he
should because he was still upset a good deal by the shock, but that he
guessed he would just crawl into bed while they were there, as it seemed
nice to have company.

So he did, and by-and-by he dropped off to sleep again, and the Hollow
Tree People borrowed a few things, and went out softly and shut the door
behind them. They stopped at Mr. Rabbit's house on the way home, and
told him they had enjoyed a nice breakfast with Mr. Bear, and how Mr.
Bear had sent a partridge and a pie and a little pot of honey to Mr.
Rabbit because of his fondness for the family. Then Mr. Rabbit felt
quite pleased, because it was too early for spring vegetables and hard
to get good things for the table.

"And did Mr. Bear sleep all summer?" asks the Little Lady.

"No, he woke up again pretty soon, for he had finished his nap, and of
course the next time when he looked around he found his fire out and the
candle burned down and the clock stopped, so he got up and went outside,
and saw it was spring and that he had slept a good deal longer than
usual. But when he went to eat his spring breakfast he couldn't
understand why he wasn't very hungry, and thought it must be because
he'd eaten two such big suppers.

"But why didn't the Hollow Tree People tell him it was spring and not
let him go to bed again?"

Well, I s'pose they thought it wouldn't be very polite to tell Mr. Bear
how he'd been fooled, and, besides, he needed a nice nap again after the
earthquake--anyhow, he thought it was an earthquake, and was a good deal
upset.

[Illustration: MR. RABBIT THANKED HIM FROM ACROSS THE RIVER]

And it was a long time before he found out what _had really_ happened,
and he never would have known, if Mr. Rabbit hadn't seen him fishing one
day and thanked him from across the river for the nice breakfast he had
sent him by the Hollow Tree People.

That set Mr. Bear to thinking, and he asked Mr. Rabbit a few questions
about things in general and earthquakes in particular, and the more he
found out and thought about it the more he began to guess just how it
was, and by-and-by when he did find out all about it, he didn't care any
more, and really thought it quite a good joke on himself for falling
asleep in his chair and sleeping there all winter long.

MR. CROW'S GARDEN

MR. CROW'S GARDEN

THE HOLLOW TREE PEOPLE LEARN HOW TO RAISE FINE VEGETABLES

One morning, right after breakfast in the Hollow Tree, Mr. Crow said
he'd been