"Then I can cure him," gravely replied Dr. Crane, approaching Bumper's
side. The other birds crowded around to see what he would do. The
appearance of Mr. Crane in the rôle of a doctor was a new one to them, and
they were curious to see how well he would acquit himself.

"Let me see your tongue," Mr. Crane said solemnly.

Bumper stuck out his tongue obediently, for he felt so sick that he didn't
care what happened to him.

"That's good! Now I must look down your throat. Open it wide."

Bumper readily complied, and Mr. Crane looked down it.

"Now hold it open," Mr. Crane continued. "Don't close it until I tell you.
I won't hurt you."

Then to the surprise of Bumper and all the birds, he inserted his long,
slender bill down the throat as if he intended to pull something out of
it. But he had no such intention. He simply twisted the bill around
gently.

Bumper felt a tickling sensation in his throat, and he wanted to gag, but
the bill prevented him. The tickling went on for some time until Bumper,
in spite of himself, began to gag and retch. Then, as suddenly as Dr.
Crane had inserted his bill in the throat, he withdrew it.

But Dr. Crane had accomplished his purpose. The tickling in the throat had
started Bumper to vomiting, and all his dinner, including the poisonous