P retty soon Jack lighted a whole string of firecrackers, and threw it down, and all the boys ran away. Then Jimmy Crow saw his chance, and he seized the bunch of crackers and flew in at Grandma's open window!

H e lighted on Pepper's perch. Pepper tried to bite him, but bang! went a firecracker!

Both birds jumped, and Jimmy dropped the bunch on the carpet. Bang! went another firecracker, and bang! bang! went two firecrackers. Then a dozen flew out, banging, over the floor.

C aw! Caw!" screamed Jimmy Crow. "Fire! Fire!" screamed Pepper. "Jack! Jack!" screamed Grandma. She was trying to pick up the bunch with the fire tongs, when Jack ran in. He threw a rug over the string of firecrackers, gathered them up in it, and threw all out of the window. Grandma sat down in her arm-chair very pale. Jack kissed her. "I'm sorry we scared you so," he said. "Now you rest while I clear up."

H e brought the brush and dustpan, and swept up the litter. Then he gave Pepper a peanut and took Jimmy Crow under his arm. "Pepper didn't 'want a cracker,' that time, did she, Grandma?" said he. "Now we'll go further away." But just then the breakfast bell rang. Edith Francis Foster

T hey all went up to the berry-pasture where Jack found Jimmy Crow. First there was little Ibelle, carrying Jimmy Crow in her arms. Next came her big brother Alden, who had a basket with six pears in it. Louise had six sticks of candy in a bag, and Bob brought six donuts in a box. Russell carried six cookies in a parcel, and last came Jack with a tin bucket. Nobody knew what was in it. That was Mama's "surprise."

T ey sat down under a shady tree and divided the goodies. Jimmy Crow sat in the middle, and they each gave him a piece. After they had all eaten a stick of candy and a donut and a pear and a cookie, Jack opened the bucket. The children all put their heads close together to see, and as the lid came off they shouted, "Oh, oh! Ice-cream!"

T hen they sat down again in a circle, Jack in the middle, with a spoon. He gave each one a spoonful of ice-cream in turn. Oh, how good it tasted!

B ut Jimmy Crow wanted some, and when Jack would not let him eat from the spoon, he grabbed it in his beak and flew away. The children chased him until he dropped it, and then gave him a taste of the ice-cream. He didn't like it, so the children ate it all.

T hen they picked berries, until Alden's basket and Bob's box and Louise's bag were all full.

J ust as they were starting home, a little tired after all the fun—"Hurrah!" shouted Russell. "Here comes Uncle Charlie, with his wagon. He will give us a ride." So kind Uncle Charlie tossed them up into the hay, one by one—little Ibelle first—and they all rode home on the hay. Edith Francis Foster

A ll the children were bending over their desks, writing, but Jimmy knew Jack's back as well as his front, and lighted on his head. The children laughed at that, and the teacher laughed too.

T hen she said, "If Jimmy Crow does not disturb anyone, he may stay, as it is nearly noon." The children promised not to be disturbed, and the pencils went to work again. Jimmy Crow behaved beautifully, though at first he tried to walk on Jack's paper and to bite his pencil. Jack pushed him away, and he flew to the teacher's desk where he walked about quietly, looking at the books and vase of flowers.

W hen the lesson was finished, the teacher said, "Jack may collect the pencils." He got the pencil box and began, but Jimmy flew ahead of him, and picked up a pencil. Jack took it, and put it in the box. Then Jimmy Crow brought another. The children were delighted. They held their pencils in their hands, and Jimmy Crow collected them all.

T hen the bell rang and the children marched out for hats and jackets. When they came back, Jimmy Crow was gone! Jack looked under the desks and in the waste-basket. Then the teacher looked in her closet, and there he sat on a clothes-hook. He had found her lunch-basket, and eaten a whole bunch of grapes. Jack was very sorry, but the teacher only laughed.

T hat afternoon Jimmy did not go to school, but Jack brought her a big red apple and said it was from Jimmy Crow. Edith Francis Foster

W hen he came down, Jimmy Crow was busily picking up the nuts and dropping them into a hole in the tree. "Stop that!" cried Jack. "These are my nuts. The squirrels can pick for themselves." "Caw, caw!" said Jimmy Crow.

J ack took home a cart-load. Then he brought a ladder and spread the nuts out on the roof of the barn to dry the husks.

T oward night Jack took Mama out to look at his nuts. Half of them were gone! "Oh dear!" said Jack, "It is Jimmy Crow again. Now where has he put them all?" Just then he saw Jimmy's tail feathers disappear into the barn. He ran after, but could see no nuts—only an old wagon. He climbed up on the wheel, but found no nuts inside—only a barrel, lying on its side. He reached into the barrel and felt nothing but a basket. He pulled it out and peeped into it—and at last he had found the nuts! And Jimmy Crow perched on his shoulder and laughed, "Caw, caw!" When the nuts had all been carried back to the barn, and Mama had praised Jack's work, she said, "Now we must hurry in to supper. The sun has set and it is getting late and cold. Let us run, to keep warm." So she and Jack took hands and ran all the way back to the house. Then they went in to their supper—and Jimmy Crow went too.