e fallen
stones and stubble--a large earthen crock, which was locked with a
wooden clasp! Naturally they wanted to know if there was anything in it,
and they tried both to peck holes in the crock, and to bend up the
clasp, but they had no success.

They stood perfectly helpless and examined the crock, when they heard
someone say: "Shall I come down and assist you crows?" They glanced up
quickly. On the edge of the hollow sat a fox and blinked down at them.
He was one of the prettiest foxes--both in colour and form--that they
had ever seen. The only fault with him was that he had lost an ear.

"If you desire to do us a service," said Wind-Rush, "we shall not say
nay." At the same time, both he and the others flew up from the hollow.
Then the fox jumped down in their place, bit at the jar, and pulled at
the lock--but he couldn't open it either.

"Can you make out what there is in it?" said Wind-Rush. The fox rolled
the jar back and forth, and listened attentively. "It must be silver
money," said he.

This was more than the crows had expected. "Do you think it can be
silver?" said they, and their eyes were ready to pop out of their heads
with greed; for remarkable as it may sound, there is nothing in the
world which crows love as much as silver money.

"Hear how it rattles!" said the fox and rolled the crock around once
more. "Only I can't understand how we shall get at it." "That will
surely be impossible," said the crows. The fox stood and rubbed his head
against his left leg, and pondered. Now perhaps he might succeed, with
the help of the crows, in becoming master of that little imp who always
eluded him. "Oh! I know someone who could open the crock for you," said
the fox. "Then tell us! Tell us!" cried the crows; and they were so
excited that they tumbled down into the pit. "That I will do, if you'll
first promise me that you will agree to my terms," said he.

Then the fox told the crows about Thumbietot, and said that if they
could bring him to the heath he would open the crock for them. But in
payment for this counsel, he demanded that they should deliver
Thumbietot to him, as soon as he had gotten the silver money for them.
The crows had no reason to spare Thumbietot, so agreed to the compact at
once. It was easy enough to agree to this; but it was harder to find out
where Thumbietot and the wild geese were stopping.

Wind-Rush himself travelled away with fifty crows, and said that he
should soon return. Bu