going back to the Far North. The idea of any one laying an egg at
this time of year! Blacky flew over to a tall pine-tree to think it
over.

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

So he flew away, but he couldn't forget it. He kept thinking of it
all day, and when he went to sleep that night he made up his mind to
have another 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
time to hear the last part of what Blacky the Crow was mumbling to
himself.