August 11, 2025 • 8 mins
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Venture of a kite. One evening, when Mary, her mamma,
and Willie had all taken their seats near the window
and the story was about to begin, Mary reminded her
mamma of a merry adventure that she had mentioned as
having happened when she and her brother and Master White
went out fly their new kite. Do Mamma plus about that,
(00:22):
said Mary. Her mamma said she would, and after thinking
for a few minutes to reflect all about it, she began.
One fine breezy morning in October, Master White came suddenly
to our house with his eyes looking so bright, and
his cheeks so red from running in the fresh air,
and quite out of breath. Besides, what is the matter, James,
(00:45):
You'll cried out? What a wrecked face you've got? Have?
I said he? My nose is so cold. I ran
here as fast as I could. There's such a beautiful
breeze for a kite. Come both of you and as
fly the kite high up in the blue sky. Come
as many of you as can, and this day you
shall see what a kite can do. Up We all jumped,
(01:07):
the kite was brought down, and away we all started
into the meadows running nearly all the way, and James
White never ceasing to talk of the wonderful things intended
the kite should this day perform. We arrived at a large
grassy meadow sloping down to a low hedge. Beyond the
heads was a very large field, and beyond that field
(01:27):
another large field, which had some high trees. At the
farthest end in the tops of these trees was a rookery.
We knew these trees very well because we often used
to walk that way, hardly because it was a nice walk.
Hartly because an old woman whom we were all very
fond of, kept an apple and gingerbread nutstill under the
largest tree. However, as I said before, these trees were
(01:51):
a long way off, two whole fields, off more two
whole fields, and all the meadow. At the top of
the meadow, near where we stood, there was also a
high tree, and at the foot of this we laid
down the kite. Oh, James, said, my brother, do you
think we should be able to make the kite fly
as high as the tree we are under? As high,
(02:12):
said James Wright, six times as high at the very least.
He now carefully unfolded the tail from the body of
the kite, being very particular to undo all the tangles
near the tassel, which made quite a bunch, but he
got it out perfectly. One end of the ball of
twine was now attached to the body of the kite.
He then raised it up with the right hand, holding
out the towel in three great for stoons with the left,
(02:35):
and in this way walked to and fro very up,
brightly and with a stately air, and turning his head
in various quarters to observe the direction of the wind.
Suddenly he dropped the towel upon the ground, and lifting
up the kite with his right hand in the air
as high as he possibly could off he ran down
the meadow slape as fast as his legs could carry him,
shouting all the way. Up, Up, Rise, Rise, Rise, Fly
(02:59):
kite in. He finished by throwing the kite up, continuing
to run with the stringer's hand, allowing it to slip
through his fingers. As the kite rose, the breeze caught
the kite, and up it went in fine style. He
continued to rise rapidly, and we ran to and fro underneath,
shouting all the time, Oh well done, James, White, and
well done kite. By the excellent management of James the
(03:22):
kite rose and rose till we all said, oh, how high,
how wonderful. And then James White said he was satisfied.
Now you are all to recollecting that the kite was
very large. In the story I told you in Summer,
where the making of the kite was described, you remembered
there was said to be as tall as James White himself,
(03:43):
and of course very much broader. The consequence was that
this kite was extremely strung. So we all sat down
on the grass to hold the string, which James White
said was necessary. As the kite struggled and pulled so hard,
was now up quite as high high the string would
allow it to go. But the wind seemed to be increasing,
(04:04):
and James White said he began to be rather afraid
that he must draw the kite downwards, for fear it
should have a quarreled with the wind up in the clouds,
and then some accident might happen. We accordingly began to
draw down the kite, slowly, winding the string upon the
stick as it gradually descended. But notwithstanding all this care,
an accident did happen. After all before the kite was
(04:27):
half way down, a strong wind suddenly caught its sideways,
and the kite made a long sweep downwards like a swallow,
rising up again at some distance, swinging its tail about
in a most alarming manner. Bless my heart, said James White.
I'll be all jumped from the grass. Help me to
hold her, cried James White. How she struggles again. Came
(04:48):
the wind again. The kite made her sweep down and
rose up again as if indignant, then shook her towl
and wings as if threatening to do some mischief, then
made a quick motion to the right and a danced
to the le left, then made a very graceful courtesy
deep down, as though she was very politely saluting the wind,
but suddenly rose up with a sharp jerk, as though
(05:10):
she spitefully altered her mind, and the next moment made
a dart first to the right and then to the left,
and continued to do this till James White said he
was sure something must happen. We all held the string
as fast as we could and tried to pull down
the kite, but it was impossible, for instead of bringing
her down, we were all three dragged along down the
(05:31):
meadow slope, crying out, somebody come and help us, somebody
come and help us, But nobody else was near. In
this manner, the car was pulling us along the string,
cutting our hands and running through our fingers like fire,
till at last I was obliged to let go, and,
being unable to get out of the way, was knocked down, and,
(05:53):
being also unable to roamse out of the way, my
brother fell over me. James White was thus left alone
with the kite, and was dragged, struggling and hallooing down
the meadow slope. He had determined, however, not to let go.
Nothing could make him lose the string. He was determined
not to be conquered. But before he had got to
the bottom of the slope, the string of the kite
(06:15):
broke about halfway down, and up sprang the kite again
towards the sky, taking its course over the meadow towards
the great field beyond. We all three followed, of course,
as fas as we could, staring up and hunting and
not knowing what to do. The kite continued to fly
in a rather irregular manner over the first great field.
He then made a pitch downwards and several tosses upwards,
(06:37):
and flew straight over the second great field in the
direction of the high trees. Oh, those trees, cried James Wright.
It is flying towards the trees. He was right. The
kite did fly directly towards the trees, as James White
said it would. Just as it arrived nearly over those trees,
it made a great pitch downwards, right into the top
(06:57):
of the largest tree, and completely not over one of
the rook's nests that was built there. We came running
as soon as we could, and then we saw that
it was the very tree at the foot of which
was a stool of our dear old woman who sold
apples and gingerbread nuts. Make haste, cried she. The card
is safe among the boughs. I could see its long
tail hung down. But do look here. The card has
(07:20):
made us a present of five young rooks. Two are
fluttering among the golden pippins, and three are harping and
gaping among the gingerbread nuts. James White scarcely looked at
the rooks. He said he had more important business to
attend to. He took off his jacket and immediately began
to climb up the tree. Less than twenty minutes he
succeeded in bringing down the kite. Were only two small
(07:42):
rents in its left shoulder and the loss of one wing,
all of which he said he could easily repair. We
took the five young rooks home with us and had
great amusement in rearing and feeding them, And as soon
as they were old enough, we took them out into
their native fields and let them fly directly under the
tree where they were born. The End of Adventure of
(08:04):
a Kite by Missus Harriet Myrtle, read by Adam Wybray
Venture of a kite. One evening, when Mary, her mamma,
and Willie had all taken their seats near the window
and the story was about to begin, Mary reminded her
mamma of a merry adventure that she had mentioned as
having happened when she and her brother and Master White
went out fly their new kite. Do Mamma plus about that,
(00:22):
said Mary. Her mamma said she would, and after thinking
for a few minutes to reflect all about it, she began.
One fine breezy morning in October, Master White came suddenly
to our house with his eyes looking so bright, and
his cheeks so red from running in the fresh air,
and quite out of breath. Besides, what is the matter, James,
(00:45):
You'll cried out? What a wrecked face you've got? Have?
I said he? My nose is so cold. I ran
here as fast as I could. There's such a beautiful
breeze for a kite. Come both of you and as
fly the kite high up in the blue sky. Come
as many of you as can, and this day you
shall see what a kite can do. Up We all jumped,
(01:07):
the kite was brought down, and away we all started
into the meadows running nearly all the way, and James
White never ceasing to talk of the wonderful things intended
the kite should this day perform. We arrived at a large
grassy meadow sloping down to a low hedge. Beyond the
heads was a very large field, and beyond that field
(01:27):
another large field, which had some high trees. At the
farthest end in the tops of these trees was a rookery.
We knew these trees very well because we often used
to walk that way, hardly because it was a nice walk.
Hartly because an old woman whom we were all very
fond of, kept an apple and gingerbread nutstill under the
largest tree. However, as I said before, these trees were
(01:51):
a long way off, two whole fields, off more two
whole fields, and all the meadow. At the top of
the meadow, near where we stood, there was also a
high tree, and at the foot of this we laid
down the kite. Oh, James, said, my brother, do you
think we should be able to make the kite fly
as high as the tree we are under? As high,
(02:12):
said James Wright, six times as high at the very least.
He now carefully unfolded the tail from the body of
the kite, being very particular to undo all the tangles
near the tassel, which made quite a bunch, but he
got it out perfectly. One end of the ball of
twine was now attached to the body of the kite.
He then raised it up with the right hand, holding
out the towel in three great for stoons with the left,
(02:35):
and in this way walked to and fro very up,
brightly and with a stately air, and turning his head
in various quarters to observe the direction of the wind.
Suddenly he dropped the towel upon the ground, and lifting
up the kite with his right hand in the air
as high as he possibly could off he ran down
the meadow slape as fast as his legs could carry him,
shouting all the way. Up, Up, Rise, Rise, Rise, Fly
(02:59):
kite in. He finished by throwing the kite up, continuing
to run with the stringer's hand, allowing it to slip
through his fingers. As the kite rose, the breeze caught
the kite, and up it went in fine style. He
continued to rise rapidly, and we ran to and fro underneath,
shouting all the time, Oh well done, James, White, and
well done kite. By the excellent management of James the
(03:22):
kite rose and rose till we all said, oh, how high,
how wonderful. And then James White said he was satisfied.
Now you are all to recollecting that the kite was
very large. In the story I told you in Summer,
where the making of the kite was described, you remembered
there was said to be as tall as James White himself,
(03:43):
and of course very much broader. The consequence was that
this kite was extremely strung. So we all sat down
on the grass to hold the string, which James White
said was necessary. As the kite struggled and pulled so hard,
was now up quite as high high the string would
allow it to go. But the wind seemed to be increasing,
(04:04):
and James White said he began to be rather afraid
that he must draw the kite downwards, for fear it
should have a quarreled with the wind up in the clouds,
and then some accident might happen. We accordingly began to
draw down the kite, slowly, winding the string upon the
stick as it gradually descended. But notwithstanding all this care,
an accident did happen. After all before the kite was
(04:27):
half way down, a strong wind suddenly caught its sideways,
and the kite made a long sweep downwards like a swallow,
rising up again at some distance, swinging its tail about
in a most alarming manner. Bless my heart, said James White.
I'll be all jumped from the grass. Help me to
hold her, cried James White. How she struggles again. Came
(04:48):
the wind again. The kite made her sweep down and
rose up again as if indignant, then shook her towl
and wings as if threatening to do some mischief, then
made a quick motion to the right and a danced
to the le left, then made a very graceful courtesy
deep down, as though she was very politely saluting the wind,
but suddenly rose up with a sharp jerk, as though
(05:10):
she spitefully altered her mind, and the next moment made
a dart first to the right and then to the left,
and continued to do this till James White said he
was sure something must happen. We all held the string
as fast as we could and tried to pull down
the kite, but it was impossible, for instead of bringing
her down, we were all three dragged along down the
(05:31):
meadow slope, crying out, somebody come and help us, somebody
come and help us, But nobody else was near. In
this manner, the car was pulling us along the string,
cutting our hands and running through our fingers like fire,
till at last I was obliged to let go, and,
being unable to get out of the way, was knocked down, and,
(05:53):
being also unable to roamse out of the way, my
brother fell over me. James White was thus left alone
with the kite, and was dragged, struggling and hallooing down
the meadow slope. He had determined, however, not to let go.
Nothing could make him lose the string. He was determined
not to be conquered. But before he had got to
the bottom of the slope, the string of the kite
(06:15):
broke about halfway down, and up sprang the kite again
towards the sky, taking its course over the meadow towards
the great field beyond. We all three followed, of course,
as fas as we could, staring up and hunting and
not knowing what to do. The kite continued to fly
in a rather irregular manner over the first great field.
He then made a pitch downwards and several tosses upwards,
(06:37):
and flew straight over the second great field in the
direction of the high trees. Oh, those trees, cried James Wright.
It is flying towards the trees. He was right. The
kite did fly directly towards the trees, as James White
said it would. Just as it arrived nearly over those trees,
it made a great pitch downwards, right into the top
(06:57):
of the largest tree, and completely not over one of
the rook's nests that was built there. We came running
as soon as we could, and then we saw that
it was the very tree at the foot of which
was a stool of our dear old woman who sold
apples and gingerbread nuts. Make haste, cried she. The card
is safe among the boughs. I could see its long
tail hung down. But do look here. The card has
(07:20):
made us a present of five young rooks. Two are
fluttering among the golden pippins, and three are harping and
gaping among the gingerbread nuts. James White scarcely looked at
the rooks. He said he had more important business to
attend to. He took off his jacket and immediately began
to climb up the tree. Less than twenty minutes he
succeeded in bringing down the kite. Were only two small
(07:42):
rents in its left shoulder and the loss of one wing,
all of which he said he could easily repair. We
took the five young rooks home with us and had
great amusement in rearing and feeding them, And as soon
as they were old enough, we took them out into
their native fields and let them fly directly under the
tree where they were born. The End of Adventure of
(08:04):
a Kite by Missus Harriet Myrtle, read by Adam Wybray
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