nvitations, because when his old friends saw him, they would
promptly turn their backs to him and pretend they didn't see him at all.
Then Unc' Billy would take off his hat and make a sweeping bow just as if
the one he was talking to was facing instead of back to him, and he would
say:

"Ah begs yo' pardon, 'deed Ah do,
Fo' all the trouble Ah've caused yo',
And hopes that Ah may sho'ly choke
If it was meant fo' more'n a joke.
So please fo'give ol' Uncle Bill
And show yo' friendship for him still
By taking this as an invite
To join with me next Monday night
Aroun' mah famous hollow tree,
And help me to full merry be,
And also meet a friend of mine;
Ah'm sho' yo's bound to like him fine."

Then Unc' Billy would make another low bow and hurry on to the next one. Of
course he couldn't tell whether or not any one would accept the invitation,
but he went right on with his plans, just as if he expected everybody to be
there. And when the time came, sure enough everybody was there, even Sammy
Jay, to whom Unc' Billy had sent a special invitation by Ol' Mistah
Buzzard. Mistah Buzzard had found Sammy Jay in the far-away Old Pasture,
and Sammy had moved back to the Green Forest that very day.

Such a good time as everybody did have! There were heaps and heaps of good
things to eat. They danced and played hide and seek. Finally Unc' Billy
climbed up on a stump. He was dressed in his finest suit, and he wore his
broadest grin. Everybody crowded around to hear what Unc' Billy was about
to say.

"Mah friends and neighbors," said Unc' Billy, "Ah have a great surprise fo'
yo'alls."

Then he stepped down, and everybody began to wonder and to guess what the
surprise could be.

XXV

UNC' BILLY POSSUM'S SURPRISE

Everybody was asking everybody else what the surprise could be which Unc'
Billy had said he had for them. After he had made his speech, he had
scurried out of sight, and no one could find him. Just about that time
Billy Mink remembered that the party had been given to meet a friend of
Unc' Billy Possum, but no friend had appeared.

Billy Mink spoke of the matter to Little Joe Otter, and Little Joe Otter
spoke of the matter to Jerry Muskrat, and Jerry Muskrat spoke of the matter
to Sammy Jay, and right while he was speaking there came a shrill scream of
"Thief! thief! thief!" from a thick hemlock-tree near by, and the voice was
just like the voice of Sammy Jay.

Sammy Jay became grea