give us a meal. It will save our own provisions. Maybe we can get some cream too, and good butter."
By the time that darkness came at last they had all had a good meal, and were bedded down in the two tents, comfortable on ground-sheets and rugs. The fresh air had made them so sleepy that the girls fell asleep without even saying good night.
"They're a' daft," said the fisherman to his wife. "Wasting a fine boat like that yon, looking for bairds. Bairds! When there's good fish to be got! Well, they'll soon see bairds in plenty. Och, they're a' dafties!"
Chapter 8
THE ISLANDS OF BIRDS
NEXT day, after a fine breakfast of porridge and cream, and grilled herrings, the tents were struck and the five went aboard their boat. It was called Lucky Star, which the children thought was a very nice name.
Kiki had not been popular with the old fisherman and his wife. They had never seen a parrot before, and they could not understand a bird that talked. They regarded Kiki with awe and fear, and seemed scared of her sharp, curved beak.
"God save the King," said Kiki, having learnt by experience that most people thought this was a fine thing for her to say. But she spoilt it by adding "Pop goes the King, pop, pop, pop!"
Now she was aboard with the others, and once again the boat was skimming over the blue water. Once again the sky was blue and the sun was hot. True May weather, that made the sea a clear, translucent blue, and set thousands of little sparkles dancing over the water.
"I've still got that lovely feeling," said Lucy-Ann happily, as she dangled her hand over the side of the boat and felt the cool, silky water catch hold of her fingers and trail them back. "Now to find some bird-islands. We really are going to find some today, aren't we, Bill?"
"We certainly are," said Bill, and gave the boat a little extra speed. Spray came up and fell lightly over everyone.
"Ooooh, lovely!" said Dinah. "I was so hot. That cooled me beautifully. Let her out again, Bill! I could do with some more of that."
For five hours they sped over the water, and then Jack gave a shout. "The islands! Look, you can see little blobs here and there on the horizon! — They must be the islands!"
And now the children began to see a great many different birds on the water and in the air. Jack called out their names excitedly. "There's a shearwater! Jolly good name for it. And look, Philip, that's a razorbill! — and gosh, is that a Little Auk?"
The boys, well versed in the appearance of the wild sea-birds, almost fell overboard in their excitement. Many of the birds seemed to have no fear of the noisy boat at all, but went bobbing on their way, hardly bothering to swerve when it neared them.
"There's a shag diving," shouted Jack. "Look! you can see it swimming under water — it's caught a fish. Here it comes. It's clumsy getting out of the water to fly. Gosh, if only I'd got my camera ready!"
Kiki watched the many birds out of baleful eyes. She did not like the interest that Jack suddenly appeared to take in these other birds. When a great gull appeared, flying leisurely right over the boat, Kiki shot up underneath it, gave a fearful screech, and turned a somersault in the air. The gull, startled, rose vertically on its strong wings and let out an alarmed cry.
"EEE-oo-ee-ooooo!"
Kiki imitated it perfectly, and the gull, thinking that Kiki must be some strange kind of relation, circled round. Then it made a pounce at the parrot. But Kiki flipped round, and then dropped to Jack's shoulder.
"Eee-oo!" she called defiantly, and the gull, after a doubtful glance, went on its way, wondering, no doubt, what kind of a gull this was that behaved in such a peculiar manner.
"You're an idiot, Kiki," said Jack. "One of these days a gull will eat you for his dinner."
"Poor old Kiki," said the parrot, and gave a realistic groan. Bill laughed. "I can't
By the time that darkness came at last they had all had a good meal, and were bedded down in the two tents, comfortable on ground-sheets and rugs. The fresh air had made them so sleepy that the girls fell asleep without even saying good night.
"They're a' daft," said the fisherman to his wife. "Wasting a fine boat like that yon, looking for bairds. Bairds! When there's good fish to be got! Well, they'll soon see bairds in plenty. Och, they're a' dafties!"
Chapter 8
THE ISLANDS OF BIRDS
NEXT day, after a fine breakfast of porridge and cream, and grilled herrings, the tents were struck and the five went aboard their boat. It was called Lucky Star, which the children thought was a very nice name.
Kiki had not been popular with the old fisherman and his wife. They had never seen a parrot before, and they could not understand a bird that talked. They regarded Kiki with awe and fear, and seemed scared of her sharp, curved beak.
"God save the King," said Kiki, having learnt by experience that most people thought this was a fine thing for her to say. But she spoilt it by adding "Pop goes the King, pop, pop, pop!"
Now she was aboard with the others, and once again the boat was skimming over the blue water. Once again the sky was blue and the sun was hot. True May weather, that made the sea a clear, translucent blue, and set thousands of little sparkles dancing over the water.
"I've still got that lovely feeling," said Lucy-Ann happily, as she dangled her hand over the side of the boat and felt the cool, silky water catch hold of her fingers and trail them back. "Now to find some bird-islands. We really are going to find some today, aren't we, Bill?"
"We certainly are," said Bill, and gave the boat a little extra speed. Spray came up and fell lightly over everyone.
"Ooooh, lovely!" said Dinah. "I was so hot. That cooled me beautifully. Let her out again, Bill! I could do with some more of that."
For five hours they sped over the water, and then Jack gave a shout. "The islands! Look, you can see little blobs here and there on the horizon! — They must be the islands!"
And now the children began to see a great many different birds on the water and in the air. Jack called out their names excitedly. "There's a shearwater! Jolly good name for it. And look, Philip, that's a razorbill! — and gosh, is that a Little Auk?"
The boys, well versed in the appearance of the wild sea-birds, almost fell overboard in their excitement. Many of the birds seemed to have no fear of the noisy boat at all, but went bobbing on their way, hardly bothering to swerve when it neared them.
"There's a shag diving," shouted Jack. "Look! you can see it swimming under water — it's caught a fish. Here it comes. It's clumsy getting out of the water to fly. Gosh, if only I'd got my camera ready!"
Kiki watched the many birds out of baleful eyes. She did not like the interest that Jack suddenly appeared to take in these other birds. When a great gull appeared, flying leisurely right over the boat, Kiki shot up underneath it, gave a fearful screech, and turned a somersault in the air. The gull, startled, rose vertically on its strong wings and let out an alarmed cry.
"EEE-oo-ee-ooooo!"
Kiki imitated it perfectly, and the gull, thinking that Kiki must be some strange kind of relation, circled round. Then it made a pounce at the parrot. But Kiki flipped round, and then dropped to Jack's shoulder.
"Eee-oo!" she called defiantly, and the gull, after a doubtful glance, went on its way, wondering, no doubt, what kind of a gull this was that behaved in such a peculiar manner.
"You're an idiot, Kiki," said Jack. "One of these days a gull will eat you for his dinner."
"Poor old Kiki," said the parrot, and gave a realistic groan. Bill laughed. "I can't
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