O Cock-a-doodle-doo!
The weather will be fine—
If there is no fog, or drenching rain,
And thunder does not boom again,
And the sun looks out to shine.
Now came the third and last verse:—
His prophesies got all mixed and mulled,
The Moon began to blink;
And all his faculties were dulled
When he saw the Dog Star wink!
And up on the steeple tall and black
The Weather Cock he crew!
He crew and he crowed till he fell in the road,
O cock-a-doodle-doo!
And sure enough the Weather Cock did tumble into the road, and the Clerk of the Weather and the Zankiwank tumbled helter skelter after him. Immediately they got up again and rushed through the window, and catching hold of the children, they whirled them round and round, singing the final chorus all together:—
O cock-a-doodle-doo!
The weather will be fine—
If lightning does not flash on high,
Nor gloomy be the azure sky,
And the sun peeps out to shine.
After which they all disappeared except the Zankiwank, and once again they found themselves in the street.
"They were both wrong," muttered the Zankiwank to himself, "and yet one was right."
"How could they both be wrong then? One was right? Very well. Then only one was wrong," corrected Maude.
"No, they were both wrong—because I was the right one after all. Besides, you can't always prove a negative, can you?"
"How tiresome of you! You only mentioned two and now say three. I do not believe you know what you do mean."