One day, Lizzy and her brothers were playing on the riverbank. It had been raining and they got very muddy. "We'll have the devil of a time getting this muck out of our manes," said her brothers, as they jumped into the river for a bath.

And while they were still bathing, and helping each other clean up their manes, Lizzy pulled off her own feather mane - which was coated with mud - and threw it away. Then she quickly swam ashore and beat everyone home for tea.

Lizzy felt freer and lighter without the mane and there was never any difficulty seeing. She didn't miss the time spent grooming it either.

"You look lovely without it," said her mother, and Lizzy, peering at her reflection, very happily agreed.