hem himself the true story of how it happened.

Then they all said that they hoped he would, for they'd always wanted to
hear that story told right, and then Mr. 'Coon went on with his
adventure.

[Illustration: THEN MR. DOG SAID, "TELL ME ANOTHER"]

Mr. 'Coon said that when Mr. Dog said, "Tell me another," he knew he was
in a good humor, and that he felt better and better himself. "I thought,
if Mr. Man didn't come back too soon," he said, "I might get along
pretty well with Mr. Dog.

"'I know another story, Mr. Dog,' I said--'the funniest story there is.
It would make you laugh until you fell over the edge of the world, but I
can't tell it here.'

"'Why,' he said--'why can't you tell it here as well as anywhere?'

"'Because it has to be acted,' I said, 'and my hands are tied.'

"'Will you tell it if I untie your hands?' said Mr. Dog.

"'Well,' I said, 'I'll begin it, and you can see how it goes.'

"So Mr. Dog came over and untied my hands, for he said he could tie them
again before Mr. Man came back, because he knew Mr. Man hadn't found
that hammer yet.

"'You can't get loose with just your hands untied, can you?' he said.

"'No, of course not, Mr. Dog,' I said, pleasant and polite as could be.

"'Let's see you try,' said Mr. Dog.

"So I twisted and pulled, and of course I couldn't get loose.

"'Now tell the story,' said Mr. Dog.

"So I said: 'Once there was a man who had a very bad pain in his chest,
and he took all kinds of medicine, and it didn't do him any good. And
one day the Old Wise Man of the Woods told him if he would rub his
chest with one hand and pat his head with the other, it might draw the
pain out of the top and cure him. So the man with the pain in his chest
tried it, and he did it this way.'

"Then I showed Mr. Dog just how he did it, and Mr. Dog thought that was
funny, and laughed a good deal.

"'Go on and tell the rest of it,' he said. 'What happened after that?'

"But I let on as if I'd just remembered something, and I said, 'Oh, Mr.
Dog, I'm _so_ sorry, but I can't tell the rest of that story here, and
it's the funniest part, too. I know you'd laugh till you rolled over the
edge of the world.'

"'Why can't you tell the rest of that story here as well as anywhere?'
said Mr. Dog, looking anxious.

"'Because it has to be acted with the feet,' I said, 'and my feet are
tied.'

"'Will you tell it if I untie your feet?' said Mr. Dog.

"'Well, I'll do the best I can,' I said.