“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 the world. He is big and fierce, and no one
loves him. The Green Forest would be better
off without him. If those eggs hatch, there
will be little Owls to be fed, and they will grow up
into big fierce Owls, like their father and mother.
So if I show Farmer Brown’s boy that nest and
he takes those eggs, I will be doing a kindness to
my neighbors.”
So Blacky talked to himself and tried to hush the
still, small voice down inside that tried to tell
him that what he was planning to do was really a dreadful
thing. And all the time he watched for Farmer
Brown’s boy.
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 partly
because now that it was very near the end of winter
he wanted to see how things 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 had watched every day for a week for just this
thing. Now he would tell Farmer Brown’s
boy about that nest of Hooty the Owl.
He flew over to the lonesome corner of the Green Forest
where Hooty and Mrs. Hooty had made their home and
at once began to caw at the top of his voice and pretend
that he was terribly excited over something.
“Caw, caw, caw, caw, caw!” shouted Blacky.
At once all his relatives within hearing hurried
over to join him. They knew that he was tormenting
Hooty, and they wanted to join in the fun. It
wasn’t long before there was a great racket
going on over in that lonesome corner of the Green
Forest.
Of course Farmer Brown’s boy heard it.
He stopped and listened. “Now I wonder
what Blacky and his friends have found this time, "
said he. “Whenever they make a fuss like
that, there is usually something to see there.
I believe I’ll so over and have a look.”
So he turned in the direction of the lonesome corner
of the Green Forest, and as he drew near, he moved
very carefully, so as to see all that he could without
frightening the Crows. He knew that as soon
as they saw him, they would fly away, and that might
alarm the one they were tormenting, for he knew enough
of Crow ways to know that when they were making such
a noise as they were now making, they were plaguing
some one.
Blacky was the first to see him because he was watching
for him. But he didn’t say anything until
Farmer Brown’s boy was so near that he couldn’t
help but see that nest and Hooty himself, sitting up
very straight and snapping his bill angrily at his
tormentors. Then Blacky gave the alarm, and
at once all the Crows rose in the air and headed for
the Green Meadows, cawing at the top of their lungs.
Blacky went with them a little way. The first
chance he got he dropped out of the flock and silently
flew back to a place where he could see all that might
happen at the nest of Hooty the Owl.
