It was a stocking belonging to some bathing person which had been cast upon the island , and at the time I speak of it contained a hundred and eighty crumbs , thirty-four nuts , sixteen crusts , a pen-wiper , and a boot-lace . When his stocking was full , Solomon calculated that he would be able to retire on a competency . Peter now gave him a pound . He cut it off his bank-note with a sharp stick . This made Solomon his friend for ever , and after the two had consulted together they called a meeting of the thrushes . You will see presently why thrushes only were invited . The scheme to be put before them was really Peter 's , but Solomon did most of the talking , because he soon became irritable if other people talked . He began by saying that he had been much impressed by the superior ingenuity shown by the thrushes in nest-building , and this put them into good-humour at once , as it was meant to do ; for all the quarrels between birds are about the best way of building nests . Other birds , said Solomon , omitted to line their nests with mud , and as a result they did not hold water . Here he cocked his head as if he had used an unanswerable argument ; but , unfortunately , a Mrs. Finch had come to the meeting uninvited , and she squeaked out , ` We do n't build nests to hold water , but to hold eggs , ' and then the thrushes stopped cheering , and Solomon was so perplexed that he took several sips of water . ` Consider , ' he said at last , ` how warm the mud makes the nest . ' ` Consider , ' cried Mrs. Finch , ` that when water gets into the nest it remains there and your little ones are drowned . ' The thrushes begged Solomon with a look to say something crushing in reply to this , but again he was perplexed . ` Try another drink , ' suggested Mrs. Finch pertly . Kate was her name , and all Kates are saucy . -LSB- Illustration : For years he had been quietly filling his stocking -RSB- Solomon did try another drink , and it inspired him . ` If , ' said he , ' a finch 's nest is placed on the Serpentine it fills and breaks to pieces , but a thrush 's nest is still as dry as the cup of a swan 's back . ' How the thrushes applauded ! Now they knew why they lined their nests with mud , and when Mrs. Finch called out , ` We do n't place our nests on the Serpentine , ' they did what they should have done at first -- chased her from the meeting . After this it was most orderly .
What they had been brought together to hear , said Solomon , was this : their young XXXXX , Peter Pan , as they well knew , wanted very much to be able to cross to the Gardens , and he now proposed , with their help , to build a boat .
Illustration drink friend ingenuity nest ones people pound talking water