“Hey, look—by the stream—
Little men have removed their skins!”
Shouted the young finch.
Then it flew and perched on a tower
To look at the naked kiddies
Screeching and splashing in the water.

The finch opened its beak in wonder,
The finch really was amazed:
“Ah, crazy kids!
Long-legged shakers,
Instead of wings—two sticks
And neither down nor feathers!”

A hare peeks from behind a willow
And shakes his head
Like an amazed Chinamen:
“How funny! What fun!
They’ve got neither tails nor fur…
Twenty fingers! My God…

But a carp in the reeds hears the racket,
With bulging eyes, it breathes:
“Silly hare! stupid finch!
Who cares about fur and feathers?
Here they need fish scales!
No fish scales? Brothers, you’re kidding me!