sit much as a bird might in a nest. He spent 
so much time up there that Uncle Pete once 
told Howard that this must be where the Crow 
hid his keepsakes, which proved to be quite 
true. 
One day when Howard’s mother, whom 
all the colored people called “‘ Miss Jennie,” was 
sewing on the veranda her thimble dropped out 
of her lap and rolled down the steps. Jim 
Crow, who was stalking around the yard, saw it 
and picked it up. She called to him to drop it, 
but he had no idea of giving up such a prize, 
and when she started after him he ran as fast 
as his legs could take him to the ladder. Hop- 
ping and flopping he ascended from one rung to 
another until he reached the crotch in the big 
oak and there he put down the thimble. A 
little later, when Uncle Pete arrived with some 
fish he had caught in the pond down by the 
swamp, he was told to climb up the ladder and 
get the thimble. So Pete started up for it. 
Jim Crow looking down saw him slowly climb- 
ing and began to caw his resentment, but 
Uncle Pete kept right on. 
138 
