Bear, who had always been so friendly, should ever hear of it. So then
they straightened their collars and ties and knocked the dust off a
little, and Mr. 'Coon scratched his back against a little bush and Mr.
Crow cleared his throat, and they stepped out of the hazel patch and
went up to Mr. Bear's door and pushed it open a little and called out:

"Oh, Mr. Bear, do you need any help?"

"Oh yes," groaned Mr. Bear, "come quick! I've been struck by an
earthquake and nearly killed, and everything I've got must be ruined.
Bring a light and look at my pantry!

"So then Mr. 'Coon ran with a splinter from Mr. Bear's fire and lit the
candle, and Mr. Bear got up, rubbing himself and taking on, and began
looking at his pantry shelves, which made him better right away.

"Oh," he said, "how lucky the damage is so small! Only two pies and a
partridge knocked down, and they are not much hurt. I thought everything
was lost, and my nerves are all upset when I was getting ready for my
winter sleep. How glad I am you happened to be passing. Stay with me,
and we will eat to quiet our nerves."

Then the Hollow Tree People said that the earthquake had made them
nervous too, and that perhaps a little food would be good for all of
them; so they flew around just as if they were at home, and brought Mr.
Bear's table right into the pantry, and some chairs, and set out the
very best things and told Mr. Bear to sit right up to the table and help
himself, and then all the others sat up, too, and they ate everything
clear through, from meat-pie in mince-pie, just as if Mr. 'Possum's
dream had really come true.

And Mr. Bear said he didn't understand how he could have such a good
appetite when he had such a big supper only two hours ago, and he said
that there must have been two earthquakes, because a noise of some kind
had roused him from a little nap he had been taking in his chair, but
that the real earthquake hadn't happened until he got to the pantry
door, where he stumbled a little, which seemed to touch it off. He said
he hoped he'd never live to go through with a thing like that again.

Then the Hollow Tree People said they had heard both of the shocks, and
that the last one was a good deal the worst, and that of course such a
thing would sound a good deal louder in a cave anyway. And by-and-by,
when they were all through eating, they went in by the fire and sat down
and smoked, and Mr. Bear said he didn't feel as sleepy as he thought