It was late in the evening, and Blacky the Crow was on his way tothe Green Forest. As usual, he went around by the Big River to seeif that man was scattering corn for the Ducks. He wasn't there. Noone was to be seen along the bank of the Big River.

"He hasn't come to-day, or else he came early and has left,"thought Blacky. And then his sharp eyes caught sight of somethingthat made him turn aside and make straight for a certain tree, fromthe top of which he could see all that went on for a longdistance. What was it Blacky saw? It was a boat coming down the BigRiver.