`` The thing to do is to make sure that Farmer Brown 's boy and Farmer Brown himself are nowhere about . They ought to be down in the cornfield pretty soon . With them down there , I have only to watch my chance and slip in . It wo n't take but a second . Just a little courage , Blacky , just a little courage ! Nothing in this world worth having is gained without some risk . The thing to do is to make sure that the risk is as small as possible . '' Blacky shook out his feathers and then flew out of the tall pine-tree as silently as he had flown into it . He headed straight toward Farmer Brown 's cornfield . When he was near enough to see all over the field , he dropped down to the top of a fence post , and there he waited . He did n't have long to wait . In fact , he had been there but a few minutes when he spied two people coming down the Long Lane toward the cornfield . He looked at them sharply , and then gave a little sigh of satisfaction . They were Farmer Brown and Farmer Brown 's boy . Presently they reached the cornfield and turned into it . Then they went to work , and Blacky knew that so far as they were concerned , the way was clear for him to visit the henyard . He did n't fly straight there . Oh , my , no ! Blacky is too clever to do anything like that . He flew toward the Green Forest .
When he knew that he was out of sight of those in the cornfield , he turned and flew over to the Old Orchard , and from the top of one of the old apple-trees he studied the XXXXX and the barnyard and Farmer Brown 's house and the barn , to make absolutely sure that there was no danger near .
Blacky Brown Forest Lane boy henyard minutes pine-tree risk second