Page:Stories and story-telling (1915).djvu/227

 living before you were even thought of knows anything, you'll not frighten me this evening!" And she sang mockingly,

"Caw, caw, caw, I know you, poor old stalk, Bloodless is your body,  You neither run nor walk."

But the clever scarecrow kept his temper, and answered never a word. So again the old crow had to take herself off no wiser about his thoughts.

Well, all good things go in threes, as every child who knows more than a crow can tell you. So the third evening along came flying the old black crow, as old as the hills, with her five black children after her. And the third time he whispered, "Now, Magic Darkness and Moving Wind, help me." And the third time they did. Magic Darkness came down and hid his headlessness, and Moving Wind bent him sharply down, lifted him halfway with his arms held out, one hand beyond the other, like this; then suddenly straightened him up with arms pointing up at the crows.

"Don't shoot, dear farmer," shrieked the old crow. She hadn't time to turn tail. "My children and I will let your corn alone until you have harvested it."

Immediately Moving Wind dropped the scarecrow's armless sleeves and brought his hat back to