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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/37363-8.txt b/37363-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..38d5646 --- /dev/null +++ b/37363-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2022 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Making Up with Mr. Dog, by Albert Bigelow Paine + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Making Up with Mr. Dog + Hollow Tree Stories + +Author: Albert Bigelow Paine + +Illustrator: J. M. Condé + +Release Date: September 9, 2011 [EBook #37363] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MAKING UP WITH MR. DOG *** + + + + +Produced by Suzanne Shell, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: Good wishes to all Hollow Tree friends + +From the Story Teller] + +[Illustration: THE FIRST DINNER AT THE HOLLOW TREE INN + +[See page 20] + + + + +MAKING UP WITH MR. DOG + +[Illustration] + +HOLLOW TREE STORIES + +BY ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE + +ILLUSTRATED BY J. M. CONDÉ + + HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS + NEW YORK AND LONDON + + + + +HOLLOW TREE STORIES + +BY + +ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE + +12mo. Cloth. Fully Illustrated + + + HOW MR. DOG GOT EVEN + HOW MR. RABBIT LOST HIS TAIL + MR. RABBIT'S BIG DINNER + MAKING UP WITH MR. DOG + MR. POSSUM'S GREAT BALLOON TRIP + WHEN JACK RABBIT WAS A LITTLE BOY + + HOLLOW TREE AND DEEP WOODS BOOK Illustrated. 8vo. + + HOLLOW TREE SNOWED-IN BOOK Illustrated. 8vo. + +HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK + + Copyright, 1898, by JAMES GORDON BENNETT + + Copyright, 1899, by FRANK MUNSEY + + Copyright, 1899, by THE CENTURY COMPANY + + Copyright, 1898, 1899, 1901, by ROBERT HOWARD RUSSELL + + Copyright, 1900, by HARPER & BROTHERS + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE + THE HOLLOW TREE INN 3 + + THE HOLLOW TREE INN (_Continued_) 11 + + A DEEP WOODS FISHING PARTY 25 + + MR. RABBIT EXPLAINS 41 + + THE HOLLOW TREE POETRY CLUB 53 + + MR. RABBIT'S UNWELCOME COMPANY 79 + + MR. 'POSSUM EXPLAINS 91 + + AROUND THE WORLD AND BACK AGAIN 109 + + + + +THE HOLLOW TREE INN + +THE THREE FRIENDS GO INTO BUSINESS + + +ONE rainy day when the 'Coon and 'Possum and Old Black Crow, who lived +together in three big hollow limbs of a Big Hollow Tree, were rummaging +about their house, they found that above each of their rooms was a good +deal of room that nobody ever used. That set them to thinking, and +pretty soon Mr. 'Possum said it was too bad to let all that good room go +to waste, and Mr. 'Coon said yes, it was, and that their house was big +enough for a hotel. + +Of course he didn't think what he was saying at the time, but it set Mr. +Crow to thinking and walking up and down, whistling, and pretty soon he +stopped still and looked at the 'Coon and 'Possum. + +"I'll do the cookin'," he said, "if you'll get the things to cook." + +And right then and there they made up their minds to do it, and early +the next morning, while the Old Black Crow was hurrying about inside, +getting things ready for business, the 'Coon and the 'Possum nailed up a +sign outside, and this is what was on it:-- + + THE HOLLOW TREE INN. + BOARD BY THE DAY OR WEEK. + +[Illustration: "HELLO!" HE SAID. "WHAT'S THIS?"] + +Then they went inside to help Mr. Crow get ready, and by and by they all +sat down and waited for people to come. Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum felt +pretty well, too, for they thought they would have the easiest time. You +see, they had always depended on Mr. Crow a good deal, for, besides +being a good cook, he was a great hand to provide, and knew more about +where to get the best things, and the best time of day or night to get +them, than both of the others put together. So he didn't say anything, +but dressed up nice and spruce in a clean apron and cooking cap and +leaned out of the window, as cooks always do, with his arms folded. By +and by along came Mr. Jack Rabbit. + +"Hello!" he said. "What's this?" + +Then he read the sign over and looked at Mr. Crow and asked him if it +was a joke. And Mr. Crow said:-- + +"Not much! Come up and see." + +So then Mr. Rabbit went up stairs, and Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum showed +him through, and Jack Rabbit said that he didn't feel very well this +summer, anyway, and he believed he'd just shut up his house and come and +board awhile for a change. He said he guessed he'd take the room above +Mr. 'Coon's, because it had a nice south window and a tall looking +glass, and that he'd pack up a few things that he needed and come over +right away. Then he went home and the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old +Black Crow all shook hands and danced around in a circle to think how +well they were going to do, for if Mr. Jack Rabbit came they were sure +of having as many others as their house would hold. + +And while they were dancing, along came Mr. Robin. He read the sign, +too, and laughed, and then knocked at the door till Mr. 'Coon came down +and let him in. He thought it was a joke at first, like the Rabbit, but +when he heard that Jack Rabbit was coming to board he spoke up just as +quick as anything and said he'd come, too, and that he'd have his things +there before supper time. He took the room over Mr. Crow, because he +said he didn't mind the smell of the cooking, and then maybe he'd learn +some new receipts. You see, Mr. Crow and Mr. Robin are sort of kinsfolk, +and when they have time they often get together and trace back to find +out just what relation they are to each other, and that makes them good +friends. + +Well, Mr. Robin hadn't more'n got out of the house when who should walk +in but Mr. Squirrel. + +"What's all this about boarders?" said Mr. Squirrel. "I'm looking for a +place to spend a month or two myself." + +So then they showed him the room above Mr. 'Possum's, and he was so +pleased with the view and everything that he paid a week's board in +advance to be sure of keeping anybody else from getting it. When he was +gone the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow did another dance, and +kept saying over and over how rich they'd be and what they would do with +all the money. Then they heard somebody laughing outside, and when they +looked out there was Mr. Turtle laughing and reading the sign. + +"Hello!" he said. "This isn't the first of April." + +"No," said Mr. Crow, "it's a boarding house, and a good one. All the +best people in the country stop here. Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Robin, and Mr. +Squirrel. Sorry, Mr. Turtle, but our rooms are all full." + +Then Mr. Turtle did look cheap, for he thought he couldn't be in the +crowd, and it was the very crowd he liked to associate with. But just +then Mr. 'Coon happened to think that they might fit up the big room +below the other big room where they all gathered to eat and talk, and +Mr. Turtle said that would suit him exactly, because he was large and +heavy and didn't care much about climbing anyway. So he hurried off +after his things, too, and he wasn't out of sight before here comes Mr. +Dog! + +Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum were both looking out the window when he came +up, and they jumped back like lightning. You see, they didn't like Mr. +Dog worth a cent. Then Mr. Crow came and looked out the window and +talked to him. Mr. Dog was just as polite as a basket of chips, and of +course that's the politest thing in the world. + +"I've just seen Mr. Robin," said Mr. Dog, "and I came to get a room, +too." + +"Awfully sorry, Mr. Dog, but our rooms are all full," said Mr. Crow. + +"Why don't you take down your sign, then?" said Mr. Dog. + +"Hotels never take down their signs," said Mr. Crow. + +"Hotels are never too full for one more, either," said Mr. Dog. "If you +don't let me come in I think I'll wait around here and make a vacancy." + + + + +THE HOLLOW TREE INN (_Continued_) + + + + +WHAT HAPPENS TO MR. DOG + + +NOW, when Mr. 'Possum and Mr. 'Coon heard that their hair stood up +straight, for they knew very well that there'd be two vacant rooms +anyway if Mr. Dog ever got inside, and two if he stayed where he was, +for they happened to think that Mr. Rabbit would be coming along +presently, and Mr. Squirrel wouldn't be far behind. So they hurried to +the back window and looked out, and sure enough, there was Mr. Rabbit +coming with his trunk on his shoulder and almost there. At first they +were frightened 'most to death for Mr. Rabbit, and then the 'Coon +slipped over and whispered to the Crow to keep Mr. Dog talking as hard +as he could, so he wouldn't notice anything. All the time he was doing +this the 'Possum was motioning to Jack Rabbit to slip up easy-like with +his trunk. + +So Mr. Rabbit slipped up softly on the other side of the house from Mr. +Dog and set his trunk down, and the 'Possum let out a long rope with a +hook on it. Jack Rabbit stood up on his trunk and grabbed the hook as +soon as he could reach it and hooked it under his arms. Then the 'Coon +and the 'Possum pulled and pulled and up he came, and as soon as he was +safe they let down the rope and caught the hook in the trunk handle. +That was a load for all three of them, and even then they couldn't get +it up, and called across to the Crow to come quick and help. So he had +to leave Mr. Dog a minute, and when he did that Mr. Dog walked around +the tree, and there was the trunk just a few feet from the ground, going +up very slowly. That was enough for Mr. Dog. He knew then he'd been +fooled, and he was so mad he didn't know what to do. + +[Illustration: THERE WAS MR. RABBIT COMING WITH HIS TRUNK] + +He took one look at that trunk and made up his mind he wouldn't stand +it. So he stepped back a little and made a short run and gave a jump for +the trunk, just as high as ever he could. + +But Mr. Dog wasn't very lucky, for instead of landing on the trunk he +landed his nose right against one corner of it, and that made him madder +than ever. He ran and jumped again harder than before, but this time the +trunk was a little higher and Mr. Dog didn't quite hit it. There was a +strap hanging down, though, and he caught it as he went by. He caught it +with his teeth, and two of his teeth went right through two of the holes +where the buckle catches, and there they stayed. He had the trunk all +right enough, but the trunk had him, too. + +[Illustration: AND UP HE CAME] + +There he was. His feet didn't quite touch the ground, and he couldn't +get up any higher either. Then all at once the people up stairs saw how +it was, and they commenced to laugh in spite of themselves, and hitched +the rope around a peg under the sill so they could rest a minute. That +was fun for them, but it wasn't for Mr. Dog, by a good deal. He couldn't +laugh, and he couldn't rest, either. And just then Mr. Squirrel came +with his trunk, and Mr. Robin with his satchel and a hand bag, and Mr. +Turtle with his things in a big sack. Mr. 'Coon ran down and let them +all in and locked the door. Then he ran back to the window where Mr. Dog +was. + +"If we'll let you down will you go home and not come around this hotel +interfering with our business?" says Mr. 'Possum. + +"Yes; will you promise not to try to get any of our guests away from +us?" says Mr. 'Coon. + +[Illustration: HE CAUGHT IT AS HE WENT BY] + +Mr. Dog couldn't talk much in the fix he was in, but he did the best he +could, and promised yes to everything, so pretty soon they let the trunk +down till his feet touched the ground and he could get his teeth out of +the strap. Then he put out for home just about as fast as he could go, +without so much as thanking them for letting him down, and up went Mr. +Rabbit's trunk pretty quick, now that there were plenty to help. + +Then the guests all hurried to their rooms to unpack, and Mr. Crow +bustled around to get supper with what he had in the house, for Mr. +'Possum and Mr. 'Coon hadn't time yet to bring in anything. It was a +pretty good supper, though, and all the guests said so, and said they +knew what a good cook Mr. Crow was if he had things to work with, and +the Crow said he guessed he could do his part if the 'Coon and 'Possum +would do theirs. + +Well, it makes a good deal of difference whether you're company 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 the cherries were canned, and not very good at that. + +[Illustration: THE ARRIVAL OF THE OTHER GUESTS] + +"That's what I said," put in Mr. 'Coon, "but Mr. 'Possum said you +wouldn't know the difference." + +"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't have any work." + +"Whoop-ee!" says Mr. 'Possum and Mr. 'Coon both together, as loud as +ever they could. That made all the guests come running back, and when +they heard the new plan they all said it was just the thing. + +So then Mr. 'Possum went down and got the sign and brought it up and +changed it to read:-- + + THE HOLLOW TREE INN. + FURNISHED ROOMS ONLY. + +And that was how business began at last in the Hollow Tree. + + + + +A DEEP WOODS FISHING PARTY + +AN ADVENTURE WITH MR. DOG AND A VERY LARGE FISH + + +ONE warm, still June morning (this, of course, was before the Hollow +Tree Inn started) Mr. Jack Rabbit looked out of the window while he was +dressing and thought to himself that it would be just the very morning +for fish to bite. + +Jack Rabbit liked to fish better than anything, almost, so right after +breakfast he took an empty tomato can and went out in the back yard and +turned over boards till he had the can about half full of bait, with a +little dirt thrown on top. Then he reached up under the eaves of the +smoke-house and pulled out a long cane pole with a line and hook and +floater on it, all rigged up ready, and flung it over his shoulder and +started. + +Mr. Rabbit walked pretty fast--even lazy folks do that when they go +fishing, and Mr. Jack Rabbit wasn't lazy, by a good deal. So pretty soon +he came to the Hollow Tree, and there, looking out of an up-stairs +window, he saw the 'Coon, the 'Possum, and the Old Black Crow. + +"Hello, up there!" he said. "Don't you fellows want to go fishing?" + +Mr. 'Possum said he thought fish would bite well on such a morning, and +that he'd like to go first rate. Mr. 'Coon said he knew a place where +you could pull them out as fast as you could throw in your hook, and he +went on and told how he caught a fish there last year that would weigh +more than four pounds, and lost him just as he got him to the top of the +water. Mr. Crow said he'd always noticed that Mr. 'Coon's four-pound +fish never got any nearer to him than the top of the water, and that for +his part he didn't care much about fishing. He said, though, that if +the 'Coon and the 'Possum wanted to go he'd stay at home and get dinner +while they were gone, so's to have it ready when they all came home +hungry. He told them that he had some nice canned salmon in the cupboard +that he could catch 'most any time, and that if they really wanted fish +for dinner he s'posed he might as well open it. Then they all laughed, +and in about a minute down came Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum with their +fishing things. Jack Rabbit said he had plenty of bait, so away they +went. Mr. Crow sat up in the window and watched them off, and Mr. Robin, +who happened along just then, laughed and called after them that he'd +take a few pounds of nice bass when they got home. The Robin just said +that to plague them, of course, and Mr. 'Coon called back that they'd +fool him this time, and then he went on to remark that he'd never in his +life seen a finer day for fishing. + +Jack Rabbit said yes, that it was fine, and that it was a fine day for +Mr. Dog to be out gallivanting over the country, too, and that they'd +better hurry up and get to the lake and out in his boat before anything +happened. That made Mr. 'Possum take a good deal livelier step, though +he commenced to whistle and said he wasn't afraid of Mr. Dog, anyway. +Mr. 'Coon said he'd always noticed that a fellow mostly whistled when he +wasn't afraid, but for his part he couldn't get to that boat any too +soon. And pretty soon they did get to it, and Mr. 'Possum was the first +one to pile in, though Mr. Dog wasn't anywhere in sight. + +[Illustration: WHEN THEY GOT OUT TO WHERE MR. 'COON SAID THE GOOD PLACE +WAS, THEY ALL WENT TO FISHING] + +Well, they pushed off, and Jack Rabbit took one oar and Mr. 'Coon the +other, while the 'Possum sat on the back seat and baited his hook so's +to catch the first fish. Then, when they got out to where Mr. 'Coon said +the good place was, they all went to fishing, and Mr. 'Possum did get +the first bite, but he didn't get anything else when he pulled. Mr. +'Coon told him he pulled too quick, and Jack Rabbit told him he didn't +pull quick enough, and asked him if he expected the fish to climb out on +his pole. Then Mr. Rabbit had a bite himself, and pulled and didn't get +anything, either. Of course, that made Mr. 'Possum laugh, and then, all +at once, the 'Coon had a great big bite that took his float away down +out of sight the first grab. + +Mr. 'Coon let him go for a minute and then gave a hard pull and +commenced to call out that he had him this time and that he'd show Mr. +Crow now about only getting fish to the top of the water and having +canned salmon for dinner. Then he stood up in the boat and pulled as +hard as ever he could till all of a sudden his line broke, and down he +went backward, right on top of Mr. 'Possum, while the Rabbit swung his +hook over where the 'Coon's hook had been and the big fish grabbed it +before you could say Jack Robinson. + +That was too bad for the 'Coon and the 'Possum, of course, and it wasn't +as much fun for Jack Rabbit as you might suppose, for he couldn't get +the big fish out to save his life, and he had to hold on to the boat to +keep from being pulled into the lake. Then he called to the others to +help him, and they both got up and took hold of the pole and hauled it +in hand over hand till they got to the line, and that was as far as they +could get. So Mr. Rabbit gave the line a twist or two around the iron +ring in the front of his boat, and the big fish started straight for +shore, dragging the boat and everybody in it behind him, just as hard as +ever he could go. Then Mr. 'Coon and Jack Rabbit commenced to quarrel +about whose fish it was, and Mr. 'Possum said he didn't care whose it +was, he was getting a free ride, and he laid back and laughed and looked +at the shore, when all of a sudden he happened to spy there, sitting on +the end of a log, fishing and waiting for them, nobody but Mr. Dog +himself. + +That wasn't very much, of course, but it was plenty for Mr. 'Possum. He +quit laughing and tumbled down in the bottom of the boat and laid there +calling for Jack Rabbit to cut that fish line or they'd all be chops and +steaks and carried home in a basket in less than five minutes. Jack +Rabbit did try to cut the line, too, but he was so excited he dropped +his knife overboard, and Mr. 'Coon couldn't find his, and Mr. 'Possum +didn't have any. So there they were, and there was Mr. Dog! Then Mr. +Rabbit tried to bite the line off with his teeth, but he couldn't do +that, either, for it was a big, strong line that he'd made himself, +specially for large fish. + +And all the time they were getting closer and closer to the shore, and +Mr. Dog had lifted his line out of the water so it wouldn't be in his +way, and was sitting there waiting, and smiling to see them come. + +Then Jack Rabbit knew that something had to be done, and there was no +time to lose. He was just about as scared as he could be, but he knew it +wouldn't do any good to let on, so he sat up straight and smiled some, +too, and looked at Mr. Dog and called out, big and friendly like:-- + +"Hello, Mr. Dog! Here we come! Here we come with a nice dinner, Mr. +Dog!" + +Then Mr. Dog laughed and called back:-- + +"That's right, Mr. Rabbit. There's a sure enough nice dinner coming this +time! Fish for the first course, Mr. Rabbit!" + +When Mr. 'Possum heard that he began to groan, and Jack Rabbit and Mr. +'Coon began to shiver, for each thought he knew pretty well what the +next courses of Mr. Dog's dinner would be. But Mr. Rabbit didn't stop +smiling or let on that he knew, and he called out again to Mr. Dog, +quick:-- + +"You'll have to help us if we have fish, Mr. Dog! He's a big one and +you'll have to help us catch him!" + +And Mr. Dog called back again:-- + +"Don't worry, Mr. Rabbit! I won't leave! I'll be on hand when you get +here, Mr. Rabbit!" + +Then he rolled up his trousers a little and waded out into the shallow +water, thinking he would nab Mr. Fish first and drag him out on shore, +and then pull the boat right in after him. + +Of course, that was a pretty good plan for Mr. Dog, only like some other +good plans, it didn't work just as he expected it to. You see, he didn't +quite know how big the fish was, nor how hard a big fish is to handle in +shallow water. He made a quick grab at it when it got to him and then, +right away, he had his hands full of business. That fish gave a flop +with his tail that laid Mr. Dog over on his back and then another flop +that set him on his feet again, and a side flop that smacked him against +the water first one way and then the other, and made him breathe hard +and choke and try to let go. + +But Mr. Dog couldn't let go, for he'd got the fish line some way tangled +in his teeth. So he began to snap and paw and swallow water, and fall +down and get up again, and sprawl about in the swamp grass, trying to +get back to shore. + +[Illustration: THE FIGHT BETWEEN MR. DOG AND THE BIG FISH] + +And while all this was going on Jack Rabbit and his friends had jumped +out into the shallow water and took a little roundin's to shore, keeping +out of Mr. Dog's way, and made tracks for the top of a hill, where they +would be out of danger and see the fun at the same time. Then they all +stood up there and watched the fight between Mr. Dog and the big fish, +and Jack Rabbit sang out, as loud as ever he could:-- + +"Don't leave, Mr. Dog! Stay with him, Mr. Dog! Hold him to it, Mr. Dog; +you've got him! First course, Mr. Dog!" + +And Mr. Dog heard Jack Rabbit and got madder and madder every minute, +till all of a sudden he got a lick on the side of the head from Mr. +Fish's tail that made him see stars and broke the line. And away went +the big fish out into deep water, while Mr. Dog crawled back to shore, +wet and bruised from head to foot, and 'most dead. + +Then Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum and Jack Rabbit, standing on top of the +hill, gave a great big laugh, all together, and Mr. Rabbit called +out:-- + +"How did you like the first course, Mr. Dog?" + +That made them all laugh again, and then Mr. 'Coon called out:-- + +"Are you ready for the second course, Mr. Dog?" + +And pretty soon Mr. 'Possum he called out:-- + +"Are you ready for a nice roast now, Mr. Dog?" + +And that, of course, made them all laugh very loud, for Mr. 'Possum used +slang now and then and meant by a "roast" that people would all make fun +of Mr. Dog wherever he went; which they did, for a long time. + +Even Mr. Robin, who was good friends with Mr. Dog, couldn't help calling +out to him, now and then, as he went by:-- + +"Are you ready for the next course, Mr. Dog?" + +And Mr. Dog would pretend not to hear and go hurrying by very fast, as +if he were out on special and important business for Mr. Man. + +[Illustration: LEANING OVER TO LIGHT HIS PIPE FROM MR. 'POSSUM'S] + + + + +MR. RABBIT EXPLAINS + +AN EASTER STORY + + +"WHY do we always have rabbits at Easter?" asked the Little Lady. "Is +that a story, too?" + +The Story Teller lit his pipe, thinking all the time, and pretty soon he +said: "Why, yes, there is a story about that, and it goes this way":-- + +One afternoon in the early spring Mr. Jack Rabbit and his friends were +out for an airing. The Hollow Tree people were along, and Mr. Turtle, as +usual. By and by they came to a log under a big tree and sat down for a +smoke and talk. They talked about the weather at first and other things, +till somebody mentioned Easter. Then they all had something to say +about that. + +"What I object to," says Mr. Rabbit, when it came his time to talk, "is +this thing of people always saying that the Easter eggs belong to me." + +"Oh, but that's just a joke," says Mr. 'Coon, laughing. + +"I know it's just a joke, of course, but it's a pretty old joke, and I'm +tired of it," says Jack Rabbit. + +"How did it get started anyway?" asked Mr. 'Possum. + +Then Mr. Rabbit took his pipe out of his mouth and leaned forward a +little, so he could talk better. + +"I tell you how it got started," he says, "and after that I don't want +to hear any more of it. This is how it happened:-- + +[Illustration: THEY CAME TO A LOG UNDER A BIG TREE AND SAT DOWN FOR A +SMOKE AND TALK] + +"Once upon a time, as much as twenty grandmothers back, I should think, +there was a very nice family of Rabbits that lived in a grassy place on +a hillside back of a big farmyard. There was quite a hole in the +ground there, and they had a cozy home in it, and a soft bed for their +little folk. + +"Now, every bright morning, Father and Mother Rabbit used to take the +children out for a walk, and for a few lessons in running and hiding +from Mr. Dog, who bothered about a good deal, and one day as they were +coming home they heard a great cackling, and when they got to their +house there was a nice fresh egg lying right in the children's bed. Some +old hen from the farmyard had slipped in and laid it while they were +gone. A good many hens, especially old hens, like to hide their nests +that way, and this was one of that kind. + +"Well, of course all the young Rabbits claimed it, and Mother Rabbit at +last gave it to the smallest and weakest one of the children, a little +girl, who was always painting things with the juice of flower petals. +And the very first thing that little girl did was to stain that egg all +over with violet juice, not thinking what trouble it was going to cause +our family forever after. + +[Illustration: THEY HAD A COZY HOME AND A SOFT BED FOR THEIR LITTLE +FOLK] + +"It was a nice blue egg when she got through with it, and the next day, +when they all came back from their walk again there was another white +egg right by it. The old hen had been there again and laid another while +they were gone. The second little girl claimed that egg, of course, and +she painted it a bright yellow with buttercup juice. Then the next day +there was another egg, and the next day there was another egg, and the +next day there was another egg, until there was one apiece for every one +of the children, and some over. + +"And they all painted them. Some painted theirs pink or red with rose +leaves or japonica, some painted them yellow with buttercups, and some +blue or purple with violets, as the first little girl had done. They had +so many at last that it crowded them out of their bed and they had to +sleep on the floor. + +[Illustration: A FEW LESSONS IN RUNNING AND HIDING] + +"And then, one Sunday, and it must have been Easter Sunday, they all +went out walking again, and when they came back every one of those +beautiful colored eggs was gone. The children cried and made a great +fuss, but it was no use. Some of Mr. Man's boys out hunting hens' nests +had found them and taken them all home with them. + +"And of course all those colored eggs set Mr. Man to wondering, and he +came with his boys to the place where they had found them; and when they +looked in out jumped the whole Rabbit family, helter skelter in every +direction. + +"And right then," said Mr. Rabbit, leaning over to light his pipe from +Mr. 'Possum's, "right then Mr. Man declared those colored eggs were +rabbit eggs, and he's kept on saying so ever since, though he knows +better, and he knows I don't like it. He takes eggs and colors them +himself now, and makes believe they're mine, and he puts my picture all +over things about Easter time. I suppose he thinks I don't care, but I +do, and I wish that little Miss Rabbit twenty grandmothers back had left +that old hen's egg white as she found it." + +[Illustration: IT WAS A NICE BLUE EGG WHEN SHE GOT THROUGH WITH IT] + +"It's too bad," says Mr. Crow. "It's like that story they tell about the +fox making me drop the cheese." + +"Or like Mr. Man making believe that the combs he uses are really made +out of my shell," says Mr. Turtle. + +Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum shook their heads. They had their troubles, +too. + + + + +THE HOLLOW TREE POETRY CLUB + +HOW MR. DOG CAME TO A POETRY CLUB, AND WHAT HAPPENED + + +ONCE upon a time, when it was getting along toward fall in the Hollow +Tree, when Jack Rabbit and Mr. Robin and the others had come to live +with the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow, there began to be +long evenings, and the Hollow Tree people used to think of new ways to +pass the time. They tried games at first, and sleight-of-hand tricks. +Then they tried doing things, and Mr. Turtle carried them all together +twice around the big parlor room on his back. But even that wasn't so +funny after the first evening, and Mr. Crow, who did most of the +thinking, had to scratch his head and think pretty hard what to do next. + +All at once he happened to remember that Jack Rabbit, who was the big +man of the party, was also a first rate poet, and liked to read his own +poetry better than anything. So, when he thought of that, he said:-- + +"I'll tell you. We'll have a poetry club." + +And of course that made Mr. Rabbit wake up right away. + +"What's that?" he said. "What kind of a thing is a poetry club?" + +"Why," said Mr. Crow, "it's a place where the members each write a poem +and read it at the next meeting. You're the only real, sure enough poet, +of course, and will be president, and write the best poem, but the rest +of us can try, and you can tell us our mistakes. I've heard that Mr. Man +has clubs, and they're ever so much fun." + +[Illustration: HAD TO SCRATCH HIS HEAD AND THINK PRETTY HARD] + +Jack Rabbit thought so, too, and all the others liked the plan. So they +elected Mr. Rabbit president and then went to work on their poems. +They couldn't have the first meeting very soon, for it took longer to +write poems in those days than it does now, so before they got half +ready the news got out some way, and even Mr. Dog had heard of it. + +Poor Mr. Dog! It made him really quite ill to think he wasn't on very +good terms with the Hollow Tree people, for he thought he could write +pretty nice poetry, too, and he wanted to belong to that club worse than +anything he could think of. He wanted to so bad that at last he told Mr. +Robin that if they'd just let him come he'd promise anything they asked. + +[Illustration: POOR MR. DOG] + +They didn't want to let him, though, until Mr. Crow, who always felt +kind of sorry for Mr. Dog, said he didn't see why Mr. Dog shouldn't come +and look in through the window shutters, and that they could nail a seat +for him on a limb just outside. They could pull him up to it with a rope +and he could sit there and listen and applaud the poems all through +without being able to do any damage to the poets, and he would be glad +enough to be let down by the time they got done reciting. + +So they sent him an invitation, and Mr. Dog was as happy as a king. He +went right to work on his poem, and he worked all night and walked up +and down the yard all day trying to think up rhymes for "joyful" and +"meeting," and a lot of other nice words. Even when he was asleep he +dreamed about it, and said over some of the lines out loud and jerked +his paws about as if he were reciting it and making motions. You see, +Mr. Dog hadn't always done just right by the Hollow Tree people, and he +was anxious to make a good impression and fix up things. He fixed +himself all up, too, when the night came for the meeting, and took his +poem under his arm and lit a cigar that he'd borrowed of Mr. Man for the +occasion, and away he went. + +The Hollow Tree people were on the look-out for him and had the rope +down and ready. So Mr. Dog tied it around under his arms, and they +pulled and pulled, and up he came. Then, when he got pretty close to the +window, they closed the shutter and put the rope through and pulled him +up still a little higher, so that he could reach the seat on the limb, +which was fixed just right for him to sit there and lean on the window +sill while he listened and looked in. + +Of course, Mr. Dog wished he was inside, like the others, but he knew +why he wasn't, and he was glad enough to be there at all. He peeked +through the slats at the big room and smiled and said some nice things +about how pretty the room looked, till they all got real sociable with +him. Then Jack Rabbit called the meeting to order and made a few +remarks. + +He said the duties of his office had kept him from writing quite as long +and as good a poem as he would have liked to write, but that he hoped +they might be willing to hear what he had done. Then they all shouted, +"Yes, yes!" and "Hear, hear!" and Mr. Rabbit bowed first to the ones +inside and then to Mr. Dog outside, and began:-- + + +THE JOYS OF POETRY + +BY J. RABBIT + + Oh, sweet the joys of poetry + In the merry days of spring, + When the dew is on the meadow + And the duck is on the wing! + For 'tis then, from Dan to Dover, + I'm a rover 'mid the clover, + Seeking rhymes the country over + With a ring, sing, swing-- + With a ding, dong, ding, + And a ting a ling a ling-- + For I'm the rhyming rover of the spring. + + Oh, sweet the joys of poetry + In the pleasant summer time! + For 'tis then I have no trouble + To compose my gentle rhyme; + In a nooklet by the brooklet + I can think up quite a booklet, + As with fishing line and hooklet + I assist the fish to climb + To the music of my chime, + For with rollick and with rhyme + I'm the poet of the pleasant summer time. + +[Illustration: MR. RABBIT BOWED] + + Oh, sweet the joys of poetry + When any days have come, + When the autumn zephyrs whisper + Or the winter breezes hum! + For 'tis then my thoughts unfurling, + While the smoke goes upward curling, + Come a whirling, swirling, twirling, + With a rumty, tumty, tum, + Come a twirling, swirling, whirling, + Like a rattle of a drum. + Come a whirling, come a swirling; + For in spring or in the summer, + In the autumn or the winter + I'm the rumty, tumty, tummer + That rejoices in the seasons as they come. + +Well, when Mr. Rabbit got through everybody sat still for a minute, till +Mr. Dog called out for somebody to come and unwind him so he could get +his breath again. Then they all commenced to laugh and shout and pound +on the table. And Mr. Rabbit coughed and looked pleased and said it was +easy enough to do when you knew how. + +Then Mr. 'Possum, who was next on the program, said he hoped they'd let +him off this time because he could only think of four lines, and that +he was a better hand at the dinner table than he was at poetry, anyway. +But they wouldn't do it, so he got up and looked foolish and swallowed +two or three times before he could get started. + + +WHAT I LOVE + +BY A. PUFFINGTON 'POSSUM + + I love the fragrant chicken pie + That blooms in early spring; + I love a chicken stew or fry, + Or any old thing. + +Mr. 'Possum's poem was short, but it went right to the spot, and the way +they applauded almost made Jack Rabbit jealous. He said that it was +'most too true to be good poetry, but that it was good for a first +effort, and that being short helped it. Then Mr. Robin spoke his +piece:-- + + +MOTHER AND ME + +BY C. ROBIN + + When the bud breaks out on the maple bough + Mother and me we build our nest-- + A twig from the yard and a wisp from the mow + And four blue eggs 'neath the mother breast. + Up in the tree, mother and me, + Happy and blithe and contented are we. + + When the daisies fall and the roses die, + An empty nest in the boughs to swing-- + Four young robins that learn to fly + And a sweet adieu till another spring. + Then up in the tree, mother and me, + Happy once more and contented we'll be. + +The applause wasn't so loud after Mr. Robin's poem, but they all said it +was very pretty, and Mr. 'Possum even wiped his eyes with his +handkerchief, because it made him remember something sad. Mr. Rabbit +said that it ought to be "Mother and I," but that it didn't make much +difference, he supposed, about grammar, so long as it rhymed and sounded +nice. Then Mr. Crow got up. + +[Illustration: LOOKED FOOLISH AND SWALLOWED TWO OR THREE TIMES] + + +JUST NOTHING + +BY J. CROW + + While others may sing of the pleasures of spring, + Or winter or summer or fall, + I'll sing not of these, because, if you please, + I'll sing of just nothing at all. + Just nothing at all, because, oh, ho! + I'll sing of myself, an old black crow. + + As black as a coal and as homely as sin-- + What more can I tell you, I pray? + For when you have nothing to sing of, why, then, + Of course there is nothing to say. + Nothing to say at all, oh, ho! + Except good-by to the old black crow-- + The rollicking old black crow! + +They made a good deal of fuss over Mr. Crow's poem. They applauded, of +course, but they said it wasn't so at all, and that Mr. Crow was a good +deal more than "just nothing." They said that it was he who had got up +this party, and that he was the best man to plan and cook anywhere. Mr. +'Possum said he even liked Mr. Crow's April fool chicken pies, and then +they all remembered and laughed, even to Mr. Crow himself. After that it +was Mr. Squirrel's turn. Mr. Squirrel coughed twice and straightened his +vest before he began, so they knew his poem wasn't to be funny. + + +THE FOOLISH LITTLE LAD + +BY MR. GRAY SQUIRREL + + Once on a time, the story goes, + A silly squirrel lad + One summer day did run away-- + Which made his ma feel bad. + + She hunted for him up and down + And round and round she ran-- + Alas, that foolish squirrel boy + Was caught by Mr. Man. + + For he had tried to climb a tree + As Mr. Man came past. + "I'll make you climb!" said Mr. Man, + And walked home pretty fast. + + When he got there a boy came out + As Mr. Man went in. + That silly squirrel soon was put + Into a house of tin. + + "Now you can climb!" said Mr. Man, + But when he did he found + That nice tin house, so bright and new, + Turned round and round and round. + + And there he climbs and climbs all day + And never seems to stop, + And I have heard my mother say + He'll never reach the top. + +When Mr. Squirrel sat down there wasn't a dry eye in the room, and even +Mr. Dog outside was affected. He said he'd seen that poor little +squirrel at Mr. Man's house turning and turning away in his tin wheel, +and felt so sorry for him that two or three times he'd tried to get him +out. He said, though, that Mr. Man had always caught him at it and that +then they didn't get on well for a day or two. He was so tender hearted, +though, he said, that he couldn't help pitying the little fellow, +climbing and climbing all day long and never getting anywhere. Mr. +'Possum shivered, and said it reminded him of bad dreams he'd had +sometimes, when he'd eaten too much supper, and dreamed of climbing the +rainbow. Then they all sat still and waited for Mr. Turtle, who came +next. + + +MY SNUG HOUSE + +BY D'LAND TURTLE + + Oh, what do I care for your houses of wood, + Your houses of brick or of stone, + When I have a house that is cozy and good-- + A beautiful house of my own? + And the doors will not sag and the roof will not crack + Of the house that I carry about on my back. + + It is never too large and 'tis never too small, + It is with me wherever I roam. + In spring or in summer, in winter or fall, + I always can find my way home. + For it isn't so hard to remember the track + To the house that you carry about on your back. + +Well, of course, everybody applauded that, and then it was Mr. 'Coon's +time. Mr. 'Coon said he was like Mr. 'Possum. He wasn't much on poetry, +and only had four lines. He said they were some like Mr. 'Possum's too. + + +THE BEST THINGS + +BY Z. 'COON + + I like the spring, I like the fall, + I like the cold and heat, + And poems, too, but best of all + I like good things to eat. + +That brought the house down, and the Hollow Tree people thought the +entertainment was over. They were going to have supper right away, but +Mr. Dog called out to wait a minute. He said he had a little poem +himself that he wanted to read. So out of politeness they all sat still, +though they didn't expect very much. Then Mr. Dog unrolled his poem and +leaned over close to the blinds and commenced to read. + + +MY FOREST FRIENDS + +BY MR. DOG + + Oh, dear to me my forest friends, + Especially Mr. Rabbit-- + I love his poetry very much, + And every gentle habit. + + And dear to me is Mr. 'Coon, + And also Mr. 'Possum; + I hope to win their friendship soon-- + 'Twill be a precious blossom. + + And Mr. Crow and Robin, too, + With fancy sweet and fertile, + And Mr. Squirrel, kind and true, + And likewise Mr. Turtle. + +[Illustration: LEANED OVER CLOSE TO THE BLINDS AND COMMENCED TO READ] + + Oh, dear to me my forest friends, + Especially Mr. Rabbit-- + I love his poetry very much, + And every gentle habit. + +Before Mr. Dog was half through reading the Hollow Tree people had +gathered around the window to listen. By the time he got to the end of +the third stanza he had to stop for them to cheer, and when he read the +last one, Jack Rabbit pounded on the shutter with his fist and shouted, +"Hurrah for Mr. Dog! Hurrah for Mr. Dog!" just as loud as ever he could, +while all the others crowded up and shouted and tried to pound, too. + +Well, maybe the shutter wasn't very strong, or maybe they crowded and +pounded too hard in their excitement over Mr. Dog's nice poem, for all +at once there was a loud crack and the shutter flew open and out went +Mr. Rabbit right smack into the arms of Mr. Dog! + +[Illustration: OUT WENT MR. RABBIT RIGHT SMACK INTO THE ARMS OF MR. DOG] + +I tell you that was pretty sudden and Mr. Rabbit was scared. So were all +the others, and they were going to grab the shutter and close it again +and leave Mr. Rabbit out there. But Jack Rabbit thinks quick. + +"Oh, Mr. Dog," he said, "that was the nicest poem I ever heard. Let me +embrace you, Mr. Dog, and be your friend for ever after!" + +Then he hugged Mr. Dog just as tight as he could, and Mr. Dog hugged +him, too, and shed tears, he was that happy. He had been wanting to make +up with the forest people for a long time, but he hadn't expected this. +Then the others all saw how it was and they shouted, "Hurrah for Mr. +Dog!" again and invited him in. And Mr. Dog went in and they had the +biggest supper and the biggest time that ever was known in the Hollow +Tree. + +And that's how Mr. Dog got to be friends with all the Hollow Tree people +at last. And he stayed friends with them ever and ever so long--and +longer--just as long as he lived, for the Mr. Dog that isn't good +friends with them now isn't the same Mr. Dog. And he isn't as smart, +either, for he can't write poetry, and he's never even been able to +find the Hollow Tree where the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow +live together and every summer keep open house for their friends. + + + + +MR. RABBIT'S UNWELCOME COMPANY + +MR. POLECAT MAKES A MORNING CALL AND MR. DOG DROPS IN + + +I THINK I shall have to tell you about Mr. Polecat, said the Story +Teller, and about his visit to Mr. Rabbit. + +"Who's Mr. Polecat?" said the Little Lady. "You never told me about him +before." + +Well, no, because you see Mr. Polecat is so queer in some of his ways +that people even don't talk about him a great deal. He is really quite a +nice gentleman, though, when he doesn't get excited. But when he does he +loses friends. + +The trouble is with the sort of perfumery he uses when he gets excited, +just as some people use a smelling-bottle, and nobody seems to like the +sort Mr. Polecat uses except himself. I suppose he must like it or he +wouldn't be so free with it. But other people go away when he uses +it--mostly in the direction the wind's blowing from--and in a hurry, as +if they were afraid they'd miss a train. Even Mr. Dog doesn't stop to +argue with Mr. Polecat. Nobody does, and all the other Deep Woods people +do their best to make him happy and to keep him in a good humor whenever +he comes about, and give him their nicest things to eat and a lot to +carry home with him, so he'll start just as soon as possible. + +But, more than anything, they try to keep him from saying anything about +Mr. Dog, or hinting or even thinking about Mr. Dog, for when he does any +of these things he's apt to get excited, and then sometimes he opens up +that perfume of his, and his friends fall over each other to get out of +reach. They're never very happy to see him coming, and they're always +glad to see him go, even when he's had a quiet visit and goes pretty +soon, which is just what didn't happen one time when he came to call on +Jack Rabbit, and it's that time I'm going to tell about. This was before +Mr. Dog made up with the Hollow Tree people; I don't know exactly how +long before, but a good while. + +Mr. Rabbit looked out his door one morning and there was Mr. Polecat, +all dressed up, coming to see him. He wasn't very far off, either, and +Mr. Rabbit hardly had time to jerk down a crayon picture of Mr. Dog that +he'd made the day before, just for practice. He pushed it under the bed +quick, and when Mr. Polecat came up he bowed and smiled, and said what a +nice day it was, and that he'd bring a chair outside if Mr. Polecat +would like to sit there instead of coming in where it wasn't so +pleasant. + +But Mr. Polecat said he guessed he'd come in, as it was a little chilly +and he didn't feel very well anyway. So he came inside, and Jack Rabbit +gave him his best chair and brought out a little table and put a lot of +nice things on it that Mr. Polecat likes, and began right away to pack a +basket for him to take home. + +But Mr. Polecat didn't seem to be in any hurry to go. He ate some of the +nice things, and then leaned back to talk and smoke, and told Mr. Rabbit +all the news he'd heard as he came along, and Mr. Rabbit got more and +more worried, for he knew that just as likely as not Mr. Polecat had +heard something about Mr. Dog and would begin to tell it pretty soon, +and then no knowing what would happen. So Jack Rabbit just said "Yes" +and "No" and began to talk about Mr. Robin, because Mr. Robin was a good +friend of everybody and nobody could get excited just talking about Mr. +Robin. But Mr. Polecat says:-- + +"Oh, yes, I saw Mr. Robin as I came along, and he called to me that Mr. +Dog--" + +And then Jack Rabbit changed the subject as quick as he could and spoke +about Mr. Squirrel, and Mr. Polecat says:-- + +"Oh, did you hear how Mr. Squirrel went over to Mr. Man's house and saw +Mr. Dog there--" + +And then poor Mr. Rabbit had to think quick and change the subject again +to the Hollow Tree people, and Mr. Polecat said:-- + +"Oh, yes. I stopped by that way as I came along, and they called out to +me from up stairs how you were practising drawing, and that you gave Mr. +Dog some dancing lessons the other day, and then made a fine picture of +him just as he looked when he danced into the hot coals, so I hurried +right over here for just to see that picture." + +Poor Mr. Rabbit! He didn't know what to do. He knew right away that the +Hollow Tree people had told about the picture to get rid of Mr. Polecat, +and he made up his mind that he'd get even with them some day for +getting him in such a fix. But some day was a long ways off and Mr. +Polecat was right there under his nose, so Mr. Rabbit said, just as +quick as he could say it, that the Hollow Tree people were always +making jokes, and that the picture was just as poor as it could be, and +that he'd be ashamed to show it to anybody, much more to a talented +gentleman like Mr. Polecat. But that made Mr. Polecat all the more +anxious to see it, for he was sure Mr. Rabbit was only modest, and +pretty soon he happened to spy the edge of the picture frame under Mr. +Rabbit's bed, and just reached under and pulled it out, before Mr. +Rabbit could help himself. + +Well, he picked up that picture and looked at it a minute, and Jack +Rabbit began to back off toward the door and say a few soothing words, +when all at once Mr. Polecat leaned back and commenced to laugh and +laugh at the funny picture Mr. Dog made where Mr. Rabbit called to him, +"Dance! Mr. Dog; dance!" And then, of course, Mr. Rabbit felt better, +for if his company thought it was funny and laughed there wasn't so much +danger. + +"Why," said Mr. Polecat, "it's the best thing I ever saw! You could +almost imagine that Mr. Dog himself was right here, howling and barking +and dancing." + +"Oh, no, hardly that," said Mr. Rabbit. "Of course I suppose it is a +little like him, but it's not at all as if he were here, you know--not +at all--and he's ever so far off, I'm sure, and won't come again for a +long time. You know, he's--" + +"Oh, yes, it is!" declared Mr. Polecat. "It's just as if he were right +here. And I can just hear him howl and bark, and--" + +And right there Mr. Polecat stopped and Mr. Rabbit stopped, and both of +them held their breath and listened, for sure enough they did hear Mr. +Dog howling and barking and coming toward the house as straight as he +could come. + +Jack Rabbit gave a jump right up in the air, and hollered, "Run! Mr. +Polecat, run! and go the back way!" But Mr. Polecat never runs from +anybody--he doesn't have to--he just opens up that perfume of his and +the other people do the running. So Mr. Rabbit gave one more jump, and +this time he jumped straight up the chimney, and didn't stop till he +got to the roof, where he found a loose board and put it over the +chimney quick and sat down on it. Then he called to Mr. Dog, who was +coming lickety split through the woods:-- + +"Why, how are you, Mr. Dog? Glad to see you! Walk right in. There's +company down stairs; just make yourself at home till I come down." You +see there was no use to stop him now, because Mr. Rabbit could tell by +what was coming up the chimney that it was too late, and he wanted Mr. +Dog to get a good dose of it as well as himself. + +And Mr. Dog did come just as hard as he could tear, for the wind was +blowing toward the house and he couldn't detect anything wrong until he +gave a great big jump into Mr. Rabbit's sitting room and right into the +midst of the most awful smell that was ever turned loose in the Big Deep +Woods. + +Well, it took Mr. Dog so suddenly that he almost fainted away. Then he +gave a howl, as if a wagon had run over his tail, and tumbled out of +that sitting room and set out for home without once stopping to look +behind him. Then Mr. Rabbit laughed and laughed, and called:-- + +"Come back, Mr. Dog! Come back and stay with us. Mr. Polecat's going to +spend a week with me. Come back and have a good time." + +But Mr. Dog didn't stop, and he didn't seem to hear, and by and by Mr. +Polecat called up that he was going home and that Mr. Rabbit could come +down now, for Mr. Dog was gone and wouldn't come back, he guessed. But +Mr. Rabbit said no, he didn't feel very well yet, and guessed he'd stay +where he was for the present, and that if Mr. Polecat was going he might +leave both doors open and let the wind draw through the house, because +he always liked to air his house after Mr. Dog had been to see him. Then +Mr. Polecat took his basket and went, and Jack Rabbit didn't come down +for a long time, and when he did he couldn't stay in his house for the +awful smell. So he went over to stay a week with the Hollow Tree people, +and his clothes didn't smell nice, either, but they had to stand it, and +Mr. Rabbit said it served them right for getting him into such a fix. It +was over a week before he could go back to his house again, and even +then it wasn't just as he wanted it to be, and he aired it every day for +a long time. + +But there was one thing that made him laugh, and that was when he heard +from Mr. Robin how Mr. Dog got home and Mr. Man wouldn't have him about +the house or even in the yard, but made him stay out in the woods for as +much as ten days, until he had got rid of every bit of Mr. Polecat's +nice perfumery. + + + + +MR. 'POSSUM EXPLAINS + +HOW UNCLE SILAS TRIED TO PLEASE AUNT MELISSY + + +WELL, you remember that the Hollow Tree people took four of their +friends to live with them and called it the Hollow Tree Inn. Mr. Robin +came, and Mr. Turtle, also Jack Rabbit and Mr. Squirrel, and they made a +jolly crowd after they got settled and knew about each getting his own +things to eat, because the Hollow Tree people--the 'Coon and 'Possum and +the Old Black Crow--found they couldn't suit their guests exactly when +it came to a steady diet. So they all kept house together, and used to +go out days (and nights, too, sometimes) and get nice things. Then +they'd bring them in and fix them to suit themselves, and have them all +on the big table down stairs, nice and comfortable, where they could sit +and talk as long as they pleased. + +It was a good deal like a big family when they were all together that +way, and they used to say how nice it was, and once Mr. 'Possum said he +always did think a big family was nice, anyway. Then Jack Rabbit laughed +and said he should think Mr. 'Possum was just the kind of a man for a +big family, being fond of good things to eat and not very fond of +getting them for himself, and mostly fat and sleepy like. He said if +there was just a nice, spry Mrs. 'Possum, now, to keep house and look +after things he should think it would be ever so much better than living +in bachelor quarters, or, rather, thirds, with Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Crow, +and not having things very orderly. Of course, with himself, Jack Rabbit +said, it was different, but even at his house it got lonesome, too, now +and then. + +[Illustration: SHE TIED HIS TIE FOR HIM] + +Well, Mr. 'Possum thought a minute, and then he said that there was such +a thing as folks being too spry, and that it was because he had always +been afraid of getting that kind that he had been pretty well satisfied +to live in the Hollow Tree just as he was. He said that he had once had +an uncle that something happened to in that line, and whenever he +thought about poor Uncle Lovejoy he didn't seem to care much about +trying anything he wasn't used to. Then they all wanted him to tell +about Uncle Lovejoy and what happened to him. So Mr. 'Possum did tell, +and it went this way:-- + +"Once upon a time," he said, "Uncle Lovejoy--we always called him Uncle +Silas then--he was uncle on my mother's side, and lived with Aunt +Melissy in a nice place just beyond the Wide Paw-paw Hollows--once upon +a time, as I was saying, he had to go to town on some business, and that +was something that never happened to Uncle Lovejoy before. + +[Illustration: COUSIN GLENWOOD MET HIM AT THE STATION] + +"Well, Aunt Melissy was always a spry woman, as I said, and +stirring--very stirring, and primpy, too. But she was never as stirring +and spry and primpy as she was the day that Uncle Silas started for +town. She dressed him all up neat and proper in his very best things, +and tied his tie for him, and while she was tying it she says:-- + +[Illustration: COUSIN GLEN TOOK UNCLE LOVEJOY TO THE STORES] + +"'Now, Silas,' she says, 'when you get to town you buy a few little +articles right away and put them on. You don't want folks to see that +you come from the country, you know, and you don't want Cousin Glenwood +to be ashamed of you before folks. Cousin Glen will know just what +things you need and where to get them.' Then she told him not to get run +over by anything, or blow out the gas, or let anybody see that he wasn't +used to things, because, you see, Aunt Melissy was proud, being a +Glenwood herself. Then Uncle Lovejoy promised all those things, and that +he would use his napkin and not eat pie out of his hand or drink out of +his finger bowl, and a lot more things that Aunt Melissy remembered at +the last minute. So you see by the time he got on the train he had a +good deal to think about, and he kept thinking about it until by the +time he got to the city he'd made up his mind he'd try to do for once +everything she told him to and give her a pleasant surprise with the way +he had fixed up and improved his manners when he got back. Uncle Lovejoy +was good natured, and always anxious to please folks, especially Aunt +Melissy. + +[Illustration: WHERE THERE WAS A MIRROR UNCLE LOVEJOY WOULD STAND BEFORE +IT AND ADMIRE HIMSELF] + +"Well, Cousin Glenwood met him at the station, and about the first thing +Uncle Silas said was to ask him where he got his clothes, and to tell +him that Aunt Melissy had said he was to fix up, so's folks wouldn't +think he came from the country, which, of course, she had. That just +suited Cousin Glenwood, for he liked to spend money and show off what he +knew about the city; so he took Uncle Lovejoy 'most everywhere, and told +him to buy 'most everything he saw. And of course Uncle Silas did it, +because he wanted to surprise Aunt Melissy when he got back, and make +her feel happy for once in her life. + +"Cousin Glen took Uncle Lovejoy to the stores first, and then to a good +many different kinds of places afterward, and every place where there +was a mirror Uncle Lovejoy would stand before it and admire himself and +wonder what Aunt Melissy would say when he got home. He kept buying new +things every day, because every day he'd see somebody with something on +or carrying or leading something, and when he remembered what Aunt +Melissy said, he made up his mind he'd have to have all the things to +please her, and he got them as far as he could. Even Cousin Glenwood had +to commence buying things pretty soon to keep up, and before long people +used to stop on the street and look at them when they went by. Uncle +Silas didn't want to go home, either, when the time came, but of course +he had to, and he put on his best clothes for the trip, and took a young +man he'd hired to wait on him, and started. + +[Illustration: PEOPLE USED TO STOP ON THE STREET AND LOOK AT THEM] + +"He didn't tell Aunt Melissy just what time he'd be there, so it was a +surprise sure enough. He walked right into the yard, and behind was the +young man he'd hired, carrying his things. Aunt Melissy was getting +dinner, and had just come to the door a minute to see what time it was +by the sun, when all of a sudden, as she looked up, there he was! He had +his hat in one hand and a cane in the other, and was leading a game +chicken by a string. All his boxes and bundles and the young man were +behind him. Uncle Lovejoy wore an eyeglass, too, and smoked a paper +thing he said was a cigarette. My little cousins, who were there, told +me afterward that their pa had never looked so fine in his life before +or since. They didn't know him at all, and neither did Aunt Melissy. She +thought he was somebody with something to sell at first, and when he +said, 'Aw, there, Melissah!' she threw up her hands and was about to +call for help, when just that minute she saw it was Uncle Silas. + +[Illustration: HE WALKED RIGHT INTO THE YARD, AND BEHIND WAS THE YOUNG +MAN HE'D HIRED] + +"Poor Uncle Silas! He meant to surprise her, and he did it sure +enough. He meant to please her, though, and he didn't do that worth a +cent. It seemed funny, but she was mad. That's just the trouble about +women folks; you never know when you're going to please them. My little +cousins said they never saw their ma so mad before or since. She made +Uncle Lovejoy take off all his nice clothes, and the young man, too, and +she cooked the game chicken for dinner. Then, right after dinner, she +picked up a bag of shinney sticks that Uncle Lovejoy had brought home, +and she says to him and the young man:-- + +[Illustration: "NOW YOU GET OUT IN THE GARDEN, BOTH OF YOU"] + +"'Now you get out in the garden,' she says, 'both of you, and try to +earn back some of this money you've been spending.' And Uncle Lovejoy +didn't feel very much like it, but he went, and so did the young man. So +did Aunt Melissy, and she used up most of those shinney sticks on Uncle +Silas and the young man before fall, and Uncle Silas never saw any of +his nice clothes again, though they had the best garden they ever did +have, so my little cousins said. + +"And that," said Mr. 'Possum, leaning back in his chair to smoke, +"that's why I've always been afraid to try family life. It's easier to +please one than two, especially when the other one is a spry, stirring +person like Aunt Melissy Lovejoy." + +"What became of all the good clothes?" asked Jack Rabbit, who was always +very stylish. + +"Why, I've heard," said Mr. 'Possum, "that Aunt Melissy made some of +them over for my little cousins, and that she traded off the rest of +them to a pedler for patent medicine to give Uncle Silas for a weak +mind, and I think he needed it some myself for trying to please her in +the first place." + +Mr. Rabbit nodded. + +"It takes all kinds of people to make a world," he said. + +Mr. 'Coon yawned and rubbed his eyes. The others were fast asleep. + + + + +AROUND THE WORLD AND BACK AGAIN + + +ONCE upon a time, when Mr. Dog was over spending the evening with the +Hollow Tree people, he told them that Mr. Man had said the world was +round, like a ball. Of course this was after Mr. Dog got to be good +friends with the 'Possum and the 'Coon and the Old Black Crow, and he +often used to come over to the Hollow Tree, where they lived, for a +quiet talk and smoke, and to tell the things that Mr. Man said and did, +and what he had on his table for dinner. + +The Hollow Tree people liked to hear about Mr. Man, too; but when they +heard what he said about the world being round they thought there must +be some mistake in the way Mr. Dog had understood it. Mr. 'Coon said +that it couldn't be so, for the edge of the world was just beyond the +last trees of the Big Deep Woods, and that he'd often sat there and hung +his feet over and watched the moon come up. Mr. 'Possum said so, too; +and Mr. Crow said that the other edge was over along the Wide Blue +Water, where Mr. Turtle lived, and that of course the water was flat, as +everybody could see. Anyway, it would spill out if it wasn't. + +But Mr. Dog stuck to it that Mr. Man had said just what Mr. Dog had said +he said, and that, what was more, Mr. Man had said that the world turned +over every day, and that the sun and moon and stars all went round it. +And Mr. Man had said, too, that people sometimes went around the world, +and didn't turn over or fall off into the sky when they were underneath, +but kept on, and came up on the other side, right back to the very +place they started from. + +Well, that made them all wonder a good deal more than ever; and Mr. Jack +Rabbit, who came in just then for the evening, said he shouldn't be a +bit surprised if it were true, for he'd often noticed how the seasons +went round and round, and he thought, now, they must travel around the +world some way, too. He said he'd composed some poetry on Spring as he +came along, and that now he understood some lines of it better than he +had at the start; for, of course, when poetry just comes to anybody, as +it does to Mr. Rabbit, it isn't expected that even the poet himself will +understand it very well at first. + +Then they all wanted to hear Jack Rabbit's poem, and Mr. Rabbit said +that it really wasn't just as he wanted it yet, but that if they +wouldn't expect too much, he'd let them hear how it went, anyway. + + +WHICH WAY, SPRING? + +BY J. RABBIT + + O Spring, + Ho, Spring! + Whither do you go, Spring? + If I did but know, Spring, + I would go there, too. + Pray, Spring, + Say, Spring, + Whither and away, Spring? + I would start to-day, Spring, + If I go with you. + +And Spring answers:-- + + Why, sir, + I, sir, + Just go tripping by, sir-- + If you did but try, sir, + You could go with me. + Follow, + Follow, + Over hill and hollow-- + Where the bluebirds call, O, + I am sure to be. + +Well, everybody applauded that, of course; and Mr. 'Coon said that for +his part he was tired of cold weather, and that if to-morrow was a +bright day, and anybody'd go with him, he'd start out at sunrise and +follow Spring clear around the world. Then Mr. 'Possum said he'd go just +to see whether Mr. Man was right or not, and Mr. Crow said he'd go, too. +Mr. Rabbit wanted to go to prove some things in his poem, but he had to +make a garden if it was a good day, and Mr. Dog had an engagement to dig +moles for Mr. Man. + +So the next morning, bright and early, the three Hollow Tree people got +up and started. They packed some lunch in a basket, so they wouldn't get +hungry, in case they were gone all day, and set out in high spirits; for +it was a beautiful morning in April, and they knew Spring had come at +last. + +They saw a bluebird up in a tree not far away, and they remembered what +Mr. Rabbit's poem had said about following him over hill and hollow; so +they went along in that direction, talking and whistling and singing, +because they felt so good in the fresh morning sunlight. + +And Mr. Bluebird hopped and whistled and flew along ahead, until, by and +by, they came to where Mr. Fox lived. + +"Where are you fellows going so early?" called Mr. Fox. + +"We're following Spring around the world," called back Mr. Crow; and +then they told him all that Mr. Dog had said. + +Then Mr. Fox looked very wise, for he didn't know if Mr. Dog was playing +a trick on them, or if it were really true that the world was round and +he hadn't heard of it. Anyway, he wasn't going to let on, so he said:-- + +[Illustration: SET OUT IN HIGH SPIRITS] + +"Why, of course! I knew that all the time. You just keep right on until +you come to that big elm over yonder, and turn to the right. Anybody +over there can show you the way." Then Mr. Fox coughed and went back +into the house, but he made up his mind he wouldn't laugh until he had +seen Mr. Dog and was sure it was all a joke. And the Hollow Tree people +kept on to the elm tree, and, sure enough, there was Mr. Bluebird, +hopping and whistling and flying on ahead, for he'd been listening to +what Mr. Fox had told them. + +So they hurried right along after him till they came to Mr. Wolf's +place. Mr. Wolf was looking out of his door as they came by. + +"Hello, you early birds!" he called. "Whose hen roost you been after?" + +Then they told him they weren't thinking of such things as that on a +beautiful morning like this, but that they were following Spring around +the world. And they told him all that Mr. Man had said to Mr. Dog, and +what Mr. Fox had said, and about Jack Rabbit's poem. Mr. Wolf thought +he'd better be wise, too, until he found out just how things were, so he +said:-- + +"Sure enough! That's a good plan. I'd go along if I had time. I know the +way well. You just keep on till you come to that creek yonder, then +cross and turn to the right, and after that any one can show you the +way." + +So away went the Hollow Tree people, and when they got to the creek, and +crossed, and turned to the right, there was the bluebird again, hopping +and whistling and dancing on ahead, just in the direction that Mr. Wolf +had said to go. Then, pretty soon, Mr. 'Possum said he was hungry, so +they sat down on some moss and ate their lunch, and Mr. Bluebird came up +close and sang to them till Mr. 'Possum went to sleep in the sun and +took a little nap, while the 'Coon and the Crow put what was left back +into the basket and got ready to go. Then Mr. 'Possum woke up and said +he was sure they must be nearly around the world, for he'd just had a +dream about catching a chicken with four legs and two heads, and he knew +that must mean something good. So then they went on and the bluebird +went ahead, until they came to a fine, big cave, where Mr. Bear lived. + +Now, Mr. Bear is very big and wise--at least he thinks he is--and he +knew right away that Mr. Dog was just playing a joke on them, or at +least he thought he did, so he said:-- + +"Well, well! I supposed you fellows knew all that long ago. You don't +mean to say, do you, that this is really your first time round? Why, I +go round the world every spring and fall, and buy most of my things on +the other side. You just follow this path till you come to a big black +rock, and then turn to the right and keep straight ahead. You can't miss +the way." + +[Illustration: "FOLLOW THIS PATH TILL YOU COME TO A BIG BLACK ROCK," +SAID MR. BEAR] + +Then Mr. Bear went back in his cave, and laid down and rolled over and +laughed to think what a big joke everybody was playing on the Hollow +Tree people. But the Hollow Tree people kept right on, for they saw Mr. +Bluebird still whistling and dancing on ahead; and by and by they came +to the big black rock that Mr. Bear had mentioned, and turned to the +right again as he had told them to do. Then they walked and walked, +and Mr. Bluebird hopped and skipped and whistled, until at last, just as +they were all getting very tired and it was 'most night, they came to a +big hollow tree in a deep woods; and Mr. 'Possum looked up and says:-- + +"Why," he says, "this tree looks a good deal like our tree!" + +And Mr. 'Coon, he says:-- + +"Why, it's just like our tree!" + +And Mr. Crow, he says:-- + +"Why, it _is_ our tree!" for of course they'd turned to the right three +times, which brought them right back where they started from, though +they did not know it. + +So then all at once they commenced to laugh and shout:-- + +"We've done it! We've done it! + + "We've followed Spring around the world, + According to the plan! + Hurrah for Mr. Rabbit! + And hurrah for Mr. Man!" + +[Illustration: AND MR. CROW, HE SAYS, "WHY, IT _IS_ OUR TREE!"] + +And the bluebird up in the branches whistled and danced and shouted, +too; and Jack Rabbit and Mr. Dog came over pretty soon to see if +they'd got home yet. And of course Mr. Rabbit was proud about the way +his poem had turned out; and Mr. Dog he was proud, too, on Mr. Man's +account. Then they all had a big supper, to celebrate, and by and by Mr. +Rabbit and Mr. Dog went away arm in arm, singing Mr. Rabbit's poem to +the moon; while the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow went to bed +happy because they had followed Spring clear around the world, and +hadn't got lost or tumbled off into the sky, but were home again safe +and sound in the Hollow Tree. + +[Illustration] + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Note: + +Repeated chapter titles were deleted. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Making Up with Mr. Dog, by Albert Bigelow Paine + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MAKING UP WITH MR. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Making Up with Mr. Dog + Hollow Tree Stories + +Author: Albert Bigelow Paine + +Illustrator: J. M. Condé + +Release Date: September 9, 2011 [EBook #37363] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MAKING UP WITH MR. DOG *** + + + + +Produced by Suzanne Shell, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<h1>MAKING UP WITH MR. DOG</h1> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 475px;"> +<img src="images/inscription.png" width="475" height="354" alt="Inscription" title="" /> +</div> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/gs01.png" width="600" height="381" alt="THE FIRST DINNER AT THE HOLLOW TREE INN" title="" /> +<span class="caption"><span style="margin-left: 22em;">[<span class='small'>See <a href="#Page_20">page 20</a></span></span><br />THE FIRST DINNER AT THE HOLLOW TREE INN</span> +</div> + + + + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><div class='bbox'><div class='bbox2'> +<h1>MAKING UP WITH<br /> +MR. DOG</h1></div> +<div class='bbox2'> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 335px;"> +<img src="images/title.png" width="335" height="400" alt="Holllow Tree Stories" title="" /> +</div> + +</div> +<div class='bbox2'> +<div class='center'> +HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS<br /> +NEW YORK AND LONDON<br /> +</div></div></div> + +<div class='center'><br />HOLLOW TREE<br /> +STORIES<br /> +<br /> +BY<br /> +ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE<br /> +<br /> +ILLUSTRATED BY<br /> +J. M. CONDÉ</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class='center'><span class='big'><b>HOLLOW TREE STORIES</b></span><br /> + +BY<br /> + +<span class="smcap">Albert Bigelow Paine</span><br /> +<br /> +12mo. Cloth. Fully Illustrated</div> + + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="Hollow Tree Books"> +<tr><td align='left'>HOW MR. DOG GOT EVEN</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>HOW MR. RABBIT LOST HIS TAIL</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>MR. RABBIT'S BIG DINNER</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>MAKING UP WITH MR. DOG</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>MR. POSSUM'S GREAT BALLOON TRIP</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>WHEN JACK RABBIT WAS A LITTLE BOY</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><br />HOLLOW TREE AND DEEP WOODS BOOK<br /><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Illustrated. 8vo.</span></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>HOLLOW TREE SNOWED-IN BOOK<br /><span style="margin-left: 2em;">Illustrated. 8vo.</span></td></tr> +</table></div> + +<div class='center'><br /><br />HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK<br /></div> + +<div class='copyright'><br /><br /><br /><br /> +Copyright, 1898, by <span class="smcap">James Gordon Bennett</span><br /> +———<br /> +Copyright, 1899, by <span class="smcap">Frank Munsey</span><br /> +———<br /> +Copyright, 1899, by <span class="smcap">The Century Company</span><br /> +———<br /> +Copyright, 1898, 1899, 1901, by <span class="smcap">Robert Howard Russell</span><br /> +———<br /> +Copyright, 1900, by <span class="smcap">Harper & Brothers</span><br /> +</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + + + + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents"> +<tr><td align='left'> </td><td align='left'><span class='small'>PAGE</span></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Hollow Tree Inn</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_3">3</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Hollow Tree Inn</span> (<i>Continued</i>)</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_11">11</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Deep Woods Fishing Party</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_25">25</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Mr. Rabbit Explains</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_41">41</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Hollow Tree Poetry Club</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_53">53</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Mr. Rabbit's Unwelcome Company</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_79">79</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Mr. 'Possum Explains</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_91">91</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Around the World and Back Again</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_109">109</a></td></tr> +</table></div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span></p> +<h2>THE HOLLOW TREE INN</h2> + +<div class='chaptertitle'>THE THREE FRIENDS GO INTO BUSINESS</div> + + +<div class='cap'>ONE rainy day when the 'Coon and 'Possum +and Old Black Crow, who lived +together in three big hollow limbs of a +Big Hollow Tree, were rummaging about +their house, they found that above each +of their rooms was a good deal of room +that nobody ever used. That set them to +thinking, and pretty soon Mr. 'Possum said +it was too bad to let all that good room go +to waste, and Mr. 'Coon said yes, it was, +and that their house was big enough for a +hotel.</div> + +<p>Of course he didn't think what he was +saying at the time, but it set Mr. Crow to +thinking and walking up and down, whistling,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> +and pretty soon he stopped still and +looked at the 'Coon and 'Possum.</p> + +<p>"I'll do the cookin'," he said, "if you'll +get the things to cook."</p> + +<p>And right then and there they made up +their minds to do it, and early the next +morning, while the Old Black Crow was +hurrying about inside, getting things ready +for business, the 'Coon and the 'Possum +nailed up a sign outside, and this is what was +on it:—</p> + +<div class='center'> +THE HOLLOW TREE INN.<br /> +BOARD BY THE DAY OR WEEK.<br /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 429px;"> +<img src="images/gs02.png" width="429" height="600" alt=""HELLO!" HE SAID. "WHAT'S THIS?"" title="" /> +<span class="caption">"HELLO!" HE SAID. "WHAT'S THIS?"</span> +</div> + +<p>Then they went inside to help Mr. Crow +get ready, and by and by they all sat down +and waited for people to come. Mr. 'Coon +and Mr. 'Possum felt pretty well, too, for +they thought they would have the easiest +time. You see, they had always depended +on Mr. Crow a good deal, for, besides being +a good cook, he was a great hand to provide, +and knew more about where to get the best +things, and the best time of day or night<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> +to get them, than both of the others put +together. So he didn't say anything, but +dressed up nice and spruce in a clean apron +and cooking cap and leaned out of the window, +as cooks always do, with his arms +folded. By and by along came Mr. Jack +Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Hello!" he said. "What's this?"</p> + +<p>Then he read the sign over and looked at +Mr. Crow and asked him if it was a joke. +And Mr. Crow said:—</p> + +<p>"Not much! Come up and see."</p> + +<p>So then Mr. Rabbit went up stairs, and +Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum showed him +through, and Jack Rabbit said that he didn't +feel very well this summer, anyway, and +he believed he'd just shut up his house and +come and board awhile for a change. He +said he guessed he'd take the room above +Mr. 'Coon's, because it had a nice south +window and a tall looking glass, and that +he'd pack up a few things that he needed +and come over right away. Then he went +home and the 'Coon and 'Possum and the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> +Old Black Crow all shook hands and danced +around in a circle to think how well they +were going to do, for if Mr. Jack Rabbit came +they were sure of having as many others as +their house would hold.</p> + +<p>And while they were dancing, along came +Mr. Robin. He read the sign, too, and +laughed, and then knocked at the door till +Mr. 'Coon came down and let him in. He +thought it was a joke at first, like the Rabbit, +but when he heard that Jack Rabbit +was coming to board he spoke up just as +quick as anything and said he'd come, too, +and that he'd have his things there before +supper time. He took the room over Mr. +Crow, because he said he didn't mind the +smell of the cooking, and then maybe he'd +learn some new receipts. You see, Mr. Crow +and Mr. Robin are sort of kinsfolk, and +when they have time they often get together +and trace back to find out just what relation +they are to each other, and that makes them +good friends.</p> + +<p>Well, Mr. Robin hadn't more'n got out<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> +of the house when who should walk in but +Mr. Squirrel.</p> + +<p>"What's all this about boarders?" said +Mr. Squirrel. "I'm looking for a place to +spend a month or two myself."</p> + +<p>So then they showed him the room above +Mr. 'Possum's, and he was so pleased with +the view and everything that he paid a week's +board in advance to be sure of keeping anybody +else from getting it. When he was +gone the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old +Black Crow did another dance, and kept +saying over and over how rich they'd be +and what they would do with all the money. +Then they heard somebody laughing outside, +and when they looked out there was +Mr. Turtle laughing and reading the sign.</p> + +<p>"Hello!" he said. "This isn't the first of +April."</p> + +<p>"No," said Mr. Crow, "it's a boarding +house, and a good one. All the best people +in the country stop here. Mr. Rabbit, Mr. +Robin, and Mr. Squirrel. Sorry, Mr. Turtle, +but our rooms are all full."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span></p> + +<p>Then Mr. Turtle did look cheap, for he +thought he couldn't be in the crowd, and +it was the very crowd he liked to associate +with. But just then Mr. 'Coon happened +to think that they might fit up the big room +below the other big room where they all +gathered to eat and talk, and Mr. Turtle +said that would suit him exactly, because he +was large and heavy and didn't care much +about climbing anyway. So he hurried off +after his things, too, and he wasn't out of +sight before here comes Mr. Dog!</p> + +<p>Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum were both +looking out the window when he came up, +and they jumped back like lightning. You +see, they didn't like Mr. Dog worth a cent. +Then Mr. Crow came and looked out the +window and talked to him. Mr. Dog was +just as polite as a basket of chips, and of +course that's the politest thing in the world.</p> + +<p>"I've just seen Mr. Robin," said Mr. Dog, +"and I came to get a room, too."</p> + +<p>"Awfully sorry, Mr. Dog, but our rooms +are all full," said Mr. Crow.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Why don't you take down your sign, +then?" said Mr. Dog.</p> + +<p>"Hotels never take down their signs," said +Mr. Crow.</p> + +<p>"Hotels are never too full for one more, +either," said Mr. Dog. "If you don't let me +come in I think I'll wait around here and +make a vacancy."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span></p> +<h2>THE HOLLOW TREE INN<br /> +(<i>Continued</i>)</h2> + + + + +<div class='chaptertitle'>WHAT HAPPENS TO MR. DOG</div> + + +<div class='cap'>NOW, when Mr. 'Possum and Mr. 'Coon +heard that their hair stood up straight, +for they knew very well that there'd be two +vacant rooms anyway if Mr. Dog ever got +inside, and two if he stayed where he was, +for they happened to think that Mr. Rabbit +would be coming along presently, and +Mr. Squirrel wouldn't be far behind. So +they hurried to the back window and looked +out, and sure enough, there was Mr. Rabbit +coming with his trunk on his shoulder and +almost there. At first they were frightened +'most to death for Mr. Rabbit, and then +the 'Coon slipped over and whispered to the +Crow to keep Mr. Dog talking as hard as he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> +could, so he wouldn't notice anything. All +the time he was doing this the 'Possum was +motioning to Jack Rabbit to slip up easy-like +with his trunk.</div> + +<p>So Mr. Rabbit slipped up softly on the +other side of the house from Mr. Dog and +set his trunk down, and the 'Possum let out +a long rope with a hook on it. Jack Rabbit +stood up on his trunk and grabbed the hook +as soon as he could reach it and hooked it +under his arms. Then the 'Coon and the +'Possum pulled and pulled and up he came, +and as soon as he was safe they let down the +rope and caught the hook in the trunk +handle. That was a load for all three of +them, and even then they couldn't get it up, +and called across to the Crow to come quick +and help. So he had to leave Mr. Dog a +minute, and when he did that Mr. Dog +walked around the tree, and there was the +trunk just a few feet from the ground, going +up very slowly. That was enough for Mr. +Dog. He knew then he'd been fooled, and +he was so mad he didn't know what to do.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/gs03.png" width="500" height="502" alt="THERE WAS MR. RABBIT COMING WITH HIS TRUNK" title="" /> +<span class="caption">THERE WAS MR. RABBIT COMING WITH HIS TRUNK</span> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span></p> + +<p>He took one look at that trunk and made +up his mind he wouldn't stand it. So he +stepped back a little and made a short run +and gave a jump for the trunk, just as high +as ever he could.</p> + +<p>But Mr. Dog wasn't very lucky, for instead +of landing on the trunk he landed his nose +right against one corner of it, and that made +him madder than ever. He ran and jumped +again harder than before, but this time the +trunk was a little higher and Mr. Dog didn't +quite hit it. There was a strap hanging +down, though, and he caught it as he went +by. He caught it with his teeth, and two +of his teeth went right through two of the +holes where the buckle catches, and there +they stayed. He had the trunk all right +enough, but the trunk had him, too.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 389px;"> +<img src="images/gs04.png" width="389" height="600" alt="AND UP HE CAME" title="" /> +<span class="caption">AND UP HE CAME</span> +</div> + +<p>There he was. His feet didn't quite touch +the ground, and he couldn't get up any higher +either. Then all at once the people up stairs +saw how it was, and they commenced to +laugh in spite of themselves, and hitched the +rope around a peg under the sill so they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> +could rest a minute. That was fun for +them, but it wasn't for Mr. Dog, by a good +deal. He couldn't laugh, and he couldn't +rest, either. And just then Mr. Squirrel +came with his trunk, and Mr. Robin with his +satchel and a hand bag, and Mr. Turtle +with his things in a big sack. Mr. 'Coon +ran down and let them all in and locked the +door. Then he ran back to the window +where Mr. Dog was.</p> + +<p>"If we'll let you down will you go home +and not come around this hotel interfering +with our business?" says Mr. 'Possum.</p> + +<p>"Yes; will you promise not to try to get +any of our guests away from us?" says Mr. +'Coon.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 427px;"> +<img src="images/gs05.png" width="427" height="550" alt="HE CAUGHT IT AS HE WENT BY" title="" /> +<span class="caption">HE CAUGHT IT AS HE WENT BY</span> +</div> + +<p>Mr. Dog couldn't talk much in the fix he +was in, but he did the best he could, and +promised yes to everything, so pretty soon +they let the trunk down till his feet touched +the ground and he could get his teeth out +of the strap. Then he put out for home just +about as fast as he could go, without so +much as thanking them for letting him down,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> +and up went Mr. Rabbit's trunk pretty +quick, now that there were plenty to help.</p> + +<p>Then the guests all hurried to their rooms +to unpack, and Mr. Crow bustled around to +get supper with what he had in the house, +for Mr. 'Possum and Mr. 'Coon hadn't +time yet to bring in anything. It was a +pretty good supper, though, and all the +guests said so, and said they knew what a +good cook Mr. Crow was if he had things +to work with, and the Crow said he guessed +he could do his part if the 'Coon and 'Possum +would do theirs.</p> + +<p>Well, it makes a good deal of difference +whether you're company 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 the +cherries were canned, and not very good +at that.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 452px;"> +<img src="images/gs06.png" width="452" height="600" alt="THE ARRIVAL OF THE OTHER GUESTS" title="" /> +<span class="caption">THE ARRIVAL OF THE OTHER GUESTS</span> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span></p> + +<p>"That's what I said," put in Mr. 'Coon, +"but Mr. 'Possum said you wouldn't know +the difference."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>Then Mr. Squirrel picked up some roasted +nuts that the Crow had just brought in.</p> + +<p>"Where'd you get these nuts?" he says, +after he'd cracked one or two of them.</p> + +<p>"Down on the slope of Green Bushes," +says Mr. 'Coon. "Why, aren't they good +ones?"</p> + +<p>"I suppose they were once," says Mr. +Squirrel—"two or three years ago. Nuts +have to be fresh to be good."</p> + +<p>"That's what I told him," says Mr. 'Possum, +"but he said you wouldn't know the +difference."</p> + +<p>"Oh, he did, did he?" says Mr. Squirrel. +"Well, I've got better nuts than these at +home," and Mr. Squirrel <i>he</i> got up and left +the table.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span></p> + +<p>Then Jack Rabbit began.</p> + +<p>"Where'd you get this salad?" he says, +turning up his nose.</p> + +<p>"Out by Mr. Man's back gate," says Mr. +'Possum. "Why, isn't it good?"</p> + +<p>"Might have been once," says Mr. Rabbit. +"I s'pose it's some Mr. Man threw out because +it was wilted."</p> + +<p>"That's what I told him," says Mr. 'Coon, +"but he said you wouldn't know the difference."</p> + +<p>"Oh, he did, did he? Well, I've got better +salad than this at home," and Jack Rabbit +<i>he</i> got up and he left the table.</p> + +<p>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,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> +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.</p> + +<p>"I'll tell you!" he says. "We'll just rent +rooms."</p> + +<p>"Do what?" says Mr. 'Possum and Mr. +'Coon together.</p> + +<p>"Why, just rent each of our guests his +room and let him take his meals out. Then +we won't have any work."</p> + +<p>"Whoop-ee!" says Mr. 'Possum and Mr. +'Coon both together, as loud as ever they +could. That made all the guests come running +back, and when they heard the new +plan they all said it was just the thing.</p> + +<p>So then Mr. 'Possum went down and got +the sign and brought it up and changed it +to read:—</p> + +<div class='center'> +THE HOLLOW TREE INN.<br /> +FURNISHED ROOMS ONLY.<br /> +</div> + +<p>And that was how business began at last +in the Hollow Tree.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span></p> +<h2>A DEEP WOODS FISHING PARTY</h2> + +<div class='chaptertitle'>AN ADVENTURE WITH MR. DOG AND A VERY LARGE FISH</div> + + +<div class='cap'>ONE warm, still June morning (this, of +course, was before the Hollow Tree +Inn started) Mr. Jack Rabbit looked out of +the window while he was dressing and +thought to himself that it would be just +the very morning for fish to bite.</div> + +<p>Jack Rabbit liked to fish better than anything, +almost, so right after breakfast he +took an empty tomato can and went out +in the back yard and turned over boards till +he had the can about half full of bait, with +a little dirt thrown on top. Then he reached +up under the eaves of the smoke-house and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> +pulled out a long cane pole with a line and +hook and floater on it, all rigged up ready, +and flung it over his shoulder and started.</p> + +<p>Mr. Rabbit walked pretty fast—even lazy +folks do that when they go fishing, and Mr. +Jack Rabbit wasn't lazy, by a good deal. +So pretty soon he came to the Hollow Tree, +and there, looking out of an up-stairs window, +he saw the 'Coon, the 'Possum, and the +Old Black Crow.</p> + +<p>"Hello, up there!" he said. "Don't you +fellows want to go fishing?"</p> + +<p>Mr. 'Possum said he thought fish would +bite well on such a morning, and that he'd +like to go first rate. Mr. 'Coon said he +knew a place where you could pull them out +as fast as you could throw in your hook, and +he went on and told how he caught a fish +there last year that would weigh more than +four pounds, and lost him just as he got +him to the top of the water. Mr. Crow said +he'd always noticed that Mr. 'Coon's four-pound +fish never got any nearer to him than +the top of the water, and that for his part<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> +he didn't care much about fishing. He said, +though, that if the 'Coon and the 'Possum +wanted to go he'd stay at home and get +dinner while they were gone, so's to have it +ready when they all came home hungry. +He told them that he had some nice canned +salmon in the cupboard that he could catch +'most any time, and that if they really wanted +fish for dinner he s'posed he might as well +open it. Then they all laughed, and in +about a minute down came Mr. 'Coon and +Mr. 'Possum with their fishing things. Jack +Rabbit said he had plenty of bait, so away +they went. Mr. Crow sat up in the window +and watched them off, and Mr. Robin, +who happened along just then, laughed and +called after them that he'd take a few +pounds of nice bass when they got home. +The Robin just said that to plague them, of +course, and Mr. 'Coon called back that +they'd fool him this time, and then he went +on to remark that he'd never in his life +seen a finer day for fishing.</p> + +<p>Jack Rabbit said yes, that it was fine,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> +and that it was a fine day for Mr. Dog to +be out gallivanting over the country, too, +and that they'd better hurry up and get +to the lake and out in his boat before anything +happened. That made Mr. 'Possum +take a good deal livelier step, though he +commenced to whistle and said he wasn't +afraid of Mr. Dog, anyway. Mr. 'Coon said +he'd always noticed that a fellow mostly +whistled when he wasn't afraid, but for +his part he couldn't get to that boat any +too soon. And pretty soon they did get to +it, and Mr. 'Possum was the first one to +pile in, though Mr. Dog wasn't anywhere +in sight.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/gs07.png" width="600" height="407" alt="WHEN THEY GOT OUT TO WHERE MR. 'COON SAID THE GOOD PLACE WAS, THEY ALL WENT TO FISHING" title="" /> +<span class="caption">WHEN THEY GOT OUT TO WHERE MR. 'COON SAID THE GOOD PLACE WAS, THEY ALL WENT TO FISHING</span> +</div> + +<p>Well, they pushed off, and Jack Rabbit +took one oar and Mr. 'Coon the other, while +the 'Possum sat on the back seat and baited +his hook so's to catch the first fish. Then, +when they got out to where Mr. 'Coon said +the good place was, they all went to fishing, +and Mr. 'Possum did get the first bite, but +he didn't get anything else when he pulled. +Mr. 'Coon told him he pulled too quick,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> +and Jack Rabbit told him he didn't pull +quick enough, and asked him if he expected +the fish to climb out on his pole. Then +Mr. Rabbit had a bite himself, and pulled +and didn't get anything, either. Of course, +that made Mr. 'Possum laugh, and then, all +at once, the 'Coon had a great big bite that +took his float away down out of sight the +first grab.</p> + +<p>Mr. 'Coon let him go for a minute and +then gave a hard pull and commenced to +call out that he had him this time and that +he'd show Mr. Crow now about only getting +fish to the top of the water and having canned +salmon for dinner. Then he stood up in the +boat and pulled as hard as ever he could till +all of a sudden his line broke, and down he +went backward, right on top of Mr. 'Possum, +while the Rabbit swung his hook over where +the 'Coon's hook had been and the big +fish grabbed it before you could say Jack +Robinson.</p> + +<p>That was too bad for the 'Coon and the +'Possum, of course, and it wasn't as much<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> +fun for Jack Rabbit as you might suppose, +for he couldn't get the big fish out to save +his life, and he had to hold on to the boat +to keep from being pulled into the lake. +Then he called to the others to help him, and +they both got up and took hold of the pole +and hauled it in hand over hand till they +got to the line, and that was as far as they +could get. So Mr. Rabbit gave the line a +twist or two around the iron ring in the front +of his boat, and the big fish started straight +for shore, dragging the boat and everybody in +it behind him, just as hard as ever he could +go. Then Mr. 'Coon and Jack Rabbit commenced +to quarrel about whose fish it was, +and Mr. 'Possum said he didn't care whose +it was, he was getting a free ride, and he +laid back and laughed and looked at the +shore, when all of a sudden he happened to +spy there, sitting on the end of a log, fishing +and waiting for them, nobody but Mr. Dog +himself.</p> + +<p>That wasn't very much, of course, but it +was plenty for Mr. 'Possum. He quit laughing<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> +and tumbled down in the bottom of the +boat and laid there calling for Jack Rabbit +to cut that fish line or they'd all be chops +and steaks and carried home in a basket in +less than five minutes. Jack Rabbit did +try to cut the line, too, but he was so excited +he dropped his knife overboard, and Mr. +'Coon couldn't find his, and Mr. 'Possum +didn't have any. So there they were, and +there was Mr. Dog! Then Mr. Rabbit tried +to bite the line off with his teeth, but he +couldn't do that, either, for it was a big, +strong line that he'd made himself, specially +for large fish.</p> + +<p>And all the time they were getting closer +and closer to the shore, and Mr. Dog had +lifted his line out of the water so it wouldn't +be in his way, and was sitting there waiting, +and smiling to see them come.</p> + +<p>Then Jack Rabbit knew that something +had to be done, and there was no time to +lose. He was just about as scared as he +could be, but he knew it wouldn't do any +good to let on, so he sat up straight and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> +smiled some, too, and looked at Mr. Dog +and called out, big and friendly like:—</p> + +<p>"Hello, Mr. Dog! Here we come! Here +we come with a nice dinner, Mr. Dog!"</p> + +<p>Then Mr. Dog laughed and called back:—</p> + +<p>"That's right, Mr. Rabbit. There's a sure +enough nice dinner coming this time! Fish +for the first course, Mr. Rabbit!"</p> + +<p>When Mr. 'Possum heard that he began +to groan, and Jack Rabbit and Mr. 'Coon +began to shiver, for each thought he knew +pretty well what the next courses of Mr. +Dog's dinner would be. But Mr. Rabbit +didn't stop smiling or let on that he knew, +and he called out again to Mr. Dog, quick:—</p> + +<p>"You'll have to help us if we have fish, +Mr. Dog! He's a big one and you'll have +to help us catch him!"</p> + +<p>And Mr. Dog called back again:—</p> + +<p>"Don't worry, Mr. Rabbit! I won't leave! +I'll be on hand when you get here, Mr. +Rabbit!"</p> + +<p>Then he rolled up his trousers a little and +waded out into the shallow water, thinking<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> +he would nab Mr. Fish first and drag him +out on shore, and then pull the boat right +in after him.</p> + +<p>Of course, that was a pretty good plan +for Mr. Dog, only like some other good plans, +it didn't work just as he expected it to. +You see, he didn't quite know how big the +fish was, nor how hard a big fish is to handle +in shallow water. He made a quick grab +at it when it got to him and then, right +away, he had his hands full of business. That +fish gave a flop with his tail that laid Mr. +Dog over on his back and then another flop +that set him on his feet again, and a side +flop that smacked him against the water +first one way and then the other, and made +him breathe hard and choke and try to let go.</p> + +<p>But Mr. Dog couldn't let go, for he'd got +the fish line some way tangled in his teeth. +So he began to snap and paw and swallow +water, and fall down and get up again, and +sprawl about in the swamp grass, trying to +get back to shore.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 432px;"> +<img src="images/gs08.png" width="432" height="600" alt="THE FIGHT BETWEEN MR. DOG AND THE BIG FISH" title="" /> +<span class="caption">THE FIGHT BETWEEN MR. DOG AND THE BIG FISH</span> +</div> + +<p>And while all this was going on Jack Rabbit<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> +and his friends had jumped out into the +shallow water and took a little roundin's to +shore, keeping out of Mr. Dog's way, and +made tracks for the top of a hill, where they +would be out of danger and see the fun at +the same time. Then they all stood up +there and watched the fight between Mr. +Dog and the big fish, and Jack Rabbit sang +out, as loud as ever he could:—</p> + +<p>"Don't leave, Mr. Dog! Stay with him, +Mr. Dog! Hold him to it, Mr. Dog; you've +got him! First course, Mr. Dog!"</p> + +<p>And Mr. Dog heard Jack Rabbit and got +madder and madder every minute, till all +of a sudden he got a lick on the side of the +head from Mr. Fish's tail that made him +see stars and broke the line. And away went +the big fish out into deep water, while Mr. +Dog crawled back to shore, wet and bruised +from head to foot, and 'most dead.</p> + +<p>Then Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum and +Jack Rabbit, standing on top of the hill, +gave a great big laugh, all together, and Mr. +Rabbit called out:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span>—</p> + +<p>"How did you like the first course, Mr. +Dog?"</p> + +<p>That made them all laugh again, and then +Mr. 'Coon called out:—</p> + +<p>"Are you ready for the second course, +Mr. Dog?"</p> + +<p>And pretty soon Mr. 'Possum he called +out:—</p> + +<p>"Are you ready for a nice roast now, Mr. +Dog?"</p> + +<p>And that, of course, made them all laugh +very loud, for Mr. 'Possum used slang now +and then and meant by a "roast" that people +would all make fun of Mr. Dog wherever +he went; which they did, for a long time.</p> + +<p>Even Mr. Robin, who was good friends +with Mr. Dog, couldn't help calling out to +him, now and then, as he went by:—</p> + +<p>"Are you ready for the next course, Mr. +Dog?"</p> + +<p>And Mr. Dog would pretend not to hear +and go hurrying by very fast, as if he were +out on special and important business for +Mr. Man.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 417px;"> +<img src="images/gs09.png" width="417" height="600" alt="LEANING OVER TO LIGHT HIS PIPE FROM MR. 'POSSUM'S" title="" /> +<span class="caption">LEANING OVER TO LIGHT HIS PIPE FROM MR. 'POSSUM'S</span> +</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span></p> +<h2>MR. RABBIT EXPLAINS</h2> + +<div class='chaptertitle'>AN EASTER STORY</div> + + +<div class='cap'>"WHY do we always have rabbits at +Easter?" asked the Little Lady. +"Is that a story, too?"</div> + +<p>The Story Teller lit his pipe, thinking all +the time, and pretty soon he said: "Why, +yes, there is a story about that, and it goes +this way":—</p> + +<p>One afternoon in the early spring Mr. +Jack Rabbit and his friends were out for an +airing. The Hollow Tree people were along, +and Mr. Turtle, as usual. By and by they +came to a log under a big tree and sat down +for a smoke and talk. They talked about +the weather at first and other things, till<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> +somebody mentioned Easter. Then they all +had something to say about that.</p> + +<p>"What I object to," says Mr. Rabbit, +when it came his time to talk, "is this thing +of people always saying that the Easter eggs +belong to me."</p> + +<p>"Oh, but that's just a joke," says Mr. +'Coon, laughing.</p> + +<p>"I know it's just a joke, of course, but it's +a pretty old joke, and I'm tired of it," says +Jack Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"How did it get started anyway?" asked +Mr. 'Possum.</p> + +<p>Then Mr. Rabbit took his pipe out of +his mouth and leaned forward a little, so he +could talk better.</p> + +<p>"I tell you how it got started," he says, +"and after that I don't want to hear any +more of it. This is how it happened:—</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/gs10.png" width="600" height="419" alt="THEY CAME TO A LOG UNDER A BIG TREE AND SAT DOWN FOR A SMOKE AND TALK" title="" /> +<span class="caption">THEY CAME TO A LOG UNDER A BIG TREE AND SAT DOWN FOR A SMOKE AND TALK</span> +</div> + +<p>"Once upon a time, as much as twenty +grandmothers back, I should think, there +was a very nice family of Rabbits that lived +in a grassy place on a hillside back of a big +farmyard. There was quite a hole in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> +ground there, and they had a cozy home in +it, and a soft bed for their little folk.</p> + +<p>"Now, every bright morning, Father and +Mother Rabbit used to take the children out +for a walk, and for a few lessons in running +and hiding from Mr. Dog, who bothered +about a good deal, and one day as they were +coming home they heard a great cackling, +and when they got to their house there was +a nice fresh egg lying right in the children's +bed. Some old hen from the farmyard had +slipped in and laid it while they were gone. +A good many hens, especially old hens, like +to hide their nests that way, and this was +one of that kind.</p> + +<p>"Well, of course all the young Rabbits +claimed it, and Mother Rabbit at last gave +it to the smallest and weakest one of the +children, a little girl, who was always painting +things with the juice of flower petals. +And the very first thing that little girl did +was to stain that egg all over with violet +juice, not thinking what trouble it was going +to cause our family forever after.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/gs11.png" width="600" height="354" alt="THEY HAD A COZY HOME AND A SOFT BED FOR THEIR LITTLE FOLK" title="" /> +<span class="caption">THEY HAD A COZY HOME AND A SOFT BED FOR THEIR LITTLE FOLK</span> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span></p> + +<p>"It was a nice blue egg when she got +through with it, and the next day, when +they all came back from their walk again +there was another white egg right by it. +The old hen had been there again and laid +another while they were gone. The second +little girl claimed that egg, of course, and +she painted it a bright yellow with buttercup +juice. Then the next day there was another +egg, and the next day there was another +egg, and the next day there was another egg, +until there was one apiece for every one of +the children, and some over.</p> + +<p>"And they all painted them. Some +painted theirs pink or red with rose leaves +or japonica, some painted them yellow with +buttercups, and some blue or purple with +violets, as the first little girl had done. They +had so many at last that it crowded them out +of their bed and they had to sleep on the +floor.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 446px;"> +<img src="images/gs12.png" width="446" height="575" alt="A FEW LESSONS IN RUNNING AND HIDING" title="" /> +<span class="caption">A FEW LESSONS IN RUNNING AND HIDING</span> +</div> + +<p>"And then, one Sunday, and it must have +been Easter Sunday, they all went out walking +again, and when they came back every<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> +one of those beautiful colored eggs was gone. +The children cried and made a great fuss, but +it was no use. Some of Mr. Man's boys +out hunting hens' nests had found them and +taken them all home with them.</p> + +<p>"And of course all those colored eggs set +Mr. Man to wondering, and he came with +his boys to the place where they had found +them; and when they looked in out jumped +the whole Rabbit family, helter skelter in +every direction.</p> + +<p>"And right then," said Mr. Rabbit, leaning +over to light his pipe from Mr. 'Possum's, +"right then Mr. Man declared those colored +eggs were rabbit eggs, and he's kept on +saying so ever since, though he knows better, +and he knows I don't like it. He takes +eggs and colors them himself now, and makes +believe they're mine, and he puts my picture +all over things about Easter time. I suppose +he thinks I don't care, but I do, and I wish +that little Miss Rabbit twenty grandmothers +back had left that old hen's egg white as she +found it."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 441px;"> +<img src="images/gs13.png" width="441" height="600" alt="IT WAS A NICE BLUE EGG WHEN SHE GOT THROUGH WITH IT" title="" /> +<span class="caption">IT WAS A NICE BLUE EGG WHEN SHE GOT THROUGH WITH IT</span> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span></p> + +<p>"It's too bad," says Mr. Crow. "It's +like that story they tell about the fox making +me drop the cheese."</p> + +<p>"Or like Mr. Man making believe that +the combs he uses are really made out of +my shell," says Mr. Turtle.</p> + +<p>Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum shook their +heads. They had their troubles, too.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span></p> +<h2>THE HOLLOW TREE POETRY CLUB</h2> + +<div class='chaptertitle'>HOW MR. DOG CAME TO A POETRY CLUB, AND WHAT HAPPENED</div> + + +<div class='cap'>ONCE upon a time, when it was getting +along toward fall in the Hollow Tree, +when Jack Rabbit and Mr. Robin and the +others had come to live with the 'Coon and +'Possum and the Old Black Crow, there +began to be long evenings, and the Hollow +Tree people used to think of new ways to +pass the time. They tried games at first, +and sleight-of-hand tricks. Then they tried +doing things, and Mr. Turtle carried them +all together twice around the big parlor +room on his back. But even that wasn't<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> +so funny after the first evening, and Mr. +Crow, who did most of the thinking, had to +scratch his head and think pretty hard what +to do next.</div> + +<p>All at once he happened to remember that +Jack Rabbit, who was the big man of the +party, was also a first rate poet, and liked +to read his own poetry better than anything. +So, when he thought of that, he said:—</p> + +<p>"I'll tell you. We'll have a poetry club."</p> + +<p>And of course that made Mr. Rabbit wake +up right away.</p> + +<p>"What's that?" he said. "What kind of +a thing is a poetry club?"</p> + +<p>"Why," said Mr. Crow, "it's a place +where the members each write a poem and +read it at the next meeting. You're the +only real, sure enough poet, of course, and +will be president, and write the best poem, +but the rest of us can try, and you can tell +us our mistakes. I've heard that Mr. Man +has clubs, and they're ever so much fun."</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 419px;"> +<img src="images/gs14.png" width="419" height="500" alt="HAD TO SCRATCH HIS HEAD AND THINK PRETTY HARD" title="" /> +<span class="caption">HAD TO SCRATCH HIS HEAD AND THINK PRETTY HARD</span> +</div> + +<p>Jack Rabbit thought so, too, and all the +others liked the plan. So they elected Mr.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> +Rabbit president and then went to work on +their poems. They couldn't have the first +meeting very soon, for it took longer to +write poems in those days than it does now, +so before they got half ready the news got +out some way, and even Mr. Dog had heard +of it.</p> + +<p>Poor Mr. Dog! It made him really quite +ill to think he wasn't on very good terms with +the Hollow Tree people, for he thought he +could write pretty nice poetry, too, and he +wanted to belong to that club worse than +anything he could think of. He wanted to +so bad that at last he told Mr. Robin that if +they'd just let him come he'd promise anything +they asked.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 433px;"> +<img src="images/gs15.png" width="433" height="600" alt="POOR MR. DOG" title="" /> +<span class="caption">POOR MR. DOG</span> +</div> + +<p>They didn't want to let him, though, +until Mr. Crow, who always felt kind of +sorry for Mr. Dog, said he didn't see why +Mr. Dog shouldn't come and look in through +the window shutters, and that they could +nail a seat for him on a limb just outside. +They could pull him up to it with a rope and +he could sit there and listen and applaud the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> +poems all through without being able to do +any damage to the poets, and he would be +glad enough to be let down by the time they +got done reciting.</p> + +<p>So they sent him an invitation, and Mr. +Dog was as happy as a king. He went +right to work on his poem, and he worked +all night and walked up and down the yard +all day trying to think up rhymes for "joyful" +and "meeting," and a lot of other nice +words. Even when he was asleep he dreamed +about it, and said over some of the lines +out loud and jerked his paws about as if +he were reciting it and making motions. +You see, Mr. Dog hadn't always done just +right by the Hollow Tree people, and he was +anxious to make a good impression and fix +up things. He fixed himself all up, too, +when the night came for the meeting, and +took his poem under his arm and lit a cigar +that he'd borrowed of Mr. Man for the +occasion, and away he went.</p> + +<p>The Hollow Tree people were on the look-out +for him and had the rope down and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> +ready. So Mr. Dog tied it around under +his arms, and they pulled and pulled, and +up he came. Then, when he got pretty +close to the window, they closed the shutter +and put the rope through and pulled him +up still a little higher, so that he could +reach the seat on the limb, which was fixed +just right for him to sit there and lean on the +window sill while he listened and looked in.</p> + +<p>Of course, Mr. Dog wished he was inside, +like the others, but he knew why he wasn't, +and he was glad enough to be there at all. +He peeked through the slats at the big room +and smiled and said some nice things about +how pretty the room looked, till they all +got real sociable with him. Then Jack Rabbit +called the meeting to order and made a +few remarks.</p> + +<p>He said the duties of his office had kept +him from writing quite as long and as good +a poem as he would have liked to write, +but that he hoped they might be willing to +hear what he had done. Then they all +shouted, "Yes, yes!" and "Hear, hear!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> +and Mr. Rabbit bowed first to the ones inside +and then to Mr. Dog outside, and began:—</p> + + +<div class='center'>THE JOYS OF POETRY<br /> + +<span class='smaller'>BY J. RABBIT</span></div> + +<div class='poem'> +Oh, sweet the joys of poetry<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">In the merry days of spring,</span><br /> +When the dew is on the meadow<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">And the duck is on the wing!</span><br /> +For 'tis then, from Dan to Dover,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">I'm a rover 'mid the clover,</span><br /> +Seeking rhymes the country over<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">With a ring, sing, swing—</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">With a ding, dong, ding,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">And a ting a ling a ling—</span><br /> +For I'm the rhyming rover of the spring.<br /> +<br /> +Oh, sweet the joys of poetry<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">In the pleasant summer time!</span><br /> +For 'tis then I have no trouble<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">To compose my gentle rhyme;</span><br /> +In a nooklet by the brooklet<br /> +I can think up quite a booklet,<br /> +As with fishing line and hooklet<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">I assist the fish to climb</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">To the music of my chime,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">For with rollick and with rhyme</span><br /> +I'm the poet of the pleasant summer time.<br /> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 428px;"> +<img src="images/gs16.png" width="428" height="600" alt="MR. RABBIT BOWED" title="" /> +<span class="caption">MR. RABBIT BOWED</span> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span></p> + +<div class='poem'> +Oh, sweet the joys of poetry<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">When any days have come,</span><br /> +When the autumn zephyrs whisper<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">Or the winter breezes hum!</span><br /> +For 'tis then my thoughts unfurling,<br /> +While the smoke goes upward curling,<br /> +Come a whirling, swirling, twirling,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">With a rumty, tumty, tum,</span><br /> +Come a twirling, swirling, whirling,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">Like a rattle of a drum.</span><br /> +Come a whirling, come a swirling;<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">For in spring or in the summer,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">In the autumn or the winter</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">I'm the rumty, tumty, tummer</span><br /> +That rejoices in the seasons as they come.<br /> +</div> + +<p>Well, when Mr. Rabbit got through everybody +sat still for a minute, till Mr. Dog called +out for somebody to come and unwind him +so he could get his breath again. Then they +all commenced to laugh and shout and +pound on the table. And Mr. Rabbit +coughed and looked pleased and said it was +easy enough to do when you knew how.</p> + +<p>Then Mr. 'Possum, who was next on the +program, said he hoped they'd let him off +this time because he could only think of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> +four lines, and that he was a better hand at +the dinner table than he was at poetry, +anyway. But they wouldn't do it, so he +got up and looked foolish and swallowed two +or three times before he could get started.</p> + + +<div class='center'>WHAT I LOVE<br /> + +<span class='smaller'>BY A. PUFFINGTON 'POSSUM</span></div> + +<div class='poem'> +I love the fragrant chicken pie<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">That blooms in early spring;</span><br /> +I love a chicken stew or fry,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Or any old thing.</span><br /> +</div> + +<p>Mr. 'Possum's poem was short, but it +went right to the spot, and the way they +applauded almost made Jack Rabbit jealous. +He said that it was 'most too true to be +good poetry, but that it was good for a first +effort, and that being short helped it. Then +Mr. Robin spoke his piece:—</p> + + +<div class='center'>MOTHER AND ME<br /> + +<span class='smaller'>BY C. ROBIN</span></div> + +<div class='poem'> +When the bud breaks out on the maple bough<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">Mother and me we build our nest—</span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span>A twig from the yard and a wisp from the mow<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And four blue eggs 'neath the mother breast.</span><br /> +Up in the tree, mother and me,<br /> +Happy and blithe and contented are we.<br /> +<br /> +When the daisies fall and the roses die,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">An empty nest in the boughs to swing—</span><br /> +Four young robins that learn to fly<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And a sweet adieu till another spring.</span><br /> +Then up in the tree, mother and me,<br /> +Happy once more and contented we'll be.<br /> +</div> + +<p>The applause wasn't so loud after Mr. +Robin's poem, but they all said it was very +pretty, and Mr. 'Possum even wiped his +eyes with his handkerchief, because it made +him remember something sad. Mr. Rabbit +said that it ought to be "Mother and I," +but that it didn't make much difference, he +supposed, about grammar, so long as it +rhymed and sounded nice. Then Mr. Crow +got up.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 434px;"> +<img src="images/gs17.png" width="434" height="600" alt="LOOKED FOOLISH AND SWALLOWED TWO OR THREE TIMES" title="" /> +<span class="caption">LOOKED FOOLISH AND SWALLOWED TWO OR THREE TIMES</span> +</div> + + +<div class='center'><br /><br />JUST NOTHING<br /> + +<span class='smaller'>BY J. CROW</span></div> + +<div class='poem'> +While others may sing of the pleasures of spring,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Or winter or summer or fall,</span><br /> +I'll sing not of these, because, if you please,<br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">I'll sing of just nothing at all.</span><br /> +Just nothing at all, because, oh, ho!<br /> +I'll sing of myself, an old black crow.<br /> +<br /> +As black as a coal and as homely as sin—<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">What more can I tell you, I pray?</span><br /> +For when you have nothing to sing of, why, then,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Of course there is nothing to say.</span><br /> +Nothing to say at all, oh, ho!<br /> +Except good-by to the old black crow—<br /> +The rollicking old black crow!<br /> +</div> + +<p>They made a good deal of fuss over Mr. +Crow's poem. They applauded, of course, +but they said it wasn't so at all, and that +Mr. Crow was a good deal more than "just +nothing." They said that it was he who +had got up this party, and that he was the +best man to plan and cook anywhere. Mr. +'Possum said he even liked Mr. Crow's +April fool chicken pies, and then they all +remembered and laughed, even to Mr. Crow +himself. After that it was Mr. Squirrel's +turn. Mr. Squirrel coughed twice and +straightened his vest before he began, so +they knew his poem wasn't to be funny.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span></p> + + +<div class='center'>THE FOOLISH LITTLE LAD<br /> + +<span class='smaller'>BY MR. GRAY SQUIRREL</span></div> + +<div class='poem'> +Once on a time, the story goes,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">A silly squirrel lad</span><br /> +One summer day did run away—<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Which made his ma feel bad.</span><br /> +<br /> +She hunted for him up and down<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And round and round she ran—</span><br /> +Alas, that foolish squirrel boy<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Was caught by Mr. Man.</span><br /> +<br /> +For he had tried to climb a tree<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">As Mr. Man came past.</span><br /> +"I'll make you climb!" said Mr. Man,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And walked home pretty fast.</span><br /> +<br /> +When he got there a boy came out<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">As Mr. Man went in.</span><br /> +That silly squirrel soon was put<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Into a house of tin.</span><br /> +<br /> +"Now you can climb!" said Mr. Man,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">But when he did he found</span><br /> +That nice tin house, so bright and new,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Turned round and round and round.</span><br /> +<br /> +And there he climbs and climbs all day<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And never seems to stop,</span><br /> +And I have heard my mother say<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">He'll never reach the top.</span><br /> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span></p> + +<p>When Mr. Squirrel sat down there wasn't +a dry eye in the room, and even Mr. Dog outside +was affected. He said he'd seen that poor +little squirrel at Mr. Man's house turning +and turning away in his tin wheel, and felt +so sorry for him that two or three times he'd +tried to get him out. He said, though, that +Mr. Man had always caught him at it and +that then they didn't get on well for a day +or two. He was so tender hearted, though, +he said, that he couldn't help pitying the +little fellow, climbing and climbing all day +long and never getting anywhere. Mr. 'Possum +shivered, and said it reminded him of +bad dreams he'd had sometimes, when he'd +eaten too much supper, and dreamed of +climbing the rainbow. Then they all sat +still and waited for Mr. Turtle, who came +next.</p> + + +<div class='center'>MY SNUG HOUSE<br /> + +<span class='smaller'>BY D'LAND TURTLE</span></div> + +<div class='poem'> +Oh, what do I care for your houses of wood,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Your houses of brick or of stone,</span><br /> +When I have a house that is cozy and good—<br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">A beautiful house of my own?</span><br /> +And the doors will not sag and the roof will not crack<br /> +Of the house that I carry about on my back.<br /> +<br /> +It is never too large and 'tis never too small,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">It is with me wherever I roam.</span><br /> +In spring or in summer, in winter or fall,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">I always can find my way home.</span><br /> +For it isn't so hard to remember the track<br /> +To the house that you carry about on your back.<br /> +</div> + +<p>Well, of course, everybody applauded that, +and then it was Mr. 'Coon's time. Mr. 'Coon +said he was like Mr. 'Possum. He wasn't +much on poetry, and only had four lines. +He said they were some like Mr. 'Possum's +too.</p> + + +<div class='center'>THE BEST THINGS<br /> + +<span class='smaller'>BY Z. 'COON</span></div> + +<div class='poem'> +I like the spring, I like the fall,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">I like the cold and heat,</span><br /> +And poems, too, but best of all<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">I like good things to eat.</span><br /> +</div> + +<p>That brought the house down, and the +Hollow Tree people thought the entertainment<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> +was over. They were going to have +supper right away, but Mr. Dog called out +to wait a minute. He said he had a little +poem himself that he wanted to read. So +out of politeness they all sat still, though +they didn't expect very much. Then Mr. +Dog unrolled his poem and leaned over close +to the blinds and commenced to read.</p> + + +<div class='center'>MY FOREST FRIENDS<br /> + +<span class='smaller'>BY MR. DOG</span></div> + +<div class='poem'> +Oh, dear to me my forest friends,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Especially Mr. Rabbit—</span><br /> +I love his poetry very much,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And every gentle habit.</span><br /> +<br /> +And dear to me is Mr. 'Coon,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And also Mr. 'Possum;</span><br /> +I hope to win their friendship soon—<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">'Twill be a precious blossom.</span><br /> +<br /> +And Mr. Crow and Robin, too,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">With fancy sweet and fertile,</span><br /> +And Mr. Squirrel, kind and true,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And likewise Mr. Turtle.</span><br /> +</div> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 421px;"> +<img src="images/gs18.png" width="421" height="600" alt="LEANED OVER CLOSE TO THE BLINDS AND COMMENCED TO READ" title="" /> +<span class="caption">LEANED OVER CLOSE TO THE BLINDS AND COMMENCED TO READ</span> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span></p> + +<div class='poem'> +Oh, dear to me my forest friends,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Especially Mr. Rabbit—</span><br /> +I love his poetry very much,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And every gentle habit.</span><br /> +</div> + +<p>Before Mr. Dog was half through reading +the Hollow Tree people had gathered around +the window to listen. By the time he got +to the end of the third stanza he had to stop +for them to cheer, and when he read the +last one, Jack Rabbit pounded on the shutter +with his fist and shouted, "Hurrah for Mr. +Dog! Hurrah for Mr. Dog!" just as loud +as ever he could, while all the others crowded +up and shouted and tried to pound, too.</p> + +<p>Well, maybe the shutter wasn't very +strong, or maybe they crowded and pounded +too hard in their excitement over Mr. Dog's +nice poem, for all at once there was a loud +crack and the shutter flew open and out +went Mr. Rabbit right smack into the arms +of Mr. Dog!</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 575px;"> +<img src="images/gs19.png" width="575" height="430" alt="OUT WENT MR. RABBIT RIGHT SMACK INTO THE ARMS OF MR. DOG" title="" /> +<span class="caption">OUT WENT MR. RABBIT RIGHT SMACK INTO THE ARMS OF MR. DOG</span> +</div> + +<p>I tell you that was pretty sudden and Mr. +Rabbit was scared. So were all the others, +and they were going to grab the shutter<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> +and close it again and leave Mr. Rabbit out +there. But Jack Rabbit thinks quick.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Mr. Dog," he said, "that was the +nicest poem I ever heard. Let me embrace +you, Mr. Dog, and be your friend for ever +after!"</p> + +<p>Then he hugged Mr. Dog just as tight as +he could, and Mr. Dog hugged him, too, and +shed tears, he was that happy. He had +been wanting to make up with the forest +people for a long time, but he hadn't expected +this. Then the others all saw how +it was and they shouted, "Hurrah for Mr. +Dog!" again and invited him in. And Mr. +Dog went in and they had the biggest supper +and the biggest time that ever was known +in the Hollow Tree.</p> + +<p>And that's how Mr. Dog got to be friends +with all the Hollow Tree people at last. +And he stayed friends with them ever and +ever so long—and longer—just as long as he +lived, for the Mr. Dog that isn't good friends +with them now isn't the same Mr. Dog. +And he isn't as smart, either, for he can't<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> +write poetry, and he's never even been able +to find the Hollow Tree where the 'Coon +and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow live +together and every summer keep open house +for their friends.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span></p> +<h2>MR. RABBIT'S UNWELCOME COMPANY</h2> + +<div class='chaptertitle'>MR. POLECAT MAKES A MORNING CALL AND MR. DOG DROPS IN</div> + + +<div class='cap'>I THINK I shall have to tell you about +Mr. Polecat, said the Story Teller, and +about his visit to Mr. Rabbit.</div> + +<p>"Who's Mr. Polecat?" said the Little +Lady. "You never told me about him +before."</p> + +<p>Well, no, because you see Mr. Polecat is +so queer in some of his ways that people +even don't talk about him a great deal. He +is really quite a nice gentleman, though, +when he doesn't get excited. But when he +does he loses friends.</p> + +<p>The trouble is with the sort of perfumery<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> +he uses when he gets excited, just as some +people use a smelling-bottle, and nobody +seems to like the sort Mr. Polecat uses except +himself. I suppose he must like it or +he wouldn't be so free with it. But other +people go away when he uses it—mostly in +the direction the wind's blowing from—and +in a hurry, as if they were afraid they'd miss +a train. Even Mr. Dog doesn't stop to argue +with Mr. Polecat. Nobody does, and all +the other Deep Woods people do their best +to make him happy and to keep him in a +good humor whenever he comes about, and +give him their nicest things to eat and a lot +to carry home with him, so he'll start just +as soon as possible.</p> + +<p>But, more than anything, they try to keep +him from saying anything about Mr. Dog, +or hinting or even thinking about Mr. Dog, +for when he does any of these things he's +apt to get excited, and then sometimes he +opens up that perfume of his, and his friends +fall over each other to get out of reach. +They're never very happy to see him coming,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> +and they're always glad to see him go, even +when he's had a quiet visit and goes pretty +soon, which is just what didn't happen one +time when he came to call on Jack Rabbit, +and it's that time I'm going to tell about. +This was before Mr. Dog made up with the +Hollow Tree people; I don't know exactly +how long before, but a good while.</p> + +<p>Mr. Rabbit looked out his door one morning +and there was Mr. Polecat, all dressed +up, coming to see him. He wasn't very far +off, either, and Mr. Rabbit hardly had time +to jerk down a crayon picture of Mr. Dog +that he'd made the day before, just for practice. +He pushed it under the bed quick, +and when Mr. Polecat came up he bowed +and smiled, and said what a nice day it was, +and that he'd bring a chair outside if Mr. +Polecat would like to sit there instead of +coming in where it wasn't so pleasant.</p> + +<p>But Mr. Polecat said he guessed he'd +come in, as it was a little chilly and he didn't +feel very well anyway. So he came inside, +and Jack Rabbit gave him his best chair<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> +and brought out a little table and put a +lot of nice things on it that Mr. Polecat likes, +and began right away to pack a basket for +him to take home.</p> + +<p>But Mr. Polecat didn't seem to be in any +hurry to go. He ate some of the nice things, +and then leaned back to talk and smoke, +and told Mr. Rabbit all the news he'd heard +as he came along, and Mr. Rabbit got more +and more worried, for he knew that just +as likely as not Mr. Polecat had heard +something about Mr. Dog and would begin +to tell it pretty soon, and then no knowing +what would happen. So Jack Rabbit just +said "Yes" and "No" and began to talk +about Mr. Robin, because Mr. Robin was +a good friend of everybody and nobody +could get excited just talking about Mr. +Robin. But Mr. Polecat says:—</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes, I saw Mr. Robin as I came along, +and he called to me that Mr. Dog—"</p> + +<p>And then Jack Rabbit changed the subject +as quick as he could and spoke about Mr. +Squirrel, and Mr. Polecat says:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span>—</p> + +<p>"Oh, did you hear how Mr. Squirrel went +over to Mr. Man's house and saw Mr. Dog +there—"</p> + +<p>And then poor Mr. Rabbit had to think +quick and change the subject again to the +Hollow Tree people, and Mr. Polecat said:—</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes. I stopped by that way as I +came along, and they called out to me from +up stairs how you were practising drawing, +and that you gave Mr. Dog some dancing +lessons the other day, and then made a fine +picture of him just as he looked when he +danced into the hot coals, so I hurried right +over here for just to see that picture."</p> + +<p>Poor Mr. Rabbit! He didn't know what +to do. He knew right away that the Hollow +Tree people had told about the picture to +get rid of Mr. Polecat, and he made up his +mind that he'd get even with them some +day for getting him in such a fix. But +some day was a long ways off and Mr. +Polecat was right there under his nose, so +Mr. Rabbit said, just as quick as he could +say it, that the Hollow Tree people were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> +always making jokes, and that the picture +was just as poor as it could be, and that he'd +be ashamed to show it to anybody, much +more to a talented gentleman like Mr. Polecat. +But that made Mr. Polecat all the more +anxious to see it, for he was sure Mr. Rabbit +was only modest, and pretty soon he +happened to spy the edge of the picture frame +under Mr. Rabbit's bed, and just reached +under and pulled it out, before Mr. Rabbit +could help himself.</p> + +<p>Well, he picked up that picture and looked +at it a minute, and Jack Rabbit began to +back off toward the door and say a few +soothing words, when all at once Mr. Polecat +leaned back and commenced to laugh +and laugh at the funny picture Mr. Dog +made where Mr. Rabbit called to him, +"Dance! Mr. Dog; dance!" And then, of +course, Mr. Rabbit felt better, for if his +company thought it was funny and laughed +there wasn't so much danger.</p> + +<p>"Why," said Mr. Polecat, "it's the best +thing I ever saw! You could almost imagine<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> +that Mr. Dog himself was right here, howling +and barking and dancing."</p> + +<p>"Oh, no, hardly that," said Mr. Rabbit. +"Of course I suppose it is a little like him, +but it's not at all as if he were here, you +know—not at all—and he's ever so far off, +I'm sure, and won't come again for a long +time. You know, he's—"</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes, it is!" declared Mr. Polecat. +"It's just as if he were right here. And I can +just hear him howl and bark, and—"</p> + +<p>And right there Mr. Polecat stopped +and Mr. Rabbit stopped, and both of them +held their breath and listened, for sure +enough they did hear Mr. Dog howling and +barking and coming toward the house as +straight as he could come.</p> + +<p>Jack Rabbit gave a jump right up in the +air, and hollered, "Run! Mr. Polecat, run! +and go the back way!" But Mr. Polecat +never runs from anybody—he doesn't have +to—he just opens up that perfume of his +and the other people do the running. So +Mr. Rabbit gave one more jump, and this<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> +time he jumped straight up the chimney, +and didn't stop till he got to the roof, where +he found a loose board and put it over the +chimney quick and sat down on it. Then +he called to Mr. Dog, who was coming +lickety split through the woods:—</p> + +<p>"Why, how are you, Mr. Dog? Glad to +see you! Walk right in. There's company +down stairs; just make yourself at home till +I come down." You see there was no use +to stop him now, because Mr. Rabbit could +tell by what was coming up the chimney that +it was too late, and he wanted Mr. Dog to +get a good dose of it as well as himself.</p> + +<p>And Mr. Dog did come just as hard as +he could tear, for the wind was blowing +toward the house and he couldn't detect anything +wrong until he gave a great big jump +into Mr. Rabbit's sitting room and right +into the midst of the most awful smell that +was ever turned loose in the Big Deep +Woods.</p> + +<p>Well, it took Mr. Dog so suddenly that he +almost fainted away. Then he gave a howl,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> +as if a wagon had run over his tail, and tumbled +out of that sitting room and set out +for home without once stopping to look behind +him. Then Mr. Rabbit laughed and +laughed, and called:—</p> + +<p>"Come back, Mr. Dog! Come back and +stay with us. Mr. Polecat's going to spend +a week with me. Come back and have a +good time."</p> + +<p>But Mr. Dog didn't stop, and he didn't +seem to hear, and by and by Mr. Polecat +called up that he was going home and that +Mr. Rabbit could come down now, for Mr. +Dog was gone and wouldn't come back, he +guessed. But Mr. Rabbit said no, he didn't +feel very well yet, and guessed he'd stay +where he was for the present, and that if Mr. +Polecat was going he might leave both +doors open and let the wind draw through +the house, because he always liked to air his +house after Mr. Dog had been to see him. +Then Mr. Polecat took his basket and went, +and Jack Rabbit didn't come down for a +long time, and when he did he couldn't stay<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> +in his house for the awful smell. So he +went over to stay a week with the Hollow +Tree people, and his clothes didn't smell +nice, either, but they had to stand it, and +Mr. Rabbit said it served them right for +getting him into such a fix. It was over a +week before he could go back to his house +again, and even then it wasn't just as he +wanted it to be, and he aired it every day +for a long time.</p> + +<p>But there was one thing that made him +laugh, and that was when he heard from Mr. +Robin how Mr. Dog got home and Mr. Man +wouldn't have him about the house or even +in the yard, but made him stay out in the +woods for as much as ten days, until he had +got rid of every bit of Mr. Polecat's nice +perfumery.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span></p> +<h2>MR. 'POSSUM EXPLAINS</h2> + +<div class='chaptertitle'>HOW UNCLE SILAS TRIED TO PLEASE AUNT MELISSY</div> + + +<div class='cap'>WELL, you remember that the Hollow +Tree people took four of their friends +to live with them and called it the Hollow +Tree Inn. Mr. Robin came, and Mr. Turtle, +also Jack Rabbit and Mr. Squirrel, and +they made a jolly crowd after they got +settled and knew about each getting his own +things to eat, because the Hollow Tree people—the +'Coon and 'Possum and the Old +Black Crow—found they couldn't suit their +guests exactly when it came to a steady +diet. So they all kept house together, and +used to go out days (and nights, too, sometimes) +and get nice things. Then they'd<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> +bring them in and fix them to suit themselves, +and have them all on the big table +down stairs, nice and comfortable, where +they could sit and talk as long as they +pleased.</div> + +<p>It was a good deal like a big family when +they were all together that way, and they +used to say how nice it was, and once Mr. +'Possum said he always did think a big +family was nice, anyway. Then Jack Rabbit +laughed and said he should think Mr. +'Possum was just the kind of a man for a +big family, being fond of good things to +eat and not very fond of getting them for +himself, and mostly fat and sleepy like. He +said if there was just a nice, spry Mrs. +'Possum, now, to keep house and look after +things he should think it would be ever so +much better than living in bachelor quarters, +or, rather, thirds, with Mr. 'Coon and Mr. +Crow, and not having things very orderly. +Of course, with himself, Jack Rabbit said, +it was different, but even at his house it got +lonesome, too, now and then.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 575px;"> +<img src="images/gs20.png" width="575" height="450" alt="SHE TIED HIS TIE FOR HIM" title="" /> +<span class="caption">SHE TIED HIS TIE FOR HIM</span> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, Mr. 'Possum thought a minute, and +then he said that there was such a thing as +folks being too spry, and that it was because +he had always been afraid of getting that +kind that he had been pretty well satisfied +to live in the Hollow Tree just as he was. +He said that he had once had an uncle that +something happened to in that line, and +whenever he thought about poor Uncle Lovejoy +he didn't seem to care much about +trying anything he wasn't used to. Then +they all wanted him to tell about Uncle +Lovejoy and what happened to him. So +Mr. 'Possum did tell, and it went this way:—</p> + +<p>"Once upon a time," he said, "Uncle +Lovejoy—we always called him Uncle Silas +then—he was uncle on my mother's side, +and lived with Aunt Melissy in a nice place +just beyond the Wide Paw-paw Hollows—once +upon a time, as I was saying, he had +to go to town on some business, and that was +something that never happened to Uncle +Lovejoy before.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/gs21.png" width="500" height="357" alt="COUSIN GLENWOOD MET HIM AT THE STATION" title="" /> +<span class="caption">COUSIN GLENWOOD MET HIM AT THE STATION</span> +</div> + +<p>"Well, Aunt Melissy was always a spry<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> +woman, as I said, and stirring—very stirring, +and primpy, too. But she was never as +stirring and spry and primpy as she was +the day that Uncle Silas started for town. +She dressed him all up neat and proper in +his very best things, and tied his tie for +him, and while she was tying it she says:—</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 575px;"> +<img src="images/gs22.png" width="575" height="432" alt="COUSIN GLEN TOOK UNCLE LOVEJOY TO THE STORES" title="" /> +<span class="caption">COUSIN GLEN TOOK UNCLE LOVEJOY TO THE STORES</span> +</div> + +<p>"'Now, Silas,' she says, 'when you get to +town you buy a few little articles right away +and put them on. You don't want folks to +see that you come from the country, you +know, and you don't want Cousin Glenwood +to be ashamed of you before folks. Cousin +Glen will know just what things you need +and where to get them.' Then she told him +not to get run over by anything, or blow +out the gas, or let anybody see that he +wasn't used to things, because, you see, +Aunt Melissy was proud, being a Glenwood +herself. Then Uncle Lovejoy promised all +those things, and that he would use his napkin +and not eat pie out of his hand or drink +out of his finger bowl, and a lot more things +that Aunt Melissy remembered at the last<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> +minute. So you see by the time he got on +the train he had a good deal to think about, +and he kept thinking about it until by the +time he got to the city he'd made up his +mind he'd try to do for once everything +she told him to and give her a pleasant +surprise with the way he had fixed up and +improved his manners when he got back. +Uncle Lovejoy was good natured, and always +anxious to please folks, especially Aunt +Melissy.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/gs23.png" width="600" height="392" alt="WHERE THERE WAS A MIRROR UNCLE LOVEJOY WOULD STAND BEFORE IT AND ADMIRE HIMSELF" title="" /> +<span class="caption">WHERE THERE WAS A MIRROR UNCLE LOVEJOY WOULD STAND BEFORE IT AND ADMIRE HIMSELF</span> +</div> + +<p>"Well, Cousin Glenwood met him at the +station, and about the first thing Uncle Silas +said was to ask him where he got his clothes, +and to tell him that Aunt Melissy had said +he was to fix up, so's folks wouldn't think +he came from the country, which, of course, +she had. That just suited Cousin Glenwood, +for he liked to spend money and +show off what he knew about the city; so +he took Uncle Lovejoy 'most everywhere, +and told him to buy 'most everything he +saw. And of course Uncle Silas did it, because +he wanted to surprise Aunt Melissy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> +when he got back, and make her feel happy +for once in her life.</p> + +<p>"Cousin Glen took Uncle Lovejoy to the +stores first, and then to a good many different +kinds of places afterward, and every +place where there was a mirror Uncle Lovejoy +would stand before it and admire himself +and wonder what Aunt Melissy would say +when he got home. He kept buying new +things every day, because every day he'd +see somebody with something on or carrying +or leading something, and when he remembered +what Aunt Melissy said, he made +up his mind he'd have to have all the things +to please her, and he got them as far as he +could. Even Cousin Glenwood had to commence +buying things pretty soon to keep +up, and before long people used to stop on +the street and look at them when they went +by. Uncle Silas didn't want to go home, +either, when the time came, but of course +he had to, and he put on his best clothes +for the trip, and took a young man he'd +hired to wait on him, and started.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 575px;"> +<img src="images/gs24.png" width="575" height="430" alt="PEOPLE USED TO STOP ON THE STREET AND LOOK AT THEM" title="" /> +<span class="caption">PEOPLE USED TO STOP ON THE STREET AND LOOK AT THEM</span> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span></p> + +<p>"He didn't tell Aunt Melissy just what +time he'd be there, so it was a surprise sure +enough. He walked right into the yard, and +behind was the young man he'd hired, carrying +his things. Aunt Melissy was getting +dinner, and had just come to the door a +minute to see what time it was by the sun, +when all of a sudden, as she looked up, there +he was! He had his hat in one hand and a +cane in the other, and was leading a game +chicken by a string. All his boxes and bundles +and the young man were behind him. +Uncle Lovejoy wore an eyeglass, too, and +smoked a paper thing he said was a cigarette. +My little cousins, who were there, told me +afterward that their pa had never looked so +fine in his life before or since. They didn't +know him at all, and neither did Aunt +Melissy. She thought he was somebody with +something to sell at first, and when he said, +'Aw, there, Melissah!' she threw up her +hands and was about to call for help, when +just that minute she saw it was Uncle Silas.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/gs25.png" width="500" height="324" alt="HE WALKED RIGHT INTO THE YARD, AND BEHIND WAS THE YOUNG MAN HE'D HIRED" title="" /> +<span class="caption">HE WALKED RIGHT INTO THE YARD, AND BEHIND WAS THE YOUNG MAN HE'D HIRED</span> +</div> + +<p>"Poor Uncle Silas! He meant to surprise<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> +her, and he did it sure enough. He meant +to please her, though, and he didn't do that +worth a cent. It seemed funny, but she +was mad. That's just the trouble about +women folks; you never know when you're +going to please them. My little cousins said +they never saw their ma so mad before or +since. She made Uncle Lovejoy take off +all his nice clothes, and the young man, too, +and she cooked the game chicken for dinner. +Then, right after dinner, she picked up a +bag of shinney sticks that Uncle Lovejoy +had brought home, and she says to him and +the young man:—</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/gs26.png" width="600" height="348" alt=""NOW YOU GET OUT IN THE GARDEN, BOTH OF YOU"" title="" /> +<span class="caption">"NOW YOU GET OUT IN THE GARDEN, BOTH OF YOU"</span> +</div> + +<p>"'Now you get out in the garden,' she +says, 'both of you, and try to earn back +some of this money you've been spending.' +And Uncle Lovejoy didn't feel very much +like it, but he went, and so did the young +man. So did Aunt Melissy, and she used +up most of those shinney sticks on Uncle +Silas and the young man before fall, and +Uncle Silas never saw any of his nice clothes +again, though they had the best garden<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> +they ever did have, so my little cousins +said.</p> + +<p>"And that," said Mr. 'Possum, leaning +back in his chair to smoke, "that's why I've +always been afraid to try family life. It's +easier to please one than two, especially +when the other one is a spry, stirring person +like Aunt Melissy Lovejoy."</p> + +<p>"What became of all the good clothes?" +asked Jack Rabbit, who was always very +stylish.</p> + +<p>"Why, I've heard," said Mr. 'Possum, +"that Aunt Melissy made some of them over +for my little cousins, and that she traded +off the rest of them to a pedler for patent +medicine to give Uncle Silas for a weak +mind, and I think he needed it some myself +for trying to please her in the first place."</p> + +<p>Mr. Rabbit nodded.</p> + +<p>"It takes all kinds of people to make a +world," he said.</p> + +<p>Mr. 'Coon yawned and rubbed his eyes. +The others were fast asleep.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span></p> +<h2>AROUND THE WORLD AND BACK AGAIN</h2> + + +<div class="cap">ONCE upon a time, when Mr. Dog was +over spending the evening with the +Hollow Tree people, he told them that Mr. +Man had said the world was round, like a +ball. Of course this was after Mr. Dog got +to be good friends with the 'Possum and the +'Coon and the Old Black Crow, and he +often used to come over to the Hollow Tree, +where they lived, for a quiet talk and smoke, +and to tell the things that Mr. Man said +and did, and what he had on his table for +dinner.</div> + +<p>The Hollow Tree people liked to hear<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> +about Mr. Man, too; but when they heard +what he said about the world being round +they thought there must be some mistake +in the way Mr. Dog had understood it. +Mr. 'Coon said that it couldn't be so, for +the edge of the world was just beyond the +last trees of the Big Deep Woods, and that +he'd often sat there and hung his feet over +and watched the moon come up. Mr. 'Possum +said so, too; and Mr. Crow said that +the other edge was over along the Wide +Blue Water, where Mr. Turtle lived, and that +of course the water was flat, as everybody +could see. Anyway, it would spill out if it +wasn't.</p> + +<p>But Mr. Dog stuck to it that Mr. Man +had said just what Mr. Dog had said he said, +and that, what was more, Mr. Man had +said that the world turned over every day, +and that the sun and moon and stars all +went round it. And Mr. Man had said, too, +that people sometimes went around the +world, and didn't turn over or fall off into +the sky when they were underneath, but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> +kept on, and came up on the other side, +right back to the very place they started +from.</p> + +<p>Well, that made them all wonder a good +deal more than ever; and Mr. Jack Rabbit, +who came in just then for the evening, said +he shouldn't be a bit surprised if it were +true, for he'd often noticed how the seasons +went round and round, and he thought, now, +they must travel around the world some +way, too. He said he'd composed some +poetry on Spring as he came along, and that +now he understood some lines of it better +than he had at the start; for, of course, +when poetry just comes to anybody, as it +does to Mr. Rabbit, it isn't expected that +even the poet himself will understand it +very well at first.</p> + +<p>Then they all wanted to hear Jack +Rabbit's poem, and Mr. Rabbit said +that it really wasn't just as he wanted it +yet, but that if they wouldn't expect too +much, he'd let them hear how it went, +anyway.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span></p> + + +<div class='center'>WHICH WAY, SPRING?<br /> + +<span class='smaller'>BY J. RABBIT</span></div> + +<div class='poem'> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">O Spring,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Ho, Spring!</span><br /> +Whither do you go, Spring?<br /> +If I did but know, Spring,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">I would go there, too.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Pray, Spring,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Say, Spring,</span><br /> +Whither and away, Spring?<br /> +I would start to-day, Spring,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">If I go with you.</span><br /> +</div> + +<p>And Spring answers:—</p> + +<div class='poem'> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Why, sir,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">I, sir,</span><br /> +Just go tripping by, sir—<br /> +If you did but try, sir,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">You could go with me.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Follow,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Follow,</span><br /> +Over hill and hollow—<br /> +Where the bluebirds call, O,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">I am sure to be.</span><br /> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, everybody applauded that, of course; +and Mr. 'Coon said that for his part he was +tired of cold weather, and that if to-morrow +was a bright day, and anybody'd go with +him, he'd start out at sunrise and follow +Spring clear around the world. Then Mr. +'Possum said he'd go just to see whether Mr. +Man was right or not, and Mr. Crow said +he'd go, too. Mr. Rabbit wanted to go to +prove some things in his poem, but he had +to make a garden if it was a good day, and +Mr. Dog had an engagement to dig moles +for Mr. Man.</p> + +<p>So the next morning, bright and early, +the three Hollow Tree people got up and +started. They packed some lunch in a basket, +so they wouldn't get hungry, in case +they were gone all day, and set out in high +spirits; for it was a beautiful morning in +April, and they knew Spring had come at +last.</p> + +<p>They saw a bluebird up in a tree not far +away, and they remembered what Mr. Rabbit's +poem had said about following him<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> +over hill and hollow; so they went along in +that direction, talking and whistling and +singing, because they felt so good in the fresh +morning sunlight.</p> + +<p>And Mr. Bluebird hopped and whistled +and flew along ahead, until, by and by, they +came to where Mr. Fox lived.</p> + +<p>"Where are you fellows going so early?" +called Mr. Fox.</p> + +<p>"We're following Spring around the +world," called back Mr. Crow; and then +they told him all that Mr. Dog had said.</p> + +<p>Then Mr. Fox looked very wise, for he +didn't know if Mr. Dog was playing a trick +on them, or if it were really true that the +world was round and he hadn't heard of it. +Anyway, he wasn't going to let on, so he +said:—</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/gs27.png" width="400" height="352" alt="SET OUT IN HIGH SPIRITS" title="" /> +<span class="caption">SET OUT IN HIGH SPIRITS</span> +</div> + +<p>"Why, of course! I knew that all the +time. You just keep right on until you come +to that big elm over yonder, and turn to +the right. Anybody over there can show +you the way." Then Mr. Fox coughed and +went back into the house, but he made up his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> +mind he wouldn't laugh until he had seen +Mr. Dog and was sure it was all a joke. +And the Hollow Tree people kept on to the +elm tree, and, sure enough, there was Mr. +Bluebird, hopping and whistling and flying +on ahead, for he'd been listening to what +Mr. Fox had told them.</p> + +<p>So they hurried right along after him till +they came to Mr. Wolf's place. Mr. Wolf +was looking out of his door as they came by.</p> + +<p>"Hello, you early birds!" he called. +"Whose hen roost you been after?"</p> + +<p>Then they told him they weren't thinking +of such things as that on a beautiful morning +like this, but that they were following +Spring around the world. And they told +him all that Mr. Man had said to Mr. Dog, +and what Mr. Fox had said, and about Jack +Rabbit's poem. Mr. Wolf thought he'd better +be wise, too, until he found out just how +things were, so he said:—</p> + +<p>"Sure enough! That's a good plan. I'd +go along if I had time. I know the way +well. You just keep on till you come to that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> +creek yonder, then cross and turn to the +right, and after that any one can show you +the way."</p> + +<p>So away went the Hollow Tree people, +and when they got to the creek, and crossed, +and turned to the right, there was the bluebird +again, hopping and whistling and dancing +on ahead, just in the direction that Mr. +Wolf had said to go. Then, pretty soon, +Mr. 'Possum said he was hungry, so they +sat down on some moss and ate their lunch, +and Mr. Bluebird came up close and sang +to them till Mr. 'Possum went to sleep in +the sun and took a little nap, while the +'Coon and the Crow put what was left back +into the basket and got ready to go. Then +Mr. 'Possum woke up and said he was sure +they must be nearly around the world, for +he'd just had a dream about catching a +chicken with four legs and two heads, and +he knew that must mean something good. +So then they went on and the bluebird went +ahead, until they came to a fine, big cave, +where Mr. Bear lived.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span></p> + +<p>Now, Mr. Bear is very big and wise—at +least he thinks he is—and he knew right +away that Mr. Dog was just playing a joke +on them, or at least he thought he did, so +he said:—</p> + +<p>"Well, well! I supposed you fellows knew +all that long ago. You don't mean to say, +do you, that this is really your first time +round? Why, I go round the world every +spring and fall, and buy most of my things +on the other side. You just follow this path +till you come to a big black rock, and then +turn to the right and keep straight ahead. +You can't miss the way."</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 425px;"> +<img src="images/gs28.png" width="425" height="357" alt=""FOLLOW THIS PATH TILL YOU COME TO A BIG BLACK ROCK," SAID MR. BEAR" title="" /> +<span class="caption">"FOLLOW THIS PATH TILL YOU COME TO A BIG BLACK ROCK," SAID MR. BEAR</span> +</div> + +<p>Then Mr. Bear went back in his cave, +and laid down and rolled over and laughed +to think what a big joke everybody was +playing on the Hollow Tree people. But +the Hollow Tree people kept right on, for +they saw Mr. Bluebird still whistling and +dancing on ahead; and by and by they came +to the big black rock that Mr. Bear had +mentioned, and turned to the right again +as he had told them to do. Then they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> +walked and walked, and Mr. Bluebird hopped +and skipped and whistled, until at last, just +as they were all getting very tired and it +was 'most night, they came to a big hollow +tree in a deep woods; and Mr. 'Possum +looked up and says:—</p> + +<p>"Why," he says, "this tree looks a good +deal like our tree!"</p> + +<p>And Mr. 'Coon, he says:—</p> + +<p>"Why, it's just like our tree!"</p> + +<p>And Mr. Crow, he says:—</p> + +<p>"Why, it <i>is</i> our tree!" for of course they'd +turned to the right three times, which +brought them right back where they started +from, though they did not know it.</p> + +<p>So then all at once they commenced to +laugh and shout:—</p> + +<p>"We've done it! We've done it!</p> + +<div class='poem'> +"We've followed Spring around the world,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">According to the plan!</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">Hurrah for Mr. Rabbit!</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">And hurrah for Mr. Man!"</span><br /><br /><br /> +</div> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 401px;"> +<img src="images/gs29.png" width="401" height="500" alt="AND MR. CROW, HE SAYS, "WHY, IT IS OUR TREE!"" title="" /> +<span class="caption">AND MR. CROW, HE SAYS, "WHY, IT IS OUR TREE!"</span> +</div> + +<p>And the bluebird up in the branches whistled +and danced and shouted, too; and Jack<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span> +Rabbit and Mr. Dog came over pretty soon +to see if they'd got home yet. And of course +Mr. Rabbit was proud about the way his +poem had turned out; and Mr. Dog he was +proud, too, on Mr. Man's account. Then +they all had a big supper, to celebrate, and +by and by Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Dog went +away arm in arm, singing Mr. Rabbit's poem +to the moon; while the 'Coon and 'Possum +and the Old Black Crow went to bed happy +because they had followed Spring clear +around the world, and hadn't got lost or +tumbled off into the sky, but were home +again safe and sound in the Hollow Tree.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> +<img src="images/gs30.png" width="300" height="262" alt="Home again" title="" /> +</div> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class='tnote'><h3>Transcriber's Note:</h3> <p>Repeated story titles +were deleted.</p></div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Making Up with Mr. Dog, by Albert Bigelow Paine + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MAKING UP WITH MR. 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b/37363-h/images/title.png diff --git a/37363.txt b/37363.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5887ea8 --- /dev/null +++ b/37363.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2022 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Making Up with Mr. Dog, by Albert Bigelow Paine + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Making Up with Mr. Dog + Hollow Tree Stories + +Author: Albert Bigelow Paine + +Illustrator: J. M. Conde + +Release Date: September 9, 2011 [EBook #37363] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MAKING UP WITH MR. DOG *** + + + + +Produced by Suzanne Shell, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: Good wishes to all Hollow Tree friends + +From the Story Teller] + +[Illustration: THE FIRST DINNER AT THE HOLLOW TREE INN + +[See page 20] + + + + +MAKING UP WITH MR. DOG + +[Illustration] + +HOLLOW TREE STORIES + +BY ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE + +ILLUSTRATED BY J. M. CONDE + + HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS + NEW YORK AND LONDON + + + + +HOLLOW TREE STORIES + +BY + +ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE + +12mo. Cloth. Fully Illustrated + + + HOW MR. DOG GOT EVEN + HOW MR. RABBIT LOST HIS TAIL + MR. RABBIT'S BIG DINNER + MAKING UP WITH MR. DOG + MR. POSSUM'S GREAT BALLOON TRIP + WHEN JACK RABBIT WAS A LITTLE BOY + + HOLLOW TREE AND DEEP WOODS BOOK Illustrated. 8vo. + + HOLLOW TREE SNOWED-IN BOOK Illustrated. 8vo. + +HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK + + Copyright, 1898, by JAMES GORDON BENNETT + + Copyright, 1899, by FRANK MUNSEY + + Copyright, 1899, by THE CENTURY COMPANY + + Copyright, 1898, 1899, 1901, by ROBERT HOWARD RUSSELL + + Copyright, 1900, by HARPER & BROTHERS + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE + THE HOLLOW TREE INN 3 + + THE HOLLOW TREE INN (_Continued_) 11 + + A DEEP WOODS FISHING PARTY 25 + + MR. RABBIT EXPLAINS 41 + + THE HOLLOW TREE POETRY CLUB 53 + + MR. RABBIT'S UNWELCOME COMPANY 79 + + MR. 'POSSUM EXPLAINS 91 + + AROUND THE WORLD AND BACK AGAIN 109 + + + + +THE HOLLOW TREE INN + +THE THREE FRIENDS GO INTO BUSINESS + + +ONE rainy day when the 'Coon and 'Possum and Old Black Crow, who lived +together in three big hollow limbs of a Big Hollow Tree, were rummaging +about their house, they found that above each of their rooms was a good +deal of room that nobody ever used. That set them to thinking, and +pretty soon Mr. 'Possum said it was too bad to let all that good room go +to waste, and Mr. 'Coon said yes, it was, and that their house was big +enough for a hotel. + +Of course he didn't think what he was saying at the time, but it set Mr. +Crow to thinking and walking up and down, whistling, and pretty soon he +stopped still and looked at the 'Coon and 'Possum. + +"I'll do the cookin'," he said, "if you'll get the things to cook." + +And right then and there they made up their minds to do it, and early +the next morning, while the Old Black Crow was hurrying about inside, +getting things ready for business, the 'Coon and the 'Possum nailed up a +sign outside, and this is what was on it:-- + + THE HOLLOW TREE INN. + BOARD BY THE DAY OR WEEK. + +[Illustration: "HELLO!" HE SAID. "WHAT'S THIS?"] + +Then they went inside to help Mr. Crow get ready, and by and by they all +sat down and waited for people to come. Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum felt +pretty well, too, for they thought they would have the easiest time. You +see, they had always depended on Mr. Crow a good deal, for, besides +being a good cook, he was a great hand to provide, and knew more about +where to get the best things, and the best time of day or night to get +them, than both of the others put together. So he didn't say anything, +but dressed up nice and spruce in a clean apron and cooking cap and +leaned out of the window, as cooks always do, with his arms folded. By +and by along came Mr. Jack Rabbit. + +"Hello!" he said. "What's this?" + +Then he read the sign over and looked at Mr. Crow and asked him if it +was a joke. And Mr. Crow said:-- + +"Not much! Come up and see." + +So then Mr. Rabbit went up stairs, and Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum showed +him through, and Jack Rabbit said that he didn't feel very well this +summer, anyway, and he believed he'd just shut up his house and come and +board awhile for a change. He said he guessed he'd take the room above +Mr. 'Coon's, because it had a nice south window and a tall looking +glass, and that he'd pack up a few things that he needed and come over +right away. Then he went home and the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old +Black Crow all shook hands and danced around in a circle to think how +well they were going to do, for if Mr. Jack Rabbit came they were sure +of having as many others as their house would hold. + +And while they were dancing, along came Mr. Robin. He read the sign, +too, and laughed, and then knocked at the door till Mr. 'Coon came down +and let him in. He thought it was a joke at first, like the Rabbit, but +when he heard that Jack Rabbit was coming to board he spoke up just as +quick as anything and said he'd come, too, and that he'd have his things +there before supper time. He took the room over Mr. Crow, because he +said he didn't mind the smell of the cooking, and then maybe he'd learn +some new receipts. You see, Mr. Crow and Mr. Robin are sort of kinsfolk, +and when they have time they often get together and trace back to find +out just what relation they are to each other, and that makes them good +friends. + +Well, Mr. Robin hadn't more'n got out of the house when who should walk +in but Mr. Squirrel. + +"What's all this about boarders?" said Mr. Squirrel. "I'm looking for a +place to spend a month or two myself." + +So then they showed him the room above Mr. 'Possum's, and he was so +pleased with the view and everything that he paid a week's board in +advance to be sure of keeping anybody else from getting it. When he was +gone the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow did another dance, and +kept saying over and over how rich they'd be and what they would do with +all the money. Then they heard somebody laughing outside, and when they +looked out there was Mr. Turtle laughing and reading the sign. + +"Hello!" he said. "This isn't the first of April." + +"No," said Mr. Crow, "it's a boarding house, and a good one. All the +best people in the country stop here. Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Robin, and Mr. +Squirrel. Sorry, Mr. Turtle, but our rooms are all full." + +Then Mr. Turtle did look cheap, for he thought he couldn't be in the +crowd, and it was the very crowd he liked to associate with. But just +then Mr. 'Coon happened to think that they might fit up the big room +below the other big room where they all gathered to eat and talk, and +Mr. Turtle said that would suit him exactly, because he was large and +heavy and didn't care much about climbing anyway. So he hurried off +after his things, too, and he wasn't out of sight before here comes Mr. +Dog! + +Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum were both looking out the window when he came +up, and they jumped back like lightning. You see, they didn't like Mr. +Dog worth a cent. Then Mr. Crow came and looked out the window and +talked to him. Mr. Dog was just as polite as a basket of chips, and of +course that's the politest thing in the world. + +"I've just seen Mr. Robin," said Mr. Dog, "and I came to get a room, +too." + +"Awfully sorry, Mr. Dog, but our rooms are all full," said Mr. Crow. + +"Why don't you take down your sign, then?" said Mr. Dog. + +"Hotels never take down their signs," said Mr. Crow. + +"Hotels are never too full for one more, either," said Mr. Dog. "If you +don't let me come in I think I'll wait around here and make a vacancy." + + + + +THE HOLLOW TREE INN (_Continued_) + + + + +WHAT HAPPENS TO MR. DOG + + +NOW, when Mr. 'Possum and Mr. 'Coon heard that their hair stood up +straight, for they knew very well that there'd be two vacant rooms +anyway if Mr. Dog ever got inside, and two if he stayed where he was, +for they happened to think that Mr. Rabbit would be coming along +presently, and Mr. Squirrel wouldn't be far behind. So they hurried to +the back window and looked out, and sure enough, there was Mr. Rabbit +coming with his trunk on his shoulder and almost there. At first they +were frightened 'most to death for Mr. Rabbit, and then the 'Coon +slipped over and whispered to the Crow to keep Mr. Dog talking as hard +as he could, so he wouldn't notice anything. All the time he was doing +this the 'Possum was motioning to Jack Rabbit to slip up easy-like with +his trunk. + +So Mr. Rabbit slipped up softly on the other side of the house from Mr. +Dog and set his trunk down, and the 'Possum let out a long rope with a +hook on it. Jack Rabbit stood up on his trunk and grabbed the hook as +soon as he could reach it and hooked it under his arms. Then the 'Coon +and the 'Possum pulled and pulled and up he came, and as soon as he was +safe they let down the rope and caught the hook in the trunk handle. +That was a load for all three of them, and even then they couldn't get +it up, and called across to the Crow to come quick and help. So he had +to leave Mr. Dog a minute, and when he did that Mr. Dog walked around +the tree, and there was the trunk just a few feet from the ground, going +up very slowly. That was enough for Mr. Dog. He knew then he'd been +fooled, and he was so mad he didn't know what to do. + +[Illustration: THERE WAS MR. RABBIT COMING WITH HIS TRUNK] + +He took one look at that trunk and made up his mind he wouldn't stand +it. So he stepped back a little and made a short run and gave a jump for +the trunk, just as high as ever he could. + +But Mr. Dog wasn't very lucky, for instead of landing on the trunk he +landed his nose right against one corner of it, and that made him madder +than ever. He ran and jumped again harder than before, but this time the +trunk was a little higher and Mr. Dog didn't quite hit it. There was a +strap hanging down, though, and he caught it as he went by. He caught it +with his teeth, and two of his teeth went right through two of the holes +where the buckle catches, and there they stayed. He had the trunk all +right enough, but the trunk had him, too. + +[Illustration: AND UP HE CAME] + +There he was. His feet didn't quite touch the ground, and he couldn't +get up any higher either. Then all at once the people up stairs saw how +it was, and they commenced to laugh in spite of themselves, and hitched +the rope around a peg under the sill so they could rest a minute. That +was fun for them, but it wasn't for Mr. Dog, by a good deal. He couldn't +laugh, and he couldn't rest, either. And just then Mr. Squirrel came +with his trunk, and Mr. Robin with his satchel and a hand bag, and Mr. +Turtle with his things in a big sack. Mr. 'Coon ran down and let them +all in and locked the door. Then he ran back to the window where Mr. Dog +was. + +"If we'll let you down will you go home and not come around this hotel +interfering with our business?" says Mr. 'Possum. + +"Yes; will you promise not to try to get any of our guests away from +us?" says Mr. 'Coon. + +[Illustration: HE CAUGHT IT AS HE WENT BY] + +Mr. Dog couldn't talk much in the fix he was in, but he did the best he +could, and promised yes to everything, so pretty soon they let the trunk +down till his feet touched the ground and he could get his teeth out of +the strap. Then he put out for home just about as fast as he could go, +without so much as thanking them for letting him down, and up went Mr. +Rabbit's trunk pretty quick, now that there were plenty to help. + +Then the guests all hurried to their rooms to unpack, and Mr. Crow +bustled around to get supper with what he had in the house, for Mr. +'Possum and Mr. 'Coon hadn't time yet to bring in anything. It was a +pretty good supper, though, and all the guests said so, and said they +knew what a good cook Mr. Crow was if he had things to work with, and +the Crow said he guessed he could do his part if the 'Coon and 'Possum +would do theirs. + +Well, it makes a good deal of difference whether you're company 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 the cherries were canned, and not very good at that. + +[Illustration: THE ARRIVAL OF THE OTHER GUESTS] + +"That's what I said," put in Mr. 'Coon, "but Mr. 'Possum said you +wouldn't know the difference." + +"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't have any work." + +"Whoop-ee!" says Mr. 'Possum and Mr. 'Coon both together, as loud as +ever they could. That made all the guests come running back, and when +they heard the new plan they all said it was just the thing. + +So then Mr. 'Possum went down and got the sign and brought it up and +changed it to read:-- + + THE HOLLOW TREE INN. + FURNISHED ROOMS ONLY. + +And that was how business began at last in the Hollow Tree. + + + + +A DEEP WOODS FISHING PARTY + +AN ADVENTURE WITH MR. DOG AND A VERY LARGE FISH + + +ONE warm, still June morning (this, of course, was before the Hollow +Tree Inn started) Mr. Jack Rabbit looked out of the window while he was +dressing and thought to himself that it would be just the very morning +for fish to bite. + +Jack Rabbit liked to fish better than anything, almost, so right after +breakfast he took an empty tomato can and went out in the back yard and +turned over boards till he had the can about half full of bait, with a +little dirt thrown on top. Then he reached up under the eaves of the +smoke-house and pulled out a long cane pole with a line and hook and +floater on it, all rigged up ready, and flung it over his shoulder and +started. + +Mr. Rabbit walked pretty fast--even lazy folks do that when they go +fishing, and Mr. Jack Rabbit wasn't lazy, by a good deal. So pretty soon +he came to the Hollow Tree, and there, looking out of an up-stairs +window, he saw the 'Coon, the 'Possum, and the Old Black Crow. + +"Hello, up there!" he said. "Don't you fellows want to go fishing?" + +Mr. 'Possum said he thought fish would bite well on such a morning, and +that he'd like to go first rate. Mr. 'Coon said he knew a place where +you could pull them out as fast as you could throw in your hook, and he +went on and told how he caught a fish there last year that would weigh +more than four pounds, and lost him just as he got him to the top of the +water. Mr. Crow said he'd always noticed that Mr. 'Coon's four-pound +fish never got any nearer to him than the top of the water, and that for +his part he didn't care much about fishing. He said, though, that if +the 'Coon and the 'Possum wanted to go he'd stay at home and get dinner +while they were gone, so's to have it ready when they all came home +hungry. He told them that he had some nice canned salmon in the cupboard +that he could catch 'most any time, and that if they really wanted fish +for dinner he s'posed he might as well open it. Then they all laughed, +and in about a minute down came Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum with their +fishing things. Jack Rabbit said he had plenty of bait, so away they +went. Mr. Crow sat up in the window and watched them off, and Mr. Robin, +who happened along just then, laughed and called after them that he'd +take a few pounds of nice bass when they got home. The Robin just said +that to plague them, of course, and Mr. 'Coon called back that they'd +fool him this time, and then he went on to remark that he'd never in his +life seen a finer day for fishing. + +Jack Rabbit said yes, that it was fine, and that it was a fine day for +Mr. Dog to be out gallivanting over the country, too, and that they'd +better hurry up and get to the lake and out in his boat before anything +happened. That made Mr. 'Possum take a good deal livelier step, though +he commenced to whistle and said he wasn't afraid of Mr. Dog, anyway. +Mr. 'Coon said he'd always noticed that a fellow mostly whistled when he +wasn't afraid, but for his part he couldn't get to that boat any too +soon. And pretty soon they did get to it, and Mr. 'Possum was the first +one to pile in, though Mr. Dog wasn't anywhere in sight. + +[Illustration: WHEN THEY GOT OUT TO WHERE MR. 'COON SAID THE GOOD PLACE +WAS, THEY ALL WENT TO FISHING] + +Well, they pushed off, and Jack Rabbit took one oar and Mr. 'Coon the +other, while the 'Possum sat on the back seat and baited his hook so's +to catch the first fish. Then, when they got out to where Mr. 'Coon said +the good place was, they all went to fishing, and Mr. 'Possum did get +the first bite, but he didn't get anything else when he pulled. Mr. +'Coon told him he pulled too quick, and Jack Rabbit told him he didn't +pull quick enough, and asked him if he expected the fish to climb out on +his pole. Then Mr. Rabbit had a bite himself, and pulled and didn't get +anything, either. Of course, that made Mr. 'Possum laugh, and then, all +at once, the 'Coon had a great big bite that took his float away down +out of sight the first grab. + +Mr. 'Coon let him go for a minute and then gave a hard pull and +commenced to call out that he had him this time and that he'd show Mr. +Crow now about only getting fish to the top of the water and having +canned salmon for dinner. Then he stood up in the boat and pulled as +hard as ever he could till all of a sudden his line broke, and down he +went backward, right on top of Mr. 'Possum, while the Rabbit swung his +hook over where the 'Coon's hook had been and the big fish grabbed it +before you could say Jack Robinson. + +That was too bad for the 'Coon and the 'Possum, of course, and it wasn't +as much fun for Jack Rabbit as you might suppose, for he couldn't get +the big fish out to save his life, and he had to hold on to the boat to +keep from being pulled into the lake. Then he called to the others to +help him, and they both got up and took hold of the pole and hauled it +in hand over hand till they got to the line, and that was as far as they +could get. So Mr. Rabbit gave the line a twist or two around the iron +ring in the front of his boat, and the big fish started straight for +shore, dragging the boat and everybody in it behind him, just as hard as +ever he could go. Then Mr. 'Coon and Jack Rabbit commenced to quarrel +about whose fish it was, and Mr. 'Possum said he didn't care whose it +was, he was getting a free ride, and he laid back and laughed and looked +at the shore, when all of a sudden he happened to spy there, sitting on +the end of a log, fishing and waiting for them, nobody but Mr. Dog +himself. + +That wasn't very much, of course, but it was plenty for Mr. 'Possum. He +quit laughing and tumbled down in the bottom of the boat and laid there +calling for Jack Rabbit to cut that fish line or they'd all be chops and +steaks and carried home in a basket in less than five minutes. Jack +Rabbit did try to cut the line, too, but he was so excited he dropped +his knife overboard, and Mr. 'Coon couldn't find his, and Mr. 'Possum +didn't have any. So there they were, and there was Mr. Dog! Then Mr. +Rabbit tried to bite the line off with his teeth, but he couldn't do +that, either, for it was a big, strong line that he'd made himself, +specially for large fish. + +And all the time they were getting closer and closer to the shore, and +Mr. Dog had lifted his line out of the water so it wouldn't be in his +way, and was sitting there waiting, and smiling to see them come. + +Then Jack Rabbit knew that something had to be done, and there was no +time to lose. He was just about as scared as he could be, but he knew it +wouldn't do any good to let on, so he sat up straight and smiled some, +too, and looked at Mr. Dog and called out, big and friendly like:-- + +"Hello, Mr. Dog! Here we come! Here we come with a nice dinner, Mr. +Dog!" + +Then Mr. Dog laughed and called back:-- + +"That's right, Mr. Rabbit. There's a sure enough nice dinner coming this +time! Fish for the first course, Mr. Rabbit!" + +When Mr. 'Possum heard that he began to groan, and Jack Rabbit and Mr. +'Coon began to shiver, for each thought he knew pretty well what the +next courses of Mr. Dog's dinner would be. But Mr. Rabbit didn't stop +smiling or let on that he knew, and he called out again to Mr. Dog, +quick:-- + +"You'll have to help us if we have fish, Mr. Dog! He's a big one and +you'll have to help us catch him!" + +And Mr. Dog called back again:-- + +"Don't worry, Mr. Rabbit! I won't leave! I'll be on hand when you get +here, Mr. Rabbit!" + +Then he rolled up his trousers a little and waded out into the shallow +water, thinking he would nab Mr. Fish first and drag him out on shore, +and then pull the boat right in after him. + +Of course, that was a pretty good plan for Mr. Dog, only like some other +good plans, it didn't work just as he expected it to. You see, he didn't +quite know how big the fish was, nor how hard a big fish is to handle in +shallow water. He made a quick grab at it when it got to him and then, +right away, he had his hands full of business. That fish gave a flop +with his tail that laid Mr. Dog over on his back and then another flop +that set him on his feet again, and a side flop that smacked him against +the water first one way and then the other, and made him breathe hard +and choke and try to let go. + +But Mr. Dog couldn't let go, for he'd got the fish line some way tangled +in his teeth. So he began to snap and paw and swallow water, and fall +down and get up again, and sprawl about in the swamp grass, trying to +get back to shore. + +[Illustration: THE FIGHT BETWEEN MR. DOG AND THE BIG FISH] + +And while all this was going on Jack Rabbit and his friends had jumped +out into the shallow water and took a little roundin's to shore, keeping +out of Mr. Dog's way, and made tracks for the top of a hill, where they +would be out of danger and see the fun at the same time. Then they all +stood up there and watched the fight between Mr. Dog and the big fish, +and Jack Rabbit sang out, as loud as ever he could:-- + +"Don't leave, Mr. Dog! Stay with him, Mr. Dog! Hold him to it, Mr. Dog; +you've got him! First course, Mr. Dog!" + +And Mr. Dog heard Jack Rabbit and got madder and madder every minute, +till all of a sudden he got a lick on the side of the head from Mr. +Fish's tail that made him see stars and broke the line. And away went +the big fish out into deep water, while Mr. Dog crawled back to shore, +wet and bruised from head to foot, and 'most dead. + +Then Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum and Jack Rabbit, standing on top of the +hill, gave a great big laugh, all together, and Mr. Rabbit called +out:-- + +"How did you like the first course, Mr. Dog?" + +That made them all laugh again, and then Mr. 'Coon called out:-- + +"Are you ready for the second course, Mr. Dog?" + +And pretty soon Mr. 'Possum he called out:-- + +"Are you ready for a nice roast now, Mr. Dog?" + +And that, of course, made them all laugh very loud, for Mr. 'Possum used +slang now and then and meant by a "roast" that people would all make fun +of Mr. Dog wherever he went; which they did, for a long time. + +Even Mr. Robin, who was good friends with Mr. Dog, couldn't help calling +out to him, now and then, as he went by:-- + +"Are you ready for the next course, Mr. Dog?" + +And Mr. Dog would pretend not to hear and go hurrying by very fast, as +if he were out on special and important business for Mr. Man. + +[Illustration: LEANING OVER TO LIGHT HIS PIPE FROM MR. 'POSSUM'S] + + + + +MR. RABBIT EXPLAINS + +AN EASTER STORY + + +"WHY do we always have rabbits at Easter?" asked the Little Lady. "Is +that a story, too?" + +The Story Teller lit his pipe, thinking all the time, and pretty soon he +said: "Why, yes, there is a story about that, and it goes this way":-- + +One afternoon in the early spring Mr. Jack Rabbit and his friends were +out for an airing. The Hollow Tree people were along, and Mr. Turtle, as +usual. By and by they came to a log under a big tree and sat down for a +smoke and talk. They talked about the weather at first and other things, +till somebody mentioned Easter. Then they all had something to say +about that. + +"What I object to," says Mr. Rabbit, when it came his time to talk, "is +this thing of people always saying that the Easter eggs belong to me." + +"Oh, but that's just a joke," says Mr. 'Coon, laughing. + +"I know it's just a joke, of course, but it's a pretty old joke, and I'm +tired of it," says Jack Rabbit. + +"How did it get started anyway?" asked Mr. 'Possum. + +Then Mr. Rabbit took his pipe out of his mouth and leaned forward a +little, so he could talk better. + +"I tell you how it got started," he says, "and after that I don't want +to hear any more of it. This is how it happened:-- + +[Illustration: THEY CAME TO A LOG UNDER A BIG TREE AND SAT DOWN FOR A +SMOKE AND TALK] + +"Once upon a time, as much as twenty grandmothers back, I should think, +there was a very nice family of Rabbits that lived in a grassy place on +a hillside back of a big farmyard. There was quite a hole in the +ground there, and they had a cozy home in it, and a soft bed for their +little folk. + +"Now, every bright morning, Father and Mother Rabbit used to take the +children out for a walk, and for a few lessons in running and hiding +from Mr. Dog, who bothered about a good deal, and one day as they were +coming home they heard a great cackling, and when they got to their +house there was a nice fresh egg lying right in the children's bed. Some +old hen from the farmyard had slipped in and laid it while they were +gone. A good many hens, especially old hens, like to hide their nests +that way, and this was one of that kind. + +"Well, of course all the young Rabbits claimed it, and Mother Rabbit at +last gave it to the smallest and weakest one of the children, a little +girl, who was always painting things with the juice of flower petals. +And the very first thing that little girl did was to stain that egg all +over with violet juice, not thinking what trouble it was going to cause +our family forever after. + +[Illustration: THEY HAD A COZY HOME AND A SOFT BED FOR THEIR LITTLE +FOLK] + +"It was a nice blue egg when she got through with it, and the next day, +when they all came back from their walk again there was another white +egg right by it. The old hen had been there again and laid another while +they were gone. The second little girl claimed that egg, of course, and +she painted it a bright yellow with buttercup juice. Then the next day +there was another egg, and the next day there was another egg, and the +next day there was another egg, until there was one apiece for every one +of the children, and some over. + +"And they all painted them. Some painted theirs pink or red with rose +leaves or japonica, some painted them yellow with buttercups, and some +blue or purple with violets, as the first little girl had done. They had +so many at last that it crowded them out of their bed and they had to +sleep on the floor. + +[Illustration: A FEW LESSONS IN RUNNING AND HIDING] + +"And then, one Sunday, and it must have been Easter Sunday, they all +went out walking again, and when they came back every one of those +beautiful colored eggs was gone. The children cried and made a great +fuss, but it was no use. Some of Mr. Man's boys out hunting hens' nests +had found them and taken them all home with them. + +"And of course all those colored eggs set Mr. Man to wondering, and he +came with his boys to the place where they had found them; and when they +looked in out jumped the whole Rabbit family, helter skelter in every +direction. + +"And right then," said Mr. Rabbit, leaning over to light his pipe from +Mr. 'Possum's, "right then Mr. Man declared those colored eggs were +rabbit eggs, and he's kept on saying so ever since, though he knows +better, and he knows I don't like it. He takes eggs and colors them +himself now, and makes believe they're mine, and he puts my picture all +over things about Easter time. I suppose he thinks I don't care, but I +do, and I wish that little Miss Rabbit twenty grandmothers back had left +that old hen's egg white as she found it." + +[Illustration: IT WAS A NICE BLUE EGG WHEN SHE GOT THROUGH WITH IT] + +"It's too bad," says Mr. Crow. "It's like that story they tell about the +fox making me drop the cheese." + +"Or like Mr. Man making believe that the combs he uses are really made +out of my shell," says Mr. Turtle. + +Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum shook their heads. They had their troubles, +too. + + + + +THE HOLLOW TREE POETRY CLUB + +HOW MR. DOG CAME TO A POETRY CLUB, AND WHAT HAPPENED + + +ONCE upon a time, when it was getting along toward fall in the Hollow +Tree, when Jack Rabbit and Mr. Robin and the others had come to live +with the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow, there began to be +long evenings, and the Hollow Tree people used to think of new ways to +pass the time. They tried games at first, and sleight-of-hand tricks. +Then they tried doing things, and Mr. Turtle carried them all together +twice around the big parlor room on his back. But even that wasn't so +funny after the first evening, and Mr. Crow, who did most of the +thinking, had to scratch his head and think pretty hard what to do next. + +All at once he happened to remember that Jack Rabbit, who was the big +man of the party, was also a first rate poet, and liked to read his own +poetry better than anything. So, when he thought of that, he said:-- + +"I'll tell you. We'll have a poetry club." + +And of course that made Mr. Rabbit wake up right away. + +"What's that?" he said. "What kind of a thing is a poetry club?" + +"Why," said Mr. Crow, "it's a place where the members each write a poem +and read it at the next meeting. You're the only real, sure enough poet, +of course, and will be president, and write the best poem, but the rest +of us can try, and you can tell us our mistakes. I've heard that Mr. Man +has clubs, and they're ever so much fun." + +[Illustration: HAD TO SCRATCH HIS HEAD AND THINK PRETTY HARD] + +Jack Rabbit thought so, too, and all the others liked the plan. So they +elected Mr. Rabbit president and then went to work on their poems. +They couldn't have the first meeting very soon, for it took longer to +write poems in those days than it does now, so before they got half +ready the news got out some way, and even Mr. Dog had heard of it. + +Poor Mr. Dog! It made him really quite ill to think he wasn't on very +good terms with the Hollow Tree people, for he thought he could write +pretty nice poetry, too, and he wanted to belong to that club worse than +anything he could think of. He wanted to so bad that at last he told Mr. +Robin that if they'd just let him come he'd promise anything they asked. + +[Illustration: POOR MR. DOG] + +They didn't want to let him, though, until Mr. Crow, who always felt +kind of sorry for Mr. Dog, said he didn't see why Mr. Dog shouldn't come +and look in through the window shutters, and that they could nail a seat +for him on a limb just outside. They could pull him up to it with a rope +and he could sit there and listen and applaud the poems all through +without being able to do any damage to the poets, and he would be glad +enough to be let down by the time they got done reciting. + +So they sent him an invitation, and Mr. Dog was as happy as a king. He +went right to work on his poem, and he worked all night and walked up +and down the yard all day trying to think up rhymes for "joyful" and +"meeting," and a lot of other nice words. Even when he was asleep he +dreamed about it, and said over some of the lines out loud and jerked +his paws about as if he were reciting it and making motions. You see, +Mr. Dog hadn't always done just right by the Hollow Tree people, and he +was anxious to make a good impression and fix up things. He fixed +himself all up, too, when the night came for the meeting, and took his +poem under his arm and lit a cigar that he'd borrowed of Mr. Man for the +occasion, and away he went. + +The Hollow Tree people were on the look-out for him and had the rope +down and ready. So Mr. Dog tied it around under his arms, and they +pulled and pulled, and up he came. Then, when he got pretty close to the +window, they closed the shutter and put the rope through and pulled him +up still a little higher, so that he could reach the seat on the limb, +which was fixed just right for him to sit there and lean on the window +sill while he listened and looked in. + +Of course, Mr. Dog wished he was inside, like the others, but he knew +why he wasn't, and he was glad enough to be there at all. He peeked +through the slats at the big room and smiled and said some nice things +about how pretty the room looked, till they all got real sociable with +him. Then Jack Rabbit called the meeting to order and made a few +remarks. + +He said the duties of his office had kept him from writing quite as long +and as good a poem as he would have liked to write, but that he hoped +they might be willing to hear what he had done. Then they all shouted, +"Yes, yes!" and "Hear, hear!" and Mr. Rabbit bowed first to the ones +inside and then to Mr. Dog outside, and began:-- + + +THE JOYS OF POETRY + +BY J. RABBIT + + Oh, sweet the joys of poetry + In the merry days of spring, + When the dew is on the meadow + And the duck is on the wing! + For 'tis then, from Dan to Dover, + I'm a rover 'mid the clover, + Seeking rhymes the country over + With a ring, sing, swing-- + With a ding, dong, ding, + And a ting a ling a ling-- + For I'm the rhyming rover of the spring. + + Oh, sweet the joys of poetry + In the pleasant summer time! + For 'tis then I have no trouble + To compose my gentle rhyme; + In a nooklet by the brooklet + I can think up quite a booklet, + As with fishing line and hooklet + I assist the fish to climb + To the music of my chime, + For with rollick and with rhyme + I'm the poet of the pleasant summer time. + +[Illustration: MR. RABBIT BOWED] + + Oh, sweet the joys of poetry + When any days have come, + When the autumn zephyrs whisper + Or the winter breezes hum! + For 'tis then my thoughts unfurling, + While the smoke goes upward curling, + Come a whirling, swirling, twirling, + With a rumty, tumty, tum, + Come a twirling, swirling, whirling, + Like a rattle of a drum. + Come a whirling, come a swirling; + For in spring or in the summer, + In the autumn or the winter + I'm the rumty, tumty, tummer + That rejoices in the seasons as they come. + +Well, when Mr. Rabbit got through everybody sat still for a minute, till +Mr. Dog called out for somebody to come and unwind him so he could get +his breath again. Then they all commenced to laugh and shout and pound +on the table. And Mr. Rabbit coughed and looked pleased and said it was +easy enough to do when you knew how. + +Then Mr. 'Possum, who was next on the program, said he hoped they'd let +him off this time because he could only think of four lines, and that +he was a better hand at the dinner table than he was at poetry, anyway. +But they wouldn't do it, so he got up and looked foolish and swallowed +two or three times before he could get started. + + +WHAT I LOVE + +BY A. PUFFINGTON 'POSSUM + + I love the fragrant chicken pie + That blooms in early spring; + I love a chicken stew or fry, + Or any old thing. + +Mr. 'Possum's poem was short, but it went right to the spot, and the way +they applauded almost made Jack Rabbit jealous. He said that it was +'most too true to be good poetry, but that it was good for a first +effort, and that being short helped it. Then Mr. Robin spoke his +piece:-- + + +MOTHER AND ME + +BY C. ROBIN + + When the bud breaks out on the maple bough + Mother and me we build our nest-- + A twig from the yard and a wisp from the mow + And four blue eggs 'neath the mother breast. + Up in the tree, mother and me, + Happy and blithe and contented are we. + + When the daisies fall and the roses die, + An empty nest in the boughs to swing-- + Four young robins that learn to fly + And a sweet adieu till another spring. + Then up in the tree, mother and me, + Happy once more and contented we'll be. + +The applause wasn't so loud after Mr. Robin's poem, but they all said it +was very pretty, and Mr. 'Possum even wiped his eyes with his +handkerchief, because it made him remember something sad. Mr. Rabbit +said that it ought to be "Mother and I," but that it didn't make much +difference, he supposed, about grammar, so long as it rhymed and sounded +nice. Then Mr. Crow got up. + +[Illustration: LOOKED FOOLISH AND SWALLOWED TWO OR THREE TIMES] + + +JUST NOTHING + +BY J. CROW + + While others may sing of the pleasures of spring, + Or winter or summer or fall, + I'll sing not of these, because, if you please, + I'll sing of just nothing at all. + Just nothing at all, because, oh, ho! + I'll sing of myself, an old black crow. + + As black as a coal and as homely as sin-- + What more can I tell you, I pray? + For when you have nothing to sing of, why, then, + Of course there is nothing to say. + Nothing to say at all, oh, ho! + Except good-by to the old black crow-- + The rollicking old black crow! + +They made a good deal of fuss over Mr. Crow's poem. They applauded, of +course, but they said it wasn't so at all, and that Mr. Crow was a good +deal more than "just nothing." They said that it was he who had got up +this party, and that he was the best man to plan and cook anywhere. Mr. +'Possum said he even liked Mr. Crow's April fool chicken pies, and then +they all remembered and laughed, even to Mr. Crow himself. After that it +was Mr. Squirrel's turn. Mr. Squirrel coughed twice and straightened his +vest before he began, so they knew his poem wasn't to be funny. + + +THE FOOLISH LITTLE LAD + +BY MR. GRAY SQUIRREL + + Once on a time, the story goes, + A silly squirrel lad + One summer day did run away-- + Which made his ma feel bad. + + She hunted for him up and down + And round and round she ran-- + Alas, that foolish squirrel boy + Was caught by Mr. Man. + + For he had tried to climb a tree + As Mr. Man came past. + "I'll make you climb!" said Mr. Man, + And walked home pretty fast. + + When he got there a boy came out + As Mr. Man went in. + That silly squirrel soon was put + Into a house of tin. + + "Now you can climb!" said Mr. Man, + But when he did he found + That nice tin house, so bright and new, + Turned round and round and round. + + And there he climbs and climbs all day + And never seems to stop, + And I have heard my mother say + He'll never reach the top. + +When Mr. Squirrel sat down there wasn't a dry eye in the room, and even +Mr. Dog outside was affected. He said he'd seen that poor little +squirrel at Mr. Man's house turning and turning away in his tin wheel, +and felt so sorry for him that two or three times he'd tried to get him +out. He said, though, that Mr. Man had always caught him at it and that +then they didn't get on well for a day or two. He was so tender hearted, +though, he said, that he couldn't help pitying the little fellow, +climbing and climbing all day long and never getting anywhere. Mr. +'Possum shivered, and said it reminded him of bad dreams he'd had +sometimes, when he'd eaten too much supper, and dreamed of climbing the +rainbow. Then they all sat still and waited for Mr. Turtle, who came +next. + + +MY SNUG HOUSE + +BY D'LAND TURTLE + + Oh, what do I care for your houses of wood, + Your houses of brick or of stone, + When I have a house that is cozy and good-- + A beautiful house of my own? + And the doors will not sag and the roof will not crack + Of the house that I carry about on my back. + + It is never too large and 'tis never too small, + It is with me wherever I roam. + In spring or in summer, in winter or fall, + I always can find my way home. + For it isn't so hard to remember the track + To the house that you carry about on your back. + +Well, of course, everybody applauded that, and then it was Mr. 'Coon's +time. Mr. 'Coon said he was like Mr. 'Possum. He wasn't much on poetry, +and only had four lines. He said they were some like Mr. 'Possum's too. + + +THE BEST THINGS + +BY Z. 'COON + + I like the spring, I like the fall, + I like the cold and heat, + And poems, too, but best of all + I like good things to eat. + +That brought the house down, and the Hollow Tree people thought the +entertainment was over. They were going to have supper right away, but +Mr. Dog called out to wait a minute. He said he had a little poem +himself that he wanted to read. So out of politeness they all sat still, +though they didn't expect very much. Then Mr. Dog unrolled his poem and +leaned over close to the blinds and commenced to read. + + +MY FOREST FRIENDS + +BY MR. DOG + + Oh, dear to me my forest friends, + Especially Mr. Rabbit-- + I love his poetry very much, + And every gentle habit. + + And dear to me is Mr. 'Coon, + And also Mr. 'Possum; + I hope to win their friendship soon-- + 'Twill be a precious blossom. + + And Mr. Crow and Robin, too, + With fancy sweet and fertile, + And Mr. Squirrel, kind and true, + And likewise Mr. Turtle. + +[Illustration: LEANED OVER CLOSE TO THE BLINDS AND COMMENCED TO READ] + + Oh, dear to me my forest friends, + Especially Mr. Rabbit-- + I love his poetry very much, + And every gentle habit. + +Before Mr. Dog was half through reading the Hollow Tree people had +gathered around the window to listen. By the time he got to the end of +the third stanza he had to stop for them to cheer, and when he read the +last one, Jack Rabbit pounded on the shutter with his fist and shouted, +"Hurrah for Mr. Dog! Hurrah for Mr. Dog!" just as loud as ever he could, +while all the others crowded up and shouted and tried to pound, too. + +Well, maybe the shutter wasn't very strong, or maybe they crowded and +pounded too hard in their excitement over Mr. Dog's nice poem, for all +at once there was a loud crack and the shutter flew open and out went +Mr. Rabbit right smack into the arms of Mr. Dog! + +[Illustration: OUT WENT MR. RABBIT RIGHT SMACK INTO THE ARMS OF MR. DOG] + +I tell you that was pretty sudden and Mr. Rabbit was scared. So were all +the others, and they were going to grab the shutter and close it again +and leave Mr. Rabbit out there. But Jack Rabbit thinks quick. + +"Oh, Mr. Dog," he said, "that was the nicest poem I ever heard. Let me +embrace you, Mr. Dog, and be your friend for ever after!" + +Then he hugged Mr. Dog just as tight as he could, and Mr. Dog hugged +him, too, and shed tears, he was that happy. He had been wanting to make +up with the forest people for a long time, but he hadn't expected this. +Then the others all saw how it was and they shouted, "Hurrah for Mr. +Dog!" again and invited him in. And Mr. Dog went in and they had the +biggest supper and the biggest time that ever was known in the Hollow +Tree. + +And that's how Mr. Dog got to be friends with all the Hollow Tree people +at last. And he stayed friends with them ever and ever so long--and +longer--just as long as he lived, for the Mr. Dog that isn't good +friends with them now isn't the same Mr. Dog. And he isn't as smart, +either, for he can't write poetry, and he's never even been able to +find the Hollow Tree where the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow +live together and every summer keep open house for their friends. + + + + +MR. RABBIT'S UNWELCOME COMPANY + +MR. POLECAT MAKES A MORNING CALL AND MR. DOG DROPS IN + + +I THINK I shall have to tell you about Mr. Polecat, said the Story +Teller, and about his visit to Mr. Rabbit. + +"Who's Mr. Polecat?" said the Little Lady. "You never told me about him +before." + +Well, no, because you see Mr. Polecat is so queer in some of his ways +that people even don't talk about him a great deal. He is really quite a +nice gentleman, though, when he doesn't get excited. But when he does he +loses friends. + +The trouble is with the sort of perfumery he uses when he gets excited, +just as some people use a smelling-bottle, and nobody seems to like the +sort Mr. Polecat uses except himself. I suppose he must like it or he +wouldn't be so free with it. But other people go away when he uses +it--mostly in the direction the wind's blowing from--and in a hurry, as +if they were afraid they'd miss a train. Even Mr. Dog doesn't stop to +argue with Mr. Polecat. Nobody does, and all the other Deep Woods people +do their best to make him happy and to keep him in a good humor whenever +he comes about, and give him their nicest things to eat and a lot to +carry home with him, so he'll start just as soon as possible. + +But, more than anything, they try to keep him from saying anything about +Mr. Dog, or hinting or even thinking about Mr. Dog, for when he does any +of these things he's apt to get excited, and then sometimes he opens up +that perfume of his, and his friends fall over each other to get out of +reach. They're never very happy to see him coming, and they're always +glad to see him go, even when he's had a quiet visit and goes pretty +soon, which is just what didn't happen one time when he came to call on +Jack Rabbit, and it's that time I'm going to tell about. This was before +Mr. Dog made up with the Hollow Tree people; I don't know exactly how +long before, but a good while. + +Mr. Rabbit looked out his door one morning and there was Mr. Polecat, +all dressed up, coming to see him. He wasn't very far off, either, and +Mr. Rabbit hardly had time to jerk down a crayon picture of Mr. Dog that +he'd made the day before, just for practice. He pushed it under the bed +quick, and when Mr. Polecat came up he bowed and smiled, and said what a +nice day it was, and that he'd bring a chair outside if Mr. Polecat +would like to sit there instead of coming in where it wasn't so +pleasant. + +But Mr. Polecat said he guessed he'd come in, as it was a little chilly +and he didn't feel very well anyway. So he came inside, and Jack Rabbit +gave him his best chair and brought out a little table and put a lot of +nice things on it that Mr. Polecat likes, and began right away to pack a +basket for him to take home. + +But Mr. Polecat didn't seem to be in any hurry to go. He ate some of the +nice things, and then leaned back to talk and smoke, and told Mr. Rabbit +all the news he'd heard as he came along, and Mr. Rabbit got more and +more worried, for he knew that just as likely as not Mr. Polecat had +heard something about Mr. Dog and would begin to tell it pretty soon, +and then no knowing what would happen. So Jack Rabbit just said "Yes" +and "No" and began to talk about Mr. Robin, because Mr. Robin was a good +friend of everybody and nobody could get excited just talking about Mr. +Robin. But Mr. Polecat says:-- + +"Oh, yes, I saw Mr. Robin as I came along, and he called to me that Mr. +Dog--" + +And then Jack Rabbit changed the subject as quick as he could and spoke +about Mr. Squirrel, and Mr. Polecat says:-- + +"Oh, did you hear how Mr. Squirrel went over to Mr. Man's house and saw +Mr. Dog there--" + +And then poor Mr. Rabbit had to think quick and change the subject again +to the Hollow Tree people, and Mr. Polecat said:-- + +"Oh, yes. I stopped by that way as I came along, and they called out to +me from up stairs how you were practising drawing, and that you gave Mr. +Dog some dancing lessons the other day, and then made a fine picture of +him just as he looked when he danced into the hot coals, so I hurried +right over here for just to see that picture." + +Poor Mr. Rabbit! He didn't know what to do. He knew right away that the +Hollow Tree people had told about the picture to get rid of Mr. Polecat, +and he made up his mind that he'd get even with them some day for +getting him in such a fix. But some day was a long ways off and Mr. +Polecat was right there under his nose, so Mr. Rabbit said, just as +quick as he could say it, that the Hollow Tree people were always +making jokes, and that the picture was just as poor as it could be, and +that he'd be ashamed to show it to anybody, much more to a talented +gentleman like Mr. Polecat. But that made Mr. Polecat all the more +anxious to see it, for he was sure Mr. Rabbit was only modest, and +pretty soon he happened to spy the edge of the picture frame under Mr. +Rabbit's bed, and just reached under and pulled it out, before Mr. +Rabbit could help himself. + +Well, he picked up that picture and looked at it a minute, and Jack +Rabbit began to back off toward the door and say a few soothing words, +when all at once Mr. Polecat leaned back and commenced to laugh and +laugh at the funny picture Mr. Dog made where Mr. Rabbit called to him, +"Dance! Mr. Dog; dance!" And then, of course, Mr. Rabbit felt better, +for if his company thought it was funny and laughed there wasn't so much +danger. + +"Why," said Mr. Polecat, "it's the best thing I ever saw! You could +almost imagine that Mr. Dog himself was right here, howling and barking +and dancing." + +"Oh, no, hardly that," said Mr. Rabbit. "Of course I suppose it is a +little like him, but it's not at all as if he were here, you know--not +at all--and he's ever so far off, I'm sure, and won't come again for a +long time. You know, he's--" + +"Oh, yes, it is!" declared Mr. Polecat. "It's just as if he were right +here. And I can just hear him howl and bark, and--" + +And right there Mr. Polecat stopped and Mr. Rabbit stopped, and both of +them held their breath and listened, for sure enough they did hear Mr. +Dog howling and barking and coming toward the house as straight as he +could come. + +Jack Rabbit gave a jump right up in the air, and hollered, "Run! Mr. +Polecat, run! and go the back way!" But Mr. Polecat never runs from +anybody--he doesn't have to--he just opens up that perfume of his and +the other people do the running. So Mr. Rabbit gave one more jump, and +this time he jumped straight up the chimney, and didn't stop till he +got to the roof, where he found a loose board and put it over the +chimney quick and sat down on it. Then he called to Mr. Dog, who was +coming lickety split through the woods:-- + +"Why, how are you, Mr. Dog? Glad to see you! Walk right in. There's +company down stairs; just make yourself at home till I come down." You +see there was no use to stop him now, because Mr. Rabbit could tell by +what was coming up the chimney that it was too late, and he wanted Mr. +Dog to get a good dose of it as well as himself. + +And Mr. Dog did come just as hard as he could tear, for the wind was +blowing toward the house and he couldn't detect anything wrong until he +gave a great big jump into Mr. Rabbit's sitting room and right into the +midst of the most awful smell that was ever turned loose in the Big Deep +Woods. + +Well, it took Mr. Dog so suddenly that he almost fainted away. Then he +gave a howl, as if a wagon had run over his tail, and tumbled out of +that sitting room and set out for home without once stopping to look +behind him. Then Mr. Rabbit laughed and laughed, and called:-- + +"Come back, Mr. Dog! Come back and stay with us. Mr. Polecat's going to +spend a week with me. Come back and have a good time." + +But Mr. Dog didn't stop, and he didn't seem to hear, and by and by Mr. +Polecat called up that he was going home and that Mr. Rabbit could come +down now, for Mr. Dog was gone and wouldn't come back, he guessed. But +Mr. Rabbit said no, he didn't feel very well yet, and guessed he'd stay +where he was for the present, and that if Mr. Polecat was going he might +leave both doors open and let the wind draw through the house, because +he always liked to air his house after Mr. Dog had been to see him. Then +Mr. Polecat took his basket and went, and Jack Rabbit didn't come down +for a long time, and when he did he couldn't stay in his house for the +awful smell. So he went over to stay a week with the Hollow Tree people, +and his clothes didn't smell nice, either, but they had to stand it, and +Mr. Rabbit said it served them right for getting him into such a fix. It +was over a week before he could go back to his house again, and even +then it wasn't just as he wanted it to be, and he aired it every day for +a long time. + +But there was one thing that made him laugh, and that was when he heard +from Mr. Robin how Mr. Dog got home and Mr. Man wouldn't have him about +the house or even in the yard, but made him stay out in the woods for as +much as ten days, until he had got rid of every bit of Mr. Polecat's +nice perfumery. + + + + +MR. 'POSSUM EXPLAINS + +HOW UNCLE SILAS TRIED TO PLEASE AUNT MELISSY + + +WELL, you remember that the Hollow Tree people took four of their +friends to live with them and called it the Hollow Tree Inn. Mr. Robin +came, and Mr. Turtle, also Jack Rabbit and Mr. Squirrel, and they made a +jolly crowd after they got settled and knew about each getting his own +things to eat, because the Hollow Tree people--the 'Coon and 'Possum and +the Old Black Crow--found they couldn't suit their guests exactly when +it came to a steady diet. So they all kept house together, and used to +go out days (and nights, too, sometimes) and get nice things. Then +they'd bring them in and fix them to suit themselves, and have them all +on the big table down stairs, nice and comfortable, where they could sit +and talk as long as they pleased. + +It was a good deal like a big family when they were all together that +way, and they used to say how nice it was, and once Mr. 'Possum said he +always did think a big family was nice, anyway. Then Jack Rabbit laughed +and said he should think Mr. 'Possum was just the kind of a man for a +big family, being fond of good things to eat and not very fond of +getting them for himself, and mostly fat and sleepy like. He said if +there was just a nice, spry Mrs. 'Possum, now, to keep house and look +after things he should think it would be ever so much better than living +in bachelor quarters, or, rather, thirds, with Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Crow, +and not having things very orderly. Of course, with himself, Jack Rabbit +said, it was different, but even at his house it got lonesome, too, now +and then. + +[Illustration: SHE TIED HIS TIE FOR HIM] + +Well, Mr. 'Possum thought a minute, and then he said that there was such +a thing as folks being too spry, and that it was because he had always +been afraid of getting that kind that he had been pretty well satisfied +to live in the Hollow Tree just as he was. He said that he had once had +an uncle that something happened to in that line, and whenever he +thought about poor Uncle Lovejoy he didn't seem to care much about +trying anything he wasn't used to. Then they all wanted him to tell +about Uncle Lovejoy and what happened to him. So Mr. 'Possum did tell, +and it went this way:-- + +"Once upon a time," he said, "Uncle Lovejoy--we always called him Uncle +Silas then--he was uncle on my mother's side, and lived with Aunt +Melissy in a nice place just beyond the Wide Paw-paw Hollows--once upon +a time, as I was saying, he had to go to town on some business, and that +was something that never happened to Uncle Lovejoy before. + +[Illustration: COUSIN GLENWOOD MET HIM AT THE STATION] + +"Well, Aunt Melissy was always a spry woman, as I said, and +stirring--very stirring, and primpy, too. But she was never as stirring +and spry and primpy as she was the day that Uncle Silas started for +town. She dressed him all up neat and proper in his very best things, +and tied his tie for him, and while she was tying it she says:-- + +[Illustration: COUSIN GLEN TOOK UNCLE LOVEJOY TO THE STORES] + +"'Now, Silas,' she says, 'when you get to town you buy a few little +articles right away and put them on. You don't want folks to see that +you come from the country, you know, and you don't want Cousin Glenwood +to be ashamed of you before folks. Cousin Glen will know just what +things you need and where to get them.' Then she told him not to get run +over by anything, or blow out the gas, or let anybody see that he wasn't +used to things, because, you see, Aunt Melissy was proud, being a +Glenwood herself. Then Uncle Lovejoy promised all those things, and that +he would use his napkin and not eat pie out of his hand or drink out of +his finger bowl, and a lot more things that Aunt Melissy remembered at +the last minute. So you see by the time he got on the train he had a +good deal to think about, and he kept thinking about it until by the +time he got to the city he'd made up his mind he'd try to do for once +everything she told him to and give her a pleasant surprise with the way +he had fixed up and improved his manners when he got back. Uncle Lovejoy +was good natured, and always anxious to please folks, especially Aunt +Melissy. + +[Illustration: WHERE THERE WAS A MIRROR UNCLE LOVEJOY WOULD STAND BEFORE +IT AND ADMIRE HIMSELF] + +"Well, Cousin Glenwood met him at the station, and about the first thing +Uncle Silas said was to ask him where he got his clothes, and to tell +him that Aunt Melissy had said he was to fix up, so's folks wouldn't +think he came from the country, which, of course, she had. That just +suited Cousin Glenwood, for he liked to spend money and show off what he +knew about the city; so he took Uncle Lovejoy 'most everywhere, and told +him to buy 'most everything he saw. And of course Uncle Silas did it, +because he wanted to surprise Aunt Melissy when he got back, and make +her feel happy for once in her life. + +"Cousin Glen took Uncle Lovejoy to the stores first, and then to a good +many different kinds of places afterward, and every place where there +was a mirror Uncle Lovejoy would stand before it and admire himself and +wonder what Aunt Melissy would say when he got home. He kept buying new +things every day, because every day he'd see somebody with something on +or carrying or leading something, and when he remembered what Aunt +Melissy said, he made up his mind he'd have to have all the things to +please her, and he got them as far as he could. Even Cousin Glenwood had +to commence buying things pretty soon to keep up, and before long people +used to stop on the street and look at them when they went by. Uncle +Silas didn't want to go home, either, when the time came, but of course +he had to, and he put on his best clothes for the trip, and took a young +man he'd hired to wait on him, and started. + +[Illustration: PEOPLE USED TO STOP ON THE STREET AND LOOK AT THEM] + +"He didn't tell Aunt Melissy just what time he'd be there, so it was a +surprise sure enough. He walked right into the yard, and behind was the +young man he'd hired, carrying his things. Aunt Melissy was getting +dinner, and had just come to the door a minute to see what time it was +by the sun, when all of a sudden, as she looked up, there he was! He had +his hat in one hand and a cane in the other, and was leading a game +chicken by a string. All his boxes and bundles and the young man were +behind him. Uncle Lovejoy wore an eyeglass, too, and smoked a paper +thing he said was a cigarette. My little cousins, who were there, told +me afterward that their pa had never looked so fine in his life before +or since. They didn't know him at all, and neither did Aunt Melissy. She +thought he was somebody with something to sell at first, and when he +said, 'Aw, there, Melissah!' she threw up her hands and was about to +call for help, when just that minute she saw it was Uncle Silas. + +[Illustration: HE WALKED RIGHT INTO THE YARD, AND BEHIND WAS THE YOUNG +MAN HE'D HIRED] + +"Poor Uncle Silas! He meant to surprise her, and he did it sure +enough. He meant to please her, though, and he didn't do that worth a +cent. It seemed funny, but she was mad. That's just the trouble about +women folks; you never know when you're going to please them. My little +cousins said they never saw their ma so mad before or since. She made +Uncle Lovejoy take off all his nice clothes, and the young man, too, and +she cooked the game chicken for dinner. Then, right after dinner, she +picked up a bag of shinney sticks that Uncle Lovejoy had brought home, +and she says to him and the young man:-- + +[Illustration: "NOW YOU GET OUT IN THE GARDEN, BOTH OF YOU"] + +"'Now you get out in the garden,' she says, 'both of you, and try to +earn back some of this money you've been spending.' And Uncle Lovejoy +didn't feel very much like it, but he went, and so did the young man. So +did Aunt Melissy, and she used up most of those shinney sticks on Uncle +Silas and the young man before fall, and Uncle Silas never saw any of +his nice clothes again, though they had the best garden they ever did +have, so my little cousins said. + +"And that," said Mr. 'Possum, leaning back in his chair to smoke, +"that's why I've always been afraid to try family life. It's easier to +please one than two, especially when the other one is a spry, stirring +person like Aunt Melissy Lovejoy." + +"What became of all the good clothes?" asked Jack Rabbit, who was always +very stylish. + +"Why, I've heard," said Mr. 'Possum, "that Aunt Melissy made some of +them over for my little cousins, and that she traded off the rest of +them to a pedler for patent medicine to give Uncle Silas for a weak +mind, and I think he needed it some myself for trying to please her in +the first place." + +Mr. Rabbit nodded. + +"It takes all kinds of people to make a world," he said. + +Mr. 'Coon yawned and rubbed his eyes. The others were fast asleep. + + + + +AROUND THE WORLD AND BACK AGAIN + + +ONCE upon a time, when Mr. Dog was over spending the evening with the +Hollow Tree people, he told them that Mr. Man had said the world was +round, like a ball. Of course this was after Mr. Dog got to be good +friends with the 'Possum and the 'Coon and the Old Black Crow, and he +often used to come over to the Hollow Tree, where they lived, for a +quiet talk and smoke, and to tell the things that Mr. Man said and did, +and what he had on his table for dinner. + +The Hollow Tree people liked to hear about Mr. Man, too; but when they +heard what he said about the world being round they thought there must +be some mistake in the way Mr. Dog had understood it. Mr. 'Coon said +that it couldn't be so, for the edge of the world was just beyond the +last trees of the Big Deep Woods, and that he'd often sat there and hung +his feet over and watched the moon come up. Mr. 'Possum said so, too; +and Mr. Crow said that the other edge was over along the Wide Blue +Water, where Mr. Turtle lived, and that of course the water was flat, as +everybody could see. Anyway, it would spill out if it wasn't. + +But Mr. Dog stuck to it that Mr. Man had said just what Mr. Dog had said +he said, and that, what was more, Mr. Man had said that the world turned +over every day, and that the sun and moon and stars all went round it. +And Mr. Man had said, too, that people sometimes went around the world, +and didn't turn over or fall off into the sky when they were underneath, +but kept on, and came up on the other side, right back to the very +place they started from. + +Well, that made them all wonder a good deal more than ever; and Mr. Jack +Rabbit, who came in just then for the evening, said he shouldn't be a +bit surprised if it were true, for he'd often noticed how the seasons +went round and round, and he thought, now, they must travel around the +world some way, too. He said he'd composed some poetry on Spring as he +came along, and that now he understood some lines of it better than he +had at the start; for, of course, when poetry just comes to anybody, as +it does to Mr. Rabbit, it isn't expected that even the poet himself will +understand it very well at first. + +Then they all wanted to hear Jack Rabbit's poem, and Mr. Rabbit said +that it really wasn't just as he wanted it yet, but that if they +wouldn't expect too much, he'd let them hear how it went, anyway. + + +WHICH WAY, SPRING? + +BY J. RABBIT + + O Spring, + Ho, Spring! + Whither do you go, Spring? + If I did but know, Spring, + I would go there, too. + Pray, Spring, + Say, Spring, + Whither and away, Spring? + I would start to-day, Spring, + If I go with you. + +And Spring answers:-- + + Why, sir, + I, sir, + Just go tripping by, sir-- + If you did but try, sir, + You could go with me. + Follow, + Follow, + Over hill and hollow-- + Where the bluebirds call, O, + I am sure to be. + +Well, everybody applauded that, of course; and Mr. 'Coon said that for +his part he was tired of cold weather, and that if to-morrow was a +bright day, and anybody'd go with him, he'd start out at sunrise and +follow Spring clear around the world. Then Mr. 'Possum said he'd go just +to see whether Mr. Man was right or not, and Mr. Crow said he'd go, too. +Mr. Rabbit wanted to go to prove some things in his poem, but he had to +make a garden if it was a good day, and Mr. Dog had an engagement to dig +moles for Mr. Man. + +So the next morning, bright and early, the three Hollow Tree people got +up and started. They packed some lunch in a basket, so they wouldn't get +hungry, in case they were gone all day, and set out in high spirits; for +it was a beautiful morning in April, and they knew Spring had come at +last. + +They saw a bluebird up in a tree not far away, and they remembered what +Mr. Rabbit's poem had said about following him over hill and hollow; so +they went along in that direction, talking and whistling and singing, +because they felt so good in the fresh morning sunlight. + +And Mr. Bluebird hopped and whistled and flew along ahead, until, by and +by, they came to where Mr. Fox lived. + +"Where are you fellows going so early?" called Mr. Fox. + +"We're following Spring around the world," called back Mr. Crow; and +then they told him all that Mr. Dog had said. + +Then Mr. Fox looked very wise, for he didn't know if Mr. Dog was playing +a trick on them, or if it were really true that the world was round and +he hadn't heard of it. Anyway, he wasn't going to let on, so he said:-- + +[Illustration: SET OUT IN HIGH SPIRITS] + +"Why, of course! I knew that all the time. You just keep right on until +you come to that big elm over yonder, and turn to the right. Anybody +over there can show you the way." Then Mr. Fox coughed and went back +into the house, but he made up his mind he wouldn't laugh until he had +seen Mr. Dog and was sure it was all a joke. And the Hollow Tree people +kept on to the elm tree, and, sure enough, there was Mr. Bluebird, +hopping and whistling and flying on ahead, for he'd been listening to +what Mr. Fox had told them. + +So they hurried right along after him till they came to Mr. Wolf's +place. Mr. Wolf was looking out of his door as they came by. + +"Hello, you early birds!" he called. "Whose hen roost you been after?" + +Then they told him they weren't thinking of such things as that on a +beautiful morning like this, but that they were following Spring around +the world. And they told him all that Mr. Man had said to Mr. Dog, and +what Mr. Fox had said, and about Jack Rabbit's poem. Mr. Wolf thought +he'd better be wise, too, until he found out just how things were, so he +said:-- + +"Sure enough! That's a good plan. I'd go along if I had time. I know the +way well. You just keep on till you come to that creek yonder, then +cross and turn to the right, and after that any one can show you the +way." + +So away went the Hollow Tree people, and when they got to the creek, and +crossed, and turned to the right, there was the bluebird again, hopping +and whistling and dancing on ahead, just in the direction that Mr. Wolf +had said to go. Then, pretty soon, Mr. 'Possum said he was hungry, so +they sat down on some moss and ate their lunch, and Mr. Bluebird came up +close and sang to them till Mr. 'Possum went to sleep in the sun and +took a little nap, while the 'Coon and the Crow put what was left back +into the basket and got ready to go. Then Mr. 'Possum woke up and said +he was sure they must be nearly around the world, for he'd just had a +dream about catching a chicken with four legs and two heads, and he knew +that must mean something good. So then they went on and the bluebird +went ahead, until they came to a fine, big cave, where Mr. Bear lived. + +Now, Mr. Bear is very big and wise--at least he thinks he is--and he +knew right away that Mr. Dog was just playing a joke on them, or at +least he thought he did, so he said:-- + +"Well, well! I supposed you fellows knew all that long ago. You don't +mean to say, do you, that this is really your first time round? Why, I +go round the world every spring and fall, and buy most of my things on +the other side. You just follow this path till you come to a big black +rock, and then turn to the right and keep straight ahead. You can't miss +the way." + +[Illustration: "FOLLOW THIS PATH TILL YOU COME TO A BIG BLACK ROCK," +SAID MR. BEAR] + +Then Mr. Bear went back in his cave, and laid down and rolled over and +laughed to think what a big joke everybody was playing on the Hollow +Tree people. But the Hollow Tree people kept right on, for they saw Mr. +Bluebird still whistling and dancing on ahead; and by and by they came +to the big black rock that Mr. Bear had mentioned, and turned to the +right again as he had told them to do. Then they walked and walked, +and Mr. Bluebird hopped and skipped and whistled, until at last, just as +they were all getting very tired and it was 'most night, they came to a +big hollow tree in a deep woods; and Mr. 'Possum looked up and says:-- + +"Why," he says, "this tree looks a good deal like our tree!" + +And Mr. 'Coon, he says:-- + +"Why, it's just like our tree!" + +And Mr. Crow, he says:-- + +"Why, it _is_ our tree!" for of course they'd turned to the right three +times, which brought them right back where they started from, though +they did not know it. + +So then all at once they commenced to laugh and shout:-- + +"We've done it! We've done it! + + "We've followed Spring around the world, + According to the plan! + Hurrah for Mr. Rabbit! + And hurrah for Mr. Man!" + +[Illustration: AND MR. CROW, HE SAYS, "WHY, IT _IS_ OUR TREE!"] + +And the bluebird up in the branches whistled and danced and shouted, +too; and Jack Rabbit and Mr. Dog came over pretty soon to see if +they'd got home yet. And of course Mr. Rabbit was proud about the way +his poem had turned out; and Mr. Dog he was proud, too, on Mr. Man's +account. Then they all had a big supper, to celebrate, and by and by Mr. +Rabbit and Mr. Dog went away arm in arm, singing Mr. Rabbit's poem to +the moon; while the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow went to bed +happy because they had followed Spring clear around the world, and +hadn't got lost or tumbled off into the sky, but were home again safe +and sound in the Hollow Tree. + +[Illustration] + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Note: + +Repeated chapter titles were deleted. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Making Up with Mr. Dog, by Albert Bigelow Paine + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MAKING UP WITH MR. 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