This is what happened:
Bully was crouching down for a spring, when he suddenly looked up. This
was not hard for him, as his eyes were nearly on top of his head, but
Sammie had to get on his hind legs to peer upward properly. And this is
what both of the little creatures saw: A big bird, with long legs and a
very long bill, was standing on one leg right over the frog. The bird
was looking intently at Bully.
"Come on!" cried the frog to the rabbit. "We must get away from here as
quickly as we can."
"Why?" asked Sammie Littletail.
"Because," said Bully, "that bird will eat us. My father warned me never
to stay near that bird. Let us go away at once."
"What sort of a bird is it?" asked Sammie, who now had no wish to jump.
"I'm sure it can't be very harmful. The only birds that I have to look
out for are owls, eagles and hawks, and it isn't any of them."
"No, I'm not one of them," spoke the bird with the long legs, snapping
its bill as if sharpening it. "I'm a blue heron, that's what I am,
though some folks think I'm a stork or a crane."
"Well," spoke Sammie, "you're not dangerous, are you?"
"Not for you," went on the blue heron, and he snapped his beak again,
just like two knives being sharpened.
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