>to walk that way, hardly because it was a nice walk.

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<v Speaker 1>Hartly because an old woman whom we were all very

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<v Speaker 1>fond of, kept an apple and gingerbread nutstill under the

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<v Speaker 1>largest tree. However, as I said before, these trees were

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<v Speaker 1>a long way off, two whole fields, off more two

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<v Speaker 1>whole fields, and all the meadow. At the top of

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<v Speaker 1>the meadow, near where we stood, there was also a

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<v Speaker 1>high tree, and at the foot of this we laid

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<v Speaker 1>down the kite. Oh, James, said, my brother, do you

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<v Speaker 1>think we should be able to make the kite fly

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<v Speaker 1>as high as the tree we are under? As high,

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<v Speaker 1>said James Wright, six times as high at the very least.

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<v Speaker 1>He now carefully unfolded the tail from the body of

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<v Speaker 1>the kite, being very particular to undo all the tangles

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<v Speaker 1>near the tassel, which made quite a bunch, but he

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<v Speaker 1>got it out perfectly. One end of the ball of

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<v Speaker 1>twine was now attached to the body of the kite.

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<v Speaker 1>He then raised it up with the right hand, holding

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<v Speaker 1>out the towel in three great for stoons with the left,

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<v Speaker 1>and in this way walked to and fro very up,

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<v Speaker 1>brightly and with a stately air, and turning his head

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<v Speaker 1>in various quarters to observe the direction of the wind.

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<v Speaker 1>Suddenly he dropped the towel upon the ground, and lifting

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<v Speaker 1>up the kite with his right hand in the air

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<v Speaker 1>as high as he possibly could off he ran down

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<v Speaker 1>the meadow slape as fast as his legs could carry him,

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<v Speaker 1>shouting all the way. Up, Up, Rise, Rise, Rise, Fly

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<v Speaker 1>kite in. He finished by throwing the kite up, continuing

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<v Speaker 1>to run with the stringer's hand, allowing it to slip

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<v Speaker 1>through his fingers. As the kite rose, the breeze caught

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<v Speaker 1>the kite, and up it went in fine style. He

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<v Speaker 1>continued to rise rapidly, and we ran to and fro underneath,

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<v Speaker 1>shouting all the time, Oh well done, James, White, and

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<v Speaker 1>well done kite. By the excellent management of James the

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<v Speaker 1>kite rose and rose till we all said, oh, how high,

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<v Speaker 1>how wonderful. And then James White said he was satisfied.

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<v Speaker 1>Now you are all to recollecting that the kite was

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<v Speaker 1>very large. In the story I told you in Summer,

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<v Speaker 1>where the making of the kite was described, you remembered

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<v Speaker 1>there was said to be as tall as James White himself,

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<v Speaker 1>and of course very much broader. The consequence was that

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<v Speaker 1>this kite was extremely strung. So we all sat down

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<v Speaker 1>on the grass to hold the string, which James White

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<v Speaker 1>said was necessary. As the kite struggled and pulled so hard,

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<v Speaker 1>was now up quite as high high the string would

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<v Speaker 1>allow it to go. But the wind seemed to be increasing,

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<v Speaker 1>and James White said he began to be rather afraid

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<v Speaker 1>that he must draw the kite downwards, for fear it

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<v Speaker 1>should have a quarreled with the wind up in the clouds,

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<v Speaker 1>and then some accident might happen. We accordingly began to

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<v Speaker 1>draw down the kite, slowly, winding the string upon the

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<v Speaker 1>stick as it gradually descended. But notwithstanding all this care,

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<v Speaker 1>an accident did happen. After all before the kite was

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<v Speaker 1>half way down, a strong wind suddenly caught its sideways,

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<v Speaker 1>and the kite made a long sweep downwards like a swallow,

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<v Speaker 1>rising up again at some distance, swinging its tail about

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<v Speaker 1>in a most alarming manner. Bless my heart, said James White.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll be all jumped from the grass. Help me to

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<v Speaker 1>hold her, cried James White. How she struggles again. Came

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<v Speaker 1>the wind again. The kite made her sweep down and

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<v Speaker 1>rose up again as if indignant, then shook her towl

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<v Speaker 1>and wings as if threatening to do some mischief, then

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<v Speaker 1>made a quick motion to the right and a danced

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<v Speaker 1>to the le left, then made a very graceful courtesy

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<v Speaker 1>deep down, as though she was very politely saluting the wind,

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<v Speaker 1>but suddenly rose up with a sharp jerk, as though

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<v Speaker 1>she spitefully altered her mind, and the next moment made

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<v Speaker 1>a dart first to the right and then to the left,

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<v Speaker 1>and continued to do this till James White said he

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<v Speaker 1>was sure something must happen. We all held the string

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<v Speaker 1>as fast as we could and tried to pull down

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<v Speaker 1>the kite, but it was impossible, for instead of bringing

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<v Speaker 1>her down, we were all three dragged along down the

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<v Speaker 1>meadow slope, crying out, somebody come and help us, somebody

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<v Speaker 1>come and help us, But nobody else was near. In

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<v Speaker 1>this manner, the car was pulling us along the string,

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<v Speaker 1>cutting our hands and running through our fingers like fire,

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<v Speaker 1>till at last I was obliged to let go, and,

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<v Speaker 1>being unable to get out of the way, was knocked down, and,

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<v Speaker 1>being also unable to roamse out of the way, my

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<v Speaker 1>brother fell over me. James White was thus left alone

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<v Speaker 1>with the kite, and was dragged, struggling and hallooing down

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<v Speaker 1>the meadow slope. He had determined, however, not to let go.

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<v Speaker 1>Nothing could make him lose the string. He was determined

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<v Speaker 1>not to be conquered. But before he had got to

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<v Speaker 1>the bottom of the slope, the string of the kite

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<v Speaker 1>broke about halfway down, and up sprang the kite again

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<v Speaker 1>towards the sky, taking its course over the meadow towards

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<v Speaker 1>the great field beyond. We all three followed, of course,

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<v Speaker 1>as fas as we could, staring up and hunting and

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<v Speaker 1>not knowing what to do. The kite continued to fly

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<v Speaker 1>in a rather irregular manner over the first great field.

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<v Speaker 1>He then made a pitch downwards and several tosses upwards,

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<v Speaker 1>and flew straight over the second great field in the

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<v Speaker 1>direction of the high trees. Oh, those trees, cried James Wright.

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<v Speaker 1>It is flying towards the trees. He was right. The

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<v Speaker 1>kite did fly directly towards the trees, as James White

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<v Speaker 1>said it would. Just as it arrived nearly over those trees,

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<v Speaker 1>it made a great pitch downwards, right into the top

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<v Speaker 1>of the largest tree, and completely not over one of

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<v Speaker 1>the rook's nests that was built there. We came running

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<v Speaker 1>as soon as we could, and then we saw that

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<v Speaker 1>it was the very tree at the foot of which

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<v Speaker 1>was a stool of our dear old woman who sold

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<v Speaker 1>apples and gingerbread nuts. Make haste, cried she. The card

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<v Speaker 1>is safe among the boughs. I could see its long

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<v Speaker 1>tail hung down. But do look here. The card has

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<v Speaker 1>made us a present of five young rooks. Two are

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<v Speaker 1>fluttering among the golden pippins, and three are harping and

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<v Speaker 1>gaping among the gingerbread nuts. James White scarcely looked at

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<v Speaker 1>the rooks. He said he had more important business to

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<v Speaker 1>attend to. He took off his jacket and immediately began

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<v Speaker 1>to climb up the tree. Less than twenty minutes he

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<v Speaker 1>succeeded in bringing down the kite. Were only two small

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<v Speaker 1>rents in its left shoulder and the loss of one wing,

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<v Speaker 1>all of which he said he could easily repair. We

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<v Speaker 1>took the five young rooks home with us and had

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<v Speaker 1>great amusement in rearing and feeding them, And as soon

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<v Speaker 1>as they were old enough, we took them out into

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<v Speaker 1>their native fields and let them fly directly under the

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<v Speaker 1>tree where they were born. The End of Adventure of

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<v Speaker 1>a Kite by Missus Harriet Myrtle, read by Adam Wybray