The raven cocked its head, opened its beak, and made a long gagging noise. Oldenburg sighed and opened his hand. 'I have been trying to teach him words,' he explained, 'but that one is too much of a mouthful, for a raven.' The bird's beak struck the bread out of Oldenburg's hand, and it hopped back out of reach, in case Oldenburg should change his mind.