You must know that Solomon had no intention of remaining in office all his life . He looked forward to retiring by-and-by , and devoting his green old age to a life of pleasure on a certain yew-stump in the Figs which had taken his fancy , and for years he had been quietly filling his stocking . 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 bootlace . 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 . 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. XXXXX 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 .
Finch Kate Kates crumbs crusts drowned nest-building pen-wiper thrushes yew-stump