Here she stopped and looked up among the branches, to ascertain what was causing so much excitement among the birds.
As she approached, several of the little creatures had flown towards her, and alighted upon her arms and shoulders; but not as was their wont when desiring to be fed.

They appeared to be in a state of alarm, and had come to her for protection.
Some enemy certainly must be near, thought Truey, though she could see none.
She looked around and above.

There were no hawks in the air, nor on the neighbouring trees,--no birds of prey of any kind.

Had there been one in the willow, she could easily have seen it, as the foliage was light and thin; besides a hawk would not have remained in the tree with her standing so near.

What, then, caused the trouble among the birds?
what was still causing it--for they were as noisy and terrified as ever?
Ha! At last the enemy appears--at last Truey's eyes have fallen upon the monster who has disturbed the peaceful colony of weavers, and roused them to such a pitch of excitement.
Slowly gliding along a horizontal branch, grasping the limb in its many spiral folds, appeared the body of a large serpent.