III
GETTING ACQUAINTED
MAJOR MONKEY and old Mr.
Crow had a long talk. They got on famously together, because the
old gentleman
liked to pry into other people's affairs and the Major loved to talk
about
himself.
In reply to Mr. Crow's
questions, Major Monkey explained that he was a great traveller. And
having
found himself in the village a few miles away, he had taken a
notion to see
the surrounding country.
"This is a delightful
spot," the Major remarked. "And if your neighbors are half as pleasant
as you are, I think I'll stay right here for the present." Naturally,
old
Mr. Crow was flattered. He couldn't remember when anybody had said he
was
pleasant.
"I hope you will settle
in Pleasant Valley," he told Major Monkey. "As for the neighbors
–
well, you'll find them a queer lot, mostly."
"What's the matter with
them?" the Major asked him.
Thereupon old Mr. Crow shook
his head. "They're not at all like me," he replied slowly.
"Of course, there's my
cousin, Jasper Jay. He's not a bad sort – except that he's rude,
noisy, and a
good deal of a rascal. But the others – well, most of them
are too greedy. If
I didn't watch this cornfield closely some of them wouldn't care if
they didn't
leave a single kernel for anybody else."
"Do you like
corn?" the Major inquired.
Mr. Crow swallowed once or
twice before answering.
"I can eat it," he
said finally. "It keeps one alive, you know. But if you've never had
any,
I advise you not to touch it."
Major Monkey thanked him.
"Don't mention
it!" said Mr. Crow. "I'm delighted to be of help to a stranger. And
if there is anything else I can do, don't hesitate to call on me."
Major Monkey thanked him
again. And then he said:
"I'd like to get
acquainted with all the neighbors – such as they are. And I would
suggest that
you give a party and invite me and a lot of people to come to it, so I
can meet
them."
Old Mr. Crow bit his tongue.
It struck him that Major Monkey was just the least bit too forward.
"What about
refreshments?" Mr. Crow asked him. "It's easy to see that you don't
know the neighbors. I can tell you that they have enormous appetites
– every
one of them."
"Oh! that's easily
arranged," said Major Monkey. "Tell everybody to be sure to have his
refreshments before he comes to the party."
"A good idea!" Mr.
Crow exclaimed. With that difficulty removed he was willing to give a
party,
for he quite liked the prospect of introducing everybody to "his old
friend, Major Monkey."
"You're
sure you
don't know anybody in this valley except
me?" Mr. Crow asked. He didn't want to divide with anyone else the
honor
of being a friend of anybody so imposing as the Major.
"I haven't spoken to a
soul but you," Major Monkey assured him.
Mr. Crow said he was glad of
that. And then he asked the Major to keep out of sight until the time
came for
the party to begin.
At first Major Monkey
objected. And not until Mr. Crow promised to have the party that very
day – an
hour before sunset – did he consent to hide himself.
"Where's a good
place?" he asked Mr. Crow.
"That tree is
hollow," said Mr. Crow, pointing to the one in which he had first seen
the
Major. "Just slip inside that hole there, about half way up the trunk,
and
don't come out till I call you!"
Major Monkey scrambled back
into the tall tree. And Mr. Crow watched him narrowly until he was out
of
sight. Indeed, the old gentleman even continued to stare at the hole
after his
friend had vanished inside it.
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