"What is your business, if I may ask?" Mr. Crow inquired of Major
Monkey.

"Lately I've been spending my time travelling," the Major replied.
"But you know I'm a soldier. And while I'm in Pleasant Valley I intend
to form an army."

Old Mr. Crow looked somewhat worried when he heard that.

"I hope you aren't going to guard the cornfield!" he said hastily.

Major Monkey set his fears at rest.

"We'll let Farmer Green do that," he said with a wink. "This is what
we'll do: we'll band ourselves together and we'll fight any strangers
that come to Pleasant Valley to live."

"That's not a bad plan," Mr. Crow remarked. "But it's lucky for you
that you didn't form the army before you got here yourself--else we'd
have had to fight _you_."

"Of course!" Major Monkey agreed. "But trust me not to make such a
mistake as that."

"Who's going to be in the army?" Mr. Crow wanted to know.

"Everybody!" the Major answered, with a wave of the hand that took in
the whole valley.