Copyright, 1899-1900
By S. E. Casino Company

Copyright, April, 1902
By Dana Estes & Company

All rights reserved

JIMMY CROW

Colonial Press
Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co
Boston, Mass., U. S. A.

ne day, last summer, Jack was picking low in the pasture, when he saw a young hopping in the bushes. The little crow was lame in one . He had fallen from the . He was too young to fly far, so caught him. He carried him home in his berry-. Then Jack took a and and and built a . He named his new pet "Jimmy Crow."

ack took good care of Jimmy Crow. He caught for him to eat, and gave him fresh water in a tin . Jimmy's lame leg soon got well. His grew big, and he could fly. When Jack called, Jimmy would fly to him and perch on his or .

immy Crow liked mischief. He liked to hide things and see people hunt for them. Once when Jack was getting ready for school, he could not find his . He hunted till Mama said he must put on his rubber and be off. One of those boots would not go on. There was something in the toe. held it up and shook it, and out fell—the top! flapped his and cried "Caw, caw!" That was his way of laughing. Jack laughed too, as he took his and and hurried off.

epper can talk like a , mew like a , bark like a . She can cry and laugh. When Jimmy says "Caw, caw!" Pepper says "C-a-w, c-a-w!" and then laughs. doesn't like to be laughed at. Once he flew at Pepper, and pushed her off her . But Pepper scratched him with her and pulled out a tail-feather with her . Now Jimmy keeps away from her, unless he wants to steal her .

n Christmas Eve came to Jack's Tree. Mama had trimmed it with and , and hung everywhere. When she went with a to light the candles, they were gone! "Where are the candles?" cried . "Somebody has carried them off, and I can't light the ." Betty, the littlest girl, began to cry—two ran down her cheeks. sat on her perch cracking a . When she heard the outcry, she dropped it and screamed "Jimmy Crow, Jimmy Crow! Oh, oh! Oh, oh!" "Oh, naughty !" said Mama. "He has hidden them. Pepper is telling tales. Run, , and hunt! We'll play a new game, 'Hunt the .'"

ight pairs of ran "up stairs, down , in my lady's chamber." At last Betty tipped over a , and out rolled the . The littlest girl had won! So held her up, and she lit the Christmas Tree.

hen came to play with him, and they had a fine frolic. They rolled big , and built a . They put an old on his head and the over his shoulder. Then Jack rang the , and Mama came to the door. "Here is a man with a shovel," he said. "Don't you want him to shovel paths for you?"

might," laughed , "but somebody has been ahead of him—and here are four hot for that smart somebody." Jack gave the other boys , and they all sat down on the to eat them. sat on the . He begged till each boy gave him a .

hen they made a pile of to throw at the snowman. Just as Bob threw one, Jimmy Crow lit on the shoulder of the , and the knocked him off into a deep drift! was not hurt, but he was angry. He flew at , and carried off his in his , and dropped it into that same deep . Then had to wade through snow over his , to get his cap again. And Jimmy Crow perched on Jack's , flapped his wings, and laughed "C-a-w, c-a-w, c-a-w!"

o Mama took a sheet of and painted all around it, with two little at the top; and Jack wrote a verse in the middle, with pictures—like this story. "Dear Kitty; The is red, the blue—I like so I like you. Yours truly, J." Then he put it in an and went out to send it. went too.

f course Jack could not carry it himself, or Kitty would know who sent it. So he tied it around 's neck. When they reached Kitty's house he set him down on the and rang the bell. Then he ran and hid behind the .

he opened quickly, for Kitty was just coming out with her sled. She looked all around but she could only see , busy picking a bone her had left there. Then she caught sight of the , and untied it. She dropped her and the slid down the steps and away to the gate. Jack jumped out and caught it. "Oh, what a pretty !" cried Kitty. "Thank you, Jack." "No, no!" said in a hurry. "You mustn't know it's me." "Well, then, thank you, Jimmy," laughed . "Now let's go sliding." "All right," said Jack. He put on the sled and off they all went.

randma looked into her , and under the —and when she got up were gone. "Dear, dear!" said she. "Where do they go?" giggled louder, and called, "Dear, dear! Too bad!"

randma looked behind her , and under the —and when she came back were gone. "Dearie me!" she cried, and held up both . Pepper giggled and giggled, and shrieked, "Dearie me! Jimmy Crow!" "Why, yes," cried Grandma, " is the thief, of course. Now where has he hid them?"

ust then he flew down and tried to pull out the last . Grandma saw him, and called Jack. looked in the , he crawled under the , he climbed on a and reached into the on the . Jimmy Crow hopped about him and chuckled softly, "Caw, caw!"

hen giggled and cried out, "Jimmy-Jimmy wants a !" "Oh, yes," said Jack, "let's give Jimmy a , and see where he takes it." Jimmy carried the cookie to the top of the . "That's the place. I'll get the ," Jack laughed. When he had climbed to the top, he shouted, "Grandma! Here are the —and all the other things we have lost—your , and the , and my —and—lots of things!" As he came down with both hands full, Jimmy fluttered about his , and Pepper giggled and shrieked.

hen took the which hung on a and filled it at the . But as it touched his , Jimmy reached round and snatched it, and flew up into the big cherry . "April-Fool!" called out Pepper from Grandma's window.

ack was vexed. "Bring that back!" he shouted—but only chuckled. Jack jumped on a , and began to climb the tree. Just as he reached up to grab Jimmy's Jimmy hopped to the next higher, tipping the , and all the water splashed down into Jack's . "April-April-Fool!" cried from the . Jack felt more vexed than ever. He dropped his and hurried, but Jimmy hopped as fast as climbed, till they reached the top of the tree. Then, just as Jack thought he had him, dropped the , bang! on his , and flew off to the of the .

h, you bad Jimmy!" cried Jack, and started to climb down again. And all the way Pepper screamed, "April-April-Fool!" and giggled and giggled till had to laugh too.

hen he carried in the of water, and told all about it. "I didn't mean to get fooled once today," said he, "but has fooled me three times already."

hey both laughed, and Mama gave him a whole little apple , baked in a .

hall I give you twenty-five cents now," asked as she took out her , "or will you earn it?" "I'll earn it, with my own ," said . "It's more fun to spend money you have worked for." "Then you may weed the and for me," said Mama.

ack put on his and went into the garden. Jimmy Crow went too. ate and a , and then perched on the and watched work.

hen the job was done Mama paid him his quarter. First he sat on the and spun the coin like a . Then he began to toss it up in the air, and catch it in his as it fell.

he second time he didn't catch it—but did, and flew off with it. ran after him, shouting, "Stop thief!" He chased him through the -bushes and across the -bed, to the orchard . There Jimmy sat till Jack came up, then he dropped the quarter into a between the stones. Jack heard it rattle down to the ground.

en had to work hard! He pulled away the till he could see it, between two big rocks, but couldn't get his in. So he took a and poked. At last, out rolled the quarter—and out hopped a ! Jack laughed, but was so surprised he flapped his and croaked.

ust then Bob came up. "Did your mother give you that?" he asked. "No," said , "I earned it, for the circus—and made me earn it over again!"

hen they saw the grand parade in the big —the , the , the , the , the with , and , the and the . Then a pretty rode a white , standing up on the and waving a . Other horses ran races, and jumped, and walked upright. The funny tried to ride a little , and kept tumbling off.

t the last, all the animals marched round again, and a funny thing happened. A big black came flying into the and lighted right on the 's back. He spread his , and danced up and down in time to the . The people thought he was part of the circus, and clapped their and laughed, but ran out into the ring, crying, "Oh, he's mine, he's mine! Please let me have him!"

he got a and climbed up the elephant, but kept out of his reach, and everybody laughed. So he came tumbling down again, and told Jack to try it. climbed up and crept along to the elephant's head—and then Jimmy flew up on his shoulder, and the clapped louder still.

hen Jack came down, the fished a penny out of his pocket, and offered to buy Jimmy Crow. "No, sir!" said . "Not for a hundred dollars! I'd rather have my crow than this whole circus."