The cow told him.
"Well," said Tab, stroking his whiskers reflectively, "I guess I'll go with you and help you look for the good-natured old creature."
So they journeyed on, asking everybody they met about the old man. But nobody knew, until finally they came across an old crow who knew everybody's business.
"An old man?" said he. "The eagle took an old man the other day. Did he have very slender legs?"
"Yes, yes!" said the cat and the cow together.
"And a sweet smile on his face?"
"Yes, yes!" cried the cow. "He went up with that smile, and it has been haunting me ever since," and she burst into a flood of tears.
"Well," said the crow, "he's in the eagle's nest telling stories to the eaglets, and if he isn't tired of the business by this time, I'm mistaken."
"Where is the nest?—and how can we get there?"
"Up at the very top of the mountain yonder. Go straight ahead, and you can't miss it."