t as they could fly. They
didn't like the dark part of the Green Forest into which Hooty was
leading them. Besides, they wanted to see that nest. So back they came,
cawing at the top of their lungs, for they were very much excited. Some
of them never had seen a nest of Hooty's. And anyway, it would be just
as much fun to tease Mrs. Hooty as it was to tease Hooty.

"Where is the nest?" they screamed, as they came back to where Blacky
was cawing and pretending to be very much excited.

"Why," exclaimed one, "that is the old nest of Redtail the Hawk. I know
all about that nest." And he looked at Blacky as if he thought Blacky
was playing a joke on them.

"It was Redtail's, but it is Hooty's now. If you don't believe me, just
look in it," retorted Blacky.

At once they all began to fly over the top of the tree where they could
look down into the nest and there, sure enough, was Mrs. Hooty, her
great, round, yellow eyes glaring up at them angrily. Such a racket!
Right away Hooty was forgotten, and the whole crowd at once began to
torment Mrs. Hooty. Only Blacky sat watchful and silent, waiting for
Mrs. Hooty to lose her temper and try to catch one of her tormentors. He
had hope, a great hope, that he would get one of those eggs.

CHAPTER VIII: Hooty Comes To Mrs. Hooty's Aid

No one can live just for self alone. A lot of people think they can,
but they are very much mistaken. They are making one of the greatest
mistakes in the world. Every teeny, weeny act, no matter what it is,
affects somebody else. That is one of Old Mother Nature's great laws.
And it is just as true among the little people of the Green Forest and
the Green Meadows as with boys and girls and grown people. It is Old
Mother Nature's way of making each of us responsible for the good of all
and of teaching us that always we should help each other.

As you know, when Blacky the Crow called all his relatives over to the
nest where Mrs. Hooty was sitting on her eggs, they at once stopped
tormenting Hooty and left him alone in a thick hemlock-tree in the
darkest part of the Green Forest. Of course Hooty was very, very glad
to be left in peace, and he might have spent the rest of the day there
sleeping in comfort. But he didn't. No, Sir, he didn't. At first he gave
a great sigh of relief and settled himself as if he meant to stay. He
listened to the voices of those noisy Crows growing fainter and fainter
and was glad. But it was only for a few minutes.