"Say, of course you know a good deal more than any bird or animal on
this farm, and I do wish you would tell me how long Mr. Turtle has
lived?"
That was a question which your Aunt Amy could not answer, and when she
said as much, Mrs. Goose continued:
"He claims to be very, very old, and to hear the stories he tells you'd
think he had lived in every part of the world. He started a kind of a
show last week, and calls it a 'zoo,' whatever that may be. A lot of
birds and animals sit around to show themselves, and say it is a
'wonderful exhibition.' Mr. Man's little girl Alice was out walking with
her doll yesterday, and saw Mr. Turtle near the old maple tree selling
tickets for the 'zoo.' This is what Mr. Crow declares she said to the
old fellow:
"They tell me, Mr. Turtle, you
Were born long years ago--
Five hundred years, the doctor says,
And doctors ought to know.
"He says that every year you live
A scientist can tell
Because each birthday leaves a mark
Upon your rusty shell.
"I've lots and lots of questions, then,
To ask if you're so old,
And if you will not answer them,
Please do not think me bold.
"In fourteen ninety-two, when Chris
Columbus westward sailed,
When he discovered Yankeeland,
Was he, then, later jailed?
"Did Shakespeare write those dramas old,
Or did Lord Bacon's pen?
When Joan rambled in Lorraine,
Were you out crawling then?
"You must have known the virgin queen,
And known Sir Walter, too;
You've heard that story of the ring,
What really did she do?
[Illustration: Alice and Mr. Turtle.]
"Did Pocahontas save the life
Of Captain Smith that day?
Did Cromwell take the reins of State,
As all the school-books say?
"Did Washington cut down the tree
That time in early May,
And say 'I cannot tell a lie?'
Now answer me I pray."
The Turtle only looked around,
And winked a lazy wink;
He seemed to say, "Don't bother me;
It hurts my brain to think."
"Why is it that all of you who live near here, like Mr. Crow's poetry so
well?" your Aunt Amy asked, when Mrs. Goose had come to an end of the
lines, and she replied thoughtfully:
"Well, really now, I can't say. Perhaps it's because he tells us it is
the best ever written. Why, I've even heard old Mr. Turtle repeating the
verses, and if he has lived five hundred years, surely he ought to know
whether they are good or bad. There's one thing I do know, though, which
is, that there's no person within two miles of this pond that can tell
as many good stories as Mr. Crow. He's got one about a lazy Mr. Horse
that means a good deal, if you take the trouble to think it over. Don't
you want to hear it?"
Your Aunt Amy really enjoys hearing Mr. Crow's stories, and when she
made such a statement, Mrs. Goose began the tale without delay.