Mr. Crow spent a very busy day inviting everybody to his party, to
meet his old friend, Major Monkey.

"He's a famous soldier," Mr. Crow explained, when people asked him
questions. "And I hope you'll all wear your best clothes, because the
Major himself is very handsomely dressed. There's gold braid on his
coat, and on his cap, too."

The old gentleman talked so much about the Major's uniform that a good
many of the neighbors thought that Mr. Crow ought to postpone his
party for a few days, until they could get Mr. Frog, the tailor, to
make them some new clothes.

But Mr. Crow wouldn't listen to them.

"No!" he said. "We mustn't wait. My friend the Major is a great
traveller. There's no knowing when he will take it into his head to
move on. And if you want to meet him there's no time like the
present."

Well, people were so busy getting ready for the party that there was a
great flurry everywhere all day long--except at the haystack, where
Major Monkey was hiding. And even he did not have so dull a time as
you might suppose.

Luckily, he had discovered a lone apple tree near-by. And being fond
of fruit he crept out of the haystack every few minutes and gathered
apples.

What he could eat, he ate greedily. And what he couldn't he hid under