through.

When the sky was clear again, Blue-feather left the tree and dried
his plumage as he flew.

On the borders of a wood he spied some scattered grains of wheat.
He was hungry and saw no reason why he should not pick them up. As
he flew down, a snare was drawn about him. The wheat had been put
there to tempt pigeons so that they might get caught. It was well
for Blue-feather that the snare had been in use a long time and
was rotten. By using his beak and wings he got loose, but he lost
a few feathers out of his pretty coat.

A hawk saw him as he rose. Blue-feather was dragging a piece of
the string which he could not loosen from his leg. The hawk was
about to seize him. It seemed as if there was no help for him. But
just at that moment an eagle caught the hawk and carried him off.

Blue-feather flew as fast as he could to a high fence, where he
stopped to rest. He thought his dangers were over. He was very
homesick.

While Blue-feather was sitting on the fence, a boy saw him. He
nearly killed the poor bird with a shot from his sling.

Blue-feather was just able to fly. His leg was lame, and one wing
was hurt, but he steered straight for home.

Late at night he arrived at his own dovecote, tired and hungry,
but happy to be safe at home again. He found White-coat waiting