"Goodness me! Don't you know what _impish_ is?" exclaimed Uncle Andy.
He thought a moment, and then, finding it a little difficult to
explain, he added with convenient severity:

"If you will listen, you'll find out, perhaps."

"Well, the two grew so fast that, before their parents realized at all
what precocious youngsters they were, they had climbed out upon the
edge of the nest and begun to stretch their fine wings. With hoarse
expostulations their father tried to persuade them back. But their
mother, who was not so conservative, chuckled her approval and flew off
to hunt young mice for them. Thus encouraged, they ignored their
father's prudent counsels, and hopped out, with elated squawks, upon
the branch. Whereupon the father, somewhat huffed, flew up to the very
topmost branch of the tree and perched there, swaying in the breeze,
and trying to forget his family cares. From this high post of
observation he presently caught sight of an eagle, winging his way up
from the swamp at the lower end of the valley. With a sharp signal cry
for volunteers, he dashed off in pursuit. He was joined by two other
crows who happened to be at leisure; and the three, quickly overtaking
the majestic voyager, began to load him with impertinence and abuse.
With their comparatively short but very broad wings the crows could
dodge so nimbly in the air that if was quite impossible for their great
enemy to catch them. He made no attempt to do so. Indignantly he
changed the direction of his flight, and began to soar, climbing
gradually into the blue in splendid, sweeping circles; while the crows,
croaking mockery and triumph, kept flapping above him and below,
darting at his eyes, and dashing with open beaks at the shining
whiteness of his crown. They dared not come near enough to actually
touch him, but they succeeded in making themselves most unpleasant.