rather carefully in it, at first, though very
likely it would limber up in time. Then he told them how he was going to
do the kitchen that way, and perhaps other things, and they all got
excited and talked about it, and Mr. 'Possum said that probably he would
have them give him a coat next winter, to match the snow which would be
handy, nights when he was borrowing chickens from Mr. Man, though he
supposed he would have to be dipped. Then they went in to dinner, and
Mr. Crow set out such things as did not require much exercise, and by
and by they all talked about it a great deal more and decided to have a
regular cleaning up and whitewashing, like Mr. Rabbit's. Mr. 'Coon said
he and Mr. 'Possum would do the cleaning up if Mr. Crow would attend to
the whitewashing, as he had learned how, and they would all begin next
day.

II

WHAT CAME OF MR. CROW'S
GREAT EXPERIMENT

Well, Mr. Crow slept sitting up in a chair that night, for fear of
damaging his new complexion, and next morning was out very early with a
basket, on the way to Mr. Man's lime-kiln in the edge of the Big West
Hills.

It had rained a little in the night, and Mr. Crow was rather afraid he
might get his new complexion wet on the bushes, so he stepped very
carefully and was not really comfortable, though proud of his looks. He
was gone a good while, but Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum were still asleep
when he got back, so he emptied his lime into an old barrel behind the
stove where he intended to mix it by and by, and started the breakfast
before calling them. They didn't get up right away, though, so Mr. Crow
sat down and had a cup of coffee and a biscuit or two, and then called
to them that he was going over to borrow Mr. Rabbit's whitewash brush.
He might be a little while getting back, he said, but that they could
start their job any time.

So then he left, and Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum had their breakfast, and
talked about what they would do, and decided that Mr. 'Coon could set
things to rights in the house, and Mr. 'Possum could rake the leaves.
After that they had some more coffee and talked some more, and Mr.
'Possum stretched and said he hadn't slept very well, and didn't know as
he cared so much about cleaning up things this morning as he had
yesterday, but he supposed they must be getting at it, as Mr. Crow
seemed to have his mind set on changing things in general since Mr.
Rabbit had got him started in the direction of whitewash, which i