Adventure of a Kite

Adventure of a Kite, by Harriet
Myrtle

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Title: Adventure of a Kite
Author: Harriet Myrtle
Release Date: August 2, 2006 [EBook #18968]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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[Illustration]

[Illustration]

ROSE BUD STORIES
Mrs. Harriet Myrtle
NEW YORK
SHELDON & COMPANY
* * * * *
The Rose-Bud Stories,
FOR YOUNG CHILDREN.
Illustrated.
* * * * *
Adventure of a Kite.

BY
MRS. HARRIET MYRTLE.
* * * * *

New York:
SHELDON AND COMPANY.
1870.

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by SHELDON
AND COMPANY, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the
Southern District of New York.
* * * * *

The Adventure of a Kite.
One evening, when Mary, her mamma, and Willie had all taken their
seats near the window, and the story was about to begin, Mary
reminded her mamma of a merry adventure that she had mentioned as
having happened when she and her brother and Master White went out
to fly their "new Kite."
"Do, mamma, tell us about that," said Mary.
Her mamma said she would, and after thinking for a few minutes, to
recollect all about it, she began.
One fine, breezy morning in October, Master White came suddenly to
our house, with his eyes looking so bright, and his cheeks so red from
running in the fresh air, and quite out of breath besides.
"What is the matter, James?" we all cried out. "What a red face you've
got!"
"Have I?" said he; "my nose is so cold! I ran here as fast as I could,
there is such a beautiful breeze for a Kite. Come, both of you, and let us
fly the Kite high up in the blue sky; come as many of you as can, and
this day you shall see what a Kite can do!"
Up we all jumped, the Kite was brought down, and away we all started
into the meadows, running nearly all the way, and James White never
ceasing to talk of the wonderful things he intended the Kite should this
day perform.
We arrived in a large, grassy meadow, sloping down to a low hedge.

Beyond the hedge was a very large field, and beyond that field another
large field, which had some high trees at the farthest end. In the tops of
these trees was a rookery; we knew these trees very well, because we
often used to walk that way, partly because it was a nice walk, and
partly because an old woman, whom we were all very fond of, kept an
apple and gingerbread-nut stall under the largest tree. However, as I
said before, these trees were a long way off--two whole fields
off--more, two whole fields and all the meadow. At the top of the
meadow, near where we stood, there was also a high tree, and at the
foot of this we laid down the Kite.
"O, James," said my brother, "do you think we shall be able to make
the Kite fly as high as the tree we are under?"
"As high!" said James White, "six times as high, at the very least."
He now carefully unfolded the tail from the body of the Kite, being
very particular to undo all the tangles near the tassel, which made quite
a bunch; but he brought it out perfectly. One end of the ball of twine
was now attached to the body of the Kite. He then raised it up with the
right hand, holding out the tail in three great festoons with the left, and
in this way walked to and fro very uprightly and with a stately air, and
turning his head in various quarters, to observe the direction of the
wind. Suddenly he dropped the tail upon the ground, and lifting up the
Kite with his right hand in the air, as high as he possibly could, off he
ran down the meadow slope as fast as his legs could carry him,
shouting all the way, "Up, up, up! rise, rise, rise! fly, Kite, in the air!"
He finished by throwing the Kite up, continuing to run with the string
in his hand,