The Hollow Tree Snowed-In Part 10

_By C. Robin_

How came a little bird like me A place in this fine group to win?

My mind is small--it has to be-- The little place I keep it in.

How came a little bird like me To be here in the Hollow Tree?

When all the others know so much, And are so strong and gifted too, How can I dare to speak of such As I can know, and think, and do?

How can a little bird like me Belong here in the Hollow Tree?

[Ill.u.s.tration: MR. POSSUM SAID HE HADN'T MEANT ANYTHING AT ALL BY WHAT HE HAD SAID ABOUT THE STORY]

Well, when Mr. Robin finished that, all the others spoke right up and said that Mr. Robin must never write anything so sad as that again. They said his story was just as good as it could be, and that Mr. Robin was one of the smartest ones there; and Mr. 'Possum burst into tears, and said that he hadn't meant anything at all by what he had said about the story, and that some time, when they were all alone, Mr. Robin must tell it to him again, and he would try to have sense enough to understand it.

Then he ran over to Mr. Robin, and was going to embrace him and weep on his shoulder, and would very likely have mashed him if Mr. Turtle hadn't dragged him back to his seat and told him that he had done damage enough to people's feelings without killing anybody, and the best thing he could do now would be to go on with a story of his own if he had any.

But Mr. 'Possum said he was too sleepy now, so Mr. Dog sang the poem which he had promised the evening before because, he said, singing would be a nice thing to go to sleep on. Mr. Dog's song was called

THE CAT WHO WOULD BE KING

There was cat who kept a store, With other cats for customers.

His milk and mice All packed in ice His catnip all in canisters.

[Ill.u.s.tration: AND SO THIS CAT GREW RICH AND FAT]

Fresh milk he furnished every day-- Two times a day and sometimes three-- And so this cat Grew rich and fat And proud as any cat could be.

But though so fat and rich he grew He was not satisfied at all-- At last quoth he, "A king I'll be Of other cats both great and small."

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Then hied he to the tinner cat, Who made for him a tinsel crown, And on the street, A king complete, He soon went marching up and down.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Now, many cats came out to see, And some were filled with awe at him; While some, alack, Behind his back Did laugh and point a paw at him.

Mice, milk, and catnip did he scorn; He went to business less and less-- And everywhere He wore an air Of arrogance and haughtiness.

[Ill.u.s.tration: HIS CLERKS]

His clerks ate catnip all day long-- They spent much time in idle play; They left the mice From off the ice-- They trusted cats who could not pay.

While happy in his tin-shop crown Each day the king went marching out, Elate because He thought he was The kind of king you read about.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A SOLEMN LOOK WAS IN HIS FACE]

But lo, one day, he strolled too far, And in a dim and dismal place A cat he met, Quite small, and yet A solemn look was in his face.

One fiery eye this feline wore-- A waif he was of low degrees-- No gaudy dress Did he possess, Nor yet a handsome cat was he.

But lo, he smote that spurious king And stripped him of his tinsel crown, Then like the wind Full close behind He chased His Highness into town.

With cheers his subjects saw him come.

He did not pause--he did not stop, But straight ahead He wildly fled Till he was safe within his shop.

He caught his breath and gazed about-- A sorry sight did he behold: No catnip there Or watchful care-- No mice and milk and joy of old.

[Ill.u.s.tration: QUOTH HE, "MY PRIDE IS SATISFIED; THIS KINGDOM BUSINESS DOES NOT PAY"]

He heaved a sigh and dropped a tear-- He sent those idle clerks away-- Quoth he, "My pride Is satisfied; This kingdom business does not pay."

With care once more he runs his store, His catnip all in canisters-- His milk and mice All packed in ice, And humbly serves his customers.

MR. 'POSSUM'S GREAT STORY

MR. 'POSSUM'S GREAT STORY

MR. 'POSSUM TELLS THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF THE 'POSSUM FAMILY, TO THE SURPRISE OF HIS FRIENDS

"Now this," said the Story Teller, "is the story that Mr. Possum told the Snowed-In Literary Club in the Hollow Tree. It must be a true story, because Mr. 'Possum said so, and, besides, anybody that knows Mr.

'Possum would know that he could never in the world have made it up out of his head."

The Little Lady doesn't quite like that.

"But Mr. 'Possum is smart," she says. "He knows ever so much."

"Oh yes, of course, and that's why he never _has_ to make up things. He just tells what he knows, and this time he told

"HOW UNCLE SILAS AND AUNT MELISSY MOVED

"You may remember," he said, "my telling you once about Uncle Silas and Aunt Melissy Lovejoy, who lived in a nice place just beyond the Wide Paw-paw Hollows, and how Uncle Silas once visited Cousin Glenwood in town and came home all dressed up, leading a game chicken, and with a bag of shinny-sticks, and a young man to wait on him; and how Aunt Melissy--instead of being pleased, as Uncle Silas thought she would be--got mad when she saw him, and made him and the young man take off all their nice clothes and go to work in the garden, and kept them at it with that bag of shinny-sticks until fall.[2]

"Well, this story is about them, too. I went to live with them soon after that, because I lost both of my parents one night when Mr. Man was hunting in the Black Bottoms for something to put in a pan with some sweet potatoes he had raised that year, and I suppose I would have been used with sweet potatoes too if I hadn't come away from there pretty lively instead of trying our old playing-dead trick on Mr. Man and his friends.

"I thought right away that Mr. Man might know the trick, so I didn't wait to try it myself, but took out for the Wide Paw-paw Hollows, to visit Uncle Silas Lovejoy, who was an uncle on my mother's side, and Aunt Melissy and my little cousins; and they all seemed glad to see me, especially my little cousins, until they found they had to give me some of their things and most of their food, because I was young and growing, besides being quite sad about my folks, and so, of course, had to eat a good deal to keep well and from taking my loss too hard.

"But by-and-by Uncle Lovejoy said that he didn't believe that he and the hired man--who was the same one he had brought home to wait on him when he came from town--to be his valet, he said--though he got to be a hired man right after Aunt Melissy met him and got hold of the shinny-sticks--Aunt Melissy being a spry, stirring person who liked to see people busy. I remember how she used to keep me and my little cousins busy until sometimes I wished I had stayed with my folks and put up with the sweet potatoes and let Uncle Silas and his family alone."

Mr. 'Possum stopped to light his pipe, and Mr. Rabbit said that he supposed, of course, Mr. 'Possum knew his story and how to tell it, but that if he ever intended to finish what Uncle Lovejoy had said about himself and the hired man he wished he'd get at it pretty soon.

Mr. 'Possum said of course he meant to, as soon as he could get his breath, and think a minute. "Well, then," he said, "Uncle Silas told Aunt Melissy that he didn't believe he and the hired man could raise and catch enough for the family since I had come to stay with them, and he thought they had better move farther west to a place where the land was better and where Mr. Man's chickens were not kept up in such close, unhealthy places, but were allowed to roost out in the open air, on the fences and in the trees. He said he didn't think their house was quite stylish enough either, which he knew would strike Aunt Melissy, who was a Glenwood, and primpy, and fond of the best things.