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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 that 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 was scattered on the board, and the trap 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 into the house to show his mother 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," Serozha said. "They will sing, and I will feed them."
He 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 would 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 took up the bird, and carried it into the house.
"Mother, I have caught a bird!" he cried. "I think it is a nightingale, and how its
heart beats!"
His mother said it was a wild canary. "Be careful! Don't hurt it - you would better
let it go."
"No," he said. "I am going to give it something to eat and drink."
Serozha put the bird in a cage, and for two days gave it seed and water, and cleaned the
cage. But on the third day he forgot all about it, and did not change the water.
And his mother said, "See here, you have forgotten your bird. You would better let it go."
Serozha thrust his hand in 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
saw that he had forgotten 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 the words when the bird found the door, was delighted, spread its
wings, and flew around the room toward the window. 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 at it, and began
to cry.
"Mother, what can I do now?" he asked.
"You can do nothing now," she replied.
Serozha stayed by the cage all day. He did nothing but look at the bird. And all the
time the bird lay on its breast and breathed hard and fast.
When Serozha went to bed, the bird was dead. Serozha 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 its back, with its
legs crossed, and all stiff.
After that Serozha never again snared birds.