XIV

Throwing Stones


Major Monkey never stopped running until he had gone so far that the
voices of the picnickers reached him only faintly.

Old Mr. Crow, who had followed him closely, began to think that the
Major was frightened. But he knew he must be mistaken when Major
Monkey came to a halt and said: "Now we can talk without disturbing
anybody."

So Mr. Crow repeated that in his opinion the Major had insulted him.

"You've just the same as said that I'm a poor soldier!" he declared.

Major Monkey told him that it was not so.

"It's the _generals_ that I can't trust," he explained. "But you are
different. You're the cook, you remember. In the midst of a fight, you
wouldn't be expected to cook."

"Then my part would be to do nothing at all?" Mr. Crow inquired.

"Exactly!" Major Monkey cried. "And I've no doubt that you'd be a
great success."

Old Mr. Crow always liked praise. And of course the Major's remark