wouldn't wait for Little Joe Otter, and Little Joe Otter was selfish
and wouldn't wait for Jerry Muskrat, and Jerry Muskrat was selfish
and wouldn't wait for Grandfather Frog, and Grandfather Frog was
selfish and wouldn't wait for Spotty the Turtle.

"Ah reckon Ah will hurry up right smart and find out what the
trouble is mahself, and then go back and tell Brer Turtle; it will
save him a powerful lot of work, and it will serve Brer Mink right
if Brer Turtle finds out first what is the trouble with the Laughing
Brook," said Ol' Mistah Buzzard and shot far ahead over the Green
Forest towards that part of it from which the Laughing Brook comes.
In a few minutes he was as far ahead of Billy Mink as Billy was
ahead of Spotty the Turtle.

For wings are swifter far than legs,
On whatsoever purpose bent,
But doubly swift and tireless
Those wings on kindly deed intent.

And this is how it happened that Ol' Mistah Buzzard was the first to
find out what it was that had stopped the laughing of the Laughing
Brook and the smiling of the Smiling Pool, but he was so surprised
when he did find out, that he forgot all about going back to tell
Spotty the Turtle. He forgot everything but his own great surprise,
and he blinked his eyes a great many times to make sure that he
wasn't dreaming. Then he sailed around and around in circles,
looking down among the trees of the Green Forest and saying over and
over to himself:

"Did yo' ever? No, Ah never! Did yo' ever? No, Ah never!"