d stick his head out
of his room, so Mr. Dog felt pretty safe now, anyway. He rocked softly,
and looked and looked at the nice stockings, and thought how pleased
they'd be in the morning, and how tired he was. You've heard about
people being as tired as a dog; and that's just how Mr. Dog felt. He was
so tired he didn't feel a bit like starting home, and by and by--he
never did know how it happened--but by and by Mr. Dog went sound asleep
right there in his chair, with all his Santa Claus clothes on.

[Illustration: TO SEE MR. DOG JUMP RIGHT STRAIGHT UP OUT OF HIS CHAIR]

And there he sat, with his empty bag in his hand and the nice full
stockings in front of him, all night long. Even when it came morning and
began to get light Mr. Dog didn't know it; he just slept right on, he
was that tired. Then pretty soon the door of Mr. 'Possum's room opened
and he poked out his head. And just then the door of Mr. 'Coon's room
opened and he poked out _his_ head. Then the door of the Old Black
Crow opened and out poked _his_ head. They all looked toward the
stockings, and they didn't see Mr. Dog, or even each other, at all. They
saw their stockings, though, and Mr. 'Coon said all at once:--

[Illustration: IT WAS SNOWING HARD OUTSIDE, WHICH MADE IT A NICER
CHRISTMAS THAN IF IT HADN'T BEEN]

"Oh, there's something in my stocking!"

And then Mr. Crow said:--

"Oh, there's something in my stocking, too!"

And Mr. 'Possum said:--

"Oh, there's something in all our stockings!"

And with that they gave a great hurrah all together, and rushed out and
grabbed their stockings and turned around just in time to see Mr. Dog
jump right straight up out of his chair, for he did not know where he
was the least bit in the world.

"Oh, there's Santa Claus himself!" they all shouted together, and made a
rush for their rooms, for they were scared almost to death. Then it all
dawned on Mr. Dog in a second, and he commenced to laugh and hurrah to
think what a joke it was on everybody. And when they heard Mr. Dog laugh
they knew him right away, and they all came up and looked at him, and he
had to tell just what he'd done and everything; so they emptied out
their stockings on the floor and ate some of the presents and looked at
the others, until they almost forgot about breakfast, just as children
do on Christmas morning.

Then Mr. Crow said, all at once, that he'd make a little coffee, and
that Mr. Dog must stay and have some, and by and by