A splash into a silver brook;
A dainty little dipping;
A dart into a quiet nook,
With all his feathers dripping;
A little shake, a little tweak,
To stir up every feather;
A pretty preening with his beak
To lay them all together;
A stretch of wing, some fluffy shakes,
A flash—he's flown away!
This is how the Sparrow makes
His toilet for the day.
—H. H. Bennett