At last Blacky threw up his head and chuckled, and this time his chuckle was good to hear.  “I’m glad that Farmer Brown’s boy didn’t take those eggs, " said he right out loud.  “Yes, sir, I’m glad.  I’ll never do such a thing as that again.  I’m ashamed of what I did; yet I’m glad I did it.  I’m glad because I’ve learned some things.  I’ve learned that Farmer Brown’s boy isn’t as much to be feared as he used to be.  I’ve learned that Hooty isn’t as stupid as I thought he was.  I’ve learned that while it may be all right for us people of the Green Forest to try to outwit each other we ought to protect each other against common dangers.  And I’ve learned something I didn’t know before, and that is that Hooty the Owl is the very first of us to set up housekeeping.  Now I think I’ll go hunt for an honest meal.”  And he did.

CHAPTER XIV:  Blacky Makes A Call

  Judge no one by his style of dress;
  Your ignorance you thus confess.
   — Blacky the Crow.

“Caw, caw, caw, caw.”  There was no need of looking to see who that was.  Peter Rabbit knew without looking.  Mrs. Quack knew without looking.  Just the same, both looked up.  Just alighting in the top of a tall tree was Blacky the Crow.  “Caw, caw, caw, caw,” he repeated, looking down at Peter and Mrs. Quack and Mr. Quack and the six young Quacks.  “I hope I am not interrupting any secret gossip.”

“Not at all,” Peter hastened to say.  “Mrs. Quack was just telling me of the troubles and clangers in bringing up a young family in the Far North.  How did you know the Quacks had arrived?”

Blacky chuckled hoarsely.  “I didn’t, " said he.  “I simply thought there might be something going on I didn’t know about over here in the pond of Paddy the Beaver, so I came over to find out.  Mr. Quack, you and Mrs. Quack are looking very fine this fall.  And those handsome young Quacks, you don’t mean to tell me that they are your children!”

Mrs. Quack nodded proudly.  “They are,” said she.

“You don’t say so!” exclaimed Blacky, as if he were very much surprised, when all the time he wasn’t surprised at all.  “They are a credit to their parents.  Yes, indeed, they are a credit to their parents.  Never have I seen finer young Ducks in all my life.  How glad the hunters with terrible guns will be to see them.”

Mrs. Quack shivered at that, and Blacky saw it.  He chuckled softly.  You know he dearly loves to make others uncomfortable.  “I saw three hunters over on the edge of the Big River early this very morning,” said he.

Mrs. Quack looked more anxious than ever.  Blacky’s sharp eyes noted this.

“That is why I came over here,” he added kindly.  “I wanted to give you warning.”

“But you didn’t know the Quacks were here!” spoke up Peter.

“True enough, Peter.  True enough,” replied Blacky, his eyes twinkling.  “But I thought they might be.  I had heard a rumor that those who go south are traveling earlier than usual this fall, so I knew I might find Mr. and Mrs. Quack over here any time now.  Is it true, Mrs. Quack, that we are going to have a long, hard, cold winter?”