The bird, however, seemed to think that he could "manage" it. He started to swallow the fish. When it was half-way down his throat it stuck. With much sputtering and gagging the bird brought the fish up again. But he must have his dinner, and not in the least discouraged, tried again. He gagged and writhed. The scales and fins stuck in his throat. Up came the fish again. Four--five times he struggled to swallow the fish. Five times he failed to succeed. Five times the fish-scales glittered again in the sunlight. Such strange wrigglings and twistings the bird made. "The poor fellow is having an unhappy time with his lunch," laughed the children. At the sixth effort the fish was safely landed in the bird's stomach. With a flash of blue wings he circled through the air. He gave a noisy rattling cry as he alighted on a branch nearer to the children. Again the bird watched the water intently. Again he dived like a flash. Again he bore a fish to the surface and killed it by striking it against the tree. But this time the kingfisher did not swallow the fish. He rose with it in his bill and flew gracefully away. The children watched for some time, but the strange blue bird did not return. Then Jack turned again to his fishing. "I thought you were to furnish the thimbleberries for lunch," he said. "So I shall," Phyllis replied, snatching up her basket and starting off in the direction of some bushes which she could see. So Jack was left to his fishing and Phyllis went berrying. Sure enough the bushes proved to be loaded with beautiful ripe berries. Soon the little fingers were stained quite purple and the little basket was half filled with berries. As she started to return to her brother, Phyllis passed along the foot of a high bank. She was singing softly to herself when she heard the rattling cry of the kingfisher quite near. He gracefully swung into sight on wide-spread wings. He bore another fish in his strong bill. When he saw Phyllis he stopped short and held himself perfectly still in the air while he looked at her. At length, deciding that she was harmless, he circled past the little girl and entered a small hole on the face of the bank. "Why!" said Phyllis. "I wonder why he has gone in there. I shall wait for him to return." So Phyllis waited until the bird came out. Then she held out her basket of berries. "Will you have some of my berries?" she said. "I'm sure that your throat must be sore from the scratching of those fish-scales. You had to try so many times before you got it down. Tell me, did this last fish also stick in your throat?" The kingfisher "chuckled" deep down in his throat. "I do not eat berries," he said. "I usually eat fish. I sometimes eat large insects or shrimps, but I love to fish." "So does my brother," said Phyllis, politely, glancing at Jack sitting motionless on a rock in the sunshine. "Why did you go into that hole to eat?" The kingfisher chuckled again.