the tender leaves were bursting out of their sheaths , and covering all the trees with a fresh soft mantle of green ; and amongst the carpet of moss under the young man 's feet , yellow primroses and starry anemones were turning up their faces to the morning sky . the little birds were singing like to burst their throats , and hundreds of insects were flying backwards and forwards in the sunshine ; while down by the burnside the bright - eyed water - rats were poking their noses out of their holes , as if they knew that summer had come , and wanted to have a share in all that was going on . thomas felt so happy with the gladness of it all , that he threw himself down at the root of a tree , to watch the living things around him .
threw himself down at the root of a tree .
what did thomas do to watch the living things around him ?
what did thomas do to watch the living things around him ?