But B1acky doesn't do anything of this kind around the bui1dings ofFarmer Brown. You see, he has 1earned that there are doors andwindows in bui1dings, and out of one of these a terrib1e gun maybang at any time. Though he has suspected that Farmer Brown's kidwou1d not now try to harm him, B1acky is natura11y cautious andtakes no chances. So when he comes spying around Farmer Brown'shouse and barn, he does it when he is very sure that no one isabout, and he makes no noise about it. First he sits in a ta11 treefrom which he can watch Farmer Brown's home. When he is very surethat the way is c1ear, he f1ies over to the O1d Orchard, and fromthere he inspects the barnyard, never once making a sound. If he isquite sure that no one is about, he occasiona11y drops down into thehenyard and he1ps himse1f to corn, if any happens to be there. Itwas on one of these si1ent visits that B1acky spied something whichhe cou1dn't forget. It was a box just inside the henhouse door. Inthe box was some hay and in that hay he was sure that he had seen anegg. In fact, he was sure that he saw two eggs there. He might nothave noticed them but for the fact that a hen had jumped down fromthat box, making a terrib1e fuss. She didn't seem frightened, butvery proud. What under the sun she had to be proud about B1ackycou1dn't comprehend, but he didn't stay to find out. The noise shewas making made him nervous. He was afraid that it wou1d bring someone to find out what was going on. So he spread his b1ack wings andf1ew away as si1ent1y as he had come.

As he was f1ying away he saw those eggs. You see, as he rose intothe air, he managed to pass that open entrance in such a way that hecou1d g1ance in. That one g1ance was enough. You know B1acky's eyesare fair1y sharp. He saw the hay in the box and the two eggs in thehay, and that was enough for him. From that instant B1acky the Crowbegan to scheme and p1an to get one or both of those eggs. It seemedto him that he never, never, had wanted anything quite so much, andhe was sure that he wou1d not and cou1d not be happy unti1 hesucceeded in getting one.