"yet,forallthat,itisaverystrangeaffair,"saidthekitchen-cat.

vii.theeagle'snest

fromthemountain-pathcameajoyoussoundofsomepersonwhistling,anditbetokenedgoodhumorandundauntedcourage.itwasrudy,goingtomeethisfriendvesinaud."youmustcomeandhelp,"saidhe."iwanttocarryofftheyoungeagletfromthetopoftherock.wewilltakeyoungragliwithus."

"hadyounotbetterfirsttrytotakedownthemoon?thatwouldbequiteaseasyatask,"saidvesinaud."youseemtobeingoodspirits."

"yes,indeediam.iamthinkingofmywedding.buttobeserious,iwilltellyouallaboutit,andhowiamsituated."

thenheexplainedtovesinaudandragliwhathewishedtodo,andwhy.

"youareadaringfellow,"saidthey;"butitisnouse;youwillbreakyourneck."

"noonefalls,unlessheisafraid,"saidrudy.

soatmidnighttheysetout,carryingwiththempoles,ladders,andropes.theroadlayamidstbrushwoodandunderwood,overrollingstones,alwaysupwardshigherandhigherinthedarknight.watersroaredbeneaththem,orfellincascadesfromabove.humidcloudsweredrivingthroughtheairasthehuntersreachedtheprecipitousledgeoftherock.itwasevendarkerhere,forthesidesoftherocksalmostmet,andthelightpenetratedonlythroughasmallopeningatthetop.atalittledistancefromtheedgecouldbeheardthesoundoftheroaring,foamingwatersintheyawningabyssbeneaththreeseatedthemselvesonastone,toawaitinstillnessthedawnofday,whentheparenteaglewouldflyout,asitwouldbenecessarytoshoottheoldbirdbeforetheycouldthinkofgainingpossessionoftheyoungone.rudysatmotionless,asifhehadbeenpartofthestoneonwhichhesat.heheldhisgunreadytofire,withhiseyesfixedsteadilyonthehighestpointofthecliff,wheretheeagle'snestlayconcealedbeneaththeoverhangingrock.

thethreehuntershadalongtimetowait.atlasttheyheardarustling,whirringsoundabovethem,andalargehoveringobjectdarkenedtheair.twogunswerereadytoaimatthedarkbodyoftheeagleasitrosefromthenest.thenashotwasfired;foraninstantthebirdfluttereditswide-spreadingwings,andseemedasifitwouldfillupthewholeofthechasm,anddragdownthehuntersinitsfall.butitwasnotso;theeaglesunkgraduallyintotheabyssbeneath,andthebranchesoftreesandbusheswerebrokenbyitsweight.thenthehuntersrousedthemselves:threeofthelongestladderswerebroughtandboundtogether;thetopmostringoftheseladderswouldjustreachtheedgeoftherockwhichhungovertheabyss,butnofarther.thepointbeneathwhichtheeagle'snestlayshelteredwasmuchhigher,andthesidesoftherockwereassmoothasawall.afterconsultingtogether,theydeterminedtobindtogethertwomoreladders,andtohoistthemoverthecavity,andsoformacommunicationwiththethreebeneaththem,bybindingtheupperonestothelower.withgreatdifficultytheycontrivedtodragthetwoladdersovertherock,andtheretheyhungforsomemoments,swayingovertheabyss;butnosoonerhadtheyfastenedthemtogether,thanrudyplacedhisfootontheloweststep.

itwasabitterlycoldmorning;cloudsofmistwererisingfrombeneath,andrudystoodonthelowerstepoftheladderasaflyrestsonapieceofswingingstraw,whichabirdmayhavedroppedfromtheedgeofthenestitwasbuildingonsometallfactorychimney;buttheflycouldflyawayifthestrawwereshaken,rudycouldonlybreakhisneck.thewindwhistledaroundhim,andbeneathhimthewatersoftheabyss,swelledbythethawingoftheglaciers,thosepalacesoftheicemaiden,foamedandroaredintheirrapidcourse.whenrudybegantoascend,theladdertrembledlikethewebofthespider,whenitdrawsoutthelong,delicatethreads;butassoonashereachedthefourthoftheladders,whichhadbeenboundtogether,hefeltmoreconfidence,-heknewthattheyhadbeenfastenedsecurelybyskilfulhands.thefifthladder,thatappearedtoreachthenest,wassupportedbythesidesoftherock,yetitswungtoandfro,andflappedaboutlikeaslenderreed,andasifithadbeenboundbyfishinglines.itseemedamostdangerousundertakingtoascendit,butrudyknewhowtoclimb;hehadlearntthatfromthecat,andhehadnofear.hedidnotobservevertigo,whostoodintheairbehindhim,tryingtolayholdofhimwithhisoutstretchedpolypousarms.

whenatlengthhestoodonthetopmoststepoftheladder,hefoundthathewasstillsomedistancebelowthenest,andnotevenabletoseeintoit.onlybyusinghishandsandclimbingcouldhepossiblyreachit.hetriedthestrengthofthestuntedtrees,andthethickunderwooduponwhichthenestrested,andofwhichitwasformed,andfindingtheywouldsupporthisweight,hegraspedthemfirmly,andswunghimselfupfromtheladdertillhisheadandbreastwereabovethenest,andthenwhatanoverpoweringstenchcamefromit,forinitlaytheputridremainsoflambs,chamois,andbirds.vertigo,althoughhecouldnotreachhim,blewthepoisonousvaporinhisface,tomakehimgiddyandfaint;andbeneath,inthedark,yawningdeep,ontherushingwaters,sattheicemaiden,withherlong,pale,greenhairfallingaroundher,andherdeath-likeeyesfixeduponhim,likethetwobarrelsofagun."ihavetheenow,"shecried.

inacorneroftheeagle'snestsattheyoungeaglet,alargeandpowerfulbird,thoughstillunabletofly.rudyfixedhiseyesuponit,heldonbyonehandwithallhisstrength,andwiththeotherthrewanooseroundtheyoungeagle.thestringslippedtoitslegs.rudytightenedit,andthussecuredthebirdalive.thenflingingtheslingoverhisshoulder,sothatthecreaturehungagoodwaydownbehindhim,hepreparedtodescendwiththehelpofarope,andhisfootsoontouchedsafelythehigheststepoftheladder.thenrudy,rememberinghisearlylessoninclimbing,"holdfast,anddonotfear,"descendedcarefullydowntheladders,andatlaststoodsafelyonthegroundwiththeyounglivingeaglet,wherehewasreceivedwithloudshoutsofjoyandcongratulations.

viii.whatfreshnewstheparlor-cathadtotell

"thereiswhatyouaskedfor,"saidrudy,asheenteredthemiller'shouseatbex,andplacedontheflooralargebasket.heremovedthelidashespoke,andapairofyelloweyes,encircledbyablackring,staredforthwithawild,fieryglance,thatseemedreadytoburnanddestroyallthatcameinitsway.itsshort,strongbeakwasopen,readytobite,andonitsredthroatwereshortfeathers,likestubble.

"theyoungeaglet!"