rank its contents
greedily--and cleverly, let me tell you, for it's not so easy to manage
without getting it all over your fur. He was just going to begin on
another when there was a sharp hiss of wings just above him and a loud
_ca-ah_ of alarm. The father bird was back and swooping down upon him.
He threw himself clear of the nest, fell to a lower branch, and raced
out to its tip to spring into his fir tree. At this moment the furious
father struck him, knocking him clean off into the air.

"The air was now full of black wings and angry cries, as the crows from
neighboring nests flocked to the help of their fellow citizen. But the
little red robber was brave and kept his head. Spreading his legs wide
and flat, he made a sort of parachute of himself, and, instead of
falling like a stone, he glided down to another branch. Those beating
wings and terrible jabbing beaks were all about him, but they got in
each other's way. And he was a wonder at dodging, I can tell you, now
that he was among the bigger branches, and, though he got several nasty
thrusts, which covered his fine coat with blood, he gained his hole,
halfway down the tree, and whisked into it safely.

"Into this narrow retreat, of course, none of the crows dared to follow
him, knowing that they would there be at the mercy of his teeth. But
they gathered in fierce excitement about the entrance, scolding the
audacious thief at the top of their voices, and threatening him with
every kind of vengeance when he should dare to come out. And from time
to time one or another of the boldest would alight on the very edge of
the hole, cock his head, and peer in, to bounce away again instantly
with a startled squawk as the squirrel would jump up at him, chattering
with rage.

"In the midst of all this excitement the careless mother came hurrying
back. She had heard the row, of course. One could hear it all over
the parish. Unobserved, she flew straight to the nest. Her big, dark,
cunning eyes blazed for an instant, but she knew it was all her fault,
and she thought it best to make no fuss. Hastily she dropped the empty
shell over the side of the nest, and then took her place dutifully on
the three remaining eggs. In a few minutes the rest of the crows got
tired of scolding the squirrel in his hole and came _ca_-ing back to
the pine tree to talk the matter over. When her mate, all in a fume,
hopped onto the edge of the nest, the mother looked up at him wit