Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-23
THIS CROW
Was Just About as Mischievous a. They
Make Them,


Make Them.
Cav. cav caw!' and Jim Crow
the favorite pet of all our pets on the
Old farm was beside us. He was
brought to Us when very young and
as he made himself at home from the
very first it wis not long until we
were deeply attached to him. He
was the blacklist OF crows ana at all
times hal an enormous appetite.
Young frogs and earth worms were TO
him choice morsels and he seemed
happiest when the children would sit
on the ground and dig the worms for
MIN. He would seize and swallow
one then scream for another before a
second one could be found.
Monday was one of his gala days;
he would wait until the washing was
done and partly on the line then he
would light on il deliberately take
one OF The pins letting the clothes fly
Wherever the wind might happen 10
take them.
This he seemed TO consider great
fun. and 90 at first did the spectators;
out after awhile it became rather ex-
cree went forth that every Monday
Jim should be imprisoned in the corn
crib. where he passed the time eating
corr and screaming at intervals for MS
| liberty.
Although at no time very good ne
was particularly naughty on Sabbath.
One morning the family We're waiting
on the piazza for the carriage 10 take
them to church when they saw the
leave, OF bible foating down from
an upper window.
jim. was suspected at once and the
children ran upstairs TO investigate.
There theE found the culprit sitting
on bureau with the open biole be-
fore him busily tearing out the leaves
aud throwing them from the window.
a week from that day he attended
Sunday school but like Mary's little
lamb jim presence was very demor-
alizing.
His thievish propensties developed
with his age until at last it was
deemed unsafe to leave room with
doors and windows open,
Things that We're bright and glitter
ing attracted him most though all
! stolen fruit was sweet to him. He
took silver thinble from the work
basket and carried it to the top of q
chimney. where he pushed it with his
bill down between the bricks and NOR
tar and man had to be sent up a
ladder to get il,
Again he took the key from the lock
in the cellar door and carried it TO the
roof.
When visitors come to the house he
d.voted himself to them at once SEEM
ing to know be could make them his
unsuspectins victims One day a
friend who was staying at the house
took her knitting and sat down on the
porch. She was seated but lew min
utes when jim made his appearance.
He wsddlec up to her stood most IN.
concernedly with head turned on one
side and eyes partly closed apparent
" doing and a innocent a looking
crow Us ever was seen.
Before we could warn her he scizcd
the bal! OF worsted from her lap and
witt! az! eHultant scream flew with it
to walnut tree in the field. We fol-
found him percned on d limb beyond
our reach. unwlnuing the ball of yarn
and abberng triunphantly in his own
peculiar language.
His mischievous ways though
sometimes rattle" annoying would
doubtless nave been tolerated had
they not been combined with the love
OF murder y disturbance was heard
one day in the poultry yard. and it
. was discovered that Jim was the
cause. The old mother hen was dee
Tending her little chickens as best she
could. bu; cruel Jim had killed three
and WA. in the act OF dispatching
another He was forgiven that time,
bat when, the following day. he was
caught amusing himself in the same
crue. fashion his days were num-
bered. This all happened many years
ago but | never see the crows about
but think OF jim and his funny ways
and remember him with feeling OF
affection.