"What is your business, if I may ask?" Mr. Crow inquired of Major
Monkey.
"Lately I've been spending my time travelling," the Major replied.
"But you know I'm a soldier. And while I'm in Pleasant Valley I intend
to form an army."
Old Mr. Crow looked somewhat worried when he heard that.
"I hope you aren't going to guard the cornfield!" he said hastily.
Major Monkey set his fears at rest.
"We'll let Farmer Green do that," he said with a wink. "This is what
we'll do: we'll band ourselves together and we'll fight any strangers
that come to Pleasant Valley to live."
"That's not a bad plan," Mr. Crow remarked. "But it's lucky for you
that you didn't form the army before you got here yourself--else we'd
have had to fight _you_."
"Of course!" Major Monkey agreed. "But trust me not to make such a
mistake as that."
"Who's going to be in the army?" Mr. Crow wanted to know.
"Everybody!" the Major answered, with a wave of the hand that took in
the whole valley.
For as long as a minute old Mr. Crow was very thoughtful.
"I shall not care to be in it unless I can be a general," he announced
at last.
"Why, certainly!" said Major Monkey. "Certainly you shall be a
general, Mr. Crow."
Mr. Crow swelled himself up and looked as important as he could.
"Get everybody to come to the edge of the woods, near the pasture,
early to-morrow morning," Major Monkey 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