Blacky is a schemer!

His voice is strong;

When things go wrong

Blacky is a screamer!

It's a fact. Blacky the Crow is forever dreaming and scheming and almost always it is of mischief¹. He is one of the smartest and cleverest of all the little people of the Green Meadows and the Green Forest, and all the others know it. Blacky likes excitement. He wants something going on. The more exciting it is, the better he likes it. Then he has a chance to use that harsh voice of his, and how he does use it!

 

[Pg 54]

 

So now, as he sat in the top of the Big Hickory-tree beside the Smiling Pool and looked down on all the little people gathered there, he was very happy. In the first place he felt very important, and you know Blacky dearly loves to feel important. They had all come at his invitation to listen to a plan for seeing for themselves if it were really true that Farmer Brown's boy was afraid of Buster Bear.

 

On the Big Rock in the Smiling Pool sat Little Joe Otter², Billy Mink³, and Jerry Muskrat⁴. On his big, green lily-pad sat Grandfather Frog. On another lily-pad sat Spotty the Turtle. On the bank on one side of the Smiling Pool were Peter Rabbit, Jumper the Hare, Danny Meadow Mouse, Johnny Chuck, Jimmy Skunk⁵, Unc' Billy Possum, Striped Chipmunk⁶ and Old Mr. Toad⁷. On the other side of the Smil[Pg 55]ing Pool were Reddy Fox, Digger the Badger⁸, and Bobby Coon. In the Big Hickory-tree were Chatterer the Red Squirrel, Happy Jack⁹ the Gray Squirrel, and Sammy Jay.

 

Blacky waited until he was sure that no one else was coming. Then he cleared his throat very loudly and began to speak. "Friends," said he.

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