02-08-五个孩子和沙精 [5]
， they saw that they had beautiful soft wings of many colours. They moved them about and jumped up and down， and soon they could see the green fields and sunny woodsbelow them and the blue sky above. They could fly！ It was wonderful， and they flew over the woods and trees， the townsand villages， for a long time. But they began to get hungry.
Just then they saw below them some trees full of large red plums. ' We mustn't steal，'Cyril said.
' We've got wings，'Jane answered quickly，' so we're birds. It's all right for birds to take things. Birds can't steal. '
So they flew down onto the trees， and they ate as many of the plums as they could.
They were finishing the plums when they saw a very angry little fat man，who was hurrying through the trees. They were his plums and the poor man thought that boys from the village were stealing them. But when he saw that the children had wings， his mouth fell open and his face went green. Anthea did not want to steal anything，of course， so she flew down and pushed some money into his pocket.
'Don't be afraid，'she said. ' We've had some of your plums. We thought that it wasn't stealing， but now I'm not so sure. So that was some money to pay for them. '
The little man sat there on the ground and looked up into the sky. 'Talking birds！ Children with wings！ This is a lesson for me. From now on，I'm going to live a better life，'he said. And he went into the house and was very kind to his wife.
Plums are very nice， of course， but you soon feel hungry again. So the children stopped first at one house，then another， to ask for something to eat. They didn't get anything because everyone was afraid of them and screamed and ran away when they saw them. By four o'clock they were getting very tired and hungry，so they flew down onto the roof of a church，to think what to do.
' We can't possibly fly all the way home without something to eat，'said Robert.
In the end they decided to take some food from the vicar's house next to the church.
' He's a good man . He'll understand. We'll leave some money for the food，'Cyril said，'and a note saying that we're sorry. '
Cyril got in through the window and gave the food to the others， who were outside. There was some cold meat， half a cold chicken， some bread and a bottle of soda-water. Then they all flew back up onto the church roof to eat it. They were very hungry， so they really enjoyed it. But when you are very hungry， and then you eat a big meal and sit in the hot sun on a roof， it is very easy to fall asleep. And so they did— while the sun slowly went down in the west.
They slept for a long time. When they woke up it was dark —and，of course， they had no wings.
' We must get home，'Cyril said. ' There's a door over there. That's the way down. '
But when they tried the door，they found that it was locked from the other side. They were on top of the church and they had no wings！ How were they going to get down？
Anthea put her arm round Jane， who was beginning to cry. 'It will only be for one night，'she said.
Then Cyril said，'I know. Let's shout！ The lights are on inthe vicar's house. Someone will hear us and get us down. '
So they shouted and screamed as loudly as they could， and the people in the house heard them. The vicar ran out with his servant.
' Someone is murdering somebody in the church！'the vicar said， afraid. 'Perhaps it's the thief who stole the cold chicken and things. '
But they could not understand why the voices were coming from the sky. So the children shouted，' We're up here —on top of the church！'
The two men were still afraid，but，slowly and carefully，they went up the stairs inside the church. When they came to the top， the vicar shouted through the closed door，'How many of you are there？ Have you got guns？'
' There are four of us，and， no， we haven't got guns，'Cyril answered.
Slowly， the vicar opened the door.
'Good Heavens！'he cried. 'They're children！'
' Oh， please take us down，'cried Jane.
So the vicar and his servant took them down and into the vicar's house. Of course
Just then they saw below them some trees full of large red plums. ' We mustn't steal，'Cyril said.
' We've got wings，'Jane answered quickly，' so we're birds. It's all right for birds to take things. Birds can't steal. '
So they flew down onto the trees， and they ate as many of the plums as they could.
They were finishing the plums when they saw a very angry little fat man，who was hurrying through the trees. They were his plums and the poor man thought that boys from the village were stealing them. But when he saw that the children had wings， his mouth fell open and his face went green. Anthea did not want to steal anything，of course， so she flew down and pushed some money into his pocket.
'Don't be afraid，'she said. ' We've had some of your plums. We thought that it wasn't stealing， but now I'm not so sure. So that was some money to pay for them. '
The little man sat there on the ground and looked up into the sky. 'Talking birds！ Children with wings！ This is a lesson for me. From now on，I'm going to live a better life，'he said. And he went into the house and was very kind to his wife.
Plums are very nice， of course， but you soon feel hungry again. So the children stopped first at one house，then another， to ask for something to eat. They didn't get anything because everyone was afraid of them and screamed and ran away when they saw them. By four o'clock they were getting very tired and hungry，so they flew down onto the roof of a church，to think what to do.
' We can't possibly fly all the way home without something to eat，'said Robert.
In the end they decided to take some food from the vicar's house next to the church.
' He's a good man . He'll understand. We'll leave some money for the food，'Cyril said，'and a note saying that we're sorry. '
Cyril got in through the window and gave the food to the others， who were outside. There was some cold meat， half a cold chicken， some bread and a bottle of soda-water. Then they all flew back up onto the church roof to eat it. They were very hungry， so they really enjoyed it. But when you are very hungry， and then you eat a big meal and sit in the hot sun on a roof， it is very easy to fall asleep. And so they did— while the sun slowly went down in the west.
They slept for a long time. When they woke up it was dark —and，of course， they had no wings.
' We must get home，'Cyril said. ' There's a door over there. That's the way down. '
But when they tried the door，they found that it was locked from the other side. They were on top of the church and they had no wings！ How were they going to get down？
Anthea put her arm round Jane， who was beginning to cry. 'It will only be for one night，'she said.
Then Cyril said，'I know. Let's shout！ The lights are on inthe vicar's house. Someone will hear us and get us down. '
So they shouted and screamed as loudly as they could， and the people in the house heard them. The vicar ran out with his servant.
' Someone is murdering somebody in the church！'the vicar said， afraid. 'Perhaps it's the thief who stole the cold chicken and things. '
But they could not understand why the voices were coming from the sky. So the children shouted，' We're up here —on top of the church！'
The two men were still afraid，but，slowly and carefully，they went up the stairs inside the church. When they came to the top， the vicar shouted through the closed door，'How many of you are there？ Have you got guns？'
' There are four of us，and， no， we haven't got guns，'Cyril answered.
Slowly， the vicar opened the door.
'Good Heavens！'he cried. 'They're children！'
' Oh， please take us down，'cried Jane.
So the vicar and his servant took them down and into the vicar's house. Of course