by gout; and that she had given him samples of such food as he might eat,
and also such as he mightn't.

He had put the two kinds in different pockets, just as Aunt Polly had
suggested. And all he had to do when he was hungry was to look into his
pockets and see what food he might safely choose for his meal. Well, Mr.
Crow was hungry as a bear by the time he reached his house. And the
first thing he did was to feel in his left-hand pocket. He drew forth a
kernel of corn.

"Good!" he cried. "That's exactly what I'd like for my dinner. And if
Farmer Green hadn't tarred his corn before planting it I know exactly
where I'd go." Then he thought deeply for a few minutes. "I'll go over
to the corn-crib and see if I can't find some corn on the ground!" he
exclaimed a little later. While he was thinking he ate the sample of
corn, without once noticing what he did.

So Mr. Crow flew swiftly to the farm-yard. It happened that there was
nobody about. And, luckily, Mr. Crow found enough corn scattered near the
door of the corn-crib to furnish him with a good dinner.

The next morning, as soon as it began to grow light (for Mr. Crow was an
early riser), he felt in his left-hand pocket once more. And he pulled
out an elderberry.

"That won't do!" he said. "It's too early in the season for
elderberries." But he ate the sample--though he found it rather dry,
for it was a last year's berry. And then he fished a bird's egg out
of the same pocket. "My favorite breakfast!" he remarked. He ate the
egg. And at once he started out to hunt for more. Some people say that