It was a
long time before old Mr. Crow could quiet the meeting. But he succeeded
at last. And when it was still he said to the stranger:
"How do you know Farmer Green has surrendered?"
It was so quiet that you could have heard a pine-needle fall, for
everyone was straining his ears to hear.
"Farmer Green hung out the white flag to-day!" the stranger told them.
Well, then there was another outburst. Of course, everybody knew that the
white flag was the sign of surrender. And it was some time before old Mr.
Crow could restore order.
"I doubt it!" he cried, to everyone's astonishment.
"It's true!" a voice shouted. "I know, for I saw--_caw_--_caw_! There was
not only _one_ white flag; there were _dozens_ of them!"
And then Mr. Crow surprised them by laughing loudly. He stopped at last
and wiped his eyes--for he had actually wept, both with joy and
amusement.
"What day is this?" he inquired.
And a hundred voices answered: "Monday!"
"Right!" said Mr. Crow. "And Monday is washday at the farmhouse. Those
white flags at Farmer Green's--they were the family wash, hung out on the
line to dry!"
Then all Mr. Crow's neighbors crowded around him and told him that they
wanted him for their leader--and that they always had.
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