[ Avisimago artchildsi (Sharpe, 2020) ]
“Halooo!” called the tenderfoot in the big woods, shouting for the joy of hearing his voice ring through the wooded dell.
“Halooo!” called back a faint voice. Once more the boy called, and once more his cry was repeated. “Listen to the echo!” he exclaimed to the old guide who was with him. “It’s just as clear as anything.”
“Echo nothing!” snorted the old guide. “That just shows how much you know about it.”
“If it isn’t an echo, what is it?“ asked the bewildered boy, turning to stare at the guide.
“It’s the Anserbak, ” his guide replied solemnly. “I never saw one of them myself, but there’s plenty have. He always seems to be ahead of you just around the bend, and he mocks everything you say.”
“What does he look like?” asked the boy. “Oh, he’s something like a parrot, only bigger and lots gayer in his coloring. You just look out sharp and maybe you’ll see one while you’re up here.”
So the boy kept on calling and going in the direction from which the Anserback seemed to reply, but never a sight did he get of that sly mocker.
