The egg shook again, this time, more violently than the other. A larger section broke apart, then suddenly, a tiny paw punched through.
Atheline stared keenly at the eggshell. The paw waved weakly then disappeared back into the shell again.
Silence returned and the shell seemed to have gone quiet. Several seconds passed but nothing happened.
Atheline frowned.
"You can't stop there, you've got to punch through it."
The egg remained motionless. Atheline sighed in resignation; apparently, hatching was difficult.
A minute later the shell trembled again, this time the entire top half cracked. He excitedly leaned in.
A small white head emerged, but then immediately got stuck between the broken shells.
Atheline patiently watched as the tiny creature pushed, but was still struggling. It pushed harder, with all it got, then finally tumbled free, directly into the nest.
