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The Eagle's Nest

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The Eagle's Nest

7 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

“I've news for you, Will!” exclaimed Roger Bolt as he met his friend. Roger's face was flushed with excitement, and his eyes fairly gleamed.

“What's the news?” asked Will with eager curiosity.

“I've found the eagle's nest!”

It was Will's turn to look excited. “How did you manage that?”

“I'll tell you; I'll do better, I'll show you,” and with that Roger took his friend by the arm and led him some distance back along the road on which he had just come. Soon they stood under the steep crags which at one point almost overhung the road.

Roger began to explain. “You know that Sir John shot the male eagle two days ago, and he offered a good reward to whoever would take the nest, as the eagles have done much mischief among the young lambs. Well, thought I, I'll watch; and so I did. That's why I missed school yesterday.”

“What did your mother say to that?” asked Will seriously, for Roger's tendency to disobey his mother was one he did not like.

“Oh, who minds what she said,” retorted Roger carelessly. “Well, I watched, and at last towards evening I saw the big mother eagle come and drop down where her nest must be. Look, up there!” and he pointed to a spot about halfway up the crag.

“I can only see a small brown bush.”

“That's the place! The nest must be just behind it, for that's where she disappeared. I saw her leave this morning, too. Now, don't you think that you and I could climb up and get the chicks while the mother eagle is away?”

“It would be rare fun to try!” cried Will, now as enthusiastic as his friend.

“It won't be easy work,” observed Roger, “but we'll do it.”

“Right,” said Will, “just wait till I come back from the store with these things my mother wants, and then we'll start on this adventure.”

“I'm not going to wait for you or anyone else,” said Roger impatiently. “Now's the time to climb up, while the fierce old bird is away. Put off your tiresome old shopping until we have the nest.”

“I cannot put it off,” said Will, “for Mother told me not to be long. In fact I shouldn't be standing here talking to you at this moment.”

“I never knew anyone like you,” cried Roger passionately. “If your mother tells you to do a thing, you do it as if your life depended on it. Why, my mother has forbidden me over and over again to climb up this cliff. She says it's dangerous. But it's not so, if you know what you're doing. And I tell you, I'm going to climb it this very hour.”

“” said Will earnestly.

“Then a fine sissy you would be,” flung back Roger in scorn.

Will flushed. “It's not only my mother who is involved,” he said. “The Bible says, ‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right,’” and delaying no longer, he went off with quick steps to do his mother's bidding.

Left on his own, Roger muttered, “I don't care a straw for either his words or example, though I'm sorry not to have his company and his help in a difficult adventure like this. But I'm not going to stop for his nonsense. I never knew a fellow like Will—always thinks of duty, what he ought or ought not to do. He makes himself a slave to his mother, yet she's not half as nice as mine. Why, my mother thinks nothing is too good for me, while Will's mother—”

Here Roger broke off his train of thought, as it suddenly struck him that his own mother's indulgent kindness did not make it seem a more right and good thing to break her command. “Anyway, my business now is with that nest. It's going to be a tough climb.”

And so it proved. Starting underneath the brown bush, Roger began his ascent. It was far from easy, but by dint of pulling, struggling, and scrambling, he succeeded in climbing quite a distance. Of course, he could not go straight up. First he had to turn left to take advantage of a projecting stone, and next he had to move to the right where the roots of a bush gave a handhold. So for a while he progressed, until he felt he must take a rest and do some planning.

A downward glance showed that he was now a good height above the road. His main trouble was that he had lost sight of the bush, and he had no idea in which direction it lay. “I wish that stupid Will was standing below to guide me,” he panted. “Not that I've much choice, for that ledge above is the only footing I can reach from here. And my legs are so tired, and my arms ache so.”

He had not lost heart, though, and soon resumed his efforts, which landed him on the ledge above. But, unhappily, it was much narrower than he had expected. At each end it decreased to nothing. The rock above rose straight for eight feet, leaning outward somewhat, and showing not a crack anywhere. Above that again a jutting crag completely blocked the way. A goat could go no higher than he himself had gone!

Physically worn out, Roger now felt the pangs of fear. “I can't get up, and how can I possibly get down?” The view downwards made him dizzy, and when he looked to either side, the road far below was deserted. If he could have sat, it might have relieved his tiredness, but the ledge was so narrow that he was afraid to try. And now he imagined that the ledge itself was shaky.

He began to shout, but no one answered. The road seemed empty. Having cried in vain for man to help, Roger at last uttered a broken prayer to God. Before he had cared little for religion, and he had no right to expect the same comfort from it as if he had made it his guide and joy. Now, instead of comfort, religion brought to Roger a new cause of terror. He might be very near death. Soon his poor crushed form might be lying where he did not venture to look, and where would his soul be then? Was he not engaged in an act of sin—disobeying God, because he was disobeying his mother? Will's final words seemed to ring in his ears: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.”

— to be continued —


An Example for Us

A boy was once tempted by his friends to pick some ripe fruit from a tree, even though his father had forbidden him to touch them. His friends said, “You do not need to be afraid, since your father will not know anything about it. Even if he finds out, he is so kind that he will not punish you.”

The boy replied, “It is for that very reason that I should not touch the fruit. Although my father may not punish me, my disobedience would hurt my father.”

— Adapter from Whitecross

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Bekijk de hele uitgave van zaterdag 1 oktober 2005

The Banner of Truth | 28 Pagina's

The Eagle's Nest

Bekijk de hele uitgave van zaterdag 1 oktober 2005

The Banner of Truth | 28 Pagina's