# Blacky Screws Up His Courage explained — Green Forest Stories

> Chapter companion for Green Forest Stories by Thornton W. Burgess.

## What happens

Blacky the Crow, obsessed with stealing a hen's egg from Farmer Brown's henhouse, musters his courage and devises a plan to retrieve one while the farmer and his boy are occupied in the cornfield. After careful reconnaissance, he overcomes his fear of the door and enters the henhouse, finding the two eggs waiting.

## Themes in this chapter

### Fear and Survival

Blacky must overcome his fear of entering the henhouse to obtain the egg, highlighting the risk and courage required for survival.

### Moral Ambiguity

Blacky's plan to steal the egg involves deception and risk, blurring the lines between cleverness and wrongdoing.

## Character check-ins

### Blacky the Crow

Blacky is determined to steal a hen's egg, overcoming his fear of enclosed spaces and carefully planning his approach.

### Farmer Brown

Farmer Brown is seen heading to the cornfield with his boy, providing Blacky the opportunity to approach the henhouse.

### Farmer Brown's boy

Farmer Brown's boy accompanies his father to the cornfield, unknowingly clearing the way for Blacky's egg theft.

### Unc' Billy Possum

Blacky briefly considers asking Unc' Billy Possum to retrieve an egg but decides against it due to distrust.

## Key lines

> If out of sight, then out of mind. This is a saying which you often hear. It may be true sometimes, but it is very far from true at other times.

The proverb 'out of sight, out of mind' doesn't always hold true, as Blacky's obsession with the eggs shows.

_Introduces the theme of persistent desire despite physical absence._

> Nothing in this world worth having is gained without some risk.

Blacky reminds himself that achieving something valuable requires taking chances.

_Reflects Blacky's internal motivation and the risk-reward calculus._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/green_forest_stories_se/chapters/xxx-blacky-screws-up-his-courage
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/green_forest_stories_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/green_forest_stories_se/chapters