his axe, but no one ran out.

"I guess he's playing dead," said Farmer Brown's boy, and began to
split open the tree, so as to get into the hollow. And as he chopped,
he began to sing again. Pretty soon he had split the tree wide open.
In the bottom of the hollow was an old nest of Chatterer the Red
Squirrel, and that was all. Farmer Brown's boy rubbed his eyes and
stared and stared and stared. There were Unc' Billy's tracks leading
straight up to that tree and none leading away. Did that Possum have
wings?

XXII

WHERE UNC' BILLY POSSUM WAS

Where was Unc' Billy Possum? That is what Farmer Brown's boy wanted to
know. That is what Bowser the Hound wanted to know. Where was Unc'
Billy Possum? He was in another hollow tree all the time and laughing
till his sides ached as he peeped out and saw how hard Farmer Brown's
boy worked.

"Ah done fool him that time," said Unc' Billy, as he watched Farmer
Brown's boy wading off home through the snow, with Bowser the Hound at
his heels.

"You certainly did, Unc' Billy! How did you do it?" asked a voice
right over Unc' Billy's head.

Unc' Billy looked up in surprise. There was Tommy Tit the Chickadee.
Unc' Billy grinned.

"Ah just naturally expected Ah was gwine to have visitors, and so Ah
prepared a little surprise. Yes, Sah, Ah done prepare a little
surprise. Yo' see, mah tracks in the snow was powerful plain. Yes,
Sah, they sho'ly was! When Ah had climbed up that tree and looked down
and saw all those tracks what Ah done made, Ah began to get powerful
anxious. Yes, Sah, Ah done get so anxious Ah just couldn't get any
rest in mah mind. Ah knew Farmer Brown's boy was gwine to find those
tracks, and when he did, he was gwine to follow 'em right smart quick.
Sho' enough, just before sundown, here he comes. He followed mah
tracks right up to the foot of the tree whar Ah was hiding in the
hollow, and Ah heard him say:

"So this is whar yo' live, is it, Mistah Possum? Ah reckon Bowser and
Ah'll make yo' a call to-morrow."

"When I heard him say that, Ah felt right bad. Yes, Sah, Ah sho'ly did
feel right smart bad. Ah studied and Ah studied how Ah was gwine to
fool Farmer Brown's boy and Bowser the Hound. If Ah climbed down and
went somewhere else, Ah would have to leave tracks, and that boy done
bound to find me just the same. Ah done wish Ah had wings like yo' and
Brer Buzzard.

"So po' ol' Unc' Billy sat studying and studying and getting mo' and
mo' troubled i