A Kestrel For A Knave

Billy arrives at school, a grim and strict place. During roll call, Billy makes a joke, calling out a random name. This causes Crossley to make a mistake in the roll call, and he scolds Billy. In assembly, the principal, Mr. Gryce, criticizes the boys as he forces them to read Bible verses and sing hymns. Billy struggles to pay attention.

In flashback, Billy recalls outfitting his garden shed as a habitat for the young kestrel he stole, which he named Kes. He gently and patiently trained Kes to be comfortable perching on his wrist. After securing her with a leash, he took her outside. On the street, a small boy cycled up to Billy and asked him about Kes, but she flapped and shrieked, scaring the boy off. With Kes on his arm, Billy drew a lot of attention from his neighbors.

Back in school, Billy falls asleep in assembly. Gryce catches him, scolds him in front of everyone, and tells him to report to his office. Outside the office, Billy is joined by three boys caught with cigarettes, another boy named MacDowall, and a boy sent by a teacher with a message for Gryce.