't have any work."

"Whoo-ee!" says Mr. 'Possum and Mr. 'Coon both together, as loud as ever
they could. That made all the guests come running back, and when they
heard the new plan they all cheered, too, and said it was just the
thing.

So then Mr. 'Possum went down and got the sign and brought it up and
changed it to read:

THE HOLLOW TREE INN.

FURNISHED ROOMS ONLY.

And that was how business began at last in the Hollow Tree.

MR. 'POSSUM EXPLAINS

HOW UNCLE SILAS TRIED TO PLEASE AUNT MELISSY

Well, you remember that the Hollow Tree people took four of their
friends to live with them and called it the Hollow Tree Inn. Mr. Robin
came, and Mr. Turtle, also Jack Rabbit and Mr. Squirrel, and they made a
jolly crowd after they got settled and knew about each getting his own
things to eat, because the Hollow Tree people--the 'Coon and 'Possum and
the old black Crow--found they couldn't suit their guests exactly when
it came to a steady diet. So they all kept house together, and used to
go out days (and nights, too, sometimes, when Mr. Man and Mr. Dog were
tired and asleep and didn't want to be disturbed) and get nice things.
Then they'd bring them in and fix them to suit themselves, and have them
all on the big table down stairs, nice and comfortable, where they could
sit and talk as long as they pleased.

It was a good deal like a big family when they were all together that
way, and they used to say how nice it was, and once Mr. 'Possum said he
always did think a big family was nice, anyway. Then Jack Rabbit laughed
and said he should think Mr. 'Possum was just the kind of a man for a
big family, being fond of good things to eat and not very fond of
getting them for himself, and mostly fat and sleepy like. He said if
there was just a nice, spry Mrs. 'Possum, now, to keep house and look
after things he should think it would be ever so much better than living
in bachelor quarters, or, rather, thirds, with Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Crow,
and not having things very orderly. Of course, with himself, Jack Rabbit
said, it was different, but even at his house it got lonesome, too, now
and then.

Well, Mr. 'Possum thought a minute, and then he said that there was such
a thing as folks being too spry, and that it was because he had always
been afraid of getting that kind that he had been pretty well satisfied
to live in the Hollow Tree just as he was. He said that he had once had
an uncle that something happened to in