strong words when he took one of the parts out and couldn't get it back
again without trouble. The wheels ran on rubber, he said, rubber filled
with air, which Mr. Man pumped into them, and when anything happened to
let the air out they had to stop, and then Mr. Man would change the
rubber wheel and pump a good deal, and say strong words again,
especially when it was warm. Mr. Dog said it was a great comfort to sit
back in the shade at such times, and watch Mr. Man pump, and hear him
say all the things that he used to say to Mr. Dog himself when he had
made some little mistake or had come home later than usual. He said he
had never prized anything in his life so much as he had that car, which
was what Mr. Man generally called it.

Well, the Hollow Tree people were certainly excited. They said they
surely must see that new carriage of Mr. Man's, and if Mr. Dog would
send them word some day when he was going out they would hide in the
bushes by the road and watch him go by. Mr. Dog said he would do that,
and that he and Mr. Man generally took an early ride together, before
the rest of the family were stirring, to get some things at the store
down at Great Corners--mostly, of late, things for the automobile, which
seemed to consume a great deal of smelly liquid, and oils, and all kinds
of hardware.

Then Mr. 'Coon said he would give anything in the world to see that
automobile going by with the smoke streaming out behind, and Mr. Dog
sitting up in the front seat. Mr. Crow said he would give anything in
the world to see that, and to slip over to Mr. Man's barn some time when
nobody was at home, and really examine the new object, and maybe sit in
the seats a little. And Mr. 'Possum said he would give a good deal for
all that, but that what he really wanted to do was to sit in the car and
ride, like Mr. Dog, as fast as the thing could go.

Then Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Crow both together said, "Oh, we never could do
that--never in the world!" and Mr. Dog didn't say anything at all--not
at first--but sat thinking. Then by and by he said, all at once:

"I know," he said--"I know a way that you can get to take a ride in our
new car.[4] There is quite a big space under the back seat where Mr. Man
keeps his pump and sometimes other things, but he keeps most of his
things in a tool-box on the side, and only looks into the back-seat
place when he needs the pump. When we start out for a long trip he puts
Mrs. Man's and Miss Man's extra h