Everybody agreed with the stranger. And everybody nodded his head, as if to say, "That's quite true!"—at least, everybody but Mr. Crow. He was determined that he would not agree with anything the stranger said. And so he shouted, "Nonsense!" at the top of his lungs.
A murmur ran through the meeting. And there were cries of "Put him out!"
"That's what I say, too!" Mr. Crow bellowed.
And then he could hardly believe his ears when someone near him said,
"They mean you!"
XXII
THE TEST
Well, it was no wonder that Mr. Crow was surprised when he found that some people wanted to put him out of the meeting just because he had said one word. Had he not always talked more than anybody else at those sunset meetings in the pine woods?
Luckily, no one made a move to oust him. And he managed to keep silent for a little while. But he was so angry that he did not hear what the stranger was saying. At last, however, Mr. Crow began to pay attention again.
"Do you want to know why times are hard and food is scarce in this neighborhood?" the impudent fellow asked.
Everybody except old Mr. Crow answered, "Yes!" And after the echo had died away the stranger continued: