out calling, and Ah can slip in and go to bed
before she gets back," said Unc' Billy hopefully to himself, as he started
to climb the great hollow tree.

But at the first scratch of his toe-nails on the bark the sharp face of old
Mrs. Possum appeared in the doorway.

"Good evening, mah dear," said Unc' Billy, in the mildest kind of a voice.

Old Mrs. Possum said nothing, but Unc' Billy felt as if her sharp black
eyes were looking right through him.

Unc' Billy grinned a sickly kind of grin as he said:

"Ah hopes yo'alls are feeling good tonight."

"Where's that dinner Ah sent yo' fo'?" demanded old Mrs. Possum sharply.

Unc' Billy fidgeted uneasily. "Ah done brought yo' two eggs from Farmer
Brown's hen-house," he replied meekly.

"Two eggs! Two eggs! How do yo' think Ah am going to feed eight hungry
mouths on two eggs?" snapped old Mrs. Possum.

Unc' Billy hung his head. He hadn't a word to say. He just couldn't tell
her that he had spent the whole day tramping through the Green Forest
looking for an old friend, whose voice he had thought he heard, when he
ought to have been helping her find a dinner for the eight little Possums.
No, Sir, Unc' Billy hadn't a word to say.

My, my, my, how old Mrs. Possum did scold, as she came down the great
hollow tree to get the two eggs. Unc' Billy knew that he deserved every bit
of it. He felt very miserable, and he was too tired to have a bit of spirit
left. So he just sat at the foot of the great hollow tree and said nothing,
while old Mrs. Possum bit a hole in the end of one egg and began to suck
it. All the time she was looking at Unc' Billy with those sharp eyes of
hers. When she had finished the egg, she pushed the other over to him.

"Yo' eat that!" she said shortly. "Yo' look as if yo' hadn't had anything
to eat to-day" (which was true). "Then yo' hustle up to bed; it's all ready
fo' yo'."

Unc' Billy did as he was bid, and as he tucked himself into his snug, warm
bed he murmured sleepily:

"Ol' Mrs. Possum has a sharp, sharp tongue,
But her bark is worse than her bite.
For Ol' Mrs. Possum has a soft, soft heart
Though she hides it way out of sight."

V

SAMMY JAY IS INDIGNANT

Sammy Jay was indignant. Yes, Sir, Sammy Jay was very much put out. In
fact, Sammy was just plain downright mad! It is bad enough to be found out
and blamed for the things you really do, but to be blamed for things that
you don't do and don't even know anything