BLACKY THE CROW

By Thornton W. Burgess

CHAPTER I: Blacky The Crow Makes A Discovery

Blacky the Crow is always watching for things not intended for his sharpeyes. The result is that he gets into no end of trouble which he couldavoid. In this respect he is just like his cousin, Sammy Jay. Betweenthem they see a great deal with which they have no business and which itwould be better for them not to see. 

Now Blacky the Crow finds it no easy matter to pick up a living whensnow covers the Green Meadows and the Green Forest, and ice binds theBig River and the Smiling Pool. He has to use his sharp eyes for allthey are worth in order to find enough to fill his stomach, and he willeat anything in the way of food that he can swallow. Often he travelslong distances looking for food, but at night he always comes back tothe same place in the Green Forest, to sleep in company with others ofhis family. 

Blacky dearly loves company, particularly at night, and about the timejolly, round, red Mr. Sun is beginning to think about his bed behindthe Purple Hills, you will find Blacky heading for a certain part ofthe Green Forest where he knows he will have neighbors of his own kind. Peter Rabbit says that it is because Blacky's conscience troubles himso that he doesn't dare sleep alone, but Happy Jack Squirrel says thatBlacky hasn't any conscience. You can believe just which you please, though I suspect that neither of them really knows. 

As I have said, Blacky is quite a traveler at this time of year, andsometimes his search for food takes him to out-of-the-way places. Oneday toward the very last of winter, the notion entered his black headthat he would have a look in a certain lonesome corner of the GreenForest where once upon a time Redtail the Hawk had lived. Blacky knewwell enough that Redtail wasn't there now; he had gone south in the felland wouldn't be back until he was sure that Mistress Spring had arrivedon the Green Meadows and in the Green Forest. 

Like the black imp he is, Blacky flew over the tree-tops, his sharp eyeswatching for something interesting below. Presently he saw ahead of himthe old nest of Red-tail. He knew all about that nest. He had visitedit before when Red-tail was away. Still it might be worth another visit. You never can tell what you may find in old houses. Now, of course, Blacky knew perfectly well that Redtail was miles and miles, hundredsof miles away, and so there was nothing to fear from him. But Blackylearned ever so long ago that there is nothing like making sure thatthere is no danger. So, instead of flying straight to that old nest, hefirst flew over the tree so that he could look down into it. 

Right away he saw something that made him gasp and blink his eyes. Itwas quite large and white, and it looked--it looked very much indeedlike an egg! Do you wonder that Blacky gasped and blinked? Here was snowon the ground, and Rough Brother North Wind and Jack Frost had given nohint that they were even thinking of going back to the Far North. Theidea of any one laying an egg at this time of year! Blacky flew over toa tall pine-tree to think it over. 

"Must be it was a little lump of snow, " thought he. "Yet if ever I sawan egg, that looked like one. Jumping grasshoppers, how good an eggwould taste right now!" You know Blacky has a weakness for eggs. Themore he thought about it, the hungrier he grew. Several times he almostmade up his mind to fly straight over there and make sure, but he didn'tquite dare. If it were an egg, it must belong to somebody, and perhapsit would be best to find out who. Suddenly Blacky shook himself. "I mustbe dreaming, " said he. "There couldn't, there just couldn't be an egg atthis time of year, or in that old tumble-down nest! I'll just fly awayand forget it. "

So he flew away, but he couldn't forget it. He kept thinking of it allday, and when he went to sleep that night he made up his mind to haveanother look at that old nest. 

CHAPTER II: Blacky Makes Sure

 "As true as ever I've cawed a caw That was a new-laid egg I saw. "

"What are you talking about?" demanded Sammy Jay, coming up just in timeto hear the last part of what Blacky the Crow was mumbling to himself. 

"Oh nothing, Cousin, nothing at all, " replied Blacky. "I was justtalking foolishness to myself. " Sammy looked at him sharply. "You aren'tfeeling sick, are you, Cousin Blacky?" he asked. "Must be somethingthe matter with you when you begin talking about new-laid eggs, wheneverything's covered with snow and ice. Foolishness is no name for it. Whoever heard of such a thing as a new-laid egg this time of year. "

"Nobody, I guess, " replied Blacky. "I told you I was just talkingfoolishness. You see, I'm so hungry that I just got to thinking what I'dhave if I could have anything I wanted. That made me think of eggs, andI tried to think just how I would feel if I should suddenly see a greatbig egg right in front of me. I guess I must have said something aboutit. "

"I guess you must have. It isn't egg time yet, and it won't be for along time. Take my advice and just forget about impossible things. I'mgoing over to Farmer Brown's corncrib. Corn may not be as good as eggs, but it is very good and very filling. Better come along, " said Sammy. 

"Not this morning, thank you. Some other time, perhaps, " repliedBlacky. 

He watched Sammy disappear through the trees. Then he flew to the topof the tallest pine-tree to make sure that no one was about. When he wasquite sure that no one was watching him, he spread his wings and headedfor the most lonesome corner of the Green Forest. 

"I'm foolish. I know I'm foolish, " he muttered. "But I've just got tohave another look in that old nest of Redtail the Hawk. I just can't getit out of my head that that was an egg, a great, big, white egg, that Isaw there yesterday. It won't do any harm to have another look, anyway. "

Straight toward the tree in which was the great tumble-down nest ofRedtail the Hawk he flew, and as he drew near, he flew high, for Blackyis too shrewd and smart to take any chances. Not that he thought thatthere could be any danger there; but you never can tell, and it isalways the part of wisdom to be on the safe side. As he passed over thetop of the tree, he looked down eagerly. Just imagine how he felt wheninstead of one, he saw two white things in the old nest--two whitethings that looked for all the world like eggs! The day before there hadbeen but one; now there were two. That settled it in Blacky's mind; theywere eggs! They couldn't be anything else. 

Blacky kept right on flying. Somehow he didn't dare stop just then. Hewas too much excited by what he had discovered to think clearly. He hadgot to have time to get his wits together. Whoever had laid those eggswas big and strong. He felt sure of that. It must be some one a greatdeal bigger than himself, and he was of no mind to get into trouble, even for a dinner of fresh eggs. He must first find out whose they were;then he would know better what to do. He felt sure that no one else knewabout them, and he knew that they couldn't run away. So he kept right onflying until he reached a certain tall pine-tree where he could sit andthink without being disturbed. 

"Eggs!" he muttered. "Real eggs! Now who under the sun can have movedinto Redtail's old house? And what can they mean by laying eggs beforeMistress Spring has even sent word that she has started? It's too muchfor me. It certainly is too much for me. "

CHAPTER III: Blacky Finds Out Who Owns The Eggs

Two big white eggs in a tumbledown nest, and snow and ice everywhere!Did ever anybody hear of such a thing before?

"Wouldn't believe it, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, " mutteredBlacky the Crow. "Have to believe them. If I can't believe them, it's ofno use to try to believe anything in this world. As sure as I sit here, that old nest has two eggs in it. Whoever laid them must be crazy tostart housekeeping at this time of year. I must find out whose eggs theyare and then--"

Blacky didn't finish, but there was a hungry look in his eyes that wouldhave told any who saw it, had there been any to see it, that he hada use for those eggs. But there was none to see it, and he took thegreatest care that there should be none to see him when he once againstarted for a certain lonesome corner of the Green Forest. 

"First I'll make sure that the eggs are still there, " thought he, andflew high above the tree tops, so that as he passed over the tree inwhich was the old nest of Red-tail the Hawk, he might look down into it. To have seen him, you would never have guessed that he was looking foranything in particular. He seemed to be just flying over on his way tosome distant place. If the eggs were still there, he meant to come backand hide in the top of a near-by pine-tree to watch until he was surethat he might safely steal those eggs, or to find out whose they were. 

Blacky's heart beat fast with excitement as he drew near that oldtumble-down nest. Would those two big white eggs be there? Perhapsthere would be three! The very thought made him flap his wings a littlefaster. A few more wing strokes and he would be right over the tree. Howhe did hope to see those eggs! He could almost see into the nest now. One stroke! Two strokes! Three strokes! Blacky bit his tongue to keepfrom giving a sharp caw of disappointment and surprise. 

There were no eggs to be seen. No, Sir, there wasn't a sign of eggs inthat old nest. There wasn't because--why, do you think? There wasn'tbecause Blacky looked straight down on a great mass of feathers whichquite covered them from sight, and he didn't have to look twice to knowthat that great mass of feathers was really a great bird, the bird towhom those eggs belonged. 

Blacky didn't turn to come back as he had planned. He kept right on, just as if he hadn't seen anything, and as he flew he shivered a little. He shivered at the thought of what might have happened to him if he hadtried to steal those eggs the day before and had been caught doing it. 

"I'm thankful I knew enough to leave them alone, " said he. "Funny Inever once guessed whose eggs they are. I might have known that no onebut Hooty the Horned Owl would think of nesting at this time of year. And that was Mrs. Hooty I saw on the nest just now. My, but she's big!She's bigger than Hooty himself! Yes, Sir, it's a lucky thing I didn'ttry to get those eggs yesterday. Probably both Hooty and Mrs. Hooty weresitting close by, only they were sitting so still that I thought theywere parts of the tree they were in. Blacky, Blacky, the sooner youforget those eggs the better. "

Some things are best forgotten As soon as they are learned. Who neverplays with fire Will surely not get burned. 

CHAPTER IV: The Cunning Of Blacky

Now when Blacky the Crow discovered that the eggs in the old tumble-downnest of Redtail the Hawk in a lonesome corner of the Green Forestbelonged to Hooty the Owl, he straightway made the best of resolutions;he would simply forget all about those eggs. He would forget that heever had seen them, and he would stay away from that corner of the GreenForest. That was a very wise resolution. Of all the people who live inthe Green Forest, none is fiercer or more savage than Hooty the Owl, unless it is Mrs. Hooty. She is bigger than Hooty and certainly quite asmuch to be feared by the little people. 

All this Blacky knows. No one knows it better. And Blacky is not oneto poke his head into trouble with his eyes open. So he very wiselyresolved to forget all about those eggs. Now it is one thing to make aresolution and quite another thing to live up to it, as you all know. It was easy enough to say that he would forget, but not at all easyto forget. It would have been different if it had been spring or earlysummer, when there were plenty of other eggs to be had by any one smartenough to find them and steal them. But now, when it was still winter(such an unheard-of time for any one to have eggs!), and it was hardwork to find enough to keep a hungry Crow's stomach filled, the thoughtof those eggs would keep popping into his head. He just couldn't seem toforget them. After a little, he didn't try. 

Now Blacky the Crow is very, very cunning. He is one of the smartestof all the little people who fly. No one can get into more mischief andstill keep out of trouble than can Blacky the Crow. That is because heuses the wits in that black head of his. In fact, some people are unkindenough to say that he spends all his spare time in planning mischief. The more he thought of those eggs, the more he wanted them, and itwasn't long before he began to try to plan some way to get them withoutrisking his own precious skin. 

"I can't do it alone, " thought he, "and yet if I take any one into mysecret, I'll have to share those eggs. That won't do at all, becauseI want them myself. I found them, and I ought to have them. " He quiteforgot or overlooked the fact that those eggs really belonged to Hootyand Mrs. Hooty and to no one else. "Now let me see, what can I do?"

He thought and he thought and he thought and he thought, and little bylittle a plan worked out in his little black head. Then he chuckled. Hechuckled right out loud, then hurriedly looked around to see if any onehad heard him. No one had, so he chuckled again. He cocked his headon one side and half closed his eyes, as if that plan was something hecould see and he was looking at it very hard. Then he cocked his head onthe other side and did the same thing. 

"It's all right, " said he at last. "It'll give my relatives a lot offun, and of course they will be very grateful to me for that. It won'thurt Hooty or Mrs. Hooty a bit, but it will make them very angry. Theyhave very short tempers, and people with short tempers usually forgeteverything else when they are angry. We'll pay them a visit while thesun is bright, because then perhaps they cannot see well enough to catchus, and we'll tease them until they lose their tempers and forget allabout keeping guard over those eggs. Then I'll slip in and get one andperhaps both of them. Without knowing that they are doing anything ofthe kind, my friends and relatives will help me to get a good meal. My, how good those eggs will taste!"

It was a very clever and cunning plan, for Blacky is a very clever andcunning rascal, but of course it didn't deserve success because nothingthat means needless worry and trouble for others deserves to succeed. 

CHAPTER V: Blacky Calls His Friends

When Blacky cries "Caw, caw, caw, caw!" As if he'd dislocate his jaw, His relatives all hasten where He waits them with a crafty air. Theyknow that there is mischief afoot, and the Crow family is always readyfor mischief. So on this particular morning when they heard Blackycawing at the top of his lungs from the tallest pine-tree in the GreenForest, they hastened over there as fast as they could fly, calling toeach other excitedly and sure that they were going to have a good timeof some kind. 

Blacky chuckled as he saw them coming. "Come on! Come on! Caw, caw, caw!Hurry up and flap your wings faster. I know where Hooty the Owl is, andwe'll have no end of fun with him, " he cried. 

"Caw, caw, caw, caw, caw, caw!" shouted all his relatives in great glee. "Where is he? Lead us to him. We'll drive him out of the Green Forest!"

So Blacky led the way over to the most lonesome corner of the GreenForest, straight to the tree in which Hooty the Owl was comfortablysleeping. Blacky had taken pains to slip over early that morning andmake sure just where he was. He had discovered Hooty fast asleep, andhe knew that he would remain right where he was until dark. You knowHooty's eyes are not meant for much use in bright light, and thebrighter the light, the more uncomfortable his eyes feel. Blacky knowsthis, too, and he had chosen the very brightest part of the morning tocall his relatives over to torment poor Hooty. Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun was shining his very brightest, and the white snow on the groundmade it seem brighter still. Even Blacky had to blink, and he knew thatpoor Hooty would find it harder still. 

But one thing Blacky was very careful not to even hint of, and that wasthat Mrs. Hooty was right close at hand. Mrs. Hooty is bigger and evenmore fierce than Hooty, and Blacky didn't want to frighten any of themore timid of his relatives. What he hoped down deep in his crafty heartwas that when they got to teasing and tormenting Hooty and making thegreat racket which he knew they would, Mrs. Hooty would lose her temperand fly over to join Hooty in trying to drive away the black tormentors. Then Blacky would slip over to the nest which she had left unguarded andsteal one and perhaps both of the eggs he knew were there. 

When they reached the tree where Hooty was, he was blinking his greatyellow eyes and had fluffed out all his feathers, which is a way he haswhen he is angry, to make himself look twice as big as he really is. Ofcourse, he had heard the noisy crew coming, and he knew well enough whatto expect. As soon as they saw him, they began to scream as loud asever they could and to call him all manner of names. The boldest of themwould dart at him as if to pull out a mouthful of feathers, but tookthe greatest care not to get too near. You see, the way Hooty hissed andsnapped his great bill was very threatening, and they knew that if oncehe got hold of one of them with those big cruel claws of his, that wouldbe the end. 

So they were content to simply scold and scream at him and fly aroundhim, just out of reach, and make him generally uncomfortable, and theywere so busy doing this that no one noticed that Blacky was not joiningin the fun, and no one paid any attention to the old tumble-down nestof Redtail the Hawk only a few trees distant. So far Blacky's plans wereworking out just as he had hoped. 

CHAPTER VI: Hooty The Owl Doesn't Stay Still

 Now what's the good of being smart When others do not do their part?

If Blacky the Crow didn't say this to himself, he thought it. He knewthat he had made a very cunning plan to get the eggs of Hooty the Owl, a plan so shrewd and cunning that no one else in the Green Forest or onthe Green Meadows would have thought of it. There was only one weaknessin it, and that was that it depended for success on having Hooty theOwl do as he usually did when tormented by a crowd of noisy Crows, --staywhere he was until they got tired and flew away. 

Now Blacky sometimes makes a mistake that smart people are very apt tomake; he thinks that because he is so smart, other people are stupid. That is where he proves that smart as he is, he isn't as smart as hethinks he is. He always thought of Hooty the Owl as stupid. That is, healways thought of him that way in daytime. At night, when he was wakedout of a sound sleep by the fierce hunting cry of Hooty, he wasn't sosure about Hooty being stupid, and he always took care to sit perfectlystill in the darkness, lest Hooty's great ears should hear him andHooty's great eyes, made for seeing in the dark, should find him. No, in the night Blacky was not at all sure that Hooty was stupid. 

But in the daytime he was sure. You see, he quite forgot the fact thatthe brightness of day is to Hooty what the blackness of night is to him. So, because Hooty would simply sit still and hiss and snap his bill, instead of trying to catch his tormentors or flying away, Blacky calledhim stupid. He felt sure that Hooty would stay right where he was now, and he hoped that Mrs. Hooty would lose her temper and leave the nestwhere she was sitting on those two eggs and join Hooty to help him tryto drive away that noisy crew. 

But Hooty isn't stupid. Not a bit of it. The minute he found out thatBlacky and his friends had discovered him, he thought of Mrs. Hooty andthe two precious eggs in the old nest of Redtail the Hawk close by. 

"Mrs. Hooty mustn't be disturbed, " thought he. "That will never do atall. I must lead these black rascals away where they won't discover Mrs. Hooty. I certainly must. "

So he spread his broad wings and blundered away among the trees a littleway. He didn't fly far because the instant he started to fly that wholenoisy crew with the exception of Blacky were after him. Because hecouldn't use his claws or bill while flying, they grew bold enough topull a few feathers out of his back. So he flew only a little way to athick hemlock-tree, where it wasn't easy for the Crows to get at him, and where the light didn't hurt his eyes so much. There he rested a fewminutes and then did the same thing over again. He meant to leadthose bothersome Crows into the darkest part of the Green Forest andthere--well, he could see better there, and it might be that one of themwould be careless enough to come within reach. No, Hooty wasn't stupid. Certainly not. 

Blacky awoke to that fact as he sat in the top of a tall pine-treesilently watching. He could see Mrs. Hooty on the nest, and as the noiseof Hooty's tormentors sounded from farther and farther away, she settledherself more comfortably and closed her eyes. Blacky could imagine thatshe was smiling to herself. It was clear that she had no intention ofgoing to help Hooty. His splendid plan had failed just because stupidHooty, who wasn't stupid at all, had flown away when he ought to havesat still. It was very provoking. 

CHAPTER VII: Blacky Tries Another Plan

 When one plan fails, just try another; Declare you'll win some way or other. 

People who succeed are those who do not give up because they fail thefirst time they try. They are the ones who, as soon as one plan fails, get busy right away and think of another plan and try that. If the thingthey are trying to do is a good thing, sooner or later they succeed. Ifthey are trying to do a wrong thing, very likely all their plans fail, as they should. 

Now Blacky the Crow knows all about the value of trying and trying. Heisn't easily discouraged. Sometimes it is a pity that he isn't, becausehe plans so much mischief. But the fact remains that he isn't, and hetries and tries until he cannot think of another plan and just has togive up. When he invited all his relatives to join him in tormentingHooty the Owl, he thought he had a plan that just couldn't fail. He feltsure that Mrs. Hooty would leave her nest and help Hooty try to driveaway his tormentors. But Mrs. Hooty didn't do anything of the kind, because Hooty was smart enough and thoughtful enough to lead histormentors away from the nest into the darkest part of the Green Forestwhere their noise wouldn't bother Mrs. Hooty. So she just settledherself more comfortably than ever on those eggs which Blacky had hopedshe would give him a chance to steal, and his fine plan was quite upset. 

Not one of his relatives had noticed that nest. They had been too busyteasing Hooty. This was just as Blacky had hoped. He didn't want them toknow about that nest because he was selfish and wanted to get those eggsjust for himself alone. But now he knew that the only way he could getMrs. Hooty off of them would be by teasing her so that she would loseher temper and try to catch some of her tormentors. If she did that, there would be a chance that he might slip in and get at least one ofthose eggs. 

He would try it. 

For a few minutes he listened to the noise of his relatives growingfainter and fainter, as Hooty led them farther and farther into theGreen Forest. Then he opened his mouth. 

"Caw, caw, caw, caw!" he screamed. "Caw, caw, caw, caw! Come back, everybody! Here is Mrs. Hooty on her nest! Caw, caw, caw, caw!"

Now as soon as they heard that, all Blacky's relatives stopped chasingand tormenting Hooty and started back as fast as they could fly. Theydidn't like the dark part of the Green Forest into which Hooty wasleading them. Besides, they wanted to see that nest. So back they came, cawing at the top of their lungs, for they were very much excited. Someof them never had seen a nest of Hooty's. And anyway, it would be justas much fun to tease Mrs. Hooty as it was to tease Hooty. 

"Where is the nest?" they screamed, as they came back to where Blackywas cawing and pretending to be very much excited. 

"Why, " exclaimed one, "that is the old nest of Redtail the Hawk. I knowall about that nest. " And he looked at Blacky as if he thought Blackywas playing a joke on them. 

"It was Redtail's, but it is Hooty's now. If you don't believe me, justlook in it, " retorted Blacky. 

At once they all began to fly over the top of the tree where they couldlook down into the nest and there, sure enough, was Mrs. Hooty, hergreat, round, yellow eyes glaring up at them angrily. Such a racket!Right away Hooty was forgotten, and the whole crowd at once began totorment Mrs. Hooty. Only Blacky sat watchful and silent, waiting forMrs. Hooty to lose her temper and try to catch one of her tormentors. Hehad hope, a great hope, that he would get one of those eggs. 

CHAPTER VIII: Hooty Comes To Mrs. Hooty's Aid

No one can live just for self alone. A lot of people think they can, but they are very much mistaken. They are making one of the greatestmistakes in the world. Every teeny, weeny act, no matter what it is, affects somebody else. That is one of Old Mother Nature's great laws. And it is just as true among the little people of the Green Forest andthe Green Meadows as with boys and girls and grown people. It is OldMother Nature's way of making each of us responsible for the good of alland of teaching us that always we should help each other. 

As you know, when Blacky the Crow called all his relatives over to thenest where Mrs. Hooty was sitting on her eggs, they at once stoppedtormenting Hooty and left him alone in a thick hemlock-tree in thedarkest part of the Green Forest. Of course Hooty was very, very gladto be left in peace, and he might have spent the rest of the day theresleeping in comfort. But he didn't. No, Sir, he didn't. At first he gavea great sigh of relief and settled himself as if he meant to stay. Helistened to the voices of those noisy Crows growing fainter and fainterand was glad. But it was only for a few minutes. 

Presently those voices stopped growing fainter. They grew moreexcited-sounding than ever, and they came right from one place. Hootyknew then that his tormentors had found the nest where Mrs. Hooty was, and that they were tormenting her just as they had tormented him. Hesnapped his bill angrily and then more angrily. 

"I guess Mrs. Hooty is quite able to take care of herself, " hegrumbled, "but she ought not to be disturbed while she is sitting onthose eggs. I hate to go back there in that bright sunshine. It hurts myeyes, and I don't like it, but I guess I'll have to go back there. Mrs. Hooty needs my help. I'd rather stay here, but--"

He didn't finish. Instead, he spread his broad wings and flew backtowards the nest and Mrs. Hooty. His great wings made no noise, for theyare made so that he can fly without making a sound. "If I once get holdof one of those Crows!" he muttered to himself. "If I once get hold ofone of those Crows, I'll--" He didn't say what he would do, but ifyou had been near enough to hear the snap of his bill, you could haveguessed the rest. 

All this time the Crows were having what they called fun with Mrs. Hooty. Nothing is true fun which makes others uncomfortable, but somehowa great many people seem to forget this. So, while Blacky sat watching, his relatives made a tremendous racket around Mrs. Hooty, and the moreangry she grew, the more they screamed and called her names and darteddown almost in her face, as they pretended that they were going to fighther. They were so busy doing this, and Blacky was so busy watching them, hoping that Mrs. Hooty would leave her nest and give him a chance tosteal the eggs he knew were under her, that no one gave Hooty a thought. 

All of a sudden he was there, right in the tree close to the nest! Noone had heard a sound, but there he was, and in the claws of one foot heheld the tail feathers of one of Blacky's relatives. It was lucky, verylucky indeed for that one that the sun was in Hooty's eyes and so he hadmissed his aim. Otherwise there would have been one less Crow. 

Now it is one thing to tease one lone Owl and quite another to tease twotogether. Besides, there were those black tail feathers floating downto the snow-covered ground. Quite suddenly those Crows decided that theyhad had fun enough for one day, and in spite of all Blacky could doto stop them, away they flew, cawing loudly and talking it all overnoisily. Blacky was the last to go, and his heart was sorrowful. Howevercould he get those eggs?

CHAPTER IX: Blacky Thinks Of Farmer Brown's Boy

"Such luck!" grumbled Blacky, as he flew over to his favorite tree to doa little thinking. "Such luck! Now all my neighbors know about the nestof Hooty the Owl, and sooner or later one of them will find out thatthere are eggs in it. There is one thing about it, though, and thatis that if I can't get them, nobody can. That is to say, none of myrelatives can. I've tried every way I can think of, and those eggs arestill there. My, my, my, how I would like one of them right now!"

Then Blacky the Crow did a thing which disappointed scamps oftendo, --began to blame the ones he was trying to wrong because his planshad failed. To have heard him talking to himself, you would havesupposed that those eggs really belonged to him and that Hooty and Mrs. Hooty had cheated him out of them. Yes, Sir, that is what you would havethought if you could have heard him muttering to himself there in thetree-top. In his disappointment over not getting those eggs, he wasso sorry for himself that he actually did feel that he was the onewronged, --that Hooty and Mrs. Hooty should have let him have those eggs. 

Of course, that was absolute foolishness, but he made himself believeit just the same. At least, he pretended to believe it. And the more hepretended, the angrier he grew. This is often the way with people whotry to wrong others. They grow angry with the ones they have tried towrong. When at last Blacky had to confess to himself that he could thinkof no other way to get those eggs, he began to wonder if there was someway to make trouble for Hooty and Mrs. Hooty. It was right then that hethought of Farmer Brown's boy. Blacky's eyes snapped. He remembered how, once upon a time, Farmer Brown's boy had delighted to rob nests. Blackyhad seen him take the eggs from the nests of Blacky's own relatives andfrom many other feathered people. What he did with the eggs, Blacky hadno idea. Just now he didn't care. If Farmer Brown's boy would justhappen to find Hooty's nest, he would be sure to take those eggs, andthen he, Blacky, would feel better. He would feel that he was even withHooty. 

Right away he began to try to think of some way to bring Farmer Brown'sboy over to the lonesome corner of the Green Forest where Hooty's nestwas. If he could once get him there, he felt sure that Farmer Brown'sboy would see the nest and climb up to it, and then of course he wouldtake the eggs. If he couldn't have those eggs himself, the next bestthing would be to see some one else get them. 

Dear me, dear me, such dreadful thoughts! I am afraid that Blacky'sheart was as black as his coat. And the worst of it was, he seemed toget a lot of pleasure in his wicked plans. Now right down in his hearthe knew that they were wicked plans, but he tried to make excuses tohimself. 

"Hooty the Owl is a robber, " said he. "Everybody is afraid of him. He lives on other people, and so far as I know he does no good in theworld. He is big and fierce, and no one loves him. The Green Forestwould be better off without him. If those eggs hatch, there will belittle Owls to be fed, and they will grow up into big fierce Owls, liketheir father and mother. So if I show Farmer Brown's boy that nest andhe takes those eggs, I will be doing a kindness to my neighbors. "

So Blacky talked to himself and tried to hush the still, small voicedown inside that tried to tell him that what he was planning to do wasreally a dreadful thing. And all the time he watched for Farmer Brown'sboy. 

CHAPTER X: Farmer Brown's Boy And Hooty

Farmer Brown's boy had taken it into his head to visit the Green Forest. It was partly because he hadn't anything else to do, and it was partlybecause now that it was very near the end of winter he wanted to see howthings were there and if there were any signs of the coming of spring. Blacky the Crow saw him coming, and Blacky chuckled to himself. He hadwatched every day for a week for just this thing. Now he would tellFarmer Brown's boy about that nest of Hooty the Owl. 

He flew over to the lonesome corner of the Green Forest where Hooty andMrs. Hooty had made their home and at once began to caw at the top ofhis voice and pretend that he was terribly excited over something. 

"Caw, caw, caw, caw, caw!" shouted Blacky. At once all his relativeswithin hearing hurried over to join him. They knew that he wastormenting Hooty, and they wanted to join in the fun. It wasn't longbefore there was a great racket going on over in that lonesome corner ofthe Green Forest. 

Of course Farmer Brown's boy heard it. He stopped and listened. "NowI wonder what Blacky and his friends have found this time, " said he. "Whenever they make a fuss like that, there is usually something to seethere. I believe I'll so over and have a look. "

So he turned in the direction of the lonesome corner of the GreenForest, and as he drew near, he moved very carefully, so as to see allthat he could without frightening the Crows. He knew that as soon asthey saw him, they would fly away, and that might alarm the one theywere tormenting, for he knew enough of Crow ways to know that when theywere making such a noise as they were now making, they were plaguingsome one. 

Blacky was the first to see him because he was watching for him. Buthe didn't say anything until Farmer Brown's boy was so near that hecouldn't help but see that nest and Hooty himself, sitting up verystraight and snapping his bill angrily at his tormentors. Then Blackygave the alarm, and at once all the Crows rose in the air and headed forthe Green Meadows, cawing at the top of their lungs. Blacky went withthem a little way. The first chance he got he dropped out of the flockand silently flew back to a place where he could see all that mighthappen at the nest of Hooty the Owl. 

When Farmer Brown's boy first caught sight of the nest and saw the Crowsdarting down toward it and acting so excited, he was puzzled. 

"That's an old nest of Red-tail the Hawk, " thought he. "I found thatlast spring. Now what can there be there to excite those Crows so?"

Then he caught sight of Hooty the Owl. "Ha, so that's it!" he exclaimed. "Those scamps have discovered Hooty and have been having no end of funtormenting him. I wonder what he's doing there. "

He no longer tried to keep out of sight, but walked right up to thefoot of the tree, all the time looking up. Hooty saw him, but instead offlying away, he snapped his bill just as he had at the Crows and hissed. 

"That's funny, " thought Farmer Brown's boy. "If I didn't know thatto be the old nest of Redtail the Hawk, and if it weren't still thetail-end of winter, I would think that was Hooty's nest. "

He walked in a circle around the tree, looking up. Suddenly he gave alittle start. Was that a tail sticking over the edge of the nest? Hefound a stick and threw it up. It struck the bottom of the nest, and outflew a great bird. It was Mrs. Hooty! Blacky the Crow chuckled. 

CHAPTER XI: Farmer Brown's Boy Is Tempted

 When you're tempted to do wrong Is the time to prove you're strong. Shut your eyes and clench each fist; It will help you to resist. 

When a bird is found sitting on a nest, it is a pretty sure sign thatthat nest holds something worth while. It is a sign that that bird hasset up housekeeping. So when Farmer Brown's boy discovered Mrs. Hootysitting so close on the old nest of Redtail the Hawk, in the mostlonesome corner of the Green Forest, he knew what it meant. Perhaps Ishould say that he knew what it ought to mean. 

It ought to mean that there were eggs in that nest. 

But it was hard for Farmer Brown's boy to believe that. Why, springhad not come yet! There was still snow, and the Smiling Pool was stillcovered with ice. Who ever heard of birds nesting at this time of year?Certainly not Farmer Brown's boy. And yet Hooty the Owl and Mrs. Hootywere acting for all the world as feathered folks do act when they haveeggs and are afraid that something is going to happen to them. It wasvery puzzling. 

"That nest was built by Red-tail the Hawk, and it hasn't even beenrepaired, " muttered Farmer Brown's boy, as he stared up at it. "IfHooty and his wife have taken it for their home, they are mighty poorhousekeepers. And if Mrs. Hooty has laid eggs this time of year, shemust be crazy. I suppose the way to find out is to climb up there. Itseems foolish, but I'm going to do it. Those Owls certainly act as ifthey are mighty anxious about something, and I'm going to find out whatit is. "

He looked at Hooty and Mrs. Hooty, at their hooked bills and greatclaws, and decided that he would take a stout stick along with him. Hehad no desire to feel these great claws. When he had found a stick tosuit him, he began to climb the tree. Hooty and Mrs. Hooty snapped theirbills and hissed fiercely. They drew nearer. Farmer Brown's boy kept awatchful eye on them. They looked so big and fierce that he was almosttempted to give up and leave them in peace. But he just had to find outif there was anything in that nest, so he kept on. As he drew near it, Mrs. Hooty swooped very near to him, and the snap of her bill made anugly sound. He held his stick ready to strike and kept on. 

The nest was simply a great platform of sticks. When Farmer Brown's boyreached it, he found that he could not get where he could look into it, so he reached over and felt inside. Almost at once his fingers touchedsomething that made him tingle all over. It was an egg, a great big egg!There was no doubt about it. It was just as hard for him to believeas it had been for Blacky the Crow to believe, when he first saw thoseeggs. Farmer Brown's boy's fingers closed over that egg and took itout of the nest. Mrs. Hooty swooped very close, and Farmer Brown's boynearly dropped the egg as he struck at her with his stick. Then Mrs. Hooty and Hooty seemed to lose courage and withdrew to a tree near by, where they snapped their bills and hissed. 

Then Farmer Brown's boy looked at the prize in his hand. It was a big, dirty-white egg. His eyes shone. What a splendid prize to add to hiscollection of birds' eggs! It was the first egg of the Great Horned Owl, the largest of all Owls, that he ever had seen. 

Once more he felt in the nest and found there was another egg there. "I'll take both of them, " said he. "It's the first nest of Hooty's thatI've ever found, and perhaps I'll never find another. Gee, I'm gladI came over here to find out what those Crows were making such a fussabout. I wonder if I can get these clown without breaking them. "

Just at that very minute he remembered something. He remembered that hehad stopped collecting eggs. He remembered that he had resolved never totake another bird's egg. 

"But this is different, " whispered the tempter. "This isn't like takingthe eggs of the little song birds. "

CHAPTER XII: A Tree-Top Battle

 As black is black and white is white, So wrong is wrong and right is right. 

There isn't any half way about it. A thing is wrong or it is right, andthat is all there is to it. But most people have hard work to see thiswhen they want very much to do a thing that the still small voiceway down inside tells them isn't right. They try to compromise. Tocompromise is to do neither one thing nor the other but a little ofboth. But you can't do that with right and wrong. It is a queer thing, but a half right never is as good as a whole right, while a half wrongoften, very often, is as bad as a whole wrong. 

Farmer Brown's boy, up in the tree by the nest of Hooty the Owl inthe lonesome corner of the Green Forest, was fighting a battle. No, hewasn't fighting with Hooty or Mrs. Hooty. He was fighting a battle rightinside himself. It was a battle between right and wrong. Once upon atime he had taken great delight in collecting the eggs of birds, intrying to see how many kinds he could get. Then as he had come to knowthe little forest and meadow people better, he had seen that taking theeggs of birds is very, very wrong, and he had stopped stealing them. Hebad declared that never again would he steal an egg from a bird. 

But never before had he found a nest of Hooty the Owl. Those two bigeggs would add ever so much to his collection. "Take 'em, " said alittle voice inside. "Hooty is a robber. You will be doing a kindness tothe other birds by taking them. "

"Don't do it, " said another little voice. "Hooty may be a robber, buthe has a place in the Green Forest, or Old Mother Nature never wouldhave put him here. It is just as much stealing to take his eggs as totake the eggs of any other bird. He has just as much right to them asJenny Wren has to hers. "

"Take one and leave one, " said the first voice. 

"That will be just as much stealing as if you took both, " said thesecond voice. "Besides, you will be breaking your own word. You saidthat you never would take another egg. "

"I didn't promise anybody but myself, " declared Farmer Brown's boyright out loud. At the sound of his voice, Hooty and Mrs. Hooty, sittingin the next tree, snapped their bills and hissed louder than ever. 

"A promise to yourself ought to be just as good as a promise to any oneelse. I don't wonder Hooty hisses at you, " said the good little voice. 

"Think how fine those eggs will look in your collection and how proudyou will be to show them to the other fellows who never have found anest of Hooty's, " said the first little voice. 

"And think how mean and small and cheap you'll feel every time you lookat them, " added the good little voice. "You'll get a lot more fun ifyou leave them to hatch out and then watch the little Owls grow up andlearn all about their ways. Just think what a stout, brave fellow Hootyis to start housekeeping at this time of year, and how wonderful it isthat Mrs. Hooty can keep these eggs warm and when they have hatchedtake care of the baby Owls before others have even begun to build theirnests. Besides, wrong is wrong and right is right, always. "

Slowly Farmer Brown's boy reached over the edge of the nest and putback the egg. Then he began to climb down the tree. When he reached theground he went off a little way and watched. Almost at once Mrs. Hootyflew to the nest and settled down on the eggs, while Hooty mounted guardclose by. 

"I'm glad I didn't take 'em, " said Farmer Brown's boy. "Yes, Sir, I'mglad I didn't take 'em. "

As he turned back toward home, he saw Blacky the Crow flying over theGreen Forest, and little did he guess how he had upset Blacky's plans. 

CHAPTER XIII: Blacky Has A Change Of Heart

Blacky The Crow isn't all black. No, indeed. His coat is black, andsometimes it seems as if his heart is all black, but this isn't so. Itcertainly seemed as if his heart was all black when he tried so hard tomake trouble for Hooty the Owl. It would seem as if only a black heartcould have urged him to try so hard to steal the eggs of Hooty and Mrs. Hooty, but this wasn't really so. You see, it didn't seem at all wrongto try to get those eggs. Blacky was hungry, and those eggs would havegiven him a good meal. He knew that Hooty wouldn't hesitate to catchhim and eat him if he had the chance, and so it seemed to him perfectlyright and fair to steal Hooty's eggs if he was smart enough to do so. And most of the other little people of the Green Forest and the GreenMeadows would have felt the same way about it. You see, it is one ofthe laws of Old Mother Nature that each one must learn to look out forhimself. 

But when Blacky showed that nest of Hooty's to Farmer Brown's boy withthe hope that Farmer Brown's boy would steal those eggs, there wasblackness in his heart. He was doing something then which was puremeanness. He was just trying to make trouble for Hooty, to get evenbecause Hooty had been too smart for him. He had sat in the top of atall pine-tree where he could see all that happened, and he had chuckledwickedly as he had seen Farmer Brown's boy climb to Hooty's nest andtake out an egg. He felt sure that he would take both eggs. He hoped so, anyway. 

When he saw Farmer Brown's boy put the eggs back and climb down the treewithout any, he had to blink his eyes to make sure that he saw straight. He just couldn't believe what he saw. At first he was dreadfullydisappointed and angry. It looked very much as if he weren't going toget even with Hooty after all. He flew over to his favorite tree tothink things over. Now sometimes it is a good thing to sit by oneselfand think things over. It gives the little small voice deep down insidea chance to be heard. It was just that way with Blacky now. 

The longer he thought, the meaner his action in calling Farmer Brown'sboy looked. It was one thing to try to steal those eggs himself, but itwas quite another matter to try to have them stolen by some one againstwhom Hooty had no protection whatever. 

"If it had been any one but Hooty, you would have done your best to havekept Farmer Brown's boy away, " said the little voice inside. Blackyhung his head. He knew that it was true. More than once, in fact manytimes, he had warned other feathered folks when Farmer Brown's boy hadbeen hunting for their nests, and had helped to lead him away. 

At last Blacky threw up his head and chuckled, and this time his chucklewas good to hear. "I'm glad that Farmer Brown's boy didn't take thoseeggs, " said he right out loud. "Yes, sir, I'm glad. I'll never do sucha thing as that again. I'm ashamed of what I did; yet I'm glad I didit. I'm glad because I've learned some things. I've learned that FarmerBrown's boy isn't as much to be feared as he used to be. I've learnedthat Hooty isn't as stupid as I thought he was. I've learned that whileit may be all right for us people of the Green Forest to try to outwiteach other we ought to protect each other against common dangers. AndI've learned something I didn't know before, and that is that Hooty theOwl is the very first of us to set up housekeeping. Now I think I'll gohunt for an honest meal. " And he did. 

CHAPTER XIV: Blacky Makes A Call

 Judge no one by his style of dress; Your ignorance you thus confess. --Blacky the Crow. 

"Caw, caw, caw, caw. " There was no need of looking to see who that was. Peter Rabbit knew without looking. Mrs. Quack knew without looking. Justthe same, both looked up. Just alighting in the top of a tall tree wasBlacky the Crow. "Caw, caw, caw, caw, " he repeated, looking down atPeter and Mrs. Quack and Mr. Quack and the six young Quacks. "I hope Iam not interrupting any secret gossip. "

"Not at all, " Peter hastened to say. "Mrs. Quack was just telling meof the troubles and clangers in bringing up a young family in the FarNorth. How did you know the Quacks had arrived?"

Blacky chuckled hoarsely. "I didn't, " said he. "I simply thought theremight be something going on I didn't know about over here in the pondof Paddy the Beaver, so I came over to find out. Mr. Quack, you and Mrs. Quack are looking very fine this fall. And those handsome young Quacks, you don't mean to tell me that they are your children!"

Mrs. Quack nodded proudly. "They are, " said she. 

"You don't say so!" exclaimed Blacky, as if he were very much surprised, when all the time he wasn't surprised at all. "They are a credit totheir parents. Yes, indeed, they are a credit to their parents. Neverhave I seen finer young Ducks in all my life. How glad the hunters withterrible guns will be to see them. "

Mrs. Quack shivered at that, and Blacky saw it. He chuckled softly. Youknow he dearly loves to make others uncomfortable. "I saw three huntersover on the edge of the Big River early this very morning, " said he. 

Mrs. Quack looked more anxious than ever. Blacky's sharp eyes notedthis. 

"That is why I came over here, " he added kindly. "I wanted to give youwarning. "

"But you didn't know the Quacks were here!" spoke up Peter. 

"True enough, Peter. True enough, " replied Blacky, his eyes twinkling. "But I thought they might be. I had heard a rumor that those who gosouth are traveling earlier than usual this fall, so I knew I might findMr. And Mrs. Quack over here any time now. Is it true, Mrs. Quack, thatwe are going to have a long, hard, cold winter?"

"That is what they say up in the Far North, " replied Mrs. Quack. "And itis true that Jack Frost had started down earlier than usual. That ishow it happens we are here now. But about those hunters over by the BigRiver, do you suppose they will come over here?" There was an anxiousnote in Mrs. Quack's voice. 

"No, " replied Blacky promptly. "Farmer Brown's boy won't let them. Iknow. I've been watching him and he has been watching those hunters. Aslong as you stay here, you will be safe. What a great world this wouldbe if all those two-legged creatures were like Farmer Brown's boy. "

"Wouldn't it!" cried Peter. Then he added, "I wish they were. "

"You don't wish it half as much as I do, " declared Mrs. Quack. 

"Yet I can remember when he used to hunt with a terrible gun and was asbad as the worst of them, " said Blacky. 

"What changed him?" asked Mrs. Quack, looking interested. 

"Just getting really acquainted with some of the little people of theGreen Forest and the Green Meadows, " replied Blacky. "He found themready to meet him more than halfway in friendship and that some of themreally are his best friends. "

"And now he is their best friend, " spoke up Peter. 

Blacky nodded. "Right, Peter, " said he. "That is why the Quacks are safehere and will be as long as they stay. "

CHAPTER XV: Blacky Does A Little Looking About

 Do not take the word of others That things are or are not so When there is a chance that you may Find out for yourself and know. --Blacky the Crow. 

Blacky the Crow is a shrewd fellow. He is one of the smartest andshrewdest of all the little people in the Green Forest and on the GreenMeadows. Everybody knows it. And because of this, all his neighbors havea great deal of respect for him, despite his mischievous ways. 

Of course, Blacky had noticed that Johnny Chuck had dug his house deeperthan usual and had stuffed himself until he was fatter than ever before. He had noticed that Jerry Muskrat was making the walls of his housethicker than in other years, and that Paddy the Beaver was doing thesame thing to his house. You know there is very little that escapes thesharp eyes of Blacky the Crow. 

He had guessed what these things meant. "They think we are going to havea long, hard, cold winter, " muttered Blacky to himself. "Perhaps theyknow, but I want to see some signs of it for myself. They may be onlyguessing. Anybody can do that, and one guess is as good as another. "

Then he found Mr. And Mrs. Quack, the Mallard Ducks, and their childrenin the pond of Paddy the Beaver and remembered that they never had comedown from their home in the Far North as early in the fall as this. Mrs. Quack explained that Jack Frost had already started south, and so theyhad started earlier to keep well ahead of him. 

"Looks as if there may be something in this idea of a long, hard, coldwinter, " thought Blacky, "but perhaps the Quacks are only guessing, too. I wouldn't take their word for it any more than I would the wordof Johnny Chuck or Jerry Muskrat or Paddy the Beaver. I'll look about alittle. "

So after warning the Quacks to remain in the pond of Paddy the Beaverif they would be safe, Blacky bade them good-by and flew away. He headedstraight for the Green Meadows and Farmer Brown's cornfield. A little ofthat yellow corn would make a good breakfast. 

When he reached the cornfield, Blacky perched on top of a shock of corn, for it already had been cut and put in shocks in readiness to be cartedup to Farmer Brown's barn. For a few minutes he sat there silent andmotionless, but all the time his sharp eyes were making sure that noenemy was hiding behind one of those brown shocks. When he was quitecertain that things were as safe as they seemed, he picked out a plumpear of corn and began to tear open the husks, so as to get at the yellowgrains. 

"Seems to me these husks are unusually thick, " muttered Blacky, as hetore at them with his stout bill. "Don't remember ever having seen themas thick as these. Wonder if it just happens to be so on this ear. "

Then, as a sudden thought popped into his black head, he left that earand went to another. The husks of this were as thick as those on thefirst. He flew to another shock and found the husks there just the same. He tried a third shock with the same result. 

"Huh, they are all alike, " said he. Then he looked thoughtful and for afew minutes sat perfectly still like a black statue. "They are right, "said he at last. "Yes, Sir, they are right. " Of course he meant JohnnyChuck and Jerry Muskrat and Paddy the Beaver and the Quacks. "I don'tknow how they know it, but they are right; we are going to have a long, hard, cold winter. I know it myself now. I've found a sign. Old MotherNature has wrapped this corn in extra thick husks, and of course she hasdone it to protect it. She doesn't do things without a reason. We aregoing to have a cold winter, or my name isn't Blacky the Crow. "

CHAPTER XVI: Blacky Finds Other Signs

 A single fact may fail to prove you either right or wrong; Confirm it with another and your proof will then be strong. --Blacky the Crow. 

After his discovery that Old Mother Nature had wrapped all the earsof corn in extra thick husks, Blacky had no doubt in his own mind thatJohnny Chuck and Jerry Muskrat and Paddy the Beaver and the Quacks werequite right in feeling that the coming winter would be long, hard andcold. But Blacky long ago learned that it isn't wise or wholly safe todepend altogether on one thing. 

"Old Mother Nature never does things by halves, " thought Blacky, as hesat on the fence post on the Green Meadows, thinking over his discoveryof the thick husks on the corn. "She wouldn't take care to protect thecorn that way and not do as much for other things. There must be othersigns, if I am smart enough to find them. "

He lifted one black wing and began to set in order the feathers beneathit. Suddenly he made a funny little hop straight up. 

"Well, I never!" he exclaimed, as he spread his wings to regain hisbalance. "I never did!"

"Is that so?" piped a squeaky little voice. "If you say you never did, Isuppose you never did, though I want the word of some one else before Iwill believe it. What is it you never did?"

Blacky looked down. Peeping up at him from the brown grass were twobright little eyes. 

"Hello, Danny Meadow Mouse!" exclaimed Blacky. "I haven't seen you for along time. I've looked for you several times lately. "

"I don't doubt it. I don't doubt it at all, " squeaked Danny. "You'llnever see me when you are looking for me. That is, you won't if I canhelp it. You won't if I see you first. "

Blacky chuckled. He knew what Danny meant. When Blacky goes lookingfor Danny Meadow Mouse, it usually is in hope of having a Meadow Mousedinner, and he knew that Danny knew this. "I've had my breakfast, " saidBlacky, "and it isn't dinner time yet. "

"What is it you never did?" persisted Danny, in his squeaky voice. 

"That was just an exclamation, " explained Blacky. "I made a discoverythat surprised me so I exclaimed right out. "

"What was it?" demanded Danny. 

"It was that the feathers of my coat are coming in thicker than I everknew them to before. I hadn't noticed it until I started to set them inorder a minute ago. " He buried his bill in the feathers of his breast. "Yes, sir, " said he in a muffled voice, "they are coming in thicker thanI ever knew them to before. There is a lot of down around the roots ofthem. I am going to have the warmest coat I've ever had. "

"Well, don't think you are the only one, " retorted Danny. "My fur neverwas so thick at this time of year as it is now, and it is the same waywith Nanny Meadow Mouse and all our children. I suppose you know what itmeans. "

"What does it mean?" asked Blacky, just as if he didn't have the leastidea, although he had guessed the instant he discovered those extrafeathers. 

"It means we are going to have a long, hard, cold winter, and Old MotherNature is preparing us for it, " replied Danny, quite as if he knew allabout it. "You'll find that everybody who doesn't go south or sleep allwinter has a thicker coat than usual. Hello! There is old Roughleg theHawk! He has come extra early this year. I think I'll go back to warnNanny. " Without another word Danny disappeared in the brown grass. AgainBlacky chuckled. "More signs, " said he to himself. "More signs. Thereisn't a doubt that we are going to have a hard winter. I wonder if Ican stand it or if I'd better go a little way south, where it will bewarmer. "

CHAPTER XVII: Blacky Watches A Queer Performance

 This much to me is very clear: A thing not understood is queer. --Blacky the Crow. 

Blacky the Crow may be right. Again he may not be. If he is right, itwill account for a lot of the queer people in the world. They are notunderstood, and so they are queer. At least, that is what other peoplesay, and never once think that perhaps they are the queer ones for notunderstanding. 

But Blacky isn't like those people who are satisfied not to understandand to think other people and things queer. He does his best tounderstand. He waits and watches and uses those sharp eyes of his andthose quick wits of his until at last usually he does understand. 

The day of his discovery of Old Mother Nature's signs that the comingwinter would be long, hard and cold, Blacky paid a visit to the BigRiver. Long ago he discovered that many things are to be seen on orbeside the Big River, things not to be seen elsewhere. So there are fewclays in which he does not get over there. 

As he drew near the Big River, he was very watchful and careful, wasBlacky, for this was the season when hunters with terrible guns wereabroad, and he had discovered that they were likely to be hiding alongthe Big River, hoping to shoot Mr. Or Mrs. Quack or some of theirrelatives. So he was very watchful as he drew near the Big River, forhe had learned that it was dangerous to pass too near a hunter with aterrible gun. More than once he had been shot at. But he had learned bythese experiences. Oh, yes, Blacky had learned. For one thing, he hadlearned to know a gun when he saw it. For another thing, he had learnedjust how far away one of these dreadful guns could be and still hurt theone it was pointed at, and to always keep just a little farther away. Also he had learned that a man or boy without a terrible gun is quiteharmless, and he had learned that hunters with terrible guns are trickyand sometimes hide from those they seek to kill, so that in the dreadfulhunting season it is best to look sharply before approaching any place. 

On this afternoon, as he drew near the Big River, he saw a man whoseemed to be very busy on the shore of the Big River, at a place wherewild rice and rushes grew for some distance out in the water, for justthere it was shallow far out from the shore. Blacky looked sharply for aterrible gun. But the man had none with him and therefore was not to befeared. Blacky boldly drew near until he was able to see what the manwas doing. 

Then Blacky's eyes stretched their widest and he almost cawed right outwith surprise. The man was taking yellow corn from a bag, a handful ata time, and throwing it out in the water. Yes, Sir, that is what he wasdoing, scattering nice yellow corn among the rushes and wild rice in thewater!

"That's a queer performance, " muttered Blacky, as he watched. "What ishe throwing perfectly good corn out in the water for? He isn't plantingit, for this isn't the planting season. Besides, it wouldn't grow in thewater, anyway. It is a shame to waste nice corn like that. What is hedoing it for?"

Blacky flew over to a tree some distance away and alighted in the topof it to watch the queer performance. You know Blacky has very keen eyesand he can see a long distance. For a while the man continued to scattercorn and Blacky continued to wonder what he was doing it for. At lastthe man went away in a boat. Blacky watched him until he was out ofsight. Then he spread his wings and slowly flew back and forth justabove the rushes and wild rice, at the place where the man had beenscattering the corn. He could see some of the yellow grains on thebottom. Presently he saw something else. "Ha!" exclaimed Blacky. 

CHAPTER XVIII: Blacky Becomes Very Suspicious

 Of things you do not understand, Beware! They may be wholly harmless but-- Beware! You'll find the older that you grow That only things and folks you know Are fully to be trusted, so Beware! --Blacky the Crow. 

That is one of Blacky's wise sayings, and he lives up to it. It is onereason why he has come to be regarded by all his neighbors as one of thesmartest of all who live in the Green Forest and on the Green Meadow. Heseldom gets into any real trouble because he first makes sure thereis no trouble to get into. When he discovers something he does notunderstand, he is at once distrustful of it. 

As he watched a man scattering yellow corn in the water from the shoreof the Big River he at once became suspicious. He couldn't understandwhy a man should throw good corn among the rushes and wild rice in thewater, and because he couldn't understand, he at once began to suspectthat it was for no good purpose. When the man left in a boat, Blackyslowly flew over the rushes where the man had thrown the corn, andpresently his sharp eyes made a discovery that caused him to exclaimright out. 

What was it Blacky had discovered? Only a few feathers. No one with eyesless sharp than Blacky's would have noticed them. And few would havegiven them a thought if they had noticed them. But Blacky knew rightaway that those were feathers from a Duck. He knew that a Duck, orperhaps a flock of Ducks, had been resting or feeding in there amongthose rushes, and that in moving about they had left those two or threedowny feathers. 

"Ha!" exclaimed Blacky. "Mr. And Mrs. Quack or some of their relativeshave been here. It is just the kind of a place Ducks like. Also someDucks like corn. If they should come back here and find this corn, theywould have a feast, and they would be sure to come again. That man whoscattered the corn here didn't have a terrible gun, but that doesn'tmean that he isn't a hunter. He may come back again, and then he mayhave a terrible gun. I'm suspicious of that man. I am so. I believe heput that corn here for Ducks and I don't believe he did it out of thekindness of his heart. If it was Farmer Brown's boy I would know thatall is well; that he was thinking of hungry Ducks, with few places wherethey can feed in safety, as they make the long journey from the FarNorth to the Sunny South. But it wasn't Farmer Brown's boy. I don't likethe looks of it. I don't indeed. I'll keep watch of this place and seewhat happens. "

All the way to his favorite perch in a certain big hemlock-tree in theGreen Forest, Blacky kept thinking about that corn and the man whohad seemed to be generous with it, and the more he thought, the moresuspicious he became. He didn't like the looks of it at all. 

"I'll warn the Quacks to keep away from there. I'll do it the very firstthing in the morning, " he muttered, as he prepared to go to sleep. "Ifthey have any sense at all, they will stay in the pond of Paddy theBeaver. But if they should go over to the Big River, they would bealmost sure to find that corn, and if they should once find it, theywould keep going back for more. It may be all right, but I don't likethe looks of it. "

And still full of suspicions, Blacky went to sleep. 

CHAPTER XIX: Blacky Makes More Discoveries

 Little things you fail to see May important prove to be. --Blacky the Crow. 

One of the secrets of Blacky's success in life is the fact that he neverfails to take note of little things. Long ago he learned that littlethings which in themselves seem harmless and not worth noticing maytogether prove the most important things in life. So, no matter howunimportant a thing may appear, Blacky examines it closely with thosesharp eyes of his and remembers it. 

The very first thing Blacky did, as soon as he was awake the morningafter he discovered the man scattering corn in the rushes at a certainplace on the edge of the Big River, was to fly over to the pond of Paddythe Beaver and again warn Mr. And Mrs. Quack to keep away from the BigRiver, if they and their six children would remain safe. Then he gotsome breakfast. He ate it in a hurry and flew straight over to the BigRiver to the place where he had seen that yellow corn scattered. 

Blacky wasn't wholly surprised to find Dusky the Black Duck, own cousinto Mr. And Mrs. Quack the Mallard Ducks, with a number of his relativesin among the rushes and wild rice at the very place where that corn hadbeen scattered. They seemed quite contented and in the best of spirits. Blacky guessed why. Not a single grain of that yellow corn could Blackysee. He knew the ways of Dusky and his relatives. He knew that they musthave come in there just at dusk the night before and at once had foundthat corn. He knew that they would remain hiding there until frightenedout, and that then they would spend the day in some little pond wherethey would not be likely to be disturbed or where at least no dangercould approach them without being seen in plenty of time. There theywould rest all day, and when the Black Shadows came creeping out fromthe Purple Hills, they would return to that place on the Big River tofeed, for that is the time when they like best to hunt for their food. 

Dusky looked up as Blacky flew over him, but Blacky said nothing, andDusky said nothing. But if Blacky didn't use his tongue, he did use hiseyes. He saw just on the edge of the shore what looked like a lot ofsmall bushes growing close together on the very edge of the water. Mixedin with them were a lot of the brown rushes. They looked very harmlessand innocent. But Blacky knew every foot of that shore along the BigRiver, and he knew that those bushes hadn't been there during thesummer. He knew that they hadn't grown there. 

He flew directly over them. Just back of them were a couple of logs. Those logs hadn't been there when he passed that way a few days before. He was sure of it. 

"Ha!" exclaimed Blacky under his breath. "Those look to me as if theymight be very handy, very handy indeed, for a hunter to sit on. Sittingthere behind those bushes, he would be hidden from any Duck who mightcome in to look for nice yellow corn scattered out there among therushes. It doesn't look right to me. No, Sir, it doesn't look right tome. I think I'll keep an eye on this place. "

So Blacky came back to the Big River several times that day. The secondtime back he found that Dusky the Black Duck and his relatives had left. When he returned in the afternoon, he saw the same man he had seenthere the afternoon before, and he was doing the same thing, --scatteringyellow corn out in the rushes. And as before, he went away in a boat. 

"I don't like it, " muttered Blacky, shaking his black head. "I don'tlike it. "

CHAPTER XX: Blacky Drops A Hint

 When you see another's danger Warn him though he be a stranger. --Blacky the Crow. 

Every day for a week a man came in a boat to scatter corn in the rushesat a certain point along the bank of the Big River, and every day Blackythe Crow watched him and shook his black head and talked to himself andtold himself that he didn't like it, and that he was sure that it wasfor no good purpose. Sometimes Blacky watched from a distance, andsometimes he flew right over the man. But never once did the man have agun with him. 

Every morning, very early, Blacky flew over there, and every morning hefound Dusky the Black Duck and his flock in the rushes and wild rice atthat particular place, and he knew that they had been there all night, He knew that they had come in there just at dusk the night before, tofeast on the yellow corn the man had scattered there in the afternoon. 

"It is no business of mine what those Ducks do, " muttered Blacky tohimself, "but as surely as my tail feathers are black, something isgoing to happen to some of them one of these days. That man may befooling them, but he isn't fooling me. Not a bit of it. He hasn't hada gun with him once when I have seen him, but just the same he is ahunter. I feel it in my bones. He knows those silly Ducks come in hereevery night for that corn he puts out. He knows that after they havebeen here a few times and nothing has frightened them, they will beso sure that it is a safe place that they will not be the least bitsuspicious. Then he will hide behind those bushes he has placed close tothe edge of the water and wait for them with his terrible gun. That iswhat he will do, or my name isn't Blacky. "

Finally Blacky decided to drop a hint to Dusky the Black Duck. So thenext morning he stopped for a call. "Good morning, " said he, as Duskyswam in just in front of him. "I hope you are feeling as fine as youlook. "

"Quack, quack, " replied Dusky. "When Blacky the Crow flatters, he hopesto gain something. What is it this time?"

"Not a thing, " replied Blacky. "On my honor, not a thing. There isnothing for me here, though there seems to be plenty for you and yourrelatives, to judge by the fact that I find you in this same place everymorning. What is it?"

"Corn, " replied Dusky in a low voice, as if afraid some one mightoverhear him. "Nice yellow corn. "

"Corn!" exclaimed Blacky, as if very much astonished. "How does cornhappen to be way over here in the water?"

Dusky shook his head. "Don't ask me, for I can't tell you, " said he. "Ihaven't the least idea. All I know is that every evening when we arrive, we find it here. How it gets here, I don't know, and furthermore I don'tcare. It is enough for me that it is here. "

"I've seen a man over here every afternoon, " said Blacky. "I thought hemight be a hunter. "

"Did he have a terrible gun?" asked Dusky suspiciously. 

"No-o, " replied Blacky. 

"Then he isn't a hunter, " declared Dusky, looking much relieved. 

"But perhaps one of these days he will have one and will wait for you tocome in for your dinner, " suggested Blacky. "He could hide behind thesebushes, you know. "

"Nonsense, " retorted Dusky, tossing his head. "There hasn't been a signof danger here since we have been here. I know you, Blacky; you arejealous because we find plenty to eat here, and you find nothing. Youare trying to scare us. But I'll tell you right now, you can't scare usaway from such splendid eating as we have had here. So there!"

CHAPTER XXI: At Last Blacky Is Sure

 Who for another conquers fear Is truly brave, it is most clear. --Blacky the Crow. 

It was late in the afternoon, and Blacky the Crow was on his way to theGreen Forest. As usual, he went around by the Big River to see if thatman was scattering corn for the Ducks. He wasn't there. No one was to beseen along the bank of the Big River. 

"He hasn't come to-day, or else he came early and has left, " thoughtBlacky. And then his sharp eyes caught sight of something that made himturn aside and make straight for a certain tree, from the top of whichhe could see all that went on for a long distance. What was it Blackysaw? It was a boat coming down the Big River. 

Blacky sat still and watched. Presently the boat turned in among therushes, and a moment later a man stepped out on the shore. It was thesame man Blacky had watched scatter corn in the rushes every day for aweek. There wasn't the least doubt about it, it was the same man. 

"Ha, ha!" exclaimed Blacky, and nearly lost his balance in hisexcitement. "Ha, ha! It is just as I thought!" You see Blacky's sharpeyes had seen that the man was carrying something, and that somethingwas a gun, a terrible gun. Blacky knows a terrible gun as far as he cansee it. 

The hunter, for of course that is what he was, tramped along the shoreuntil he reached the bushes which Blacky had noticed close to the waterand which he knew had not grown there. The hunter looked out over theBig River. Then he walked along where he had scattered corn the daybefore. Not a grain was to be seen. This seemed to please him. Then hewent back to the bushes and sat down on a log behind them, his terriblegun across his knees. 

"I was sure of it, " muttered Blacky. "He is going to wait there forthose Ducks to come in, and then something dreadful will happen. Whatterrible creatures these hunters are! They don't know what fairness is. No, Sir, they don't know what fairness is. He has put food there dayafter day, where Dusky the Black Duck and his flock would be sure tofind it, and has waited until they have become so sure there is nodanger that they are no longer suspicious. He knows they will feel sosure that all is safe that they will come in without looking for danger. Then he will fire that terrible gun and kill them without giving themany chance at all. 

"Reddy Fox is a sly, clever hunter, but he wouldn't do a thing likethat. Neither would Old Man Coyote or anybody else who wears fur orfeathers. They might hide and try to catch some one by surprise. That isall right, because each of us is supposed to be on the watch for thingsof that sort. Oh, dear, what's to be done? It is time I was getting hometo the Green Forest. The Black Shadows will soon come creeping out fromthe Purple Hills, and I must be safe in my hemlock-tree by then. I wouldbe scared to death to be out after dark. Yet those Ducks ought to bewarned. Oh, dear, what shall I do?"

Blacky peered over at the Green Forest and then over toward the PurpleHills, behind which jolly, round, red Mr. Sun would go to bed veryshortly. He shivered as he thought of the Black Shadows that soon wouldcome swiftly out from the Purple Hills across the Big River and over theGreen Meadows. With them might come Hooty the Owl, and Hooty wouldn'tobject in the least to a Crow dinner. He wished he was in thathemlock-tree that very minute. Then Blacky looked at the hunter with histerrible gun and thought of what might happen, what would be almost sureto happen, unless those Ducks were warned. "I'll wait a little whilelonger, " muttered Blacky, and tried to feel brave. But instead heshivered. 

CHAPTER XXII: Blacky Goes Home Happy

 No greater happiness is won Than through a deed for others done. --Blacky the Crow. 

Blacky sat in the top of a tree near the bank of the Big River andcouldn't make up his mind what to do. He wanted to get home to the big, thick hemlock-tree in the Green Forest before dusk, for Blacky is afraidof the dark. That is, he is afraid to be out after dark. 

"Go along home, " said a voice inside him, "there is hardly time now foryou to get there before the Black Shadows arrive. Don't waste any moretime here. What may happen to those silly Ducks is no business of yours, and there is nothing you can do, anyway. Go along home. "

"Wait a few minutes, " said another little voice down inside him. "Don'tbe a coward. You ought to warn Dusky the Black Duck and his flock that ahunter with a terrible gun is waiting for them. Is it true that it isno business of yours what happens to those Ducks? Think again, Blacky;think again. It is the duty of each one who sees a common danger to warnhis neighbors. If something dreadful should happen to Dusky becauseyou were afraid of the dark, you never would be comfortable in your ownmind. Stay a little while and keep watch. "

Not five minutes later Blacky saw something that made him, oh, so gladhe had kept watch. It was a swiftly moving black line just above thewater far down the Big River, and it was coming up. He knew what thatblack line was. He looked over at the hunter hiding behind some bushesclose to the edge of the water. The hunter was crouching with histerrible gun in his hands and was peeping over the bushes, watching thatblack line. He, too, knew what it was. It was a flock of Ducks flying. 

Blacky was all ashake again, but this time it wasn't with fear of beingcaught away from home in the dark; it was with excitement. He knew thatthose Ducks had become so eager for more of that corn, that deliciousyellow corn which every night for a week they had found scattered in therushes just in front of the place where that hunter was now hiding, thatthey couldn't wait for the coming of the Black Shadows. They were sosure there was no danger that they were coming in to eat without waitingfor the Black Shadows, as they usually did. And Blacky was glad. Perhapsnow he could give them warning. 

Up the middle of the Big River, flying just above the water, swept theflock with Dusky at its head. How swiftly they flew, those nine bigbirds! Blacky envied them their swift wings. On past the hidden hunterbut far out over the Big River they swept. For just a minute Blackythought they were going on up the river and not coming in to eat, afterall. Then they turned toward the other shore, swept around in a circleand headed straight in toward that hidden hunter. Blacky glanced at himand saw that he was ready to shoot. 

Almost without thinking, Blacky spread his wings and started out fromthat tree. "Caw, caw, caw, caw, caw!" he shrieked at the top of hislungs. "Caw, caw, caw, caw, caw!" It was his danger cry that everybodyon the Green Meadows and in the Green Forest knows. 

Instantly Dusky turned and began to climb up, up, up, the other Ducksfollowing him until, as they passed over the hidden hunter, they were sohigh it was useless for him to shoot. He did put up his gun and aim atthem, but he didn't shoot. You see, he didn't want to frighten them sothat they would not return. Then the flock turned and started off inthe direction from which they had come, and in a few minutes they weremerely a black line disappearing far down the Big River. 

Blacky headed straight for the Green Forest, chuckling as he flew. Heknew that those Ducks would not return until after dark. He had savedthem this time, and he was so happy he didn't even notice the BlackShadows. And the hunter stood up and shook his fist at Blacky the Crow. 

CHAPTER XXIII: Blacky Calls Farmer Brown's Boy

Blacky awoke in the best of spirits. Late the afternoon before he hadsaved Dusky the Black Duck and his flock from a hunter with a terriblegun. He wasn't quite sure whether he was most happy in having savedthose Ducks by warning them just in time, or in having spoiled the plansof that hunter. He hates a hunter with a terrible gun, does Blacky. Forthat matter, so do all the little people of the Green Forest and theGreen Meadows. 

So Blacky started out for his breakfast in high spirits. Afterbreakfast, he flew over to the Big River to see if Dusky the Black Duckwas feeding in the rushes along the shore. Dusky wasn't, and Blackyguessed that he and his flock had been so frightened by that warningthat they had kept away from there the night before. 

"But they'll come back after a night or so, " muttered Blacky, as healighted in the top of a tree, the same tree from which he had watchedthe hunter the afternoon before. "They'll come back, and so will thathunter. If he sees me around again, he'll try to shoot me. I've done allI can do. Anyway, Dusky ought to have sense enough to be suspicious ofthis place after that warning. Hello, who is that? I do believe it isFarmer Brown's boy. I wish he would come over here. If he should findout about that hunter, perhaps he would do something to drive him away. I'll see if I can call him over here. "

Blacky began to call in the way he does when he has discovered somethingand wants others to know about it. "Caw, caw, caaw, caaw, caw, caw, caaw!" screamed Blacky, as if greatly excited. 

Now Farmer Brown's boy, having no work to do that morning, had startedfor a tramp over the Green Meadows, hoping to see some of his littlefriends in feathers and fur. He heard the excited cawing of Blacky andat once turned in that direction. 

"That black rascal has found something over on the shore of the BigRiver, " said Farmer Brown's boy to himself. "I'll go over there tosee what it is. There isn't much escapes the sharp eyes of that blackbusybody. He has led me to a lot of interesting things, one time andanother. There he is on the top of that tree over by the Big River. "

As Farmer Brown's boy drew near, Blacky flew down and disappeared belowthe bank. Fanner Brown's boy chuckled. "Whatever it is, it is right downthere, " he muttered. 

He walked forward rapidly but quietly, and presently he reached the edgeof the bank. Up flew Blacky cawing wildly, and pretending to be scaredhalf to death. Again Farmer Brown's boy chuckled. "You're just makingbelieve, " he declared. "You're trying to make me believe that I havesurprised you, when all the time you knew I was coming and have beenwaiting for me. Now, what have you found over here?"

He looked eagerly along the shore, and at once he saw a row of lowbushes close to the edge of the water. He knew what it was instantly. "A Duck blind!" he exclaimed. "A hunter has built a blind over here fromwhich to shoot Ducks. I wonder if he has killed any yet. I hope not. " Hewent down to the blind, for that is what a Duck hunter's hiding-placeis called, and looked about. A couple of grains of corn just insidethe blind caught his eyes, and his face darkened. "That fellow has beenbaiting Ducks, " thought he. "He has been putting out corn to get them tocome here regularly. My, how I hate that sort of thing! It is bad enoughto hunt them fairly, but to feed them and then kill them--ugh! I wonderif he has shot any yet. "

He looked all about keenly, and his face cleared. He knew that if thathunter had killed any Ducks, there would be tell-tale feathers in theblind, and there were none. 

CHAPTER XXIV: Farmer Brown's Boy Does Some Thinking

Farmer Brown's boy sat on the bank of the Big River in a brown study. That means that he was thinking very hard. Blacky the Crow sat in thetop of a tall tree a short distance away and watched him. Blacky wassilent now, and there was a knowing look in his shrewd little eyes. Incalling Farmer Brown's boy over there, he had done all he could, and hewas quite satisfied to leave the matter to Farmer Brown's boy. 

"A hunter has made that blind to shoot Black Ducks from, " thought FarmerBrown's boy, "and he has been baiting them in here by scattering cornfor them. Black Ducks are about the smartest Ducks that fly, but if theyhave been coming in here every evening and finding corn and no sign ofdanger, they probably think it perfectly safe here and come straightin without being at all suspicious. To-night, or some night soon, thathunter will be waiting for them. 

"I guess the law that permits hunting Ducks is all right, but thereought to be a law against baiting them in. That isn't hunting. No, Sir, that isn't hunting. If this land were my father's, I would know what todo. I would put up a sign saying that this was private property and noshooting was allowed. But it isn't my father's land, and that hunter hasa perfect right to shoot here. He has just as much right here as I have. I wish I could stop him, but I don't see how I can. "

A frown puckered the freckled face of Farmer Brown's boy. You see, hewas thinking very hard, and when he does that he is very apt to frown. 

"I suppose, " he muttered, "I can tear down his blind. He wouldn't knowwho did it. But that wouldn't do much good; he would build another. Besides, it wouldn't be right. He has a perfect right to make a blindhere, and having made it, it is his and I haven't any right to touchit. I won't do a thing I haven't a right to do. That wouldn't be honest. I've got to think of some other way of saving those Ducks. "

The frown on his freckled face grew deeper, and for a long time he satwithout moving. Suddenly his face cleared, and he jumped to his feet. Hebegan to chuckle. "I have it!" he exclaimed. "I'll do a little shootingmyself!" Then he chuckled again and started for home. Presently he beganto whistle, a way he has when he is in good spirits. 

Blacky the Crow watched him go, and Blacky was well satisfied. He didn'tknow what Farmer Brown's boy was planning to do, but he had a feelingthat he was planning to do something, and that all would be well. Perhaps Blacky wouldn't have felt so sure could he have understood whatFarmer Brown's boy had said about doing a little shooting himself. 

As it was, Blacky flew off about his own business, quite satisfied thatnow all would be well, and he need worry no more about those Ducks. None of the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows knewFarmer Brown's boy better than did Blacky the Crow. None knew betterthan he that Farmer Brown's boy was their best friend. "It is all rightnow, " chuckled Blacky. "It is all right now. " And as the cheery whistleof Farmer Brown's boy floated back to him on the Merry Little Breezes, he repeated it: "It is all right now. "

CHAPTER XXV: Blacky Gets A Dreadful Shock

 When friends prove false, whom may we trust? The springs of faith are turned to dust. --Blacky the Crow. 

Blacky the Crow was in the top of his favorite tree over near the BigRiver early this afternoon. He didn't know what was going to happen, buthe felt in his bones that something was, and he meant to be on hand tosee. For a long time he sat there, seeing nothing unusual. At last hespied a tiny figure far away across the Green Meadows. Even at thatdistance he knew who it was; it was Farmer Brown's boy, and he wascoming toward the Big River. 

"I thought as much, " chuckled Blacky. "He is coming over here to drivethat hunter away. "

The tiny figure grew larger. It was Farmer Brown's boy beyond a doubt. Suddenly Blacky's eyes opened so wide that they looked as if they werein danger of popping out of his head. He had discovered that FarmerBrown's boy was carrying something and that that something was a gun!Yes, Sir, Farmer Brown's boy was carrying a terrible gun! If Blackycould have rubbed his eyes, he would have done so, just to make surethat there was nothing the matter with them. 

"A gun!" croaked Blacky. "Farmer Brown's boy with a terrible gun! Whatdoes it mean?"

Nearer came Farmer Brown's boy, and Blacky could see that terrible gunplainly now. Suddenly an idea popped into his head. "Perhaps he is goingto shoot that hunter!" thought Blacky, and somehow he felt better. 

Farmer Brown's boy reached the Big River at a point some distance belowthe blind built by the hunter. He laid his gun down on the bank and wentdown to the edge of the water. The rushes grew very thick there, andfor a while Farmer Brown's boy was very busy among them. Blacky fromhis high perch could watch him, and as he watched, he grew more and morepuzzled. It looked very much as if Farmer Brown's boy was building ablind much like that of the hunter's. At last he carried an old logdown there, got his gun, and sat down just as the hunter had done in hisblind the afternoon before. He was quite hidden there, excepting from aplace high up like Blacky's perch. 

"I--I--I do believe he is going to try to shoot those Ducks himself, "gasped Blacky. "I wouldn't have believed it if any one had told me. No, Sir, I wouldn't have believed it. I--I--can't believe it now. FarmerBrown's boy hunting with a terrible gun! Yet I've got to believe my owneyes. "

A noise up river caught his attention. It was the noise of oars in aboat. There was the hunter, rowing down the Big River. Just as he haddone the day before, he came ashore above his blind and walked down toit. 

"This is no place for me, " muttered Blacky. "He'll remember that Iscared those Ducks yesterday, and as likely as not he'll try to shootme. "

Blacky spread his black wings and hurriedly left the tree-top, headingfor another tree farther back on the Green Meadows where he would besafe, but from which he could not see as well. There he sat until theBlack Shadows warned him that it was high time for him to be gettingback to the Green Forest. 

He had to hurry, for it was later than usual, and he was afraid to beout after dark. Just as he reached the Green Forest he heard a faint"bang, bang" from over by the Big River, and he knew that it came fromthe place where Farmer Brown's boy was hiding in the rushes. 

"It is true, " croaked Blacky. "Farmer Brown's boy has turned hunter. "It was such a dreadful shock to Blacky that it was a long time before hecould go to sleep. 

CHAPTER XXVI: Why The Hunter Got No Ducks

The hunter who had come down the Big River in a boat and landed nearthe place where Dusky the Black Duck and his flock had found nice yellowcorn scattered in the rushes night after night saw Blacky the Crow leavethe top of a certain tree as he approached. 

"It is well for you that you didn't wait for me to get nearer, " said thehunter. "You are smart enough to know that you can't play the same trickon me twice. You frightened those Ducks away last night, but if you tryit again, you'll be shot as surely as your coat is black. "

Then the hunter went to his blind which, you know, was the hiding-placehe had made of bushes and rushes, and behind this he sat down with histerrible gun to wait and watch for Dusky the Black Duck and his flock. 

Now you remember that farther along the shore of the Big River wasFarmer Brown's boy, hiding in a blind he had made that afternoon. Thehunter couldn't see him at all. He didn't have the least idea that anyone else was anywhere near. "With that Crow out of the way, I think Iwill get some Ducks to-night, " thought the hunter and looked at his gunto make sure that it was ready. 

Over in the West, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun started to go to bed behindthe Purple Hills, and the Black Shadows came creeping out. Far downthe Big River the hunter saw a swiftly moving black line just above thewater. "Here they come, " he muttered, as he eagerly watched that blackline draw nearer. 

Twice those big black birds circled around over the Big River oppositewhere the hunter was crouching behind his blind. It was plain thatDusky, their leader, remembered Blacky's warning the night before. Butthis time there was no warning. Everything appeared safe. Once more theflock circled and then headed straight for that place where they hopedto find more corn. The hunter crouched lower. They were almost nearenough for him to shoot when "bang, bang" went a gun a short distanceaway. 

Instantly Dusky and his flock turned and on swift wings swung off andup the river. If ever there was a disappointed hunter, it was the onecrouching in that blind. "Somebody else is hunting, and he spoiledmy shot that time, " he muttered. "He must have a blind farther down. Probably some other Ducks I didn't see came in to him. I wonder if hegot them. Here's hoping that next time those Ducks come in here first. "

He once more made himself comfortable and settled down for a long wait. The Black Shadows crept out from the farther bank of the Big River. Jolly, round red Mr. Sun had gone to bed, and the first little star wastwinkling high overhead. It was very still and peaceful. From out in themiddle of the Big River sounded a low "quack"; Dusky and his flock wereswimming in this time. Presently the hunter could see a silver line onthe water, and then he made out nine black spots. In a few minutes thoseDucks would be where he could shoot them. "Bang, bang" went that gunbelow him again. With a roar of wings, Dusky and his flock were in theair and away. That hunter stood up and said things, and they were notnice things. He knew that those Ducks would not come back again thatnight, and that once more he must go home empty-handed. But first hewould find out who that other hunter was and what luck he had had, so hetramped down the shore to where that gun had seemed to be. He found theblind of Farmer Brown's boy, but there was no one there. You see, assoon as he had fired his gun the last time, Farmer Brown's boy hadslipped out and away. And as he tramped across the Green Meadows towardhome with his gun, he chuckled. "He didn't get those Ducks this time, "said Farmer Brown's boy. 

CHAPTER XXVII: The Hunter Gives Up

Blacky The Crow didn't know what to think. He couldn't make himselfbelieve that Farmer Brown's boy had really turned hunter, yet what elsecould he believe? Hadn't he with his own eyes seen Farmer Brown's boywith a terrible gun hide in rushes along the Big River and wait forDusky the Black Duck and his flock to come in? And hadn't he with hisown ears heard the "bang, bang" of that very gun?

The very first thing the next morning Blacky had hastened over to theplace where Farmer Brown's boy had hidden in the rushes. With sharp eyeshe looked for feathers, that would tell the tale of a Duck killed. Butthere were no feathers. There wasn't a thing to show that anything sodreadful had happened. Perhaps Farmer Brown's boy had missed when heshot at those Ducks. Blacky shook his head and decided to say nothing toanybody about Farmer Brown's boy and that terrible gun. 

You may be sure that early in the afternoon he was perched in the top ofhis favorite tree over by the Big River. His heart sank, just as on theafternoon before, when he saw Farmer Brown's boy with his terrible guntrudging across the Green Meadows to the Big River. Instead of going tothe same hiding place he made a new one farther down. 

Then came the hunter a little earlier than usual. Instead of stopping athis blind, he walked straight to the blind Farmer Brown's boy had firstmade. Of course, there was no one there. The hunter looked both glad anddisappointed. He went back to his own blind and sat down, and while hewatched for the coming of the Ducks, he also watched that other blind tosee if the unknown hunter of the night before would appear. Of coursehe didn't, and when at last the hunter saw the Ducks coming, he was surethat this time he would get some of them. 

But the same thing happened as on the night before. Just as those Duckswere almost near enough, a gun went "bang, bang, " and away went theDucks. They didn't come back again, and once more a disappointed hunterwent home without any. 

The next afternoon he was on hand very early. He was there before FarmerBrown's boy arrived, and when he did come, of course the hunter saw him. He walked down to where Farmer Brown's boy was hiding in the rushes. "Hello!" said he. "Are you the one who was shooting here last night andthe night before?"

Farmer Brown's boy grinned. "Yes, " said he. 

"What luck did you have?" asked the hunter. 

"Fine, " replied Farmer Brown's boy. 

"How many Ducks did you get?" asked the hunter. 

Farmer Brown's boy grinned more broadly than before. "None, " said he. "Iguess I'm not a very good shot. "

"Then what did you mean by saying you had fine luck?" demanded thehunter. 

"Oh, " replied Farmer Brown's boy, "I had the luck to see those Ducks andthe fun of shooting, " and he grinned again. 

The hunter lost patience. He tried to order Farmer Brown's boy away. Butthe latter said he had as much right there as the hunter had, and thehunter knew that this was so. Finally he gave up, and mutteringangrily, he went back to his blind. Again the gun of Farmer Brown's boyfrightened away the Ducks just as they were coming in. 

The next afternoon there was no hunter nor the next, though FarmerBrown's boy was there. The hunter had decided that it was a waste oftime to hunt there while Farmer Brown's boy was about. 

CHAPTER XXVIII: Blacky Has A Talk With Dusky The Black Duck

 Doubt not a friend, but to the last Grip hard on faith and hold it fast. --Blacky the Crow. 

Every morning Blacky the Crow visited the rushes along the shore ofthe Big River, hoping to find Dusky the Black Duck. He was anxious, wasBlacky. He feared that Dusky or some of his flock had been killed, andhe wanted to know. You see, he knew that Farmer Brown's boy had beenshooting over there. At last, early one morning, he found Dusky and hisflock in the rushes and wild rice. Eagerly he counted them. There werenine. Not one was missing. Blacky sighed with relief and dropped down onthe shore close to where Dusky was taking a nap. 

"Hello!" said Blacky. 

Dusky awoke with a start. "Hello, yourself, " said he. 

"I've heard a terrible gun banging over here, and I was afraid you orsome of your flock had been shot, " said Blacky. 

"We haven't lost a feather, " declared Dusky. "That gun wasn't fired atus, anyway. "

"Then who was it fired at?" demanded Blacky. 

"I haven't the least idea, " replied Dusky. 

"Have you seen any other Ducks about here?" inquired Blacky. 

"Not one, " was Dusky's prompt reply. "If there had been any, I guess wewould have known it. "

"Did you know that when that terrible gun was fired there was anotherterrible gun right over behind those bushes?" asked Blacky. 

Dusky shook his head. "No, " said he, "but I learned long ago that wherethere is one terrible gun there is likely to be more, and so when Iheard that one bang, I led my flock away from here in a hurry. We didn'twant to take any chances. "

"It is a lucky thing you did, " replied Blacky. "There was a hunterhiding behind those bushes all the time. I warned you of him once. "

"That reminds me that I haven't thanked you, " said Dusky. "I knew therewas something wrong over here, but I didn't know what. So it was ahunter. I guess it is a good thing that I heeded your warn-ing. "

"I guess it is, " retorted Blacky dryly. "Do you come here in daytimeinstead of night now?"

"No, " replied Dusky. "We come in after dark and spend the night here. There is nothing to fear from hunters after dark. We've given up cominghere until late in the evening. And since we did that, we haven't hearda gun. "

Blacky gossiped a while longer, then flew off to look for his breakfast;and as he flew his heart was light. His shrewd little eyes twinkled. 

"I ought to have known Farmer Brown's boy better than even to suspecthim, " thought he. "I know now why he had that terrible gun. It was tofrighten those Ducks away so that the hunter would not have a chance toshoot them. He wasn't shooting at anything. He just fired in the air toscare those Ducks away. I know it just as well as if I had seen him doit. I'll never doubt Farmer Brown's boy again. And I'm glad I didn't saya word to anybody about seeing him with a terrible gun. "

Blacky was right. Farmer Brown's boy had taken that way of makingsure that the hunter who had first baited those Ducks with yellow cornscattered in the rushes in front of his hiding place should have nochance to kill any of them. While appearing to be an enemy, he reallyhad been a friend of Dusky the Black Duck and his flock. 

CHAPTER XXIX: Blacky Discovers An Egg

Blacky is fond of eggs, as you know. In this he is a great deal likeother people, Farmer Brown's boy for instance. But as Blacky cannot keephens, as Farmer Brown's boy does, he is obliged to steal eggs or elsego without. If you come right down to plain, everyday truth, I supposeBlacky isn't so far wrong when he insists that he is no more of a thiefthan Farmer Brown's boy. Blacky says that the eggs which the bens laybelong to the hens, and that he, Blacky has just as much right to takethem as Farmer Brown's boy. He quite overlooks the fact that FarmerBrown's boy feeds the biddies and takes the eggs as pay. Anyway, thatis what Farmer Brown's boy says, but I do not know whether or not thebiddies understand it that way. 

So Blacky the Crow cannot see why he should not help himself to an eggwhen he gets the chance. He doesn't get the chance very often to stealeggs from the hens, because usually they lay their eggs in the henhouse, and Blacky is too suspicious to venture inside. The eggs he does get aremostly those of his neighbors in the Green Forest and the Old Orchard. But once in a great while some foolish hen will make a nest outside thehenhouse somewhere, and if Blacky happens to find it the black scampwatches every minute he can spare from other mischief for a chance tosteal an egg. 

Now Blacky knows just what a rogue Farmer Brown's boy thinks he is, andfor this reason Blacky is very careful about approaching Farmer Brown orany other man until he has made sure that he runs no risk of being shot. Blacky knows quite as well as any one what a gun looks like. He alsoknows that without a terrible gun, there is little Farmer Brown or anyone else can do to him. So when he sees Farmer Brown out in his fields, Blacky often will fly right over him and shout "Caw, caw, caw, ca-a-w!"in the most provoking way, and Fanner Brown's boy insists that he hasseen Blacky wink when he was doing it. 

But Blacky doesn't do anything of this kind around the buildings ofFarmer Brown. You see, he has learned that there are doors and windowsin buildings, and out of one of these a terrible gun may bang at anytime. Though he has suspected that Farmer Brown's boy would not now tryto harm him, Blacky is naturally cautious and takes no chances. So whenhe comes spying around Farmer Brown's house and barn, he does it whenhe is quite sure that no one is about, and he makes no noise about it. First he sits in a tall tree from which he can watch Farmer Brown'shome. When he is quite sure that the way is clear, he flies over to theOld Orchard, and from there he inspects the barnyard, never once makinga sound. If he is quite sure that no one is about, he sometimes dropsdown into the henyard and helps himself to corn, if any happens to bethere. It was on one of these silent visits that Blacky spied somethingwhich he couldn't forget. It was a box just inside the henhouse door. In the box was some hay and in that hay he was sure that he had seen anegg. In fact, he was sure that he saw two eggs there. He might not havenoticed them but for the fact that a hen had jumped down from that box, making a terrible fuss. She didn't seem frightened, but very proud. Whatunder the sun she had to be proud about Blacky couldn't understand, buthe didn't stay to find out. The noise she was making made him nervous. He was afraid that it would bring some one to find out what was goingon. So he spread his black wings and flew away as silently as he hadcome. 

As he was flying away he saw those eggs. You see, as he rose into theair, he managed to pass that open door in such a way that he couldglance in. That one glance was enough. You know Blacky's eyes are verysharp. He saw the hay in the box and the two eggs in the hay, and thatwas enough for him. From that instant Blacky the Crow began to schemeand plan to get one or both of those eggs. It seemed to him that henever, never, had wanted anything quite so much, and he was sure that hewould not and could not be happy until he succeeded in getting one. 

CHAPTER XXX: Blacky Screws Up His Courage

If out of sight, then out of mind. This is a saying which you oftenhear. It may be true sometimes, but it is very far from true at othertimes. Take the case of Blacky. He had had only a glance into that nestjust inside the door of Farmer Brown's henhouse, but that glance hadbeen enough to show him two eggs there. Then, as he flew away toward theGreen Forest, those eggs were out of sight, of course. But do you thinkthey were out of mind? Not much! No, indeed! In fact, those eggs werevery much in Blacky's mind. He couldn't think of anything else. Heflew straight to a certain tall pine-tree in a lonely part of the GreenForest. Whenever Blacky wants to think or to plan mischief, he seeksthat particular tree, and in the shelter of its broad branches he keepsout of sight of curious eyes, and there he sits as still as still canbe. 

"I want one of those eggs, " muttered Blacky, as he settled himself incomfort on a certain particular spot on a certain particular branch ofthat tall pine-tree. Indeed, that particular branch might well be calledthe "mischief branch, " for on it Blacky has thought out and planned mostof the mischief he is so famous for. "Yes, sir, " he continued, "I wantone of those eggs, and what is more, I am going to have one. "

He half closed his eyes and tipped his head back and swallowed a coupleof times, as if he already tasted one of those eggs. 

"There is more in one of those eggs than in a whole nestful of WelcomeRobin's eggs. It is a very long time since I have been lucky enoughto taste a hen's egg, and now is my chance. I don't like having to goinside that henhouse, even though it is barely inside the door. I'msuspicious of doors. They have a way of closing most unexpectedly. I might see if I cannot get Unc' Billy Possum to bring one of those eggsout for me. But that plan won't do, come to think of it, because I can'ttrust Unc' Billy. The old sinner is too fond of eggs himself. I would bewilling to divide with him, but he would be sure to eat his first, andI fear that it would taste so good that he would eat the other. No. I'vegot to get one of those eggs myself. It is the only way I can be sure ofit. 

"The thing to do is to make sure that Farmer Brown's boy and FarmerBrown himself are nowhere about. They ought to be down in the cornfieldpretty soon. With them down there, I have only to watch my chance andslip in. It won't take but a second. Just a little courage, Blacky, justa little courage! Nothing in this world worth having is gained withoutsome risk. The thing to do is to make sure that the risk is as small aspossible. "

Blacky shook out his feathers and then flew out of the tall pine-treeas silently as he had flown into it. He headed straight toward FarmerBrown's cornfield. When he was near enough to see all over the field, hedropped down to the top of a fence post, and there he waited. He didn'thave long to wait. In fact, he had been there but a few minuteswhen he spied two people coming down the Long Lane toward the cornfield. He looked at them sharply, and then gave a little sigh of satisfaction. They were Farmer Brown and Farmer Brown's boy. Presently they reachedthe cornfield and turned into it. Then they went to work, and Blackyknew that so far as they were concerned, the way was clear for him tovisit the henyard. 

He didn't fly straight there. Oh, my, no! Blacky is too clever to doanything like that. He flew toward the Green Forest. When he knew thathe was out of sight of those in the cornfield, he turned and flew overto the Old Orchard, and from the top of one of the old apple-trees hestudied the henyard and the barnyard and Farmer Brown's house and thebarn, to make absolutely sure that there was no danger near. When he wasquite sure, he silently flew down into the henyard as he had done manytimes before. He pretended to be looking for scattered grains of corn, but all the time he was edging nearer and nearer to the open door ofthe henhouse. At last he could see the box with the hay in it. He walkedright up to the open door and peered inside. There was nothing to beafraid of that he could see. Still he hesitated. He did hate to goinside that door, even for a minute, and that is all it would take tofly up to that nest and get one of those eggs. 

Blacky closed his eyes for just a second, and when he did that he seemedto see himself eating one of those eggs. "What are you afraid of?" hemuttered to himself as he opened his eyes. Then with a hurried look inall directions, he flew up to the edge of the box. There lay the twoeggs!

CHAPTER XXXI: An Egg That Wouldn't Behave

 If you had an egg and it wouldn't behave Just what would you do with that egg, may I ask? To make an egg do what it don't want to do Strikes me like a difficult sort of a task. 

All of which is pure nonsense. Of course. Who ever heard of an eggeither behaving or misbehaving? Nobody. That is, nobody that I know, unless it be Blacky. It is best not to mention eggs in Blacky's presencethese days. They are a forbidden topic when he is about. Blacky is aptto be a little resentful at the mere mention of an egg. I don't know asI wholly blame him. How would you feel if you knew you knew all therewas to know about a thing, and then found out that you didn't knowanything at all? Well, that is the way it is with Blacky the Crow. 

If any one had told Blacky that he didn't know all there is to knowabout eggs, he would have laughed at the idea. Wasn't he, Blacky, hatched from an egg himself? And hadn't he, ever since he was bigenough, hunted eggs and stolen eggs and eaten eggs? If he didn't knowabout eggs, who did? That is the way he would have talked before hisvisit to Farmer Brown's henhouse. It is since then that it has beenunwise to mention eggs. 

When Blacky saw the two eggs in the nest in Farmer Brown's henhouse howBlacky did wish that he could take both. But he couldn't. One would beall that he could manage. He must take his choice and go away while thegoing was good. Which should he take?

It often happens in this life that things which seem to be unimportant, mere trifles in themselves, prove to be just the opposite. Now, so faras Blacky could see, it didn't make the least difference which egg hetook, excepting that one was a little bigger than the other. As a matterof fact, it made all the difference in the world. One was brown and verygood to look at. The other, the larger of the two, was white and alsovery good to look at. In fact, Blacky thought it the better of thetwo to look at, for it was very smooth and shiny. So, partly on thisaccount, and partly because it was the largest, Blacky chose the whiteegg. He seized it in his claws and started to fly with it, but somehowhe could not seem to get a good grip on it. He fluttered to the groundjust outside the door, and there he got a better grip. Just as oldDandy-cock the Rooster, with head down and all the feathers on his neckstanding out with anger, came charging at him, Blacky rose into the airand started over the Old Orchard toward the Green Forest. 

Never had Blacky felt more like cawing at the top of his lungs. You see, he felt that he had been very smart, and I suspect that he also feltthat he had been very brave. He would have liked to boast a little. Buthe didn't. He wisely held his tongue. It would be time enough to do hisboasting after he had reached a place of safety and had eaten that egg. He was halfway across the Old Orchard when he felt that egg beginning toslip. Now at best it isn't easy to carry an egg without breaking it. Youknow how very careful you have to be. Just imagine how Blacky felt whenthat egg began to slip. Do what he would, he couldn't get a bettergrip on it. It slipped a wee bit more. Blacky started down towards theground. But he wasn't quick enough. Striped Chipmunk, watching Blackyfrom the old stone wall, saw something white drop from Blacky's claws. He saw Blacky dash after it and clutch at it only to miss it. Then thewhite thing struck a branch of an old apple tree, bounced off and fellto the ground. Blacky followed it. 

Striped Chipmunk stole very softly through the grass to see what Blackywas doing. Blacky was standing close beside a white thing thatlooked very much like an egg. He was looking at it with the queerestexpression. 

Now and then he would reach out and rap it sharply with his bill, andthen look as if he didn't know what to make of it. He didn't. That eggwasn't behaving right. It should have broken when it hit the branch ofthe apple tree. Certainly it should have broken when he struck it thatway with his bill. However was he to eat that egg, if he couldn't breakthe shell? Blacky didn't know. 

CHAPTER XXXII: What Blacky Did With The Stolen Egg

Blacky was puzzled. He didn't know what to make of that egg he hadstolen from Farmer Brown's henhouse. It wasn't like any egg he ever hadseen or even heard of. It was a beautiful-looking egg, and he had beensure that it would taste as good, quite as good as it looked. Even nowhe wasn't sure that if he could only taste it, it would be all that hehad hoped. But how could he taste it, when he couldn't break that shell?He never had heard of such a shell. He doubted if anybody else ever had, either. He had hammered at it with his stout bill until he was afraidthat he would break that, instead of the egg. The more he tried to breakinto it and couldn't, the hungrier he grew, and the more certain thatnothing else in all the world could possibly taste so good. But theOld Orchard was not the place for him to work on that egg. In the firstplace, it was too near Farmer Brown's house. This made Blacky uneasy. You see, he had something of a guilty conscience. Not that he felt atall a sense of having done wrong. To his way of thinking, if he weresmart enough to get that egg, he had just as much right to it as any oneelse, particularly Farmer Brown's boy. Yet he wasn't at all sure thatFarmer Brown's boy would look at the matter quite that way. In fact, he had a feeling that Farmer Brown's boy would call him a thief if heshould be discovered with that egg. Then, too, there were too many sharpeyes in the Old Orchard. He wanted to get away where he could be sure ofbeing alone. Then if he couldn't break that shell, no one would bethe wiser. So he picked up the egg and flew straight over to the GreenForest, and this time he managed to get there without dropping it. 

Now you would never suspect Blacky the Crow, he of the sharp wits andcrafty ways, of being amused by bright things, would you? But he is. Infact, Blacky is quite like a little child in this matter. Anything thatis bright and shiny interests Blacky right away. If he finds anything ofthis kind, he will take it away to a certain secret place, and there hewill admire it and play with it and finally hide it. If I didn't knowthat it isn't so, because it couldn't possibly be so, I should thinkthat Blacky was some relation to certain small boys I know. Always theirpockets are filled with all sorts of useless odds and ends which theyhave picked up here and there. Blacky has no pockets, so he keeps histreasures of this kind in a secret hiding-place, a sort of treasurestorehouse. He visits this secretly every day, uncovers his treasures, and gloats over them and plays with them, then carefully covers them upagain. First Blacky took this egg over near his home, and there heonce more tried and tried and tried to break the shell. But the shellwouldn't break, not even when Blacky quite lost his temper and hammeredat it for all he was worth. Then he gave the thing up as a bad matterand flew up to his favorite roost in the top of a tall pine-tree, leaving the egg on the ground. But from where he sat on his favoriteroost in the tall pine-tree he could see that provoking egg, a littlespot of shining white. When a Jolly Little Sunbeam found it and restedon it, it was so very bright and shiny that Blacky couldn't keep hiseyes off it. 

Little by little he forgot that it was an egg. At least, he forgot thathe wanted to eat it. He began to find pleasure in just looking at it. Itmight not satisfy his stomach, but it certainly was very satisfying tohis eyes. He forgot to think of it as a thing to eat, but began to thinkof it wholly as a thing to look at and admire. He was glad he hadn'tbeen able to break that shell. 

Once more he spread his black wings and flew down to the egg. He cockedhis head to one side and looked at it. He cocked his head to the otherside and looked at it. He walked all around it, chuckling and saying tohimself, "Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty and all mine, mine, mine, mine!Pretty, pretty, and all mine!"

Than he craftily looked all about to make sure that no one was watchinghim. Having made quite sure, he rolled the egg over and turned it aroundand admired it to his heart's content. At last he picked it up andcarried it to his treasure-house and covered it over very carefully. Andthere that china nest-egg, for that is what he had stolen, is still hischief treasure to this day, and Blacky still sometimes wonders what kindof a hen laid such a hard-shelled egg. 

Blacky has had very many other adventures, but it would take anotherbook to tell about all of them. That would be hardly fair to some of theother little people who also have had adventures and want them told toyou. One of these is a beautiful little fellow who lives in the GreenForest, and so the next book will be Whitefoot the Wood Mouse.