The first thing I remembered was my prison being rolled around with me inside it.  I guess I had been dimly aware of its walls before that, and I'd been comfortable enough; but all of a sudden I became very aware and just had to get out.

I suppose I'd gotten to thinking about my situation.  Everything had been all right until I got to thinking.  Thinking makes you want to change things.

I remember wondering where I was and how I'd gotten there.  I couldn't figure it out.  I thought and thought, but I didn't have much basis for effective thought.  I hadn't had any experiences, and it's experience that makes you able to sort things out in your mind.

So I left off wondering where I came from, and started concentrating on those walls.  They were something real—something I could experience.  Those walls were my first experience.

That's when I suddenly got uncomfortable.  Those walls were close!  They were all around me.  I started squirming.  There wasn't much room to move, but I squirmed and squirmed.  Then I got rolled again.

That did it!  I thrust my head forward, and hit the wall.  It felt good to be doing something rather than just lying there, so I did it again.  I rested a minute, and then struck again.  As I did it I heart a soft, concerned sort of sound outside my wall, like someone was trying to communicate with me.

That sound was my second experience.  I liked the sound, and I heard it often right after I'd hit the wall.  The more I'd hit, the more dissatisfied I'd become with my surroundings.

Suddenly I hit at the wall and my nose went clear through it!  That was a big surprise, and a mighty pleasant one.  If I kept working at it I was going to be able to get out of that prison!

I went to work on the hole I'd made.  I'd thrust and rest, thrust and rest.  Between thrusts I'd hear that sound.  It was a pleasant sound, and I wanted to be where it was.  My hole got bigger.  Chips came off almost every time now, and cracks were going all through that wall.

I thrust again, and the wall just gave 'way.  Part went one way, part went another, and I went sprawling.  The light was just awful, and I was exhausted.  It felt good to not be all cramped up, though, so I just stretched out and lay there.

As I rested, I gradually felt stronger, and my eyes got used to the light.  I opened my eyes and saw my mother for the first time.  She had her head cocked to one side and was looking down at me and at some other round prisons like I'd just escaped from.  Her head darted this way and that, never still a moment.  On top of it was a cute, curved topknot.

I was wet, and just a little cold, so I tried to shake myself.  I tried standing.  I stretched, rested, shook and stood again.  My down was fluffing out now as I dried off.  All around me were my brothers and sisters:  some still trying to get out of their prisons, and some all fluffed out and dry.

Mother talked to us.  It was her that had been making those sounds I'd heard.  She told us to sit still and be patient until everyone had gotten out of their eggs.  (That's what she called the prisons).  Then she carefully stepped among us, spread her wings, and sat down.  I squatted down, too.  It was dark, warm and comforting sitting there underneath her.  I got all dried off, and all the rest of my brothers and sisters got out of their eggs and got dried off, too.

Mother stood up, cocked her head under one wing and inspected us, and then did the same under her other wing.  Finding things about right, she stepped out of our midst, turned around, and looked us all over with those quick, jerky-headed movements of hers.

I guess everything was satisfactory because she said, "Come on, children, follow me."

That's what we were waiting for, I guess.  We all tumbled out of the nest and followed our mother out into the world where my life's experiences really began.