It would have been better if he had not. A terrible thirst and hunger came over him and a longing to taste that fruit. He put it hastily into his pocket； but there were plenty of others. Could it be wrong to taste one？ After all， he thought， the notice on the gate might not have been exactlyan order； it might have been only a piece of advice.and who cares about advice？ Or even if it were an order， would he be disobeying it by eating an apple？ He had already obeyed the part about taking one “for others”.
While he was thinking of all this he happened to look up through the branches towards the top of the tree. There， on a branch above his head， a wonderful bird was roosting. I say “roosting” because it seemed almost asleep； perhaps not quite. The tiniest slit of one eye was open. It was larger than an eagle， its breast saffron， its head crested with scarlet， and its tail purple.