trying to keep from
coughing, for pretty soon he did cough a little and said that the early
morning was the proper time to gather vegetables; that one could always
pick out the best things then, and do it quietly before folks were up.

Then Mr. Crow felt a cold, shaky chill that went all the way up and
down, and he was afraid to look up, though of course he didn't believe
Mr. Rabbit knew anything about what he had done, only he was afraid that
he would look so guilty that everybody would see it. He said that his
head was a little dizzy with being over the hot stove so much, and he
hoped they wouldn't think of going out until the cool of the evening, as
the sun would be too much for him, and of course he wanted to be with
them.

[Illustration: BRING ON THE SALAD]

Poor Mr. Crow was almost afraid to bring on the salad, but he was just
as afraid not to. Only he did wish he had picked out Mr. Rabbit's
smallest bunches instead of his biggest ones, for he knew there were no
such other salads anywhere as those very ones he had borrowed from Mr.
Rabbit's garden. But he put it off as long as he could, and by-and-by
Jack Rabbit said that there was one thing he was sure the Hollow Tree
couldn't beat him on, and that was salad. He said he had never had such
fine heads as he had this year, and that there were a few heads
especially that he had been saving to show his friends. Then the 'Coon
and 'Possum said "No," their salads were not very much, unless they had
grown a great deal over night, like the other things--and when Mr. Crow
got up to bring them he walked wobbly, and everybody said it was too bad
that Mr. Crow _would_ always go to so much trouble for company.

Well, when he came in with that bowl of salad and set it down, Mr.
Turtle and Jack Rabbit said, "Did you ever in your life!" But Mr.
'Possum and Mr. 'Coon just sat and looked at it, for they thought it
couldn't be true.

Then pretty soon Mr. Rabbit said that he would take back everything he
had told them about his salad, and that he was coming over to take some
lessons from the Hollow Tree People, and especially from Mr. Crow, on
how to raise vegetables. He said that there were a good many ways to
raise vegetables--some raised them in a garden; some raised them in a
hothouse; some raised them in the market; but that Mr. Crow's way was
the best way there was, and he was coming over to learn it. He said they
must finish their dinner before dark, for he certainly must