mbing up into her place, "how the
'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow ever got to living together in
the Hollow Tree."

That frightens the Story Teller. He is all ready with something
different.

"Good gracious!" he says, "that is an old story that all the Deep Woods
People have known ever so long."

"But I don't know it," says the Little Lady, "and I'd like to know that
before you tell anything else. Rock, and tell it."

So the Story Teller rocks slowly, and smokes, and almost forgets the
Little Lady in remembering that far-away time, and presently he begins.

"Well, it was all so long ago that perhaps I can't remember it very
well. Mr. 'Possum was a young man in those days--a nice spry young
fellow; and he used to think it was a good deal of fun to let Mr.
Dog--who wasn't friendly then, of course--try to catch him; and when Mr.
Dog would get pretty close and come panting up behind him, Mr. 'Possum
would scramble up a tree, and run out on to the longest limb and swing
from it, head down, and laugh, and say:

"Come right up, Mr. Dog! Always at home to you, Mr. Dog! Don t stop to
knock!"

And then Mr. Dog would race around under the tree and make a great to
do, and sometimes Mr. 'Possum would swing back and forth, and pretty
soon give a great big swing and let go, and Mr. Dog would think surely
he had him then, and bark and run to the place where he thought he was
going to drop. Only Mr. 'Possum didn't drop--not far; for he had his
limb all picked out, and he would catch it with his tail as he went by,
and it would bend and sway with him, and he would laugh, and call again:

"Don't go, Mr. Dog! Mr. Man can get up the cows alone to-night!"

And then Mr. Dog would remember that he was a good ways from home, and
that if he wasn't there in time to help Mr. Man get up the cows there
might be trouble; and he would set out lickety-split for home, with Mr.
'Possum calling to him as he ran.

[Illustration: CAME CLATTERING DOWN RIGHT IN FRONT OF MR. DOG]

But one time Mr. 'Possum made a mistake. He didn't know it, but he was
getting older and a good deal fatter than he had been at first, and when
he swung out for another limb that way, and let go, he missed the limb
and came clattering down right in front of Mr. Dog. He wasn't hurt much,
for the ground was soft, and there was a nice thick bed of leaves; but I
tell you he was scared, and when Mr. Dog jumped right on top of him, and
grabbed him, he gave himself up