Chapter 7 : 
The Bird
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18881888

People :
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Author : Leo Tolstoy

Translator : Nathan Haskell Dole

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It was Serozha's birthday, and he received many 
different gifts, peg-tops and hobby-horses and pictures. 
But Serozha's uncle gave him a gift which he prized 
above all the rest : it was a trap for snaring birds. The 
trap was constructed in such a way that a board was 
fitted on the frame and shut down upon the top. If 
seed were scattered on the board, and it was put out in 
the yard, the little bird would fly down, hop upon the 
board, the board would give way, and the trap would shut 
with a clap. 
Serozha was delighted and he ran to his mother to 
show her the trap. 
His mother said : 
" It is not a good plaything. What do you want to 
do with birds ? Why do you want to torture them ? " 
" I am going to put them in a cage. They will sing, 
and I will feed them." 
Serozha got some seed, scattered it on the board, and 
set the trap in the garden. And he stood by and 
expected the birds to fly down. But the birds were 
afraid of him, and did not come near the cage. Serozha 
ran in to get something to eat, and left the cage. 
After dinner he went to look at it ; the cage had shut, 
and in it a little bird was beating against the bars. 
Serozha was delighted, took up the bird, and carried 
it into the house. 
" Mama, I have caught a bird ; I think it is a night- 
ingale ; and how its heart beats ! " 
His mother said it was a canary. 
" Be careful ! don't hurt it ; you would better let it 
go." 
" No ; I am going to give it something to eat and 
drink." 
Serozha put the canary in a cage, and for two days 
gave him seed and water and cleaned the cage. But on 
the third day he forgot all about the canary, and did not 
change the water. 
And his mother said : 
" See here : you have forgotten your bird ; you would 
better let it go." 
" No ; I will not forget it again ; I will immediately 
give it fresh water and clean its cage." 
Serozha thrust his hand into the cage and .began to 
clean it, but the little bird was frightened and fluttered. 
After Serozha had cleaned the cage, he went to get 
some water. His mother perceived that he had for- 
gotten to shut the cage door, and she called after him : 
" Serozha, shut up your cage, else your bird will fly 
out and hurt itself." 
She had hardly spoken these words, when the bird 
found the door, was delighted, spread its wings, and flew 
around the room toward the window. But it did not see 
the glass, and struck against it and fell back on the 
window-sill. Serozha came running in, picked up the 
bird, and put it back in the cage. The bird was still 
alive, but it lay on its breast, with its wings spread out, 
and breathed heavily. Serozha looked and looked, and 
began to cry : 
" Mama, what can I do now ? " 
"You can do nothing now." 
.Serozha did not leave the cage all day, but gazed at 
the canary, and all the time the bird lay on its breast 
and breathed hard and fast. 
When Serozha went to bed, the bird was dead. Sero- 
zha could not get to sleep for a long time ; every time 
that he shut his eyes he seemed to see the bird still lying 
and sighing. 
In the morning, when Serozha went to his cage, he 
saw the bird lying on his back, with his legs crossed, 
and all stiff. 
After that Serozha never again tried to snare birds. 



     From : Wikisource.org

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     Chapter 7 -- Publication : November 30, 1887

     Chapter 7 -- Added : July 01, 2021

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