hid them in rock piles and in the hollows of 
trees, and worked so hard in doing this, running 
back and forth so fast, that you would have 
thought he was afraid he was not going to get 
his harvest all in before winter came. Some- 
times he met the jays in the trees but they did 
not quarrel now; perhaps Robin Hood had for- 
gotten all about the time his nest was robbed. 
At any rate, the jay spent a good deal of 
time getting chestnuts out of their shells and 
cracking open such acorns as he could find. 
Yet he often found time to come around 
the farmhouse to see if there were anything 
there that needed his attention. He grew to 
be very fond of cracked corn and did not hesitate 
to steal some of it when Grandpa Strong fed 
his chickens. 
On this fateful morning it was very cool and 
dreary. A high wind was blowing and great 
clouds were racing across the dark and threaten- 
ing sky. For once Robin Hood was silent and 
sat moodily on his perch in the big chestnut 
from which the leaves were falling. Perhaps he 
was depressed and had a feeling that something 
100 
