large/2531/davidandphoenix_0902_librivox_64kb_mp3/davidandthephoenix_07_ormondroyd_64kb_54
large/2531/davidandphoenix_0902_librivox_64kb_mp3/davidandthephoenix_07_ormondroyd_64kb
English
2531
It was not until afternoon, when the sun had turned ruddy and shadows were beginning to stretch dark fingers across the land, that they finished the job. But at last the saplings were set in the notches, the nooses were formed and fastened on. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE AFTERNOON WHEN THE SUN HAD TURNED ROOTY AND SHADOWS WERE BEGINNING TO STRETCH DARK FINGERS ACROSS THE LAND THAT THEY FINISHED THE JOB BUT AT LAST THE SAPLINGS WERE SET IN THE NOTCHES THE NOOSES WERE FORMED AND FASTENED ON
 snares sound delightfully simple, but they soon discovered that the job was harder than it sounded. First they had to find the right kind of sapling, springy and strong. The sapling had to be in the right place--one by the goat trail, the other at the far end of the ledge. When they had been chosen, David had to shinny up them to lop off their branches. That was a very awkward business; the saplings swayed and trembled under his weight, and he could only use one hand for the hatchet. Then he had to make two stakes from stout, hard wood, cut a notch at one end, and drive them into the ground with the flat of the hatchet. But the hardest part was trying to bend the sapling down to the stake and fitting it into the notch. It took the weight of both of them to bring the sapling to the ground. If they got the slightest bit off balance, it would spring up again. Once David fell off; the sapling went _swish!_ back into the air, flinging the astonished Phoenix thirty feet up the mountainside. N THE PHOENIX HAD MADE THE SNARES SOUND DELIGHTFULLY SIMPLE BUT THEY SOON DISCOVERED THAT THE JOB WAS HARDER THAN IT SOUNDED FIRST THEY HAD TO FIND THE RIGHT KIND OF SAPLING SPRINGY AND STRONG THE SAPLING HAD TO BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE ONE BY THE GOAT TRAIL THE OTHER AT THE FAR END OF THE LEDGE WHEN THEY HAD BEEN CHOSEN DAVID HAD TO SHINNY UP THEM TO LOP OFF THEIR BRANCHES THAT WAS A VERY AWKWARD BUSINESS THE SAPLING SWAYED AND TREMBLED UNDER HIS WEIGHT AND HE COULD ONLY USE ONE HAND FOR THE HATCHET THEN HE HAD TO MAKE TWO STAKES FROM STOUT HARD WOOD CUT A NOTCH AT ONE END AND DRIVE THEM INTO THE GROUND WITH THE FLAT OF THE HATCHET BUT THE HARDEST PART WAS TRYING TO BEND THE SAPLING DOWN TO THE STAKE AND FITTING IT INTO THE NOTCH IT TOOK THE WEIGHT OF BOTH OF THEM TO BRING THE SAPLING TO THE GROUND IF THEY GOT THE SLIGHTEST BIT OFF BALANCE IT WOULD SPRING UP AGAIN ONCE DAVID FELL OFF THE SAPLING WENT SWISH BACK INTO THE AIR FLINGING THE ASTONISHED PHOENIX THIRTY FEET UP THE MOUNTAIN SIDE
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