THE STB IKE AT SHANE'S. 29 



Dobbin was disposed to look more kindly on him than 

 he otherwise would. 



"Ah! you black rogue," said the hen, "you stole 

 an egg out of my nest yesterday. I saw you fly away 

 with it." 



" I admit it," said the crow; " but I drove away a 

 lat that was just about to steal it, and I thought I 

 might take the egg as a reward for driving the rat 

 away. Besides, I drive away hawks which would steal 

 chickens, and I kill a great many grub worms, and cut- 

 worms, and ground mice," continued the crow, " and 

 if I'm a part of this strike I'll not kill any more such 

 pests, and more than that, I'll move off the farm and 

 let the hawks kill all Shane's chickens." 



"Oh! come now," said the hen, "let's compro- 

 mise ; you stay here and keep the hawks away, and 

 I'll give you an egg now and then." 



" All right," said the crow ; " I'll agree to anything 

 to get into good society." 



"I have a few words to say," said the blackbird; 

 " I'm black hke the crow, but I don't steal eggs." 



" Yes ; but I saw you pulling up corn down in the 

 field yesterday, which is just as bad," said Dobbin. 



" Quite mistaken, I assure you," said the blackbird. 

 Sometimes I pull up a sprout of corn, but it is to get 

 at the grub worm which is at the root. If I did not 

 pull it up the grub would destroy it anyhow, so in the 

 end no harm is done by me, but much good, for I 

 destroy a worm that would have destroyed many stalks 

 of corn before the season is over. We cannot destroy 



