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Tale of Snowball Lamb

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<h2>V</h2><h3>THE PROMISED TREAT</h3> Snowball wasn't sorry that Johnnie Green had turned him into the pasture. He found the pasture a delightful place. He had plenty of company, for there was a whole flock of sheep with him. And not only did he soon become acquainted with them. He met other folk, such as Billy Woodchuck and Jimmy Rabbit and old Mr. Crow. And though some of the older sheep paid scant heed to so young a lamb as Snowball, Mr. Crow often went out of his way to stop and talk with him. That was because Mr. Crow loved a bit of gossip. And he was willing to chat with[30] anybody on the chance of picking up some interesting morsel of news. "We're going to have a treat," Snowball informed old Mr. Crow one day. The old gentleman cocked his head on one side and looked at Snowball. "How do you know you are?" he demanded. He was a great one for asking questions. "The Muley Cow told me," Snowball explained. "Down in the barn she heard Farmer Green tell Johnnie about it." "Ah, ha!" cried Mr. Crow. "I'll have to keep an eye on things. If there's going to be a treat I must get my share of it. . . . Where's it going to be—where do you expect to have this treat?" "Right here in this pasture!" "That's good!" Mr. Crow exclaimed. "I'm glad of that. I can enjoy it, then. I feared it might be in the barn. And I[31] like plenty of room if I'm to enjoy a treat properly." Snowball began to feel a bit uneasy. "The Muley Cow didn't say anything about your being invited," he blurted. "In fact she said that this treat was for us sheep only." "Don't you worry about that!" the old gentleman assured him. "I know well enough that if Farmer Green didn't mention inviting me it was because he forgot it. I know he wouldn't like it if I stayed away." Snowball began to wish he hadn't mentioned the treat to Mr. Crow. But the secret was out. And when Mr. Crow asked when the treat was going to be Snowball confessed that the Muley Cow had told him the flock would enjoy it that very day. "Ah!" said Mr. Crow with a smirk.[32] "Then I must stay where I can see what's going on. So I'm going to sit in that tall elm over by the stone wall. When I see the sheep begin to bunch together I'll join you at once. . . . Please bleat three times when the treat is ready, for I might be dozing." "I will," Snowball promised. And then Mr. Crow got ready to fly away. "By the way," he said, pausing, "what's the treat to be?" "The Muley Cow said she heard Farmer Green tell Johnnie to 'salt the sheep to-day,'" Snowball explained. To his great surprise old Mr. Crow let out a deafening squawk when he heard that bit of news. "Then I'll keep as far away from the pasture as I can get!" he cried.[33] <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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