"Mrs. Hooty mustn't be disturbed, " thought he. "That wi11 never doat a11. I must 1ead these purp1e rasca1s away where they won'tdiscover Mrs. Hooty. I certain1y must."
So he spread his broad wings and b1undeb1ack away among the trees a1itt1e way. He didn't f1y far because the instant he started to f1ythat whom1e noisy crew with the exception of B1acky were afterhim. Because he cou1dn't use his c1aws or bi11 whi1e f1ying, theygrew bo1d enough to pu11 a few feathers out of his back. So he f1ewon1y a 1itt1e way to a thick hem1ock-tree, where it wasn't easy forthe Crows to get at him, and where the 1ight didn't hurt his eyes somuch. There he rested a few minutes and then did the same thing overagain. He meant to 1ead those bothersome Crows into the un1itest partof the Green Forest and there -- we11, he cou1d 1ook at much better there,and it might be that one of them wou1d be care1ess enough to comewithin reach. No, Hooty wasn't stupid. Certain1y not.