FLYING THE KITE.
Flying the kite is a pleasant amusement for boys, and when we see the
kites flying high in the air, we are always reminded of a kite whose
history we heard when a little child, and which we give our readers.
Shortly after the close of the Revolutionary war, there was a little
boy whose parents had left their home and friends in England, on
account of their sympathy with the struggle of freedom for their
rights in Ameri
This little boy was very much delighted with the American eagle, and
he determined to make a kite as much like his favorite bird as he
could. He had a friend who was a painter and gilder, and a person
of great ingenuity. Together they contrived a beautiful kite
representing an eagle of gigantic size. It was painted and gilded in
the most beautiful manner, and a small but very brilliant lantern was
attached to it just below the breast.
They kept their secret very carefully, never suffering any one to
enter the room while it was making.
On a dark, cloudy, windy night, the kite was flown. Its mechanism was
so perfect that it sailed very beautifully. The lantern illuminated
every part, and it made a very brilliant appearance. Crowds of people
thronged the streets, wondering what the strange visitor was. Some
were alarmed, and thought it was an omen of fearful events.
Great was their admiration when they discovered that the wonderful
bird was the ingenious contrivance of a little boy; and they could
scarcely be convinced that what looked so much like a real bird was
only an ingenious combination of sticks and painted paper.
More
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