ong
time, and, besides, I supposed all smart people knew about Mr. Man
having that job, and the careless way he works at it."

"I wish you would tell us," said Mr. Rabbit, "if you can remember
clearly just what you think happened on the night you speak of."

"I don't think anything about it," said Mr. 'Coon. "It was a good
while ago, but I remember exactly how it was as well as if it were only
last week. I'm not likely ever to forget it. It was this way:

[Illustration: I WAS VERY YOUNG]

"We needed a chicken pretty badly in our family, and my big brother, who
generally went after them, said it was about time I was learning to do
something, and sent me over to Mr. Man's to get it. I was very young,
and nobody had ever told me the best way to go about borrowing a chicken
from Mr. Man. Chickens used to roost in trees near Mr. Man's house, in
those days, and I knew my folks generally waited until he had gone to
bed, which I supposed was only because they didn't like to disturb him.
It is too bad that grown people do not explain things carefully to young
folks--it would save many accidents.

"Well, I liked the idea of being sent for a chicken. It made me feel
grown up. I didn't care to be out late, though, so I started quite
early--about sunset--and walked along slowly, enjoying the evening, for
it was summer-time, early in July--the Fourth--a date I am sure I shall
never forget.

"It was a good ways from our place to Mr. Man's house, and it was about
eight o'clock when I got there. Mr. Man and his folks had not gone to
bed yet, but were out in the yard doing something, or getting ready to
do something, and I was very much interested to know what it was. I
really forgot all about the chicken I had come for, and went up quite
near and sat in some young gooseberry-bushes to watch things.

"Mr. Man and Mrs. Man and their little boy all seemed to be very busy.
They brought some chairs out in the yard, and a table with a pitcher and
some glasses--in case they were thirsty, Mrs. Man said, it being so
warm--and then Mr. Man brought out a box of things, and Mrs. Man told
him to set it some distance off, to avoid accidents, so he set it just
over by the gooseberry-bushes, quite close to me. I didn't know what
Mrs. Man meant then by avoiding accidents, but I did later.

"I wanted ever so much to see what was in that box, and decided that
presently, when they got interested in something else, I would step out
and take a look