TIME FOR THE WHITE EGRET

Carlson begins with a briefing on cattle egrets and their dependence on cows for their insect diet, zooms in on one ""extra white egret who didn't have a cow,"" then settles down to playing obvious variations on one extended pun--in the form of the egret's search for ""time,"" undertaken when the brown cow tells him that ""time will take care of"" his lack. Out in the world, the egret is confused by a hurrying deer's assertion that ""there's no time,"" a heron's dismissive ""not this time, another time,"" and the statements of others that they either do or do not ""have time."" It's the sort of word play some children enjoy, and Carlson ties it up neatly with a new calf which ""time"" has provided during the egret's absence--but she goes about the whole business a little too methodically to carry off a story.