The Crow, the Woodpecker,
The Wren and the Eagle,
The Blackbird and Swallow, The Jackdaw and Starling,
And the wonderful Peacock;
The Lapwing and Peewit,
The bold Yellowhammer,
The bad Willy-wagtail,
The Raven so awful,
And the Cock with his Hens;
Stone-checker, Hedge-sparrow,
And Lint-white and Lark,
The Tom-tit and Linnet,
And brisk little Sparrow,
The King-fisher too,
And my own little Goldfinch.
All the Birds in the King's Garden were overjoyed that the Bird that Follows the Cuckoo did not get into the Cuckoo's Mouth.
"What shall we do for the Boy who prevented the World from coming to an End?" asked the good-natured Corncrake. She was there too, but I forgot to mention her.
"Nothing," said the Willy-wagtail. "The Boy who would throw a cap would throw a stone. Do nothing at all for him."
"I'll sing for him," said the Goldfinch.
"I'll teach him what the Birds say," said the Crow.
"If he knew the Language of the Birds he would be like King Solomon," said the Raven.
"Let us make him like King Solomon," said the Goldfinch.
"Yes, yes, yes," said all the Birds in the King's Garden.
The Boy had not gone far when the Crow flew after him and lighted on his shoulder. The Crow spoke to him in the Boy's own language. The Boy was surprised. The Crow flew to a standing stone and went on speaking plain words to him.