Peter was a little boy who was very fond of birds and animals. He had a raven which he taught to do all manner of tricks. Trusty Tim—that was the raven’s name—would fetch and carry like a dog, and would call upstairs to his master when anyone came to the cottage door, like a housedog barking. He would also help his master to pull off his boots, by taking the toe in his beak and giving it a tug.

Like other clever people, however, Trusty Tim sometimes made a mistake. One day Peter’s little brother, Johnny, put out his foot to see if the raven would do the same for him. Unluckily there was a tiny hole at the toe of the boot, and Trusty Tim could not resist the temptation of pecking at the hole, and taking a little bit of Johnny’s toe. And didn’t Johnny scream!