em to see a
few new ones up there, and it makes me think that somebody else has gone
into the business of making them, the same way I did. I hope not, for
though it may be the best and quickest way, it is not the one I should
ever pick for myself again."

[Illustration: EVERYBODY LOOKED UP AT THE TWINKLING SKY]

Mr. Crow sighed and lit his pipe, and everybody looked up at the
twinkling sky. And Mr. 'Possum said he could understand now why there
were several different kinds of stars. They had been made in different
ways. Mr. 'Coon had seen Mr. Man working at one or two kinds; Mr.
Rabbit's people had made another kind; and Mr. Crow had, perhaps, made
several kinds. He said he had never heard anything so interesting in his
life, or so reasonable.

MR. JACK RABBIT BRINGS A FRIEND

I

A NEW ARRIVAL IN THE BIG
DEEP WOODS TELLS A STORY

Once upon a time Mr. Jack Rabbit gave the Hollow Tree people a real
surprise. It was a pleasant spring evening, and the 'Coon and 'Possum
and the Old Black Crow were sitting outside after supper, and somebody
had just remarked that it was a good while since they had seen Jack
Rabbit, when Mr. Rabbit himself happened along and, for the first time
they could remember, brought somebody with him. Then everybody jumped
up, of course, to say, "Good evening," and Jack Rabbit said:

[Illustration: I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING SO WONDERFUL AS THE WAY SHE
TELLS IT]

"This is a new friend I have made--possibly a distant relative, as we
seem to belong to about the same family, though, of course, it doesn't
really make any difference. Her name is Myrtle--Miss Myrtle Meadows--and
she has had a most exciting, and very strange, and really quite awful
adventure. I have brought her over because I know you will all be glad
to hear about it. I have never heard anything so wonderful as the way
she tells it."

Mr. Rabbit looked at Miss Meadows, and Miss Meadows tried to look at
Jack Rabbit, but was quite shy and modest at being praised before
everybody in that way. Then Mr. 'Coon brought her a nice little low
chair, and she sat down, and they all asked her to tell about her great
adventure, because they said they were tired of hearing their own old
stories told over and over, and nearly always in the same way, though
Mr. 'Possum could change his some when he tried. So then Miss Myrtle
began to tell her story, but kept looking down at her lap at first,
being so bashful among such perfect str