Jimmy Crow

Excerpt

I.

Jimmy Crow belongs to Jack. Jack is a little . Jimmy is a big . Jack wears a white . Jimmy wears black . Jack says "Good Morning," and "Yes, sir," and "Thank you." Jimmy can say only "Caw, caw." Jack thinks Jimmy is a funnier pet than a or a .

ne day, last summer, Jack was picking low in the pasture, when he saw a young hopping in the bushes. The little crow was lame in one . He had fallen from the . He was too young to fly far, so caught him. He carried him home in his berry-. Then Jack took a and and and built a . He named his new pet "Jimmy Crow."

ack took good care of Jimmy Crow. He caught for him to eat, and gave him fresh water in a tin . Jimmy's lame leg soon got well. His grew big, and he could fly. When Jack called, Jimmy would fly to him and perch on his or .

immy Crow liked mischief. He liked to hide things and see people hunt for them. Once when Jack was getting ready for school, he could not find his . He hunted till Mama said he must put on his rubber and be off. One of those boots would not go on. There was something in the toe. held it up and shook it, and out fell—the top! flapped his and cried "Caw, caw!" That was his way of laughing. Jack laughed too, as he took his and and hurried off.

Grandma lives at Jack's . She has a bird, too. Grandma's bird is a green . The parrot's name is "Pepper." loves , but Jack's crow does not love Grandma's parrot.

epper can talk like a , mew like a , bark like a . She can cry and laugh. When Jimmy says "Caw, caw!" Pepper says "C-a-w, c-a-w!" and then laughs. doesn't like to be laughed at. Once he flew at Pepper, and pushed her off her . But Pepper scratched him with her and pulled out a tail-feather with her . Now Jimmy keeps away from her, unless he wants to steal her .

n Christmas Eve came to Jack's Tree. Mama had trimmed it with and , and hung everywhere. When she went with a to light the candles, they were gone! "Where are the candles?" cried . "Somebody has carried them off, and I can't light the ." Betty, the littlest girl, began to cry—two ran down her cheeks. sat on her perch cracking a . When she heard the outcry, she dropped it and screamed "Jimmy Crow, Jimmy Crow! Oh, oh! Oh, oh!" "Oh, naughty !" said Mama. "He has hidden them. Pepper is telling tales. Run, , and hunt! We'll play a new game, 'Hunt the .'"

ight pairs of ran "up stairs, down , in my lady's chamber." At last Betty tipped over a , and out rolled the . The littlest girl had won! So held her up, and she lit the Christmas Tree.

III.

Just after Christmas there was a great storm. The drifts were higher than the . When it cleared off, put on and reefer, and rubber boots, and went out. went with him. First, Jack took and and made a wide clean path to the . This was "working for Mama." Jack likes to work for Papa and Mama.

hen came to play with him, and they had a fine frolic....