[Illustration: Mr. Crow Called Down the Chimney]

Now, all this time the water had been rising slowly. But that was no
more than everyone expected, since it was raining so hard. But when
the second night came, the water began to rise very fast. It rose so
quickly that several families found their bedroom floors under water
almost before they knew it.

Then old Grandaddy Beaver went through the village and stopped at
every door.

"What do you think about it now?" he asked. "Is it a freshet or isn't
it?"

In the houses where the water had climbed above the bedroom floors the
people all agreed that it was a freshet and that Grandaddy Beaver had
been right all the time. But there were still plenty of people who
thought the old gentleman was mistaken.

"The water won't come any higher," they said. "It never has, at this
time of year." But they looked a bit worried, in spite of what they
said.

"It's a-going to be the worst freshet that's happened since you were
born," their caller croaked. "You mark my words!"

When he came to Brownie Beaver's house Grandaddy found that there was
one person, at least, that had taken his advice.