Why Some Birds Hop and Others Walk

A little boy said to a little bird, “Stop, And tell me the reason you go with a hop. Why don’t you walk, as boys do, and men, One foot at a time, like a dove or a hen?” “Use your eyes, little boy; watch closely and see What little birds hop, both feet, just like me, And what little birds walk like the duck and the hen; And when you know that you’ll know more than some men. “Every bird that can scratch in the dirt can walk; Every bird that can wade in the water can walk; Every bird that has claws to catch prey with can walk, One foot at a time—that is why they can walk. “But most little birds that can sing you a song Are so small that their legs are not very strong To scratch with, or wade with, or catch things—that’s why They hop with both feet. Little boy, good-by!”