The Incredulous Veery
Two hunters chanced one day to meet
Near by a thicket wood;
They paused each other there to greet,
Both in a playful mood.
Said one, “I had to wade a stream,
Now, this you must not doubt,
And when I reached the other shore
My boots were full of trout.”
Whew! cried a Veery perched in view
To hear if what they said were true. Whew!
The other’s wit was now well whet.
Said he, “Let me narrate:
I bought three hundred traps and set
For fur both small and great;
Now, when next morning came, behold,
Each trap contained a skin;
And other disappointed game
Stood waiting to get in.”
The astonished Veery whistled, Whew!
I hardly think that story true. Whew!!!
—Florence A. Van Sant, in Bird-Lore.