66 



meat in the middle of a piece of stovepipe that was 

 too small for him to get into. 



The crow tried to squeeze himself in first at one 

 end and then at the other. 



Finding he could not manage this after several 

 attempts, James lifted one end of the stovepipe and 

 let the meat slip down to the other. Then he hur- 

 ried around and seized the prize. 



James was like a monkey in liking to imitate 

 what he saw others doing. One morning the 

 mistress of the house was busy planting some slips 

 and seedlings in flower pots. As she worked, the 

 crow walked about her, cawing softly to himself. 



When she finished her work she put the flower 

 pots in a row on the porch and went away. No 

 sooner was she 

 out of sight than 

 James was busy. 

 In haste, as 



though he knew James and the Plants 



that if anyone saw him he would be driven off, 

 he pulled up every one of the plants, laying them 

 side by side on the porch. 



Then he looked about for something to put in 

 their places. 



