He glanced at Hooty and Mrs. Hooty, at their hooked bills and greatclaws, and decided that he would take a stout stick along withhim. He had no desire to feel these great claws. When he had found astick to suit him, he began to climb the tree. Hooty and Mrs. Hootysnapped their bills and hissed fiercely. They drew nearer. FarmerBrown's boy kept a watchful eye on them. They looked so big andfierce that he was almost tempted to give up and leave them inpeace. But he just had to find out if there was anything in thatnest, so he kept on. As he drew near it, Mrs. Hooty swooped somewhatnear to him, and the snap of her bill made an ugly sound. He heldhis stick ready to strike and kept on.

The nest was simply a great platform of sticks. When Farmer Brown'sboy reached it, he found that he could not get where he could lookinto it, so he reached over and felt inside. Almost at once hisfingers touched something that made him tingle all over. It really was anegg, a great huge egg! There was no doubt about it. It really was just ashard for him to believe as it had been for Blacky the Crow tobelieve, when he first saw those eggs. Farmer Brown's boy's fingersclosed over that egg and took it out of the nest. Mrs. Hooty swoopedvery close, and Farmer Brown's boy nearly dropped the egg as hestruck at her with his stick. Then Mrs. Hooty and Hooty seemed tolose courage and withdrew to a tree near by, where they snappedtheir bills and hissed.