"Then--" Sandy said--"then how do I know that you mean what you say when
you tell me you want corn to eat?"

And Mr. Crow could find no answer to that. He was disappointed, too. For
he was afraid he would have to go south to spend the winter, after all.




XI

THE MAIL-BOX


Climbing an oak at the cross-roads one day, not far from Farmer Green's
house, Sandy Chipmunk discovered a queer box nailed to the trunk of the
tree. Much as he wanted to, he couldn't look inside the box, because its
lid was closed. And since Sandy was afraid the box might be some sort of
trap, he didn't dare go near it and poke at the lid.

Later that day Sandy told Frisky Squirrel about the strange box. And
Frisky told Fatty Coon. And Fatty Coon told somebody else.

So the news traveled, until at last it reached the sharp ears of old Mr.
Crow.

By the time Mr. Crow heard the story it had grown amazingly. And it went
something like this: Farmer Green had bought a new trap in the village.
And he had nailed it on a tree to catch all sorts of animals and birds.
And after he had caught all the forest-folk in Pleasant Valley he