Project Gutenberg's Hollow Tree Nights and Days, by Albert Bigelow Paine This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Hollow Tree Nights and Days Author: Albert Bigelow Paine Illustrator: J. M. Conde Release Date: January 23, 2008 [EBook #24410] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOLLOW TREE NIGHTS AND DAYS *** Produced by Mark C. Orton, Annie McGuire, Linda McKeown and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Book Cover "I KNOW," HE SAID, "I KNOW A WAY" See page 110 "I KNOW," HE SAID, "I KNOW A WAY" See page 110 HOLLOW TREE NIGHTS AND DAYS BEING A CONTINUATION OF THE STORIES ABOUT THE HOLLOW TREE AND DEEP WOODS PEOPLE BY ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE AUTHOR OF "THE HOLLOW TREE AND DEEP WOODS BOOK" WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. M. CONDÉ NEW YORK AND LONDON HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS BOOKS BY ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE For Young Readers THE BOYS' LIFE OF MARK TWAIN HOLLOW TREE NIGHTS AND DAYS THE HOLLOW TREE AND DEEP-WOODS BOOK THE HOLLOW TREE SNOWED-IN BOOK Small books of several stories each, selected from the above Hollow Tree books: HOW MR. DOG GOT EVEN HOW MR. RABBIT LOST HIS TAIL MR. RABBIT'S BIG DINNER MAKING UP WITH MR. DOG MR. 'POSSUM'S GREAT BALLOON TRIP WHEN JACK RABBIT WAS A LITTLE BOY MR. RABBIT'S WEDDING MR. CROW AND THE WHITEWASH MR. TURTLE'S FLYING ADVENTURE For Grown-ups DWELLERS IN ARCADY MARK TWAIN: A BIOGRAPHY TH. NAST: HIS PERIOD AND HIS PICTURES THE SHIP-DWELLERS (Humorous travel) THE TENT-DWELLERS (Humorous camping) FROM VAN-DWELLER TO COMMUTER (Humorous, home life) PEANUT (Story of a boy) HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK Copyright, 1915, 1916, by Harper & Brothers Printed in the United States of America TO J. P. A FRIEND OF ALL HOLLOW TREE PEOPLE A NEW MAP OF THE HOLLOW TREE AND DEEP WOODS COUNTRY EXPLANATION OF THE NEW MAP This is a new map of the Deep Woods, showing a good many new things. The three spots on the Edge of the World, away down, show where the Hollow Tree people and Mr. Rabbit sat when they told their star stories. Mr. 'Coon leaned against the tree, so his spot does not show. The little bush is the one that Mr. 'Possum curled his tail around when he wanted to take a nap, to keep from falling over into the Deep Nowhere. Right straight above the spots is the old well that Mr. 'Possum fell into and lost his chicken. Over toward the Wide Blue Water is Cousin Redfield's cave and his bear ladder. The path leads to where he fell in. You can also find Mr. Turtle's fish-poles which he keeps set, just above his house. The Hill there is where the Deep Woods people tried Mr. 'Possum's car, and the thing that looks like a barber-pole is where they landed. They put it up afterward to mark the place. If you follow the road around you will come to Mr. 'Coon's bee-tree, and Mr. Robin's tree, near the Race Track. There ought to be a good many more roads and things, but the artists said if they put everything on the map it would look too mixed up. Remember, with Deep Woods folks the top of the map is south. GREETINGS FROM THE STORY TELLER AND THE ARTIST Once upon a time, ever so long ago, the Story Teller told the Little Lady all about the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow who lived in three hollow branches of a Big Hollow Tree that stood in the far depths of the Big Deep Woods. The Crow and 'Coon and 'Possum were great friends and used to meet in the big family room down-stairs and have plenty of good things to eat, and then sit by the fire and smoke and tell stories, and sometimes they would invite the other Deep Woods people, like Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Turtle and the rest, and even Mr. Dog, after they became friends with him, though Mr. Dog did not really live in the Deep Woods, but only on the edge of it, with Mr. Man. The Hollow Tree people never did get to be friends with Mr. Man. They liked to watch him, sometimes, from a distance, and would borrow things from him when he wasn't at home, but they never just felt like calling on him or asking him to the Hollow Tree. You see, Mr. Man really belonged to one world and the Hollow Tree people belonged to another, and something is always likely to happen when any one, even an author, goes to mixing up worlds. Well, by and by the Story Teller, and the Artist who drew the pictures, put the Hollow Tree and Deep Woods stories into a book to preserve them, for they thought that was going to be all of them, because Mr. Dog, who told them, had gone away and they did not know where they could ever find any more. Even when other Little Ladies and their brothers wrote and asked for more Hollow Tree stories there were no more to send for a very long time. But then one day the Story Teller and the Artist themselves moved into the very edge of the Big Deep Woods, and there they found some more stories about the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow, because Mr. Dog had left a young relative, very fine and handsome, who was also friends with the Hollow Tree people and could tell everything as it happened, right along. So the Story Teller and the Artist made up The Hollow Tree Snowed-In Book which was all about once when the Hollow Tree people and their friends were "snowed in" and had to sit around the fire and eat good things and play games and tell stories to pass the time. How Little Ladies do slip away from us! The first Hollow Tree stories were told for one who is now a Big Lady, and the Snowed-In stories for another, who will soon be a Big Lady, too. But in the Deep Woods the years do not count. The Hollow Tree people never grow any older, but stay always the same, and the Story Teller and the Artist have to keep stepping backward to find out the new Hollow Tree stories and to tell them to the new Little People that come along. So now after a good many years we have a third Hollow Tree book, which will surely be the last one, because things are so likely to go in threes, like three cheers, and three trials, and three strikes and out. The Deep Woods people will never desert the Hollow Tree, and though after this we should not hear from them again, we may imagine they are doing many of the same things, and keeping safe and happy during all the future Hollow Tree Nights and Days. CONTENTS EXPLANATION OF THE NEW MAP GREETINGS FROM THE STORY TELLER AND THE ARTIST CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND BUNTY BUN MR. 'POSSUM'S SICK SPELL MR. TURTLE'S FLYING ADVENTURE THE DEEP WOODS ELOPEMENT COUSIN REDFIELD AND THE MOLASSES IN MR. MAN'S CAR MR. 'POSSUM'S CAR MR. BEAR'S EARLY SPRING CALL HOW MR. 'POSSUM'S TAIL BECAME BARE A DEEP WOODS WAR MR. CROW AND THE WHITEWASH MR. 'COON'S STAR STORY MR. RABBIT'S STAR STORY MR. CROW'S STAR STORY MR. JACK RABBIT BRINGS A FRIEND MR. RABBIT'S WEDDING ILLUSTRATIONS "I KNOW," HE SAID, "I KNOW A WAY" A NEW MAP OF THE HOLLOW TREE AND DEEP WOODS COUNTRY MR. RABBIT SAID HE CERTAINLY DID APPRECIATE BEING INVITED TO THE HOLLOW TREE I USED TO RUN OUT AND GET BEHIND, WITH BUNTY, AND TAKE HER BOOKS NEW FLOWERS THAT SHE WANTED ME TO DIG UP FOR HER I HAD MADE A MISS-DIP, AND EVERYBODY WAS LOOKING AT ME MR. RABBIT SAID HE COULD HARDLY GET TO HICKORY WHACK'S DESK MR. OWL LOOKED AT HIS TONGUE AND FELT HIS PULSE IN A LITTLE WHILE HE HAD THIS FINE, FAT CHICKEN MR. CROW SAID IF MR. 'POSSUM WAS STILL WITH THEM NEXT MORNING THEY WOULD SEND FOR ANOTHER DOCTOR WHEN THE DUMPLING WAS GONE HE FISHED UP A LEG AND ATE THAT "WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY SUNDAY COAT ON?" A CATFISH NEARLY JERKED HIS POLE OUT OF HIS HANDS OLD MAN MOCCASIN WAS ONLY ABOUT TWENTY FEET AWAY "NOW FLY!" HE SAYS, AND DOWN I WENT "YES," SAID MR. TURTLE, "THAT'S WHERE I STRUCK" SHE WOULD MAKE WINTERS HELP MY YOUNG LADY COUSIN DO THE DISHES UNCLE SILAS HAD GONE TO SLEEP WITH A POTATO IN HIS HAND THAT NIGHT WINTERS AND I TALKED IT OVER SENT ME SAILING UP INTO THE SKY HE LAUGHED MORE THAN I EVER SAW HIM LAUGH AT ANYTHING HE DIDN'T EAT THE BREAD AT ALL, BUT JUST ATE UP THE MOLASSES SAT DOWN ON THE STONE TO THINK AGAIN AND CRY SOME MORE AND THEN PRETTY SOON IT COMMENCED TO RUN BETTER IT GAVE HIM SUCH A SICK TURN THAT HE NEARLY DIED MR. 'POSSUM TRIED TO TURN THE CRANK A LITTLE MR. 'COON SAT UP IN THE FRONT SEAT MADE A DIVE FOR THE REAR SEAT HE USED TO WALK UP AND DOWN IN THE SUN AND SMOKE, THINKING AND THINKING SIGHTED ACROSS IT TO SEE THAT THEY WERE KEEPING IT STRAIGHT SO THEN MR. 'POSSUM GOT UP INTO THE SEAT TO STEER GOING FASTER AND FASTER EVERY MINUTE MR. TURTLE TOOK MR. 'POSSUM ON HIS BACK, AND EVERYBODY SAID IT WAS FINE MR. 'POSSUM CAME PUFFING UP THE STAIRS DID NOT REALLY INTEND TO GO SOUND ASLEEP WHEN MR. 'POSSUM HEARD THAT HE FAINTED DEAD AWAY FLUNG HIMSELF AGAINST THE DOWN-STAIRS DOOR WITH A GREAT BANG "I HOPE MR. 'POSSUM'S FUNERAL WILL BE A SUCCESS" ONE DAY A NEW AND VERY HANDSOME MR. 'POSSUM CAME INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD CALLING OUT, "MUCH OBLIGED, MR. PAINTER" MR. WATERS HAD TO TAKE WHAT WAS LEFT TOOK HIM ALL THE AFTERNOON TO PRY THE REST OF MY ANCESTORS LOOSE I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT VIOLET COULD SEE IN HIM ALL DAY LONG CARRIED HONEY OUT OF THE BEE-TREE VIOLET AND THAT BIG CREATURE HAD STARTED HOUSEKEEPING MR. CROW AND MR. RABBIT WENT BACK TO THE FENCE JOB GAVE HIM ANOTHER AND VERY HEAVY COAT WOKE UP AND TOOK ONE LOOK AT THE STRANGE, WHITE CREATURE "GOOD GRACIOUS ALIVE! IF THE HOLLOW TREE ISN'T ON FIRE!" MR. 'COON RODE DOWN ON IT LIKE A SLED I WAS VERY YOUNG BUT MOST OF ALL I WAS ANXIOUS TO SEE IN THAT BOX A BIG YELLOW ONE JUST GRAZED MY LEFT EAR I NOTICED A SCARED CHICKEN TOLD WHAT A GRAND PLACE THE SKY WAS THEY PILED UP THAT LADDER IN A STEADY STREAM GRANDPAW WENT ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE WAY UP HIS LADDER, TO SEE I ASKED MINERVA TO TELL ME IN A FEW SIMPLE WORDS WHAT SHE HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT AT THE MEETING SHE JUST WHEELED AND GAVE ME A CLIP I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE MY MOTHER-IN-LAW EVERYBODY LOOKED UP AT THE TWINKLING SKY I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING SO WONDERFUL AS THE WAY SHE TELLS IT MISS MYRTLE PAUSED AND WIPED HER EYES SO I WENT HOME WITH MR. ROBIN STOPPED TO TALK A LITTLE WITH EACH ONE JACK RABBIT WOULD HAVE STAYED A BACHELOR IF SHE HADN'T TRIPPED IN HER WEDDING-GOWN "MAY YOU BE HAPPY AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, AND LONGER" AND YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN COUSIN REDFIELD DANCE CALLED FOR THE FEATHER BED WENT OUT ON THE OPEN TRACK AND TOOK A LITTLE RUN LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND BUNTY BUN JACK RABBIT TELLS ABOUT HIS SCHOOL-DAYS, AND WHY HE HAS ALWAYS THOUGHT IT BEST TO LIVE ALONE The Little Lady has been poring over a first reader, because she has started to school now, and there are lessons almost every evening. Then by and by she closes the book and comes over to where the Story Teller is looking into the big open fire. The little lady looks into the fire, too, and thinks. Then pretty soon she climbs into the Story Teller's lap and leans back, and looks into the fire and thinks some more. "Did the Hollow Tree people ever go to school?" she says. "I s'pose they did, though, or they wouldn't know how to read and write, and send invitations and things." The Story Teller knocks the ashes out of his pipe and lays it on the little stand beside him. "Why, yes indeed, they went to school," he says. "Didn't I ever tell you about that?" "You couldn't have," says the Little Lady, "because I never thought about its happening, myself, until just now." "Well, then," says the Story Teller, "I'll tell you something that Mr. Jack Rabbit told about, one night in the Hollow Tree, when he had been having supper with the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow, and they were all sitting before the fire, just as we are sitting now. It isn't really much about school, but it shows that Jack Rabbit went to one, and explains something else, too." Mr. Crow had cooked all his best things that evening, and everything had tasted even better than usual. Mr. 'Possum said he didn't really feel as if he could move from his chair when supper was over, but that he wanted to do the right thing, and would watch the fire and poke it while the others were clearing the table, so that it would be nice and bright for them when they were ready to enjoy it. So then the Crow and the 'Coon and Jack Rabbit flew about and did up the work, while Mr. 'Possum put on a fresh stick, then lit his pipe, and leaned back and stretched out his feet, and said it surely was nice to have a fine, cozy home like theirs, and that he was always happy when he was doing things for people who appreciated it, like those present. MR. RABBIT SAID HE CERTAINLY DID APPRECIATE BEING INVITED TO THE HOLLOW TREE Mr. Rabbit said he certainly did appreciate being invited to the Hollow Tree, living, as he did, alone, an old bachelor, with nobody to share his home; and then pretty soon the work was all done up, and Jack Rabbit and the others drew up their chairs, too, and lit their pipes, and for a while nobody said anything, but just smoked and felt happy. Mr. 'Possum was first to say something. He leaned over and knocked the ashes out of his pipe, then leaned back and crossed his feet, and said he'd been thinking about Mr. Rabbit's lonely life, and wondering why it was that, with his fondness for society and such a good home, he had stayed a bachelor so long. Then the Crow and the 'Coon said so, too, and asked Jack Rabbit why it was. Mr. Rabbit said it was quite a sad story, and perhaps not very interesting, as it had all happened so long ago, when he was quite small. "My folks lived then in the Heavy Thickets, over beyond the Wide Grasslands," he said; "it was a very nice place, with a good school, kept by a stiff-kneed rabbit named Whack—J. Hickory Whack—which seemed to fit him. I was the only child in our family that year, and I suppose I was spoiled. I remember my folks let me run and play a good deal, instead of making me study my lessons, so that Hickory Whack did not like me much, though he was afraid to be as severe as he was with most of the others, my folks being quite well off and I an only child. Of course, the other scholars didn't like that, and I don't blame them now, though I didn't care then whether they liked it or not. I didn't care for anything, except to go capering about the woods, gathering flowers and trying to make up poetry, when I should have been doing my examples. I didn't like school or J. Hickory Whack, and every morning I hated to start, until, one day, a new family moved into our neighborhood. They were named Bun, and one of them was a little girl named Bunty—Bunty Bun." When Mr. Rabbit got that far in his story he stopped a minute and sighed, and filled his pipe again, and took out his handkerchief, and said he guessed a little speck of ashes had got into his eye. Then he said: "The Buns lived close to us, and the children went the same way to school as I did. Bunty was little and fat, and was generally behind, and I stayed behind with her, after the first morning. She seemed a very well-behaved little Miss Rabbit, and was quite plump, as I say, and used to have plump little books, which I used to carry for her, and think how nice it would be if I could always go on carrying them and helping Bunty Bun over the mud-holes and ditches." Mr. Rabbit got another speck of ashes in his eye, and had to wipe it several times and blow his nose hard. Then he said: "She wore a little red cape and a pretty linsey dress, and her ears were quite slim and silky, and used to stand straight up, except when she was sad over anything. Then they used to lop down quite flat; when I saw them that way it made me sad, too. But when she was pleased and happy, they set straight up and she seemed to laugh all over. USED TO RUN OUT AND GET BEHIND, WITH BUNTY, AND TAKE HER BOOKS "I forgot all about not liking school. I used to watch until I saw the Bun children coming, and then run out and get behind, with Bunty, and take her books, and wish there was a good deal farther to go. When it got to be spring and flowers began to bloom, I would gather every one I saw for Bunty Bun, and once I made up a poem for her. I remember it still. It said: "Oh, Bunty Bun, The spring's begun, The violet's are in bloom. Oh, Bunty Bun, I'll pick you one, All full of sweet perfume. "The sun is bright, Our hearts are light, And we will skip and run. Prick up your ears, And dry your tears, Dear bunny, Bunty Bun." "Mr. Rabbit said he didn't suppose it was the best poetry, but that it had meant so much to him then that he couldn't judge it now, and, anyway, it was no matter any more. The other children used to tease them a good deal, Mr. Rabbit said, but that he and Bunty had not minded it so very much, only, of course, he wouldn't have had them see his poem for anything. The trouble began when Bunty Bun decided to have a flower-garden. "She used to see new flowers along the way to and from school that she wanted me to dig up for her so she could set them out in her garden. I liked to do it better than anything, too, only not going to school, because the ground was pretty soft and sticky, and it made my hands so dirty, and Hickory Whack was particular about the children having clean hands. I used to hide the flower plants under the corner of the school-house every morning, and hurry in and wash my hands before school took up, and the others used to watch me and giggle, for they knew what all that dirt came from. Our school was just one room, and there were rows of nails by the door to hang our things on, and there was a bench with the wash-basin and the water-pail on it, the basin and the pail side by side. It was a misfortune for me that they were put so close together that way. But never mind—it is a long time ago. NEW FLOWERS THAT SHE WANTED ME TO DIG UP FOR HER NEW FLOWERS THAT SHE WANTED ME TO DIG UP FOR HER "One morning in April when it was quite chilly Bunty Bun saw several pretty plants on the way to school that she wanted me to dig up for her, root and all, for her garden. I said it would be better to get them on the way home that night, but Bunty said some one might come along and take them and that she wouldn't lose those nice plants for anything. So I got down on my knees and dug and dug with my hands in the cold, sticky dirt, until I got the roots all up for her, and my hands were quite numb and a sight to look at. Then we hurried on to school, for it was getting late. "When we got to the door I pushed the flower plants under the edge of the house, and we went in, Bunty ahead of me. School had just taken up, and all the scholars were in their seats except us. Bunty Bun went over to the girls' side to hang up her things, and I stuck my hat on a nail on our side, and stepped as quick as I could to the bench where the water was, to wash my hands. "There was some water in the basin, and I was just about to dip my hands in when I looked over toward Bunty Bun and saw her little ears all lopped down flat, for the other little girl rabbits were giggling at her for coming in with me and being late. The boy rabbits were giggling at me, too, which I did not mind so much. But I forgot all about the basin, for a minute, looking at Bunty Bun's ears, and when I started to wash my hands I kept looking at Bunty, and in that way made an awful mistake; for just when the water was feeling so good to my poor chilled hands, and I was waving them about in it, all the time looking at Bunty's droopy ears, somebody suddenly called out, 'Oh, teacher, Jacky Rabbit's washing his hands in the water-pail! Jacky Rabbit's washing his hands in the water-pail, teacher!' I HAD MADE A MISS-DIP, AND EVERYBODY WAS LOOKING AT ME "And sure enough, I was! Looking at Bunty Bun and pitying her, I had made a miss-dip, and everybody was looking at me; and J. Hickory Whack said, in the most awful voice, 'Jack Rabbit, you come here, at once!'" MR. RABBIT SAID HE COULD HARDLY GET TO HICKORY WHACK'S DESK MR. RABBIT SAID HE COULD HARDLY GET TO HICKORY WHACK'S DESK Mr. Rabbit said he could hardly get to Hickory Whack's desk, he was so weak in the knees, and when Mr. Whack had asked him what he had meant by such actions he had been almost too feeble to speak. "I couldn't think of a word," he said, "for, of course, the only thing I could say was that I had been looking at Bunty Bun's little droopy ears, and that would have made everybody laugh, and been much worse. Then the teacher said he didn't see how he was going to keep himself from whipping me soundly, he felt so much that way, and he said it in such an awful tone that all the others were pretty scared, too, and quite still, all of them but just one—one scholar on the girls' side, who giggled right out loud—and I know you will hardly believe it when I tell you that it was Bunty Bun! I was sure I knew her laugh, but I couldn't believe it and, scared as I was, I turned to look, and there she sat, looking really amused, her slim little ears sticking straight up as they always did when she enjoyed anything." Mr. Rabbit rose and walked across the room and back, and sat down again, quite excitedly. "Think of it, after all I had done for her! I saw at once that there would be no pleasure in carrying her books and helping her over the mud-puddles in the way I had planned. And just then Hickory Whack grabbed a stick and reached for me. But he didn't reach quite far enough, for I was always rather spry, and I was half-way to the door with one spring, and out of it and on the way home, the next. Of course he couldn't catch me, with his stiff leg, and he didn't try. When I got home I told my folks that I didn't feel well, and needed a change of scene. So they said I could visit some relatives in the Big Deep Woods—an old aunt and uncle, and I set out on the trip within less than five minutes, for I was tired of the Thickets. My aunt and uncle were so glad to see me that I stayed with them, and when they died they left me their property. So I've always stayed over this way, and live in it still. Sometimes I go over to the Heavy Thickets, and once I saw Bunty Bun. She is married, and shows her age. She used to be fat and pretty and silly. Now she is just fat and silly, though I don't suppose she can help those things. Still, I had a narrow escape, and I've never thought of doing garden work since then for anybody but myself and my good friends, like those of the Hollow Tree." MR. 'POSSUM'S SICK SPELL MR. 'POSSUM HAS A NIGHT ADVENTURE WHICH CAUSES EXCITEMENT Once upon a time, said the Story Teller, something very sad nearly happened in the Hollow Tree. It was Mr. 'Possum's turn, one night, to go out and borrow a chicken from Mr. Man's roost, and coming home he fell into an old well and lost his chicken. He nearly lost himself, too, for the water was icy cold and Mr. 'Possum thought he would freeze to death before he could climb out, because the rocks were slippery and he fell back several times. As it was, he got home almost dead, and next morning was sicker than he had ever been before in his life. He had pains in his chest and other places, and was all stuffed up in his throat and very scared. The 'Coon and the Crow who lived in the Hollow Tree with him were scared, too. They put him to bed in the big room down-stairs, and said they thought they ought to send for somebody, and Mr. Crow said that Mr. Owl was a good hand with sick folks, because he looked so wise and didn't say much, which always made the patient think he knew something. MR. OWL LOOKED AT HIS TONGUE AND FELT HIS PULSE MR. OWL LOOKED AT HIS TONGUE AND FELT HIS PULSE So Mr. Crow hurried over and brought Mr. Owl, who put on his glasses and looked at Mr. 'Possum's tongue, and felt of his pulse, and listened to his breathing, and said that the cold water seemed to have struck in and that the only thing to do was for Mr. 'Possum to stay in bed and drink hot herb tea and not eat anything, which was a very sad prescription for Mr. 'Possum, because he hated herb tea and was very partial to eating. He groaned when he heard it and said he didn't suppose he'd ever live to enjoy himself again, and that he might just as well have stayed in the well with the chicken, which was a great loss and doing no good to anybody. Then Mr. Owl went away, and told the Crow outside that Mr. 'Possum was a very sick man, and that at his time of life and in his state of flesh his trouble might go hard with him. So Mr. Crow went back into the kitchen and made up a lot of herb tea and kept it hot on the stove, and Mr. 'Coon sat by Mr. 'Possum's bed and made him drink it almost constantly, which Mr. 'Possum said might cure him if he didn't die of it before the curing commenced. He said if he just had that chicken, made up with a good platter of dumplings, he believed it would do him more good than anything, and he begged the 'Coon to go and fish it out, or to catch another one, and try it on him, and then if he did die he would at least have fewer regrets. IN A LITTLE WHILE HE HAD THIS FINE, FAT CHICKEN IN A LITTLE WHILE HE HAD THIS FINE, FAT CHICKEN But the Crow and the 'Coon said they must do as Mr. Owl ordered, unless Mr. 'Possum wanted to change doctors, which was not a good plan until the case became hopeless, and that would probably not be before some time in the night. Mr. 'Coon said, though, there was no reason why that nice chicken should be wasted, and as it would still be fresh, he would rig up a hook and line and see if he couldn't save it. So he got out his fishing things and made a grab hook and left Mr. Crow to sit by Mr. 'Possum until he came back. He could follow Mr. 'Possum's track to the place, and in a little while he had the fine, fat chicken, and came home with it and showed it to the patient, who had a sinking spell when he looked at it, and turned his face to the wall and said he seemed to have lived in vain. Mr. Crow, who always did the cooking, said he'd better put the chicken on right away, under the circumstances, and then he remembered a bottle of medicine he had once seen sitting on Mr. Man's window-sill outside, and he said while the chicken was cooking he'd just step over and get it, as it might do the patient good, and it didn't seem as if anything now could do him any harm. MR. CROW SAID IF MR. 'POSSUM WAS STILL WITH THEM NEXT MORNING THEY WOULD SEND FOR ANOTHER DOCTOR So the Crow dressed the nice chicken and put it in the pot with the dumplings, and while Mr. 'Coon dosed Mr. 'Possum with the hot herb tea Mr. Crow slipped over to Mr. Man's house and watched a good chance when the folks were at dinner, and got the bottle and came back with it and found Mr. 'Possum taking a nap and the 'Coon setting the table; for the dinner was about done and there was a delicious smell of dumplings and chicken, which made Mr. 'Possum begin talking in his sleep about starving to death in the midst of plenty. Then he woke up and seemed to suffer a good deal, and the Crow gave him a dose of Mr. Man's medicine, and said that if Mr. 'Possum was still with them next morning they'd send for another doctor. Mr. 'Possum took the medicine and choked on it, and when he could speak said he wouldn't be with them. He could tell by his feelings, he said, that he would never get through this day of torture, and he wanted to say some last words. Then he said that he wanted the 'Coon to have his Sunday suit, which was getting a little tight for him and would just about fit Mr. 'Coon, and that he wanted the Crow to have his pipe and toilet articles, to remember him by. He said he had tried to do well by them since they had all lived together in the Hollow Tree, and he supposed it would be hard for them to get along without him, but that they would have to do the best they could. Then he guessed he'd try to sleep a little, and closed his eyes. Mr. 'Coon looked at Mr. Crow and shook his head, and they didn't feel like sitting down to dinner right away, and pretty soon when they thought Mr. 'Possum was asleep they slipped softly up to his room to see how sad it would seem without him. Well, they had only been gone a minute when Mr. 'Possum woke up, for the smell of that chicken and dumpling coming in from Mr. Crow's kitchen was too much for him. When he opened his eyes and found that Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Crow were not there, and that he felt a little better—perhaps because of Mr. Man's medicine—he thought he might as well step out and take one last look at chicken and dumpling, anyway.