They drew the chair under the plum-tree, which
was snow-white with blossoms and musical with
bees. It was like a king's canopy, a fairy king's.
There were flowering cherry-trees near and
apple-trees whose buds were pink and white, and here
and there one had burst open wide. Between the
blossoming branches of the canopy bits of blue
sky looked down like wonderful eyes.

Mary and Dickon worked a little here and
there and Colin watched them. They brought
him things to look at -- buds which were opening,
buds which were tight closed, bits of twig whose
leaves were just showing green, the feather of a
woodpecker which had dropped on the grass, the
empty shell of some bird early hatched. Dickon
pushed the chair slowly round and round the garden,
stopping every other moment to let him look
at wonders springing out of the earth or trailing
down from trees. It was like being taken in state
round the country of a magic king and queen and
shown all the mysterious riches it contained.

"I wonder if we shall see the robin?" said
Colin.

"Tha'll see him often enow after a bit," answered
Dickon. "When th' eggs hatches out th'
little chap he'll be kep' so busy it'll make his head
swim. Tha'll see him flyin' backward an' for'ard

[[270]]

p269 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p270w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p271

v?