him. He lives on other people, and so far as I know he does no good
in the world. He is big and fierce, and no one loves him. The Green
Forest would be better off without him. If those eggs hatch, there
will be little Owls to be fed, and they will grow up into big fierce
Owls, like their father and mother. So if I show Farmer Brown's boy
that nest and he takes those eggs, I will be doing a kindness to my
neighbors."

So Blacky talked to himself and tried to hush the still, small voice
down inside that tried to tell him that what he was planning to do
was really a dreadful thing. And all the time he watched for Farmer
Brown's boy.



CHAPTER X: Farmer Brown's Boy And Hooty

Farmer Brown's boy had taken it into his head to visit the Green
Forest. It was partly because he hadn't anything else to do, and it
was partly because now that it was very near the end of winter he
wanted to see how things were there and if there were any signs of
the coming of spring. Blacky the Crow saw him coming, and Blacky
chuckled to himself. He had watched every day for a week for just
this thing. Now he would tell Farmer Brown's boy about that nest of
Hooty the Owl.

He flew over to the lonesome corner of the Green Forest where Hooty
and Mrs. Hooty had made their home and at once began to caw at the
top of his voice and pretend that he was terribly excited over
something.