XII
WHY BLACKY THE CROW WEARS MOURNING
Grandfather Frog sat on his big green lily-pad in the Smiling Pool.Grandfather Frog felt very good that morning, very good indeed,because--why, because his white and yellow waistcoat was full of foolishgreen flies. It is doubtful, very, very doubtful if Grandfather Frogcould have swallowed another foolish green fly to save his life. So hesat with his hands folded across his white and yellow waistcoat, andinto his eyes, his great goggly eyes, there crept a far, far, far awaylook. Grandfather Frog was dreaming of the days when the world was youngand the frogs ruled the world.
Pretty soon the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind came overto the Smiling Pool to rock Mrs. Redwing's babies to sleep in theircradle in the bulrushes. But when they saw Grandfather Frog they forgotall about Mrs. Redwing and her babies.
"Good morning, Grandfather Frog!" they shouted.
Grandfather Frog awoke from his dream with a funny little jump.
"Goodness, how you startled me!" said Grandfather Frog, smoothing downhis white and yellow waistcoat.
The Merry Little Breezes giggled. "We didn't mean to, truly we didn't,"said the merriest one of all. "We just wanted to know how you do thisfine morning, and--and--"
"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog, "you want me to tell you a story."
The Merry Little Breezes giggled again. "How did you ever guess it?"they cried. "It must be because you are so very, very wise. Will youtell us a story, Grandfather Frog? Will you please?"
Grandfather Frog looked up and winked one big, goggly eye at jolly,round, red Mr. Sun, who was smiling down from the blue sky. Then he satstill so long that the Merry Little Breezes began to fear thatGrandfather Frog was out of sorts and that there would be no story thatmorning. They fidgeted about among the bulrushes and danced back andforth across the lily-pads. They had even begun to think again of Mrs.Redwing's babies.
"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog suddenly. "What shall I tell youabout?"
Just then a black shadow swept across the Smiling Pool. "Caw, caw, caw,caw!" shouted Blacky the Crow noisily, as he flew over toward FarmerBrown's cornfield.
"Tell us why Blacky the Crow always wears a coat of black, as if he werein mourning," shouted the Merry Little Breezes.
Grandfather Frog watched Blacky disappear behind the Lone Pine. Then,when the Merry Little Breezes had settled down, each in the golden heartof a white water-lily, he began:
"Once upon a time, when the world was young, old Mr. Crow, thegrandfather a thousand times removed of Blacky, whom you all know, livedin the Green Forest on the edge of the Green Meadows, just as Blackydoes now, and with him lived his brothers and sisters, his uncles andaunts, his cousins and all his poor relations.
"Now Mr. Crow was very smart. Indeed, he was the smartest of all thebirds. There wasn't anything that old Mr. Crow couldn't do or didn'tknow. At least he thought there wasn't. All the little meadow people andforest folks began to think so, too, and one after another they got inthe habit of coming to him for advice, until pretty soon they werebringing all their affairs to Mr. Crow for settlement.
"Now for a while Mr. Crow showed great wisdom, and this so pleased OldMother Nature that she gave him a suit of pure, dazzling white, so thatall seeing him might look up to him as a shining example of wisdom andvirtue. Of course all his brothers and sisters, his uncles and aunts,his cousins and all his poor relations at once put on white, that allmight know that they were of Mr. Crow's family. And of course every oneshowed them the greatest attention out of respect to old Mr. Crow, sothat presently they began to hold their heads very high and to thinkthat because they were related to old Mr. Crow they were a little betterthan any of the other little meadow people and forest folks. When theymet old Mr. Rabbit they would pretend not to see him, because he wore awhite patch on the seat of his trousers. When old Mr. Woodchuck said'good morning,' they would pretend not to hear, for you know Mr.Woodchuck wore a suit of dingy yellow and lived in a hole in the ground.Old Mr. Toad was ugly to look upon. Besides, he worked for his living ina garden. So when they happened to meet him on the road they alwaysturned their backs.
"For a long time old Mr. Crow himself continued to be a very finegentleman and to hold the respect of all his neighbors. He was polite toevery one, and to all who came to him he freely gave of his advice aswisely as he knew how. Of course it wasn't long before he knew all abouthis neighbors and their private affairs. Now it isn't safe to know toomuch about your neighbors and what they are doing. It is dangerousknowledge, very dangerous knowledge indeed," said Grandfather Frogsolemnly.
"To be sure it would have been safe enough," he continued, "if Mr. Crowhad kept it to himself. But after a while Mr. Crow became vain. Yes,Sir, that is just what happened to old Mr. Crow--he became vain. Heliked to feel that all the little meadow people and forest folks lookedup to him with respect, and whenever he saw one of them coming he wouldbrush his white coat, swell himself up and look very important. After awhile he began to brag among his relatives of how much he knew about hisneighbors. Of course they were very much interested, very muchinterested indeed, and this flattered Mr. Crow so that almost before heknew it he was telling some of the private affairs which had beenbrought to him for his advice. Oh, dear me, Mr. Crow began to gossip.
"Now, gossiping is one of the worst habits in all the world, one of thevery worst. No good ever comes of it. It just makes trouble, trouble,trouble. It was so now. Mr. Crow's relatives repeated the stories thatthey heard. But they took great care that no one should know where theycame from. My, my, my, how trouble did spread on the Green Meadows andin the Green Forest! No one suspected old Mr. Crow, so he was more indemand than ever to straighten matters out. His neighbors came to him somuch that they began to be ashamed to ask his advice for nothing, sothey brought him presents so that no more need Mr. Crow hunt for thingsto eat. Instead, he lived on the fat of the land without working, andgrew fat and lazy.
"As I have told you, Mr. Crow was smart. Yes, indeed, he certainly wassmart. It did not take him long to see that the more trouble there wasamong his neighbors the more they would need his advice, and the morethey needed his advice the more presents he would receive. He grew verycrafty. He would tell tales just to make trouble, and sometimes, when hesaw a chance, he would give advice that he knew would make more trouble.The fact is, old Mr. Crow became a mischief-maker, the very worst kindof a mischief-maker. And all the time he appeared to be the finegentleman that he used to be. He wore his fine white coat as proudly asever.
"Matters grew worse and worse. Never had there been so much trouble onthe Green Meadows or so many quarrels in the Green Forest. Old Mr. Minknever met old Mr. Otter without picking a fight. Old Mrs. Skunk wouldn'tspeak to old Mrs. Coon. Old Mr. Chipmunk turned his back on his cousin,old Mr. Red Squirrel, whenever their paths crossed. Even my grandfathera thousand times removed, old Mr. Frog, refused to see his nearestrelative, old Mr. Toad. And all the time old Mr. Crow wore his beautifulsuit of white and grew rich and fat, chuckling to himself over hisill-gotten wealth.
"Then one day came Old Mother Nature to visit the Green Meadows. Itdidn't take her long to find that something was wrong, very wrongindeed. Old Mr. Crow and all his relatives hastened to pay theirrespects and to tell her how much they appreciated their beautifulwhite suits. Old Mr. Crow made a full report of all the troubles thathad been brought to him, but he took great care not to let her know thathe had had any part in making trouble. He looked very innocent, oh,very, very innocent, but not once did he look her straight in the face.
"Now the eyes of Old Mother Nature are wonderfully sharp and they seemedto bore right through old Mr. Crow. You can't fool Old Mother Nature.No, Sir, you can't fool Old Mother Nature, and it's of no use to try.She listened to all that Mr. Crow had to say. Then she sent Mr. NorthWind to blow his great trumpet and call together all the little peopleof the Green Meadows and all the little folks of the Green Forest.
"When they had all come together she told them all th
at had happened.She told just how Mr. Crow had started the stories in order to maketrouble so that they would seek his advice and bring him presents to payfor it. When the neighbors of old Mr. Crow heard this they were veryangry, and they demanded of Old Mother Nature that Mr. Crow be punished.
"'Look!' said Old Mother Nature, pointing at old Mr. Crow. 'He has beenpunished already.'
"Every one turned to look at Mr. Crow. At first they hardly knew him.Instead of his suit of spotless white his clothes were black, as blackas the blackest night. So were the clothes of his uncles and aunts, hisbrothers and sisters, his cousins and all his poor relations.
"And ever since that long-ago day, when the world was young, the Crowshave been mischief-makers and have worn black, that all who look mayknow that they bring nothing but trouble," concluded Grandfather Frog.
"Thank you! Thank you, Grandfather Frog," shouted the Merry LittleBreezes, jumping up to go rock the Redwing babies.
"Caw, caw, caw, caw!" shouted Blacky the Crow, flying over their headswith a mouthful of corn he had stolen from Farmer Brown's cornfield.
Mother West Wind's Animal Friends Page 12
