them, in Hollow Tree words--"Now!
now! jump and run! Jump and run! Now! Now! _Now!_ _Now!_"

And the Hollow Tree people didn't have to be told again. All together,
they gave a great big push at the cover of the back seat, and lifted it,
cushion and all, and scrambled out, and over the side of the car and out
the back, and were diving into the deep woods on the other side of the
road from Mr. Man, who was looking up a tree and scolding Mr. Dog
because he couldn't see anything up there to bark at.

The Hollow Tree people didn't wait to see how it came out, but took out
for home, lickety-split, and didn't stop until they were safe in the
Hollow Tree. That night Mr. Dog came over to see how they had enjoyed
it. He said Mr. Man called him several names because he had not been
able to see anything up in the tree, and then had changed the tire and
pumped it while Mr. Dog was getting calm. Mr. Man, he said, was
surprised to find the back cushion had jumped out of place, but did not
suspicion the truth.

Then they all talked it over several times, and were very proud of the
great experience, though they decided that they would not try it
again.

FOOTNOTE:

[4] See frontispiece.

MR. POSSUM'S CAR

MR. 'POSSUM SHOWS HE CAN INVENT THINGS, ESPECIALLY AN AUTOMOBILE LIKE
MR. MAN'S

"YOU may remember," said the Storyteller, one evening, to the Little
Lady, "my telling you about Mr. Man's automobile, and how the Hollow
Tree people, Mr. 'Coon, Mr. 'Possum, and the Old Black Crow, got a ride
in it; how Mr. Dog helped them, you know, and just barely managed to
keep them all from being caught by Mr. Man."

"Why, yes," said the Little Lady, "and I do hope they never wanted to
take another. They didn't, did they?"

[Illustration: HE USED TO WALK UP AND DOWN IN THE SUN AND SMOKE,
THINKING AND THINKING]

"Not in Mr. Man's car--no, they had had enough of that, but they were
very much excited over it, and thought if they could just sit up in the
seat and ride, like Mr. Dog, and see things go by, and not be down under
it, in the dark and danger, they would enjoy it more than anything. Mr.
'Possum thought about it, and talked about it, more than anybody, and
after breakfast, while Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Crow were doing up the
morning's work, he used to walk up and down in the sun and smoke,
thinking and thinking, for Mr. 'Possum is quite thoughtful and a good
hand to plan, when work doesn't strain his mind.

Well, one morning, w