THE WIDOW CROW'S BOARDING-HOUSE
EARLY DOINGS OF THE HOLLOW TREE PEOPLE AND HOW THEY FOUND A HOME
ANYBODY can tell by her face that the Little Lady has some plan of her own when the Story Teller is ready next evening to "sit by the fire and spin."
"I want you to tell me," she says, climbing up into her place, "how the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow ever got to living together in the Hollow Tree."
That frightens the Story Teller. He is all ready with something different.
"Good gracious!" he says, "that is an old story that all the Deep Woods People have known ever so long."
"But I don't know it," says the Little Lady, "and I'd like to know that before you tell anything else. Rock, and tell it."
So the Story Teller rocks slowly, and smokes, and almost forgets the Little Lady in remembering that far-away time, and presently he begins.