onkey commanded.
"Aren't you going to do any of the work?" Mr. Crow demanded. "I
thought generals didn't have to do anything except look wise."
"It's easier for you to get about than it is for me. But as soon as we
have our army together I'll take entire charge of it," Major Monkey
informed him.
Mr. Crow was satisfied. After all, it wouldn't really be _work_, he
told himself, to fly around and tell the people the news. In fact, the
more he thought about the plan the better he liked it.
So he bade Major Monkey good-by and hurried away.
When Mr. Crow had flown out of sight the Major rolled over and over on
the ground. And then he climbed a tree and swung by his tail from a
limb, while he made an odd, chuckling sound.
"A _general_!" he said. "_General Crow!_ Why he never wore a uniform
in all his life!"
On the following morning the field-and forest-folk began gathering at
the edge of the woods near the pasture almost before it was light. And
when Major Monkey left his snug bed in the haystack and went to the
meeting-place he found an eager throng waiting for him.
Old Mr. Crow was flitting about, talking in a loud voice, and ordering
people around to his heart's content.
"Silence!" Major Monkey commanded, as soon as he arrived. Mr. Crow
opened his mouth to speak. But Major Monkey cut him off short.
"The first thing a soldier has to learn is to _obey_," he barked.
"But I'm a _general_!" Mr. Crow protested.
"Well, these are _general_ orders; so you'll have to obey 'em," said
Major Monkey glibly.
And poor old Mr. Crow didn't know what to say to that.
But he couldn't help looking rather grumpy.
X
The New Army
"Now, then--fall in!" Major Monkey shouted to the whole company of
field-and forest-folk.
But nobody had the slightest idea what he meant.
"You don't suppose he expects us to fall in the brook, do you?" Tommy
Fox asked his nearest neighbor. If there was anything that Tommy
disliked, it was getting his feet wet.
Major Monkey soon saw that nobody knew what to do.
"Form a long line, two deep!" he directed.
And then there was trouble, because everyone wanted to be in the front
rank (as Major Monkey called it) in order to see everything.
After a good deal of jostling and squirming on the part of the
company, and much loud talk on the part of Major Monkey, the new army
at last stood stretched out in a double line along the pasture-fence.
Major Monkey seemed much plea
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