When Trot questioned them she found they were quite young, having only abandoned their nests a few weeks before.

They were strong young birds, with clear, brave eyes, and the little girl decided they were the most beautiful of all the feathered creatures she had ever seen.
Cap'n Bill now took from his pocket the wooden box with the sliding cover and removed the three purple berries, which were still in good condition.
"Eat these," he said, and gave one to each of the birds.

They obeyed, finding the fruit very pleasant to taste.

In a few seconds they began to grow in size and grew so fast that Trot feared they would never stop.

But they finally did stop growing, and then they were much larger than the Ork, and nearly the size of full-grown ostriches.
Cap'n Bill was much pleased by this result.
"You can carry us now, all right," said he.
The birds strutted around with pride, highly pleased with their immense size.
"I don't see, though," said Trot doubtfully, "how we're going to ride on their backs without falling off." "We're not going to ride on their backs," answered Cap'n Bill.