HURLY-BURLY It

with the greatest astonishment, partly because
she had never before heard a crow speak as
if he was a human being, and partly because
she was quite unaccustomed to hear people
talk in rhyme, whether they were crows or
any other creatures. In fact, she was so
surprised that she could not find words to
express her feelings, and having dropped all
the little frogs on the ground in her surprise,
stood still, staring like a stuck pig, as the
saying is, although as I never saw a stuck
pig stare, I do not exactly know how the
animal performs this feat. Little Hurly-Burly,
however, who was a very intelligent child,
not only both heard and understood what
the crow said, but felt something within him
which impelled him to reply, and knowing
that everybody likes to be answered when
they have spoken to somebody else with
kind intentions, he plucked up courage and
spoke at once to the crow, trying his hand
at rhyme for the first time. He looked up
at the bird and spoke thus:

‘Thank you kindly, Mr. Crow,
You're a friendly bird, I know ;
Since your words are doubtless true,

Please to tell us what to do.’