The Tale of Daddy Longlegs

"This is strange!" old Mr. Crow exclaimed, looking very hard at Daddy Longlegs. "You heard the first question easily enough. But now you seem deaf as a post."
And all the time Daddy Longlegs merely smiled at Mr. Crow. He made no comment at all.
"Don't you know what I'm saying?" Mr. Crow bawled in his loudest tones.
"It is a pleasant day," said Daddy Longlegs. "But I'm afraid there's going to be a heavy gale to-morrow."
"This is certainly peculiar," Mr. Crowp grumbled. And then little Mr. Chippy hastened to explain that Daddy Longlegs was often like that. He would appear to hear you perfectly one moment. And then—if you happened to ask him his age, or where he came from—you might find him unable to understand a single word that you said.
"It's most unfortunate," said old Mr. Crow. "I see nothing to do but reply to the question myself. And then my cousin, Jasper Jay, will decide which has given the better answer—Daddy Longlegs or I."
"Ah! But you can't do that!" cried Daddy Longlegs suddenly. "Jasper Jay said you were not to answer this question until after I had. And you know you mustn't break the rules of the contest."
Old Mr. Crow's mouth fell open, he was so astonished.