‘When the widgeon westward winging Heard the folk Vereeniginging, Heard the shouting and the singing’ ”⁠—

“Vereeniginging is good, but why widgeon?”

“Why not? Anything that winged westward would naturally begin with a w .”

“Need it wing westward?”

“The bird must go somewhere. You wouldn’t have it hang around and look foolish. Then I’ve brought in something about the heedless hartebeest galloping over the deserted veldt.”

“Of course you know it’s practically extinct in those regions?”