"Ah! But you can't do that!" cried Daddy Longlegs suddenly. "Jasper Jay
said you were not to answer this question until after I had. And you
know you mustn't break the rules of the contest."

Old Mr. Crow's mouth fell open, he was so astonished.

"Why, he can hear again!" he exclaimed. And after staring at Daddy
Longlegs for a while he beckoned to Jasper Jay. And again the two
cousins moved a little distance away and began whispering.

When they returned both were smiling broadly. And mounting the stone
wall once more, Jasper said that he would put another question to Daddy
and Mr. Crow, and that they must both answer it at the same time. Then
he cautioned Daddy Longlegs to speak up good and loud, because Mr. Crow
had a strong voice.

"I'd suggest----" said Daddy Longlegs----"I'd suggest that Mr. Crow
speak as softly as possible, because my voice is weak."

"That's only fair!" all the company agreed, nodding their heads to one
another. But Mr. Crow appeared peevish.

"Everybody's against me," he grumbled. "I almost believe----" he said,
turning to his cousin----"I almost believe they're all in league with
Farmer Green."

"If you are not sure, why don't you ask Farmer Green himself?" Daddy
Longlegs inquired.

"I will!" cried Mr. Crow in a loud voice. "I'll ask him the next time I
see him."

"Then you can ask him now," said Daddy Longlegs, "for here he comes,
with a gun on his shoulder."

The words were hardly out of Daddy's mouth when old Mr. Crow began to
beat the air furiously with his broad wings. He rose quickly--but not
too high--and made for the woods as fast as he could fly.

"Now, that's strange!" Daddy Longlegs quavered. "I don't see how he's
going to talk with Farmer Green when he's half a mile away from him."

And everybody else said the same thing.

"He's gone off and left the contest unfinished," little Mr. Chippy
observed. "So there's nothing Jasper Jay can do except to declare that
Daddy Longlegs is the winner--and the wisest person in Pleasant Valley."

"I couldn't very well do that," Jasper objected. "You're forgetting
Solomon Owl."

"Well, Daddy's wiser than old Mr. Crow, anyhow," Mr. Chippy retorted.
And since almost everybody said that was true, Jasper Jay didn't quite
dare object.

But it was plain that he didn't agree with the company. And he stamped
his feet and clashed his bill together and shook his head as if he were
much displeased.

He, too, began to believe--with his co