The Birds Read Online Free

awe. But there’d been so many strange things thatMattis had come rushing to tell her. Things that were usually soon explained and no longer strange.
    She said quietly: “A woodcock? Oh, I see. Well, go and get some sleep now, Mattis.”
    He didn’t understand.
    “Go to bed now, Mattis,” she said gently, seeing the distraught expression on his face.
    Mattis groaned with disappointment.
    “Didn’t you hear what I said? There’s a woodcock here! It’s moved! It’s flying straight across the roof of our house! Now! This very minute, while you are sitting there in bed.”
    Hege remained sitting as before, with the same expression on her face.
    “Of course I heard. But what of it? Can’t you let the woodcock come and go as it likes?”
    He didn’t understand her. It was as if she were speaking a language he didn’t understand.
    “Doesn’t it mean anything to you? Have you ever heard of a woodcock changing it’s path like that and going right over your head?”
    She shrugged her shoulders.
    “What’s the good of asking me?”
    “No, I bet you haven’t. Put on your things now and come outside.”
    “Outside? Now, in the middle of the night?”
    “Of course, you must see it too.”
    “No, Mattis,” she said.
    “You must! It’s going on out there now. If this isn’t anything important either, then—”
    Hege’s only reply was to lie down again. She yawned, heavy with sleep.
    “I’m sure you found it fun to watch,” she said, but surely I can see it some other time. If it’s here, it’s here, isn’t it?”
    Mattis stared at her open-mouthed.
    “If it’s here, it’s here!” he repeated horrified. “And you’re supposed to be razor-sharp?” he blurted out without thinking.
    “What do you mean?” she asked.
    “You don’t understand anything then,” he summed up.
    He stood over her, disappointed and helpless.
    Gently she touched his arm. He took it as a sign of friendship. He didn’t see how worn out and miserable Hege was at this moment. She lay there in her faded nightdress, not looking at him, her face turned to the wall.
    “Let’s talk about this in the morning, Mattis. Go to bed now, do you hear?”
    To Mattis it sounded like madness – throwing away a chance like this.
    “I’m telling you it’s going on now. And you don’t want to come out and see? I can’t understand you. Nothing seems to mean anything to you.”
    Finally Hege couldn’t stand it any longer. She beat her hand against the edge of her bed and cried: “You don’t know what you’re talking about. And coming from you, you who are—” she stopped suddenly.
    He asked in a frightened voice: “What am I?”
    With her back to him, she shouted: “Leave me in peace, please! I can’t go on any longer if you don’t—oh, please go away, it’s very late and I must get some sleep, Mattis.”
    She gave a jerk, turning even farther away from him. He saw her shoulders begin to quiver. It shook him profoundly, made him feel guilty, whether he was or not.
    He felt bewildered. Had he been unkind to her? He’d simply wanted to please her with the woodcock. It didn’t occur to him that it wasn’t as great an event for Hege as it was for him. It was going on out there now, this very minute – and Hege didn’t care, shouted at him, and lay there weeping in incomprehensible helplessness.
    “But Hege—I meant no harm, I just wanted you to—”
    But now she was absolutely wild: “Did you hear what I said,” she screamed, and he hastily retreated the few steps that were necessary to get out of her room. He closed the door gently, as if Hege were asleep and mustn’t be disturbed.
    How different people are, he thought in a bewildered way when he got outside. At least, Hege and I are.
    I don’t think she even believes me.
    But I saw it and I heard it. I’ll swear I saw it. The flight’s just finished for tonight, that’s all.
    And now let’s sing a song, said a voice inside him. Not that he began singing. It just