much as
he said, for his mother-in-law kept him so busy cutting and carrying
wood and helping her with the cooking that he never had any time for
himself at all.

[Illustration: HAD TO STAY AT HOME AND PEEL POTATOES]

Even when Mr. Rabbit and some of his friends had the great fall handicap
race he had to stay at home and peel potatoes, and not see it, besides
being scolded all the time for wanting to go to such a thing as a rabbit
race anyway. And Mr. Crow was sad because it reminded him of his
married life, which he was trying to forget--Mrs. Crow having been the
image of his mother-in-law and exactly like her about races and peeling
potatoes and such things.

And by-and-by, Mr. 'Possum and Mr. 'Coon didn't like it so much, either.
Widow Crow got so she scolded them, too, about their habits, especially
about being out nights and lying in bed next morning, and she wouldn't
give them any breakfast unless they got up in time.

At last she even asked them to take care of their own rooms and to do
other work, the same as Mr. Crow did; and she didn't cook as good
things, nor as many of them, as she did when they first came. Then one
day when they complained a little--not very much, for they were afraid
of the Widow Crow, but a little--she told them that if they didn't like
what she gave them they could find a place they liked better, and that
she was tired of their ways anyhow.

So then Mr. Crow and Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum all got together and
talked it over. And Mr. Crow said _they_ might be pretty tired of it,
but that they couldn't in a hundred years, thinking night and day, think
how tired of it _he_ was. He said if they would just say the word he
would take the things that belonged to him out of that house, and the
three of them would find some good place and all live together, and
never have anything more to do with mothers-in-law or their families. He
said he knew how to cook as well as she did, and really liked to cook
when he was in a pleasant place and wasn't henpecked to death.

And he said if they moved his things they had better do it at night
while his mother-in-law was asleep, so as not to disturb her.

Well, Mr. 'Possum and Mr. Coon both spoke right up and said _they'd_ go
in a minute, and that they'd hunt up the place to live that very day,
though it wasn't the best time of year to move. And Mr. Crow said:

"I know where there's a big Hollow Tree that would be _just_ the place.
It's the biggest t