Mr. Crow has a very solemn look—unless
you regard him closely. But it is a very sly,
knowing look, if you take pains to stare boldly into
his eyes. Like many human beings, he is fond
of clothes, and he particularly likes gay ones, but
perhaps that is because he is so black himself.
Anyhow, so long as he can wear a bright red coat and
a yellow necktie—or a bright red necktie
and a yellow coat—he is generally quite
happy. One fall Mr. Crow decides to stay in Pleasant
Valley during the winter, instead of going South,
and he remembers all at once that he will need some
warm clothing. Now, Mr. Frog, the tailor, and
Jimmy Rabbit, the shoemaker, know just how to talk
to Mr. Crow to sell their merchandise, playing upon
his vanity to buy the latest, and even to “set
the styles,” but they have to be pretty keen
and sly to get the best of Mr. Crow in the end.
Mr. Crow has his good points as well as his bad ones,
and he helps Farmer Green a lot more than he injures
him it is said. Nevertheless, Farmer Green does
not figure that way,—and in justice to
old “Jim Crow,” you should read of his
adventures for yourself.
THE TALE OF SOLOMON OWL
All the folks down in Pleasant Valley know Solomon
Owl. Well, it’s this way. If you hear
Solomon Owl on a dark night when his “Wha-Wha!
Whoo-ah!” sends a chill ’way up your spine,
and if you see him you can never forget him, either.
He has great, big, staring eyes that make you feel
queer when you look at his pale face. No, sir,
little folks like Mr. Frog, the tailor, certainly
don’t like to have any visits from Solomon Owl
when Solomon has a fine appetite. To be sure,
Farmer Green isn’t happy when Solomon steals
some of his fine chickens, and neither are the chickens
for that matter. But Solomon doesn’t have
all the fun on some one else. Oh no! Reddy
Woodpecker knows how to tease him by tapping with
his bill on Solomon’s wooden house in the daytime,
when every owl likes to sleep and dream of all the
nice frogs and fat chickens they are going to feast
on the next night, and then, out comes Solomon all
blinking with his big, black eyes. But this wise
owl, who really isn’t as wise as he looks, you
know, finds a good way to fool Reddy and the rest
of the folks who like to annoy him, and lives his own
happy life.
THE TALE OF JASPER JAY
Jasper Jay really is a good sort of a fellow even
though he does make a dreadful racket when he is around;
but that is his way of talking. He just likes
to tease for the fun of teasing and so naturally he
gets into lots of scraps and seems bound to get into
more. Of course, lots of folks in Pleasant Valley
don’t like him because he plays tricks and pranks
on them and makes them feel all ruffled up. Why,
he even thinks he can spoil the Singing Society, but
do you know, the Society fools Jasper himself.
And that time Jimmy Rabbit teaches Jasper Jay some
manners down by the cedar tree—the poor
jay stays there until his feet are frozen in the water
before he finds out—well—you
may discover for yourself what happens next.
