The mistress of the house wondered, of course,
where the hen was keeping herself such a long time. She searched for
her, but did not find her. Can you guess, Longbill, who it was that
found her and the eggs?"
"I think I can guess it, Wind-Rush, but when you have told about this, I
will tell you something like it. Do you remember the big, black cat in
Hinneryd's parish house? She was dissatisfied because they always took
the new-born kittens from her, and drowned them. Just once did she
succeed in keeping them concealed, and that was when she had laid them
in a haystack, out doors. She was pretty well pleased with those young
kittens, but I believe that I got more pleasure out of them than she
did."
Now they became so excited that they all talked at once. "What kind of
an accomplishment is that--to steal little kittens?" said one. "I once
chased a young hare who was almost full-grown. That meant to follow him
from covert to covert." He got no further before another took the words
from him. "It may be fun, perhaps, to annoy hens and cats, but I find it
still more remarkable that a crow can worry a human being. I once stole
a silver spoon--"
But now the boy thought he was too good to sit and listen to such
gabble. "Now listen to me, you crows!" said he. "I think you ought to
be ashamed of yourselves to talk about all your wickedness.
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