A WINDOW THAT WASN'T CLOSED, AND WHO CLOSED IT
The night was warm in the Hollow Tree. Jack Rabbit and Mr. Turtle, who had been spending the evening with the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow, had hurried off to their homes, so as to get there before the rain set in.
They had all stood by an open parlor window and seen it coming over the Big West Hills, and the visitors knew they'd catch it if they didn't hurry. Mr. Crow and the others had watched them down stairs, and called to Jack Rabbit to push in the latch string, which would fasten the door from the outside. Then Mr. 'Possum had taken his candle, and Mr. 'Coon had taken his candle, and Mr. Crow had taken his candle, and each had gone up to his own room and scrambled into bed quick, so's to be able to cover up his head when it thundered.
Well, they hadn't any more than all gone to bed before Mr. Crow suddenly happened to remember that, being in such a hurry, none of them had thought to close the parlor window, and it would rain in as sure as the world. There was a little table close to the window, with some of his best things on it, too, and if it rained in they would all get wet and be spoiled. He thought about this twice, and maybe more than twice, and the more he thought about it the less he wanted to get up and close that window. Then, all at once, there came a flash of lightning and low growling thunder. Down he bobbed under the covers, and this made him want to get up less than ever. He knew, though, that it would be raining hard pretty soon, and spoiling his things. He had to do something right off.
So, after thinking a minute, he sat up in bed and called out:
"Oh, Mr. 'Coon! You forgot to close the parlor window. It will rain in on your things."
But Mr. 'Coon called back:
"It won't hurt MY things, Mr. Crow. They're over on the other side of the room."
And Mr. 'Possum, who was sitting up in bed, too, listened and laughed in the dark.
But just then there was another flash of lightning, and Mr. Crow bobbed down, and Mr. 'Coon bobbed down, and Mr. 'Possum bobbed down, so's not to hear the thunder. Then, pretty soon, Mr. Crow sat up in bed again and called out:
"Oh, Mr. 'Possum! You forgot to close the parlor window. It will rain in on your things."
But Mr. 'Possum called back:
"It won't hurt MY things, Mr. Crow. They're all over by the stairs."
And Mr. 'Coon, who was sitting up in bed, listened and laughed in the dark, too.
Then for a minute Mr. Crow didn't know but that he'd have to go down and shut that window himself, after all. And while he was thinking how much he didn't want to, there came another flash of lightning, brighter than ever, and Mr. Crow and Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum all bobbed down again and covered up their heads, so's not to hear the thunder. But Mr. Crow heard it a little, anyway, and it set him to thinking. So when he sat up again he called out:
"Oh, Mr. 'Coon, did Jack Rabbit push in the latch string down stairs?"
And Mr. 'Coon called back:
"I s'pose so, Mr. Crow. You told him to. Why?"
"Oh, nothing, only he left in a great hurry, and I thought maybe he didn't get it quite in."
And Mr. 'Possum listened again, but this time he didn't laugh.
Then Mr. Crow called out to him, too:
"Oh, Mr. 'Possum, did Mr. Rabbit push in the latch string when he left?"
And Mr. 'Possum called back:
"I don't know, Mr. Crow. But you told him to. Why?"
"Oh, nothing; only I heard something just now that sounded like Mr. Dog barking and coming this way."
And Mr. 'Coon listened again, too, but he didn't laugh any this time, either.
And just then there was another flash of lightning, a good deal brighter than any of the other flashes, and down went Mr. Crow again, and down went Mr. 'Coon again, and down went Mr. 'Possum again, so's not to hear it thunder. But they did hear it, even under the bedclothes, and being covered up that way, and thinking about Mr. Dog anyhow, made it sound to them exactly like Mr. Dog's voice barking and growling, and coming closer and closer and closer.
And when Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum heard that they didn't wait another minute. They just threw back the covers, both of them, and piled out of bed and made a rush for that down stairs door, as if Mr. Dog was right behind them, sure enough. And of course neither one knew the other had started, and when they got to the head of the stairs they bumped together in the dark, and down they went, over and over, to the bottom. There was a little flash of lightning just as they got there, and they saw that Mr. Rabbit had pushed in the latch string after all.
Then they felt foolish, and each began to blame the other for making him fall down stairs, and both of them said they knew all the time the door was fastened, and that they weren't afraid of Mr. Dog, anyway. They'd only got up, they said, to shut the parlor window, and they did shut it, both together, as they came back. Then they ran up to their beds quick, while Mr. Crow, who had been listening all the time, laid down and rolled over and laughed and laughed in the dark.
And just then there came another big, bright flash, and down under the covers went all three of them, so's not to hear it thunder. They stayed under a good while that time, and when they put their heads out again the shower had commenced, and the thunder was passing over.
So then, pretty soon, the 'Possum and the 'Coon and the Old Black Crow all dropped off to sleep to the sound of the rain falling among the leaves and branches of the Hollow Tree.