e down on
it like a sled, while everybody worked carrying and throwing things, and
Mr. Crow forgot all about his fine new complexion, which began to crack
off and scatter until it was all over the floor and stairs. Then pretty
soon they all felt so choky from that queer smelly smoke that they went
out in the air and piled up their things at a safe distance and stood,
waiting for the flames to break out and burn down their big Hollow Tree
they had lived in so long.

But for some reason the flames did not break out, and by and by the
smoke seemed to get less. Then it really got a good deal less, until
there wasn't any to speak of, and after a while the Hollow Tree people
went to the down-stairs door and looked in, and, though there was plenty
of smell, there was no smoke. Mr. 'Possum said it smelt a good deal like
Mr. Man's lime-kiln on a wet morning. Then Mr. Crow had an idea.

"Did you put anything in that barrel behind the stove," he said to Mr.
'Possum and Mr. 'Coon.

"Why, yes," Mr. 'Coon said, "we put in the leaves that Mr. 'Possum raked
up. They were wet, and we put them there to dry, so you could have them
to cook with."

Then Mr. Crow went straight up the stairs and back to his kitchen, and
there was the barrel of leaves, still smoking a little, though not much,
for the lime was about "slacked." Mr. Crow took hold of the barrel, and
Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum, too, and they carried it down-stairs and
outside, and when they got it far enough away from the tree they emptied
it out and kicked the leaves over the lime, which was still smoking a
little and seemed very hot. Then Mr. Crow looked down at himself, and
said:

"I don't care much about whitewash, anyway."

And Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum looked at him, too, which they had been
too busy to do before, and Mr. 'Coon said:

"It doesn't seem to last very well."

And Mr. 'Possum said, "Mr. Crow, you have a new complexion every day."

For the whitewash had come off of Mr. Crow in patches, until he looked
like a black-and-white crazy quilt. And just then it began to rain
again, and they all hurried to carry in their things; and when they got
them all in the tree again Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum began to straighten
them, but Mr. Crow said he thought he would go outside a little and
enjoy the shower. Then pretty soon it poured pitchforks, but still Mr.
Crow didn't come in, and when Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum looked out of
the upper window they saw him hopping ab