The Kite That Would Not Fly

On Windy Hill the wind moves in herds, and Alice's kite drops sideways, then down, then sideways again. Nearby sits a jackdaw called Ugolyok — he says nothing at all and simply sits where the wind runs even.

On Windy Hill the wind moves in herds. Alice unwinds the string and runs — the kite lifts two steps and drops into the grass. Ugolyok the jackdaw sits on a stone and just watches: he says nothing. Alice runs faster, the kite climbs above head height, and then the wind knocks it sideways — the second fall. So Ugolyok lifts off the stone, circles the slope and lands where the grass lies flat. Alice tries again from the same spot — a third fall, the tail caught in a bush. The kite's tail is short and light: Alice ties a long ribbon onto it. Ugolyok still sits where he landed and does not call. Alice walks over to him — and sees that here the wind blows evenly rather than in gusts. The fourth launch: the kite goes up and does not fall. By evening it stands above the clouds.