the tree and
laughed and laughed.

"I'll go out of these woods and never, never, never come back if
you'll just let me down!" Brushtail promised; and he really meant it.
This was just what Doctor Rabbit was waiting to hear Brushtail say.

But Doctor Rabbit said, "We'll go over to my house for a little while
and talk the matter over."

And, with Brushtail begging them to come back and let him down, they
all hurried over to Doctor Rabbit's house in the big tree. When they
were inside Doctor Rabbit seated them all in his best chairs.

Then he stood up and said, "My friends, I just wanted to have you all
come over here and stay until morning. The fact is, that while
Brushtail is pretty badly scared, he is not hurt much yet, and we must
hurt him, at least a little, or he may forget his promise and come
back to our woods. By morning, however, I think he will have learned a
lesson he never will forget, and I think he'll keep out."

So they talked and had a good time at Doctor Rabbit's until morning.
It was just daylight when they went back to the slim hickory.
Brushtail was still hanging there, and when he saw them how he did
yell to be let down!

"Very well, Brother Brushy," Doctor Rabbit said, "we'll let you down,
and if you ever come back into our woods again--"

"Oh," yelled Brushtail before Doctor Rabbit could say another word,
"I'll never, never, never come back if I can get down. I'd rather live
on crickets and bugs all my life than to take chances." But Brushtail
did not say any more, because he wanted to get down right away.

"O. Possum," said Doctor Rabbit, "if you'll go up and gnaw that rope
in two so that old Brushtail can drop to the ground, you may have that
cow's head all for yourself."

"I'll do that," O. Possum said, and he began climbing the tree.
Presently O. Possum was above Brushtail, and began gnawing the rope.

"Oh, dear me!" shouted Brushtail after O. Possum had gnawed for a
time. "It's an awfully long way to the ground, I'm afraid!"

And then O. Possum got the rope gnawed right in two. _Plunk_!
Brushtail struck the ground. Well, sir, he got right up and started to
run. He was so stiff he could not run well at first, but the farther
he went the faster he ran. After he got across the Murmuring Brook he
went away through the woods on the other side like a streak. I don't
know of anything that could have scared Brushtail and made him _stay_
scared as that snare did.

Brushtail the Fox never