During the first week of Gorgo’s captivity he was still awake and full of life, but later a heavy torpor came upon him.  He perched himself on one spot, like the other eagles, and stared at vacancy.  He no longer knew how the days passed.

One morning when Gorgo sat in his usual torpor, he heard some one call to him from below.  He was so drowsy that he could barely rouse himself enough to lower his glance.

“Who is calling me?” he asked.

“Oh, Gorgo!  Don’t you know me?  It’s Thumbietot who used to fly around with the wild geese.”

“Is Akka also captured?” asked Gorgo in the tone of one who is trying to collect his thoughts after a long sleep.

“No; Akka, the white goosey-gander, and the whole flock are probably safe and sound up in Lapland at this season,” said the boy.  “It’s only I who am a prisoner here.”

As the boy was speaking he noticed that Gorgo averted his glance, and began to stare into space again.

“Golden eagle!” cried the boy; “I have not forgotten that once you carried me back to the wild geese, and that you spared the white goosey-gander’s life!  Tell me if I can be of any help to you!”

Gorgo scarcely raised his head.  “Don’t disturb me, Thumbietot,” he yawned.  “I’m sitting here dreaming that I am free, and am soaring away up among the clouds.  I don’t want to be awake.”

“You must rouse yourself, and see what goes on around you,” the boy admonished, “or you will soon look as wretched as the other eagles.”

“I wish I were as they are!  They are so lost in their dreams that nothing more can trouble them,” said the eagle.

When night came, and all three eagles were asleep, there was a light scraping on the steel wires stretched across the top of the cage.  The two listless old captives did not allow themselves to be disturbed by the noise, but Gorgo awakened.

“Who’s there?  Who is moving up on the roof?” he asked.

“It’s Thumbietot, Gorgo,” answered the boy.  “I’m sitting here filing away at the steel wires so that you can escape.”

The eagle raised his head, and saw in the night light how the boy sat and filed the steel wires at the top of the cage.  He felt hopeful for an instant, but soon discouragement got the upper hand.

“I’m a big bird, Thumbietot,” said Gorgo; “how can you ever manage to file away enough wires for me to come out?  You’d better quit that, and leave me in peace.”

“Oh, go to sleep, and don’t bother about me!” said the boy.  “I’ll not be through to-night nor to-morrow night, but I shall try to free you in time for here you’ll become a total wreck.”

Gorgo fell asleep.  When he awoke the next morning he saw at a glance that a number of wires had been filed.  That day he felt less drowsy than he had done in the past.  He spread his wings, and fluttered from branch to branch to get the stiffness out of his joints.