What could it mean?
It was nothing but a pigeon, and why should he not kill a pigeon?
But the fact was that not till this very moment had he ever known what a pigeon was.

A good many discoveries of a similar kind have to be made by most of us.

Once more it opened its eyes--then closed them again, and its throbbing ceased.

Curdie gave a sob: its last look reminded him of the princess--he did not know why.

He remembered how hard he had laboured to set her beyond danger, and yet what dangers she had had to encounter for his sake: they had been saviours to each other--and what had he done now?
He had stopped saving, and had begun killing! What had he been sent into the world for?
Surely not to be a death to its joy and loveliness.