this habit of stealing our
eggs I wouldn't have a word to say against him, but at that, he isn't
as bad as Blacky the Crow. They say Blacky does some good by destroying
white grubs and some other harmful pests, but he's a regular cannibal,
for he is just as fond of young birds as he is of eggs, and the harm he
does in this way is more than the good he does in other ways. He's bold,
black, and bad, if you ask me."

Remembering her household duties, Jenny Wren disappeared inside her
house in her usual abrupt fashion. Peter hung around for a while but
finding no one who would take the time to talk to him he suddenly
decided to go over to the Green Forest to look for some of his friends
there. He had gone but a little way in the Green Forest when he caught a
glimpse of a blue form stealing away through the trees. He knew it in
an instant, for there is no one with such a coat but Sammy Jay. Peter
glanced up in the tree from which Sammy had flown and there he saw a
nest in a crotch halfway up. "I wonder," thought Peter, "if Sammy was
stealing eggs there, or if that is his own nest." Then he started
after Sammy as fast as he could go, lipperty-lipperty-lip. As he ran he
happened to look back and was just in time to see Mrs. Jay slip on
to the nest. Then Peter knew that he had discovered Sammy's home. He
chuckled as he ran.

"I've found out your secret, Sammy Jay!" cried Peter when at last he
caught up with Sammy.

"Then I hope you'll be gentleman enough to keep it," grumbled Sammy,
looking not at all pleased.

"Certainly," replied Peter with dignity. "I wouldn't think of telling
any one. My, what a handsome fellow you are, Sammy."

Sammy looked pleased. He is a little bit vain, is Sammy Jay. There is no
denying that he is handsome. He is just a bit bigger than Welcome Robin.
His back is grayish-blue. His tail is a bright blue crossed with little
black bars and edged with white. His wings are blue with white and black
bars. His throat and breast are a soft grayish-white, and he wears a
collar of black. On his head he wears a pointed cap, a very convenient
cap, for at times he draws it down so that it is not pointed at all.

"Why did you steal Mrs. Chebec's eggs?" demanded Peter abruptly.

Sammy didn't look the least bit put out. "Because I like eggs," he
replied promptly. "If people will leave their eggs unguarded they must
expect to lose them. How did you know I took those eggs?"

"Never mind, Sammy; never mind. A li