There was this little figure standing in the bulrushes, looking at Casmir and me with two beady eyes, with two great big tears running down his feathery cheeks. It's the first time I ever saw a mud hen. I was scared to death. I said : "Let's get out of here." Casmir said: "Whataya mean? It's only a bird." I think the mud hen understood him. "Awrk, awrk," he cried. Then off he goes, trailing mud and tears behind him. Ever since, I've always had this funny feeling about mud hens. I felt Casmir had hurt that mud hen's feelings deeply: It's only a bird. . .