nt. Then Mr. Crow came and looked out the window and
talked to him. Mr. Dog was just as polite as a basket of chips, and of
course that's the politest thing in the world.

"I've just seen Mr. Robin," said Mr. Dog, "and I came to get a room,
too."

"Awfully sorry, Mr. Dog, but our rooms are all full," said Mr. Crow.

"Why don't you take down your sign, then?" said Mr. Dog.

"Hotels never take down their signs," said Mr. Crow.

"Hotels are never too full for one more, either," said Mr. Dog. "If you
don't let me come in I think I'll wait around here and make a vacancy."

THE HOLLOW TREE INN

CONTINUED

WHAT HAPPENS TO MR. DOG

[Illustration]

[Illustration: AND UP HE CAME.]

Now, when Mr. 'Possum and Mr. 'Coon heard that their hair stood up
straight, for they knew very well that there'd be two vacant rooms any
way if Mr. Dog ever got inside, and two if he stayed where he was, for
they happened to think that Mr. Rabbit would be coming along presently,
and Mr. Squirrel wouldn't be far behind. So they hurried to the back
window and looked out, and sure enough there was Mr. Rabbit coming with
his trunk on his shoulder and almost there. At first they were
frightened most to death for Mr. Rabbit, and then the 'Coon slipped over
and whispered to the Crow to keep Mr. Dog talking as hard as he could,
so he wouldn't notice anything. All the time he was doing this the
'Possum was motioning to Jack Rabbit to slip up easy-like with his
trunk.

So Mr. Rabbit slipped up softly on the other side of the house from Mr.
Dog and set his trunk down, and the 'Possum let out a long rope with a
hook on it. Jack Rabbit stood up on his trunk and grabbed the hook as
soon as he could reach it and hooked it under his arms. Then the 'Coon
and the 'Possum pulled and pulled and up he came, and as soon as he was
safe they let down the rope and caught the hook in the trunk handle.
That was a load for all three of them, and even then they couldn't get
it up, and called across to the Crow to come quick and help. So he had
to leave Mr. Dog a minute, and when he did that Mr. Dog walked around
the tree, and there was the trunk just a few feet from the ground, going
up very slowly. That was enough for Mr. Dog. He knew then he'd been
fooled, and he was so mad he didn't know what to do.

He took one look at that trunk and made up his mind he wouldn't stand
it. So he stepped back a little and made a short run and gave a jump for
the trunk,