But, goodness, gracious me! all of a sudden something happened. And it was even worse than when the raven cried, "Croak!" and the farmer's mare fell down and broke her knee. For just then, while
The maid was in the garden
Hanging out the clothes,
Down came a blackbird
And snapped off her nose.
Perhaps he was angry because he hadn't been invited to sing for the King. I'm sure I don't know, but, anyway, he was a mighty mean bird, let me tell you.
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" cried the poor maid, and she sat down on a garden bench and began to weep. Just then the four and twenty blackbirds jumped out of the pie and flew into the garden to look for that naughty bird. But they couldn't find him. Oh, dear, no! He was far away by that time, maybe at the North Pole of Mother Goose Land, which they tell me is a frosted stick of sugar candy.
"Oh, what shall I do?" sobbed the maid, still holding her poor nose in her hands.
"You had better call in the doctor," suggested Puss.
"He lives a good two miles from here," said the old retainer, "and our telephone is out of order."