was Put out to Nurse 
So that his friends began to call him 
‘cuckoo,’ instead of his own name, which 
was Cuculus canorus. But this, though 
very fine and grand, was rather long and 
hard to say, and he was soon known far 
and wide by the name of ‘cuckoo.’ Rude 
boys even tried to imitate his voice, and 
would sometimes go about the fields and 
lanes crying out ‘cuckoo.’ Some of 
them really imitated him so well that 
many people were deceived, and wrote 
to the papers to say that they had heard 
a cuckoo, though it was only in March 
perhaps—which, as everybody should 
know, is far too early for the cuckoo 
family to come from across the seas, and 
far too cold and windy for such par- 
ticular people to venture out. Besides, 
in March there are not enough cater- 
pillars to eat. Worms and flies and 
199 
