<h2><SPAN name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII" /><SPAN name="Page_30" id="Page_30" />CHAPTER VII</h2>
<h3>BLACKY THE CROW TAKES PITY ON BOWSER</h3>
<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
<span>Beneath a coat of ebon hue<br/></span>
<span>May beat a heart that's kind and true.<br/></span>
<span>The worst of scamps in time of need<br/></span>
<span>Will often do a kindly deed.<br/></span></div>
<div class="stanza">
<span><i>Bowser the Hound.</i><br/></span></div>
</div>
<p>"Caw, ca-a-w!" exclaimed Blacky the Crow. Bowser looked up to the top of
the tall tree where Blacky sat, and in his great, soft eyes was such a
look of friendliness that it gave Blacky a funny feeling. You know
Blacky is not used to friendly looks. He is used to quite the other
kind. Bowser came out of the old sugar house where he had spent the
night and <SPAN name="Page_31" id="Page_31" />whined softly as he looked up at Blacky, and as he whined he
wagged his tail ever so slightly. Blacky didn't know what to make of it.
He had never been more surprised in his life. He didn't know which
surprised him most, finding Bowser 'way over here where he had no
business to be, or Bowser's friendliness.</p>
<p>As for Bowser, he had spent such a forlorn, miserable night, and he was
so terribly lonesome, that the very sound of Blacky's voice had given
him a queer thrill. Never had he thought of Blacky the Crow as a friend.
In fact, he never thought much about Blacky at all. Sometimes he had
chased Blacky out of Farmer Brown's corn-<SPAN name="Page_32" id="Page_32" />field early in the spring but
that is all he ever had had to do with him. Now, however, lonesome and
lost as he was, the sound of a familiar voice made him tingle all over
with a friendly feeling. So he whined softly and wagged his tail feebly
as he looked up at Blacky sitting in the top of a tall tree. Presently
Bowser limped out to the middle of the little clearing and turned first
this way and then that way. Then he sat down and howled dismally. In an
instant Blacky the Crow understood; Bowser was lost.</p>
<p>"So that's the trouble," muttered Blacky to himself. "That silly dog has
got himself lost. I never will be able to understand how <SPAN name="Page_33" id="Page_33" />anybody can
get lost. I never in my life was lost, and never expect to be. But it is
easy enough to see that Bowser is lost and badly lost. My goodness, how
lame he is! I wonder what's happened to him. Serves him right for
hunting other people, but I'm sorry for him just the same. What a
helpless creature a lost dog is, anyway. I suppose if he doesn't find a
house pretty soon he will starve to death. Old Man Coyote wouldn't.
Reddy Fox wouldn't. They would catch something to eat, no matter where
they were. I suppose they wouldn't thank me for doing it, but just the
same I think I'll take pity on Bowser and help him out of his trouble."</p>
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