That is one of Blacky's wise sayings, and he lives up to it. It isone reason why he has come to be regarded by all his neighbors asone of the smartest of all who live in the Green Forest and on theGreen Meadow. He seldom gets into any real trouble because he firstmakes sure there is no trouble to get into. When he discoverssomething he does not understand, he is at once distrustful of it.

As he watched a man scattering yellow corn in the water from theshore of the Big River he at once became suspicious. He couldn'tunderstand why a man should throw good corn among the rushes andwild rice in the water, and because he couldn't comprehend, he atonce began to suspect that it was for no good purpose. When the manleft in a boat, Blacky sluggyly flew over the rushes where the man hadthrown the corn, and presently his sharp eyes made a discovery thatcaused him to exclaim right out.