er and sets
him right. So while the Little Woman passes to and fro, putting away the
tea-things, the Story Teller lights his pipe, and rocks, and looks into
the fire, and holds the Little Lady close, and begins the Tales of the
Hollow Tree.

"Once upon a time," he begins--

"Once upon a time," murmurs the Little Lady, settling herself.

"Yes, once upon a time, in the old days of the Hollow Tree, when Mr. Dog
had become friends with the 'Coon and the 'Possum and the Old Black Crow
who lived in the three hollow branches of the Big Hollow Tree, and used
to meet together in their parlor-room down-stairs and invite all their
friends, and have good times together, just like folk--"

"But they live there now, don't they?" interrupts the Little Lady,
suddenly sitting up, "and still have their friends, just the same?"

"Oh yes, of course, but this was one of the old times, you know."

The Little Lady settles back, satisfied.

"Go on telling, now," she says.

"Well, then, this was one of the times when all the Deep Woods People
had been invited to the Hollow Tree for Christmas Day, and were snowed
in. Of course they didn't expect to be snowed in. Nobody ever expects to
be snowed in till it happens, and then it's too late."

"Was that the Christmas that Mr. Dog played Santa Claus and brought all
the presents, and Mr. Squirrel and Mr. Robin and Mr. Turtle and Jack
Rabbit came over, and they all sat around the fire and ate things and
told nice stories? You said you would tell about that, and you never
did."

"I am going to tell it now, as soon as a Little Lady gets real still,"
says the Story Teller. So then the Little Lady _is_ real still, and he
tells the first snowed-in story, which is called:

MR. DOG AT THE CIRCUS

MR. DOG AT THE CIRCUS

THE HOLLOW TREE PEOPLE LEARN SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT ABOUT SHOWS

[Illustration: THE PANTRY IN THE HOLLOW TREE]

That was a great Christmas in the Hollow Tree. The 'Coon and the 'Possum
and the Old Black Crow had been getting ready for it for a long time,
and brought in ever so many nice things to eat, which Mr. Crow had
cooked for them, for Mr. Crow is the best cook of anybody in the Big
Deep Woods. Then Mr. Dog had brought a lot of good things, too, which he
had borrowed from Mr. Man's house, so they had the finest Christmas
dinner that you can think of, and plenty for the next day when it would
be even better, because chicken and turkey and dressing and such