you are--afraid of an old Owl!"

Major Monkey straightened his cap and looked as soldierly as he could.

"You're mistaken, in a way," he told Mr. Crow. "I admit I was afraid.
I was _afraid I had frightened him_, waking him up so suddenly. So I
retreated."

Old Mr. Crow stopped laughing and looked very thoughtful. It occurred
to him that Major Monkey was a somewhat slippery person. Certainly he
could slip out of a hole about as easily as anybody Mr. Crow knew.

"You'll have to find some other place for me to hide," the Major
announced. "I don't want to stay in this tree all day, for I shouldn't
like to disturb a gentleman's rest."

Mr. Crow pondered for a few moments.

"You see that old haystack?" he said at last, pointing across the
fields. "Go and burrow under that. And be back here exactly an hour
before sunset."

Major Monkey saluted.

"That suits me," he said. And then he turned and scurried down to the
ground, leaped quickly upon the fence, and galloped off along the
topmost rails.

* * * * *