e Green Forest shuffled Unc' Billy
Possum. He didn't hurry. It was too warm to hurry. Unlike Jimmy Skunk,
he does hurry sometimes, does Unc' Billy, especially when he suspects
that Bowser the Hound is about. And sometimes Unc' Billy does worry. You
see, there are people who think that Unc' Billy would make a very good
dinner. Unc' Billy doesn't think he would. Anyway, he has no desire to
have the experiment tried. So occasionally, when he discovers one of
these people who think he would make a good dinner, he worries a little.

But just now Unc' Billy was neither hurrying nor worrying. There was no
need of doing either, and Unc' Billy never does anything that there is
no need of doing. So Unc' Billy shuffled up the Lone Little Path, and
Jimmy Skunk ambled down the Lone Little Path, and right at a bend in the
Lone Little Path they met.

[Illustration]

Jimmy Skunk grinned. "Hello, Unc' Billy!" said he. "Have you seen any
fat beetles this morning?"

Unc' Billy grinned. "Good mo'nin', Brer Skunk," he replied. "Ah can't
rightly say Ah have. Ah had it on mah mind to ask yo' the same thing."

Jimmy sat down and looked at Unc' Billy with twinkling eyes. His grin
grew broader and became a chuckle. "Unc' Billy," said he, "have you ever
in your life combed your hair or brushed your coat?" You know Unc' Billy
usually looks as if every hair was trying to point in a different
direction from every other hair, while Jimmy Skunk always appears as
neat as if he spent half his time brushing and smoothing his handsome
black and white coat.

Unc' Billy's eyes twinkled. "Ah reckons Ah did such a thing once or
twice when Ah was very small, Brer Skunk," said he, without a trace of
a smile. "But it seems to me a powerful waste of time. Ah have mo'
important things to worry about. By the way, Brer Skunk, did yo' ever
run away from anybody in all your life?"

Jimmy looked surprised at the question. He scratched his head
thoughtfully. "Not that I remember of," said he after a little. "Most
folks run away from me," he added with a little throaty chuckle. "Those
who don't run away always are polite and step aside. It may be that when
I was a very little fellow and didn't know much about the Great World
and the people who live in it, I might have run away from some one, but
if I did, I can't remember it. Why do you ask, Unc' Billy?"

"Oh, no reason in particular, Brer Skunk. No reason in particular. Only
Ah wonder sometimes if yo' ever real