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1. What does Nat Hocken do for a living, and why does he enjoy it?

Nat Hocken is an injured war veteran, so he can only work part-time. He works on a farm three days a week. He enjoys the work because it is solitary.

2. When does Nat typically watch the birds, and what does he notice about them when the story opens?

Nat likes to watch the birds during his lunch break, while he is sitting on the cliff eating meat pie. When the story opens, Nat notices that the birds seem restless and that they feed without hunger or purpose.

3. What does Nat think has caused the birds’ strange behavior?

When Nat sees the birds acting strangely, he feels certain that it is due to the sudden change in weather. Perhaps, Nat thinks, the birds realize that many of them will die in the winter, and the fear of death has made the restless.

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