Blacky the Crow

  Produced by Kent Fielden

  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 s
hould 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.