"No," said his father.
"Because," said Nathan, "if you are not, I want to read you something out of my little book."
So Nathan's father took him up into his lap, and Nathan opened his little book, and began to read as follows:—
"'With fins for the water, and wings for the air,
And feet for the ground, I could go everywhere.'
"Isn't that funny?" said Nathan.
"Rather funny," said his father.
"I wish I had wings," said Nathan.
"Why?" said his father.
"Why, then I could fly."
"That is not certain," said his father. "There are two difficulties which prevent boys from flying. One is, they have no wings; and the other is, they have not strength to use them."