Why Some Birds Hop and Others Walk
A little boy said to a little bird, “Stop,
And tell me the reason you go with a hop.
Why don’t you walk, as boys do, and men,
One foot at a time, like a dove or a hen?”
“Use your eyes, little boy; watch closely and see
What little birds hop, both feet, just like me,
And what little birds walk like the duck and the hen;
And when you know that you’ll know more than some men.
“Every bird that can scratch in the dirt can walk;
Every bird that can wade in the water can walk;
Every bird that has claws to catch prey with can walk,
One foot at a time—that is why they can walk.
“But most little birds that can sing you a song
Are so small that their legs are not very strong
To scratch with, or wade with, or catch things—that’s why
They hop with both feet. Little boy, good-by!”