If out of sight, then out of mind. This is a saying which you often
hear. It may be true sometimes, but it is very far from true at other
times. Take the case of Blacky. He had had only a glance into that nest
just inside the door of Farmer Brown's henhouse, but that glance had
been enough to show him two eggs there. Then, as he flew away toward the
Green Forest, those eggs were out of sight, of course. But do you think
they were out of mind? Not much! No, indeed! In fact, those eggs were
very much in Blacky's mind. He couldn't think of anything else. He
flew straight to a certain tall pine-tree in a lonely part of the Green
Forest. Whenever Blacky wants to think or to plan mischief, he seeks
that particular tree, and in the shelter of its broad branches he keeps
out of sight of curious eyes, and there he sits as still as still can
be.
“I want one of those eggs,” muttered Blacky, as he settled himself in
comfort on a certain particular spot on a certain particular branch of
that tall pine-tree. Indeed, that particular branch might well be called
the “mischief branch,” for on it Blacky has thought out and planned most
of the mischief he is so famous for. “Yes, sir,” he continued, “I want
one of those eggs, and what is more, I am going to have one.”
He half closed his eyes and tipped his head back and swallowed a couple
of times, as if he already tasted one of those eggs.
“There is more in one of those eggs than in a whole nestful of Welcome
Robin's eggs. It is a very long time since I have been lucky enough
to taste a hen's egg, and now is my chance. I don't like having to go
inside that henhouse, even though it is barely inside the door. I'm
suspicious of doors. They have a way of closing most unexpectedly.
I might see if I cannot get Unc' Billy Possum to bring one of those eggs
out for me. But that plan won't do, come to think of it, because I can't
trust Unc' Billy. The old sinner is too fond of eggs himself. I would be
willing to divide with him, but he would be sure to eat his first, and
I fear that it would taste so good that he would eat the other. No. I've
got to get one of those eggs myself. It is the only way I can be sure of
it.
“The thing to do is to make sure that Farmer Brown's boy and Farmer
Brown himself are nowhere about. They ought to be down in the cornfield
pretty soon. With them down there, I have only to watch my chance and
slip in. It won't take but a second. Just a little courage, Blacky, just
a little courage! Nothing in this world worth having is gained without
some risk. The thing to do is to make sure that the risk is as small as
possible.”
Blacky shook out his feathers and then flew out of the tall pine-tree
as silently as he had flown into it. He headed straight toward Farmer
Brown's cornfield. When he was near enough to see all over the field, he
dropped down to the top of a fence post, and there he waited. He didn't
have long to wait. In fact, he had been there but a few minutes
when he spied two people coming down the Long Lane toward the cornfield.
He looked at them sharply, and then gave a little sigh of satisfaction.
They were Farmer Brown and Farmer Brown's boy. Presently they reached
the cornfield and turned into it. Then they went to work, and Blacky
knew that so far as they were concerned, the way was clear for him to
visit the henyard.
He didn't fly straight there. Oh, my, no! Blacky is too clever to do
anything like that. He flew toward the Green Forest. When he knew that
he was out of sight of those in the cornfield, he turned and flew over
to the Old Orchard, and from the top of one of the old apple-trees he
studied the henyard and the barnyard and Farmer Brown's house and the
barn, to make absolutely sure that there was no danger near. When he was
quite sure, he silently flew down into the henyard as he had done many
times before. He pretended to be looking for scattered grains of corn,
but all the time he was edging nearer and nearer to the open door of
the henhouse. At last he could see the box with the hay in it. He walked
right up to the open door and peered inside. There was nothing to be
afraid of that he could see. Still he hesitated. He did hate to go
inside that door, even for a minute, and that is all it would take to
fly up to that nest and get one of those eggs.
Blacky closed his eyes for just a second, and when he did that he seemed
to see himself eating one of those eggs. “What are you afraid of?” he
muttered to himself as he opened his eyes. Then with a hurried look in
all directions, he flew up to the edge of the box. There lay the two
eggs!