A heap of little white grubs lay under the hedge of an orchard. More for
lack of anything else to do than because he was hungry, the goldfinch
flew up and fell upon it.
Ah! have a care, pretty birdie. A man was busy thereabouts just now.
But, alas, it is too late; a whole life of happiness is ruined by a
moment’s curiosity. Hardly had the poor fellow plunged his beak in the
mass when a string pulled the catch; down comes the trap, and he is a
prisoner. Then the shape crouching behind a tree comes out from its
hiding-place; it approaches, looms larger and larger, turns into a big
bearded man, who opens enormous great hands, seizes the poor bird, and
claps it in a cage, grinning a broad grin of satisfaction. Good-bye,
little bride! Good-bye, marriage-feast and wedding-march! Good-bye,
woods and orchards, gardens and flowers! Good-bye, twittering nests!
Good-bye, life and love!
Consternation nailed our little hero to the spot; something had befallen
him he could make nothing of; he gazed at the cage with haggard eyes,
too scared to think.
Ah! if only he had lost his memory! But this consolation was denied him.
He shook himself, dashed at the bars, pecked and bit at them, thinking
maybe they would open and leave him free as air again.
But no; the bars would _not_ give way.
Then he shuddered from head to foot. Anger and terror frenzied his
little brain. He flew wildly at the bars; but all in vain—the cage was
solid and strong.
Suddenly he realised his calamity, and, filled with a perfect frenzy of
despair, with panting breath and trembling, shuddering limbs, he hurled
himself at the bars, beat his head against the wires, tearing and
lacerating beak and claws, flew madly up and down, breaking his wings,
till, battered and bruised, his feathers all dripping with blood,
exhausted and out of breath, he rolled half-dead into a corner.
It was all over!
While joy was paramount yonder in his bride’s home, while song and
laughter were the order of the day, while preparations for the
wedding—bitter mockery!—were completing, and all things, leaves and
butterflies and nests, were a-flutter, the poor bridegroom lay in his
agony amid the silence of a prison.