THE HOLLOW TREE PEOPLE
THE LITTLE LADY IS INTRODUCED TO THE 'COON, THE 'POSSUM AND THE OLD BLACK CROW
When the Story Teller came home last night the Little Lady had a great deal to tell him. During the afternoon she had built in one corner of the sitting room a house for her three dolls, with a separate room for each. Of course, the house was not a house at all, but only a plan on the floor made with blocks and books. At one side she had laid out a large parlor room, where her family of three—Hettie, Annabelle and the Rubber Boy—could meet together and talk.
"Why," said the Story Teller, "that reminds me of the Crow, the 'Coon and the 'Possum."
"What did they do? Tell me that story," commanded the Little Lady, promptly forgetting her day's work and pulling the Story Teller toward his chair.
The Story Teller stirred the fire and looked into the blaze a moment, thinking. The Little Lady climbed up into his lap and waited. She was used to the Story Teller.
"Tell it," she said, presently.
So then he told her the story of the three friends.
Once upon a time in the far depths of the Big Deep Woods there was a big hollow tree, with three big hollow branches. In one of these there lived a 'Coon, in another a 'Possum and in the third a Big Black Crow.
"But crows don't live in hollow trees," said the Little Woman, who happened to be passing.