Two brown urchins assisted them, and went where the women could not go, crawling under the thorns into the hedge, and creeping along the side of the steep bank, gathering acorns that had fallen into the mouths of the rabbit holes, or that were lying under the stoles.

Out of sight under the bushes they could do much as they liked, looking for fallen nuts instead of acorns, or eating a stray blackberry, while their mothers rooted about among the grass and leaves of the meadow.

Such continual stooping would be weary work for any one not accustomed to it.

As they worked from tree to tree they did not observe the colours of the leaves, or the wood-pigeons, or the pheasant looking along the edge of the ditch on the opposite side of the field.

If they paused it was to gossip or to abuse the boys for not bringing more acorns to the sack.
But when the boys, hunting in the hedge, descried the curate in the distance and came back with the news, the two women were suddenly interested.