[Illustration:  “As they were all very hungry, they would like to know when the feast would be ready.”]

“My, my, my, how angry everybody grew!  With Old King Bear at their head, they started out to hunt for old Mr. Possum.  When he saw them coming, he realized that what he had thought was a joke had become no longer a laughing matter for him.  He was too frightened to run, so he scrambled up a tree.  He quite forgot that Mr. Panther and Mr. Lynx could climb just as fast as he.  Up the tree after him they scrambled, and he crept as far out as he could get on one of the branches.  Mr. Panther didn’t dare go out there, so he just shook the branch.  He shook and shook and shook and shook, and the first thing old Mr. Possum knew, he was flying through the air down to where the others were all ready to pounce on him.

“Old Mr. Possum was frightened almost to death.  He shut his eyes, and then he landed with a thump that knocked all the wind from his body.  When he got his breath again, he still kept his eyes closed, for he couldn’t bear the thought of looking at the cruel teeth and claws of Old King Bear and the others.  Presently, while he was wondering why they didn’t jump on him and tear him to pieces, Old King Bear spoke: 

“‘I guess Mr. Possum won’t play any more jokes, Mr. Panther,’ said he.  ’You just knocked the life out of him when you shook him off that branch.’

“Mr. Panther came over and sniffed at Mr. Possum and turned him over with one paw.  All the time Mr. Possum lay just as if he were dead, because he was too frightened to move.  ‘I didn’t mean to kill him,’ said Mr. Panther.  ’We certainly will miss him.  What will we do with him?’

“‘Leave him here as a warning to others,’ growled Old King Bear.

“Each in turn came up and sniffed of Mr. Possum, and then they all went about their business.  He waited long enough to make sure that they were out of sight, and then took the shortest way home.  When he got there and thought it all over, he thought that the best joke of all was the way he had made everybody think that he was dead.  And then a bright idea struck him:  he would try the same trick whenever he was caught.  So the next time he got in trouble, instead of running away, he tried playing dead.  It was such a success that he taught his children how to do it, and they taught their children, and so on down to Unc’ Billy, whom you know.  Unc’ Billy says it is a lot easier than running away, and safer, too.  Besides, it is always such a joke.  Now, don’t bother me any more, for I want to take a nap,” concluded Grandfather Frog.

“Thank you!” cried Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck and Striped Chipmunk, and started off to hunt up Unc’ Billy Possum.

IV

WHY REDDY FOX WEARS RED