least idea, although he had guessed the instant he discovered those
extra feathers.

"It means we are going to have a long, hard, cold winter, and Old
Mother Nature is preparing us for it," replied Danny, quite as if
he knew all about it. "You'll find that everybody who doesn't go
south or sleep all winter has a thicker coat than usual. Hello!
There is old Roughleg the Hawk! He has come extra early this year. I
think I'll go back to warn Nanny." Without another word Danny
disappeared in the brown grass. Again Blacky chuckled. "More signs,"
said he to himself. "More signs. There isn't a doubt that we are
going to have a hard winter. I wonder if I can stand it or if I'd
better go a little way south, where it will be warmer."



CHAPTER XVII: Blacky Watches A Queer Performance

This much to me is very clear:
A thing not understood is queer.
- Blacky the Crow.

Blacky the Crow may be right. Again he may not be. If he is right,
it will account for a lot of the queer people in the world. They are
not understood, and so they are queer. At least, that is what other
people say, and never once think that perhaps they are the queer
ones for not understanding.

But Blacky isn't like those people who are satisfied not to
understand and to think other people and things queer. He does his