echnut, "it is a crow. Now you must keep the oxen headed
directly for that tree. Go as straight as you can, and I shall try to
keep the plow straight behind you. The thing is to make a straight
furrow."

When all was ready, Stuyvesant gave the word to his oxen to move
on, and they began to draw. Stuyvesant went on, keeping his eye
alternately upon the oxen and upon the tree. He had some curiosity to
look round and see how Beechnut was getting along with the furrow, but
he recollected that his business was to drive, and so he gave his
whole attention to his driving, in order that he might go as straight
as possible across the field.

The crow flew away when he had got half across the field. He had a
strong desire to know where she was going to fly to, but he did not
look round to follow her in her flight. He went steadily on attending
to his driving.

When he was about two thirds across the field, he saw a stump at a
short distance before him, with a small hornet's nest upon one side of
it. His course would lead him, he saw, very near this nest. His first
impulse was to stop the oxen and tell Beechnut about the hornet's
nest. He did in fact hesitate a moment, but he was instantly reassured
by hearing Beechnut call out to him from behind, saying,

"Never mind the hornet's nest, Stuyvesant. Drive the oxen right on. I
don't think the hornets will sting them."

Stuyvesant perceived by this, that Beechnut thought only of the oxen,
when he saw a hornet's nest, and he concluded to follow his example in
this respect. So he drove steadily on.

When they got to the end of the field the oxen stopped. Beechnut and
Stuyvesant then looked round to see the furrow. It was very
respectably straight.

"You have done very well," said he, "and you will find it easier now,
for one of the oxen will walk in the furrow, and that will guide him."

So Stuyvesant brought the team around and then went back, one of the
oxen in returning walking in the furrow which had been made before. In
this manner they went back to the place from which they had first
started.

"There," said Beechnut, "now we have got our work well laid out. But
before we plow any more, we must destroy that hornet's nest, or else
when we come to plow by that stump, the hornets will sting the oxen.
I'll go and get some straw. You may stay here and watch the oxen
while I am gone."

In a short time Beechnut came back, bringing his arms full of hay. He
walked directly to