pany at a
house or a boarder. They all felt a good deal like company at first, but
by the next evening at supper time they felt different. Mr. 'Coon and
Mr. 'Possum had been out all day bringing in things, too, and Mr. Crow
had been cooking harder than ever. Mr. Robin was first to make remarks.
He said that the cherries were canned, and not very good ones at that.

"That's what I said," put in Mr. 'Coon, "but Mr. 'Possum said you
wouldn't know the difference."

[Illustration]

"Oh, he did, did he?" says Mr. Robin. "Well, I've got better cherries
than these at home," and he got up from the table with a disgusted air.

Then Mr. Squirrel picked up some roasted nuts that the Crow had just
brought in.

"Where'd you get these nuts?" he says, after he'd cracked one or two of
them.

"Down on the slope of Green Bushes," says Mr. 'Coon. "Why, aren't they
good ones?"

"I suppose they were once," says Mr. Squirrel--"two or three years ago.
Nuts have to be fresh to be good."

"That's what I told him," says Mr. 'Possum; "but he said you wouldn't
know the difference."

"Oh, he did, did he?" says Mr. Squirrel. "Well, I've got better nuts
than these at home," and Mr. Squirrel he got up and left the table.

Then Jack Rabbit began.

"Where'd you get this salad?" he says, turning up his nose.

"Out by Mr. Man's back gate," says Mr. 'Possum. "Why, isn't it good?"

"Might have been once," says Mr. Rabbit. "I s'pose it's some Mr. Man
threw out because it was wilted."

"That's what I told him," says Mr. 'Coon, "but he said you wouldn't know
the difference."

"Oh, he did, did he? Well, I've got better salad than this at home," and
Jack Rabbit he got up and he left the table.

And then, pretty soon, Mr. Turtle made a face over the fish because they
were salt mackerel and not nice fresh fish, such as he was used to at
home. So he got up and left the table, too, and there sat the 'Coon and
'Possum and the Old Black Crow all by themselves and looking cheap
enough to fall through the floor. Mr. Crow said it wasn't his fault, and
then Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum commenced to blame it on each other, and
nearly got into a fight. They were just about to fight when Mr. Crow
happened to think of something. Mr. Crow always did think of things.

"I'll tell you!" he says. "We'll just rent rooms."

"Do what?" says Mr. 'Possum and Mr. 'Coon together.

"Why, just rent each of our guests his room and let him take his meals
out. Then we won