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diff --git a/28192-8.txt b/28192-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..49c1276 --- /dev/null +++ b/28192-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1850 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Mr. Turtle's Flying Adventure, by Albert Bigelow Paine + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Mr. Turtle's Flying Adventure + +Author: Albert Bigelow Paine + +Illustrator: J. M. Condé + +Release Date: February 25, 2009 [EBook #28192] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. TURTLE'S FLYING ADVENTURE *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + + +[Illustration: [See page 64 + +"I KNOW," HE SAID--"I KNOW A WAY"] + + + + +MR. TURTLE'S FLYING ADVENTURE + +[Illustration: HOLLOW TREE STORIES + +BY ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE + +ILLUSTRATED BY J. M. CONDÉ] + + HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS + NEW YORK AND LONDON + + + + +HOLLOW TREE STORIES + +BY ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE + +12mo, Cloth. Fully Illustrated + + MR. TURTLE'S FLYING ADVENTURE + MR. CROW AND THE WHITEWASH + MR. RABBIT'S WEDDING + HOW MR. DOG GOT EVEN + HOW MR. RABBIT LOST HIS TAIL + MR. RABBIT'S BIG DINNER + MAKING UP WITH MR. DOG + MR. 'POSSUM'S GREAT BALLOON TRIP + WHEN JACK RABBIT WAS A LITTLE BOY + + + HOLLOW TREE AND DEEP WOODS BOOK + Illustrated. 8vo. + HOLLOW TREE SNOWED-IN BOOK + Illustrated. 8vo. + + HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK + + MR. TURTLE'S FLYING ADVENTURE + + * * * * * + + Copyright, 1915, 1916, 1917, by Harper & Brothers + Printed in the United States of America + Published October, 1917 + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE + MR. TURTLE'S FLYING ADVENTURE 9 + THE DEEP WOODS ELOPEMENT 33 + IN MR. MAN'S CAR 55 + MR. 'POSSUM'S CAR 75 + HOW MR. 'POSSUM'S TAIL BECAME BARE 99 + + + + +MR. TURTLE'S FLYING ADVENTURE + +MR. TURTLE TELLS ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD AND EXPLAINS A VERY OLD FABLE + + +ONCE upon a time, when it was early summer in the Big Deep Woods, the +Hollow Tree people and Jack Rabbit went over to spend the day with Mr. +Turtle, who lives in a very nice stone house which he built himself on +the edge of the Wide Blue Water. Mr. Turtle fishes a good deal, and +makes most of his living that way, and knows all the best places, so +when his friends came he said that perhaps they would enjoy fishing a +little--which they could do and sit in a pleasant place at the same +time, and talk, and look out over the Wide Blue Water, which was +especially blue at this season. + +[Illustration: A CATFISH NEARLY JERKED HIS POLE OUT OF HIS HANDS] + +That just suited the Hollow Tree people, for they enjoyed fishing when +they had somebody to pick out a good place, and Mr. 'Possum found a nice +stump to lean back against, and presently went to sleep, but was waked +up soon after, when a big catfish nearly jerked his pole out of his +hands. Mr. 'Possum had to use all his strength to pull it out. + +Then he was so proud he didn't think about going to sleep again, and +told how all his family had been quite smart at catching fish; and +pretty soon Jack Rabbit caught a good-sized perch, and Mr. 'Coon hooked +a croppie, which got away the first time, though he caught it the next; +and Mr. Crow caught a "punkin-seed," which made the others laugh, +because it is a funny little fish; while Mr. Turtle just went right +along pulling out one kind after another, without saying a word, because +fishing is his business and doesn't excite him. + +Then by and by the fish stopped biting, as they 'most always do, by +spells, and the Deep Woods people leaned back and looked out over the +Wide Blue Water, and away out there saw Mr. Eagle swoop down and pick up +something which looked at first like a shoe-string; then they saw it +wriggle, and knew it was a small water-snake, which was going to be Mr. +Eagle's dinner; and they talked about it and wondered how he could enjoy +such food. + +Mr. Turtle said that Mr. Eagle enjoyed a good many kinds of food, and +that he was reminded of an adventure he once had himself with Mr. Eagle, +when he (Mr. Turtle, of course) was quite small. Then they all asked Mr. +Turtle to tell them his adventure, because they thought it must have +been exciting if it was anything like the snake's adventure which they +had just witnessed. Mr. Turtle said it was--quite a good deal like it, +in some ways--then he said: + +"That was the only time I ever flew, or ever had a chance to, or ever +wanted to, that I can remember. Very likely you have already heard how +once, a long time ago, I thought I could fly, and persuaded an eagle to +take me up in the air to give me a start. That old story has been told a +good deal, and I believe has even been put into some of Mr. Man's books +for his children to read." + +Mr. Turtle paused, and the others all said they did remember something +of a story of that sort, but never thought it had really happened, +because, knowing Mr. Turtle as they did, they didn't believe any of his +family would try such an experiment. + +"Well," said Mr. Turtle, "it did really happen, though not in the way +you have heard. You are right about thinking my family would not care to +experiment in that way, and would not do it unless somebody else +arranged it for them and gave the experiment a good start." + +Mr. Turtle went on to say that in this case it was Mr. Eagle and one of +the ancient ancestors of the little water-snake he had just carried off +that had started the experiment, though he thought none of it had been +really planned. + +"I was very small then," Mr. Turtle went on, "about the size of Mr. +Man's fist, though I suppose much heavier, for my shell was very thick +for my age, and everybody said that if I lived a thousand years or so I +might have a shell as big and thick as the one that Father Storm Turtle, +up at the Forks, uses to make the thunder with.[1] Then they would laugh +and say that Old Man Moccasin, up at the Drifts, would certainly have +trouble with his digestion if he ever caught me; which used to scare my +mother, for Old Man Moccasin was the biggest water-snake that anybody +ever saw, and there was nobody around the Wide Blue Water that didn't +give him room, especially fish-fry, and Mr. Frog, and young turtles like +me, and even some older ones. My mother used to warn us children all the +time, and scold us every day about going away so far from the house and +not keeping a good watch-out for Old Man Moccasin, who would surely get +us, she said, unless we were more careful. Then she would tell us to +look out for Mr. Eagle, too, who was likely any time to come soaring +about, and would pick up any food he saw lying handy. + +"Well, it used to scare us when we thought about it. Old Man Moccasin +was seven feet long, and I judge about half a foot thick. He could lift +himself two feet out of the water when he was swimming, and with his +far-sighted glasses on could see a mile. Mr. Eagle was fully twice as +big as any of the Eagle family I know of nowadays, and didn't need any +glasses to see an article the size of a bug floating on the Wide Blue +Water, no matter how high he was flying. We tried to keep a lookout in +several directions, but, of course, as we got older without accidents, +we grew careless, and our mother used to count us every night and be +surprised that we were all there, and give us a good scolding to go to +bed on. + +"Nothing happened to any of us for a good while, and then it happened to +me. I was the biggest and strongest of our lot, and had the thickest +shell, and I liked to show how grown-up I was, and would swim out +farther, and make believe I wasn't afraid any more of Mr. Eagle and Old +Man Moccasin, which wasn't true, of course, for Mr. Eagle could have +handled me with one claw and Old Man Moccasin could have swallowed me +like a pill and enjoyed the operation. + +"Well, one day I was showing off more than usual and had paddled out +farther toward the Drifts, saying to the others that I was going to pay +a call on Old Man Moccasin. I kept on farther than I intended, for it +was a nice summer day and the water felt good. I didn't know how far I +had gone until I turned around to look, and then I didn't think about +that any more, for a quarter of a mile away, and between me and the +shore, was Old Man Moccasin, coming straight in my direction. He was a +good two feet out of the water and had on his far-sighted glasses, and I +knew he was after me. He was coming, too. He was swimming with a wide, +wavy motion, and making a little curl of white foam in front, and +leaving a long trail behind. + +"I was so scared, at first, that I couldn't do anything. Then I thought +I'd better dive, but I knew that Old Man Moccasin could swim faster +under the water than on top of it, and see just as well. I began to +paddle for dear life toward the other side of the Wide Blue Water, which +was a long way off, with Old Man Moccasin gaining fast. I knew he was +bound to overtake me before I got across, and I was getting weaker every +minute, from being so scared and trying so hard, and I could hear Old +Man Moccasin's steady swimming noise coming closer all the time. + +[Illustration: "OLD MAN MOCCASIN WAS ONLY ABOUT TWENTY FEET AWAY"] + +"Of course it wasn't very long until I gave up. I was too worn out to +swim another stroke. Old Man Moccasin was only about twenty feet away, +and when I looked back at him over my shoulder I saw that he was smiling +because he was so sure he had me. It was an awful smile, and I don't +like to remember it often, even now, and that was ever so long ago, as +much as three hundred and fourteen or fifteen years, this spring. + +"Well, when I saw Old Man Moccasin at that close distance, and smiling +in that glad way, and his spectacles shining, because he was so pleased +at the prospect, I said to myself, I'm gone now, for certain, unless +something happens right off; though, of course, I didn't see how +anything _could_ happen, placed as I was. But just as I said those +words, something did happen--and about the last thing I would have +expected. The first I saw was a big shadow, and the first I heard was a +kind of swish in the air, and the first I knew I wasn't in the water any +more, but was on the way to the sky with Mr. Eagle, who had one great +claw around my hind leg and another hooked over my shell, not seeming to +mind my weight at all, and paying no attention to Old Man Moccasin, who +was beating his tail on the water and calling Mr. Eagle bad names and +threatening him with everything he could think of. I didn't know where +I was going, and couldn't see that I was much better off than before, +but I did enjoy seeing Old Man Moccasin carry on about losing me, and I +called a few things to him that didn't make him feel better. I said Mr. +Eagle and I were good friends, and asked him how he liked the trick we +had played on him. I even sang out to him: + + "'Old Man Moccasin, + See you by and by; + Mr. Eagle's teaching me + How to learn to fly.' + +which was a poem, and about the only one I ever made, but it seemed to +just come into my head as we went sailing along. Mr. Eagle, he heard it, +too, and said: + +"'Look here,' he said, 'what are you talking about? You don't think you +could ever learn to fly, I hope?' + +"'Why, yes, Mr. Eagle,' I said, 'if I just had somebody like you to give +me a few lessons. Of course, nobody could ever fly as well as you can, +but I'm sure I could learn to fly some.' + +"Then I thanked him for having saved me from Old Man Moccasin, and said +how kind he was, and told him how my folks had always told us what a +great bird Mr. Eagle was--so strong and grand, and the best flyer in the +world--and how we must always admire and respect him and not get in his +way, and how I thought if I could only fly a little--perhaps about as +much as a hen--I could keep from being caught by Old Man Moccasin, which +was the worst thing that could happen, and wouldn't Mr. Eagle please +give me a lesson. + +"Then Mr. Eagle said, very politely, that he guessed he'd keep me from +being caught by Old Man Moccasin, but it wouldn't be by teaching me to +fly. + +"'You couldn't fly any more than a stone,' he said, 'and a stone can't +fly at all.' + +"'But a stone can't swim, either, Mr. Eagle,' I said, 'and I can swim +fine. I could learn to swim right through the air--I know I could--I can +tell by the way I feel,' and I made some big motions with my front +legs, and kicked with my free hind leg to show him how I would do it; +and I really did feel, the way that air was blowing past, so fresh and +strong, that if he would let go of me I could swim in it a little, +anyway. + +"But Mr. Eagle laughed, and said: + +"'You have to have wings to fly with,' he said. 'You couldn't fly a +foot. If I should drop you, you'd go down like a shot, and would +probably break all to pieces!' + +"I was looking down as he spoke, and I noticed that we were passing over +Mr. Man's marsh meadows, for we were not flying very high, and I could +see locations quite plain, and even some objects. I knew those meadows +were soft in places, for I had been there once to a spring overflow +picnic. There were also a great number of little hay-piles, which Mr. +Man had raked up, getting ready to make his big stacks when the hay was +dry. So I said, as quick as I could: + +"'Oh, Mr. Eagle, I am certain I could fly this minute. I never felt so +much like it in my life. Just give me a big swing, Mr. Eagle, and let me +try. If I fall and break, it won't be your fault, and you can take the +pieces home to your family. I'll be handier for them that way than any +other.' + +"When Mr. Eagle heard that, he laughed, and said: + +"'Well, that's so, anyway. You people always are a tough proposition for +my young folks. Much obliged for the suggestion.' + +"And just as he said that, Mr. Eagle quit flying straight ahead and +started to circle around, as if he were looking for something, and +pretty soon I saw down there a flat stone, and Mr. Eagle saw it, too, +and stopped still in the air right over it, as near as he could judge, +making all the time a big flapping sound with his wings, until he got me +aimed to suit him, and I could feel him beginning to loosen up his hold +on my hind leg and shell. Then, all of a sudden, he let me go. + +[Illustration: "NOW FLY!" HE SAYS, AND DOWN I WENT] + +"'Now fly!' he says, and down I went. + +"Well, Mr. Eagle certainly told the truth about the way he said I'd +drop. I made the biggest kind of swimming motions in the direction of +one of those little haycocks, but if I made any headway in that +direction I couldn't notice it. I didn't have time, anyway. It seemed to +me that I struck bottom almost before I started from the top; still, I +must have turned myself over, for I landed on my back, exactly in the +center of that flat stone, Mr. Eagle being a center shot. + +"He was wrong, though, about me breaking to pieces, and so was the story +you've heard. Our family don't break very easy, and as I said before, my +shell was thick and tough for my age. It was the stone that broke, and +probably saved my life, for if I had hit in a soft place in that marsh +meadow I'd have gone down out of sight and never been able to dig out. + +"As it was, I bounced some, and landed right side up close to one of +those little haycocks, and had just about sense and strength enough left +to scrabble under it before Mr. Eagle came swooping down after me, for +he saw what had happened and didn't lose any time. + +"But he was too late, for I was under that haycock, and Mr. Eagle had +never had much practice in pitching hay. He just clawed at it on +different sides and abused me as hard as he could for deceiving him, as +he called it, and occasionally I called back to him, and tried to soothe +him, and told him I was sorry not to come out and thank him in person, +but I was so shaken up by the fall that I must rest and collect myself. +Then, by and by he pretended to be very sweet, and said I had done so +well the first time, I ought to take another lesson, and if I'd come out +we'd try it again. + +"But I said I couldn't possibly take another lesson to-day, and for him +to come back to-morrow, when I had got over the first one; and then I +heard him talking to himself and saying it was growing late and he must +be getting home with something to eat for those brats, and pretty soon I +heard his big wing sound; but I didn't come out, for I thought he was +most likely just trying to fool me, and was sailing around overhead and +waiting, which I still think he was, for a while. After a long time, +though, I worked over where I could see out a little, and then I found +it was night, and, of course, Mr. Eagle had really gone home. + +"So then I worked along across the meadows, being pretty sore and +especially lame in the left hind leg, where Mr. Eagle had gripped me, +though I felt better when I got into the Wide Blue Water and was +swimming toward home. It took me all night to get there, and the folks +were so worried they couldn't sleep, for some one had seen Old Man +Moccasin out in the middle of the water, chasing something, during the +afternoon. + +"Well, of course I told everything that had happened, and almost +everybody in the Wide Blue Water came to hear about it, and they told it +to others, and Old Man Moccasin heard so much about how Mr. Eagle had +fooled him, and how I had fooled Mr. Eagle, that he moved to another +drift, farther down, and probably lives there still. And Mr. Eagle heard +so much about the way he tried to teach me to fly that he made up a +story of his own and flew in all directions, telling it; and that is the +story most people know about to-day and the one that Mr. Man put into +his books. But it isn't true, and I can prove it." + +Mr. Turtle got up and turned around toward the Hollow Tree people. He +had his coat off, and he reached back and pointed to a place about in +the center of his shell. + +"Feel right there," he said, which Mr. Rabbit did, and said: + +"Why, there's quite a lump there. It hardly shows, but you can feel it +plainly." + +[Illustration: "YES," SAID MR. TURTLE, "THAT'S WHERE I STRUCK"] + +"Yes," said Mr. Turtle, "that's where I struck. It was quite sore for a +good while. There was a lump there, at first, as big as an egg. It +flattened a good deal afterward, but it never quite went away. Feel how +smooth it is. It kept just about as it was when it happened." + +Then all those other Deep Woods people came up and felt of the queer +lump on Mr. Turtle's back, and said how perfectly that proved everything +and how Mr. Turtle always could prove things, and they noticed the +inscription about the old race with Mr. Hare, and said in some ways Mr. +Turtle was about the most wonderful person anywhere and they were +certainly proud to be his friends. + +Then Mr. Turtle said they might all sit there and talk about it a +little, while he went in to cook the fish and make a pan of biscuits and +a nice salad for dinner. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[1] "Mr. Turtle's Thunder Story" in _The Hollow Tree and Deep Woods +Book_. + + + + +THE DEEP WOODS ELOPEMENT + +MR. 'POSSUM TELLS ABOUT AUNT MELISSY AND UNCLE SILAS AND THE ROMANCE OF +MINTY GLENWOOD + + +ONE night in the Hollow Tree, when the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old +Black Crow had finished their supper and were sitting around the fire, +smoking, Mr. 'Possum said that he thought he had heard Mr. Frog trying +off a few notes to-day, over in the Wide Grasslands, so that he knew +that it must be coming spring, and Mr. 'Coon said that over Mr. Man's +way he had smelled burning leaves, which was a pretty sure sign. Then +Mr. Crow said that some of his wild relatives had been cawing about +lately, and that was a sign, too. Then they all smoked some more, and +looked in the fire, and were glad that winter was about over, and +presently Mr. 'Possum said that every time he smelled the spring smell, +and heard the spring sounds, it reminded him of something that happened +a long time ago, when he was quite young and lived with his Uncle Silas +and Aunt Melissy Lovejoy, over beyond the Wide Blue Water. Then the +'Coon and the Old Black Crow begged Mr. 'Possum to tell about it, +because they said Mr. 'Possum's stories always sounded so unbelievable, +and yet always turned out to be almost founded on fact. + +"Well," said Mr. 'Possum, "you remember I told you about Uncle Silas +Lovejoy going to the city, once, and coming home all stylish, with a +young man to wait on him, and how Aunt Melissy, when she saw them, +turned the young man into just a plain hired help and set them both to +work in the garden;[2] and you may remember how I once told you about +all our folks, including the hired man, being moved by a balloon across +the Wide Blue Water and set down right at the very door of a fine hollow +tree, which we moved into and enjoyed for a long time--my little cousins +and myself growing up there, and some of them still living there to this +day."[3] + +Mr. 'Possum stopped to fill his pipe again, and the others all said they +remembered, and Mr. 'Coon said he always liked the nice slow and +reminding way Mr. 'Possum began his stories, as it brought everything up +fresh, and one didn't have to be trying to think of what had happened +before, but could just sit back and listen. Mr. 'Possum nodded, and lit +his pipe, and leaned back and drew a few puffs, as if he enjoyed them so +much that he didn't care to go on with his story. But pretty soon he +said: + +"We lived there till I grew up, and all my little cousins, too, and the +hired man stayed with us. He was a very good young man; though, being +brought up in town, of course it took him a little while to get used to +country ways. But Aunt Melissy was a stirring person and she didn't let +it take as long as it might have in another family. Aunt Melissy was +quite primpy herself, and said that she guessed she could carry what +style there was in our family (being a Glenwood, and having married +beneath her), and that Uncle Silas and the rest of us would do pretty +well if we managed to keep up with the work she laid out for us; and +that was so. + +[Illustration: "SHE WOULD MAKE WINTERS HELP MY YOUNG LADY COUSIN DO THE +DISHES"] + +"She kept Uncle Silas and Winters--that was the name of the hired +man--busier than anybody, as she never quite got over the trip to town +and the way they came home. She used to set Uncle Silas to peeling +potatoes, after supper, for next morning, and would make Winters help my +young lady cousin do the dishes, which you would not think he would +like; but he did. Aunt Melissy didn't know that he would like it so +much, or she would have set him at the potatoes, and Uncle Silas at the +dishes. + +"I don't suppose any of you can guess why our hired man wanted to help +my cousin, Minta Glenwood Lovejoy, with the dishes. I couldn't, even +after I saw that he was so fond of the job that he could hardly wait +until the supper was cleared away and it was ready for him. I used to +wonder how that young man, brought up in town, could take so to such +work, and then, after a while, I got to wondering why it took him and +Minty Glenwood, as we always called her, so long to get through. + +[Illustration: "UNCLE SILAS HAD GONE TO SLEEP WITH A POTATO IN HIS +HAND"] + +"That was the first thing Aunt Melissy wondered, too. She generally knit +a little, after supper, and went to sleep over it, and would wake up +suddenly and look at the clock and begin to knit as fast as she could, +so we would not think she had been asleep. But one night she slept a +long time, and when she looked at the clock it was so late that she +said, 'Land's sakes, it's bedtime!' and she went over and shook Uncle +Silas, who had gone to sleep with a potato in his hand, and scolded him +to bed, and shook up the rest of us, and then noticed that Cousin +Minty and Winters were missing, and went straight to the kitchen door +and opened it, and found them sitting close together, and Winters +holding Cousin Minty's hand and telling her that unless she would set up +housekeeping with him he would go back to the city and lead a fearful +life; and Cousin Minty Lovejoy looking very scared. + +"But she didn't look half as scared as she did when she saw Aunt +Melissy, nor the hired man, either. He had to make two trials before he +could get up, even after Aunt Melissy told him to, and Cousin Minty +Glenwood began to cry, and Aunt Melissy told her to go to bed at once, +and made a swing at her, and missed her, as she went by. She didn't miss +the hired man, though; and I guess he had something else to think of +besides Minty Glenwood and housekeeping, for a few minutes, anyway. + +"Then Aunt Melissy Lovejoy told him he could take himself out of that +house, and not come back except for meals, and she said he could sleep +over in the shop, which was an old, leaky, broken stump of a tree where +we kept our garden tools. Then I happened to be sitting in the way, and +Aunt Melissy tripped over my feet, and when she righted herself she made +a swing at me, too; and if I had not dodged in time I might have been +injured for life. As it was, she drove me out with Winters to stay in +the shop, and I wasn't sorry, for it was an awful time in our house. + +"Next morning, Aunt Melissy Lovejoy was still dangerous, and at +breakfast she broke out at things in general, and said the idea that +she, a Glenwood, should live to see a hired man sitting up to a child of +hers, especially one who was a Glenwood herself, resembling the family +as she did, and being named that way, too; which seemed worse, somehow, +than anything that ever happened to a Glenwood before, except her own +case; and she gave an awful look at Uncle Silas, who got a little +spunky--the only time I ever saw him that way--and said he thought that +Winters was quite a good fellow and would make as good a husband as +_he_ had, meaning himself, of course, and Aunt Melissy said, 'Yes, just +about,' and asked him if he wanted his daughter to have as hard a row to +hoe as _she_ had, meaning _herself_, though it was Uncle Silas who had +the hard hoeing in that family, if I could judge. + +[Illustration: "THAT NIGHT WINTERS AND I TALKED IT OVER"] + +"Well, that night in the shop, Winters and I talked it over, and he +decided to go away and take Minty Glenwood with him. He might go to the +city, he said, to his folks, who had disowned him because he had been +quite wild, but very likely would take him back now that he had reformed +and was ready to be tamed by a nice little person like Minty Glenwood. +He and Minty would have to elope, of course, and he told me to tell her +just what to do, because I could get to see her alone, which he +couldn't. There was a little sapling grew near the tree, and one of its +limbs stuck out above her window. Winters said he would go out on that +limb and bend it down, about midnight, and Minty Glenwood could be there +and climb out on it, and they would go away together quite a distance +from Aunt Melissy, and live happy ever after. + +"So I told Cousin Minty Glenwood about the plan, and just what to do, +and she was as scared as a chicken, but said she would do anything to +save the hired man from that awful city life he had mentioned. She said +she knew something would happen when she tried to climb out her window, +but she would have to do it, as it was the only way to get out without +going through Aunt Melissy's room, which would be much worse. + +"Well, that night Winters and I got everything ready, and had all his +things packed in a bundle at the foot of the tree, and a little before +midnight by the full moon Winters went up and crawled out on the limb to +bend it down, but when he got there it wouldn't bend far enough to reach +Minty Glenwood's window--him being a lightweight person, though I've +heard he got fatter later on. He couldn't jump on it, for fear of waking +up Aunt Melissy, so he came down and said I would have to go out on the +limb, and he would stay on the ground with the things, because I was +always pretty solid, even in those days. So then I went out and crawled +along on that limb, which bent down with me, all right, but didn't quite +reach Minty Glenwood's window, and I couldn't see how she was going to +get on it unless she jumped, which I never thought she'd do. + +[Illustration: "SENT ME SAILING UP INTO THE SKY"] + +"But you never can tell what a young person in love _will_ do. She was +there waiting, all dressed in her Sunday things, with a big bundle of +what she was going to take along, and when I asked her, in a whisper, if +she could jump and grab the limb, she didn't wait to think about it, or +to give me notice to get ready, but just jumped, bundle and all, and +grabbed the limb with one hand and me with the other, and down we swung, +for Minty Glenwood was plump, too, and quite heavy with the bundle, and +then she let go and dropped, which I should have done, only I forgot it, +and a second later that limb sprang back and sent me sailing up into +the sky just about in the direction of the full moon. + +"Minty Glenwood landed all right--on her bundle, I heard later--and she +and Winters had probably got a good ways on their wedding journey by the +time I came down in a brush-heap, where we had been clearing up a new +potato-patch. It broke my fall, but it was very stiff, scratchy brush, +and when I got out I felt as if I had been in an argument with Mr. +Wildcat. I was limping, too, and afraid I was injured internally, for I +didn't feel hungry, which is always a bad sign. I was taking on a good +deal, and making some noise, I suppose, for when I got to the shop and +was going to drag myself up to bed, I heard Aunt Melissy's voice call +out the window: + +"'What's the matter with you out there? What have you been doing?' And +then all at once she gave a howl, for she was in Minty Glenwood's room, +and had suddenly discovered that Cousin Minty wasn't in her bed, and +hadn't been in it that night. About five seconds later she came tearing +out there in the moonlight and grabbed me and says: + +"'What does this mean?' she says. 'Where's your Cousin Minty Glenwood +and that hired creature, Winters?' + +"I could tell from Aunt Melissy's looks and voice that it was not a good +time to tell it just as it was. I said I had done all I could to save +Minty Glenwood from sorrow, but I had been bruised and scratched in the +attempt, and she could see herself that I was bleeding in as many as +fifty places and could hardly walk. Very likely, I said, I would not +live long enough to tell all the tale, and that I didn't know which way +those two fierce young people had gone, which was true enough. + +[Illustration: "HE LAUGHED MORE THAN I EVER SAW HIM LAUGH AT ANYTHING"] + +"Then Uncle Silas came out and pretended to be very mad, too, and said +it was a shame the way I had been treated. As for Minty Glenwood, she +was not worth hunting for, and he would disown her from that moment, +though I knew he was as glad as he could be that it happened, and had +a pretty good idea I had something to do with it. Aunt Melissy she +stormed and carried on, and said her family was ruined and that she was +going back to her folks; but she had got more peaceful-like by morning, +and put some poultices and bandages on me, and said she didn't see how +in time that little, spindly hired man and a mere girl could get a big, +strong fellow like me into such a state, though, she said, of course +Minty was a Glenwood and the Glenwoods were always fighters. Then she +took me back to the tree, and gave me Minty Glenwood's room; and when +she was out Uncle Silas came to sit with me, and I told him all about +it, and he laughed more than I ever saw him laugh at anything, +especially when I told about how I went sailing into that brush-heap. +Uncle Silas always did like anything funny, and he hadn't many chances +to show his taste. + +"Well, my appetite came back, but I didn't get well till I had to, +because as long as I could be in bed and seem dangerous Uncle Silas had +an excuse to sit with me, and we had a fine time. But by and by Aunt +Melissy made up some of the worst medicine I ever tasted, which she said +she thought would cure me if anything would; which it did, the first +dose. Aunt Melissy stayed pretty savage, though, until one day word came +from Minty Glenwood, who was now Mrs. Winters, that they were living in +town, and that Mr. Winters's people were very fine and stylish and well +off, and had taken him back because he had married so well and reformed, +and she was as happy as could be. Then you ought to have seen Aunt +Melissy show off. Any one would have thought she had made the match, and +she couldn't talk enough about Minty Glenwood living in the city, and +our fine Winters relatives; and told Uncle Silas he ought to be ashamed +of the things he'd said about Minty Glenwood, and ordered him to take +them all back, which he did. Then, by and by, she went to visit the +Winters folks, and stayed a long time, and Uncle Silas and I and my +other cousins had the best time we ever had in our lives. When Aunt +Melissy came back she looked as fancy and put on almost as many airs as +Uncle Silas had the time he came home and brought the young man who by +and by was to marry Minty Glenwood." + +Mr. 'Possum sleepily knocked the ashes out of his pipe and yawned and +looked into the fire. + +"Did you or Uncle Silas ever tell Aunt Melissy about helping Minty +Glenwood and Winters to get away?" asked Mr. Crow. + +"No," said Mr. 'Possum, drowsily; "we knew Aunt Melissy, and thought it +was a pretty good plan to let well enough alone." + +FOOTNOTES: + +[2] _Hollow Tree and Deep Woods Book._ + +[3] _Hollow Tree Snowed-In Book._ + + + + +IN MR. MAN'S CAR + +THE HOLLOW TREE PEOPLE HAVE ONE OF THEIR MOST EXCITING ADVENTURES + + +ONCE upon a time Mr. Dog came over to have supper with the Hollow Tree +people, and to tell them some news. This, of course, was after he had +become good friends with the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow, +and enjoyed dropping in for a smoke and a little conversation, +especially about Mr. Man's doings, which always interested the Hollow +Tree people and their friends. + +So on this particular night, when the supper-things had been cleared +away, and they all had lit their pipes and Mr. Dog was sitting outside +to enjoy the mild evening, he told them something very astonishing. He +said he supposed that they had now over at their house (meaning, of +course, at Mr. Man's house) the most wonderful thing in the world. He +said it was called an automobile, and was a kind of large carriage, but +the strange part about it was that it went without any horse or any kind +of live thing at all. When Mr. Man brought it home, Mr. Dog said, their +Mr. Horse had been looking over the fence into the road, and when he saw +that strange object, with Mr. Man sitting in it, holding to a wheel, go +flying by, twice as fast as Mr. Horse could run, also making much more +noise, and trailing smoke, Mr. Horse gave one snort and took out for the +back lots, and they hadn't seen him since. Mr. Dog owned that he himself +had thought it best to go under the house, and that he had spent a good +deal of the first day there watching Mr. Man open a number of doors and +covers that were attached to the new machine, which seemed to be full of +sudden noises that Mr. Man could stop whenever he wanted to, though he +was not always able to start them with the handle that he turned for +that purpose. Sometimes Mr. Man had to turn the handle until he was +quite weak before he could get a single noise, and without the noise the +carriage would not start. + +Mr. Dog said that at first he had been rather uncertain in his feelings +toward the automobile, but that, little by little, he had felt more +friendly and had come up closer to look at it, only going back under the +house again when it started one of those sudden sounds which seemed to +make his head ache. Then he got used to those, too, and about the third +day Mr. Man suddenly caught him by the collar and invited him to ride, +and put him in the back of the carriage, and tied him there with a +strong rope so he wouldn't fall out, and so nobody would steal him, +because Mr. Man valued him so highly. + +Mr. Dog said that when the automobile started he almost wished he +_could_ fall out, at first, or that somebody would steal him, because +he was sure it would affect his heart, and that when they got to going +faster and faster he forgot about the rope, and even tried to jump out, +but the rope was quite a good one, and probably saved his life. Then +pretty soon he didn't want to jump out any more, and laid down on the +floor to enjoy it, and was sorry to get home. When Mr. Man was ready to +start, next time, Mr. Dog jumped in himself, and the faster they went +the better he liked it, and now when they went he often sat up in the +front seat by the side of Mr. Man, and if the car was all full of Mr. +Man's folks he sometimes sat behind on the top when it was folded back +for fine weather. Mr. Dog said there was nothing in the world that he +loved so much as to ride in an automobile and to go fast. He said they +often went so fast that they passed some of the birds, and that then he +would bark loudly to show his enjoyment. + +Well, when the Hollow Tree people heard about Mr. Man's automobile they +at first could hardly say anything at all. Then Mr. 'Possum said he +supposed what made it go was some kind of clockwork that Mr. Man wound +up when he turned that crank; and Mr. Crow thought he must build a fire +in it to make the smoke come out behind. Mr. Dog didn't know, himself, +just how the machinery went in, but that Mr. Man called it a motor and +had ever so many names for different parts of it, and sometimes said +strong words when he took one of the parts out and couldn't get it back +again without trouble. The wheels ran on rubber, he said, rubber filled +with air, which Mr. Man pumped into them, and when anything happened to +let the air out they had to stop, and then Mr. Man would change the +rubber wheel and pump a good deal, and say strong words again, +especially when it was warm. Mr. Dog said it was a great comfort to sit +back in the shade at such times, and watch Mr. Man pump, and hear him +say all the things that he used to say to Mr. Dog himself when he had +made some little mistake or had come home later than usual. He said he +had never prized anything in his life so much as he had that car, which +was what Mr. Man generally called it. + +Well, the Hollow Tree people were certainly excited. They said they +surely must see that new carriage of Mr. Man's, and if Mr. Dog would +send them word some day when he was going out they would hide in the +bushes by the road and watch him go by. Mr. Dog said he would do that, +and that he and Mr. Man generally took an early ride together, before +the rest of the family were stirring, to get some things at the store +down at Great Corners--mostly, of late, things for the automobile, which +seemed to consume a great deal of smelly liquid, and oils, and all kinds +of hardware. + +Then Mr. 'Coon said he would give anything in the world to see that +automobile going by with the smoke streaming out behind, and Mr. Dog +sitting up in the front seat. Mr. Crow said he would give anything in +the world to see that, and to slip over to Mr. Man's barn some time when +nobody was at home, and really examine the new object, and maybe sit in +the seats a little. And Mr. 'Possum said he would give a good deal for +all that, but that what he really wanted to do was to sit in the car and +ride, like Mr. Dog, as fast as the thing could go. + +Then Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Crow both together said, "Oh, we never could do +that--never in the world!" and Mr. Dog didn't say anything at all--not +at first--but sat thinking. Then by and by he said, all at once: + +"I know," he said--"I know a way that you can get to take a ride in our +new car.[4] There is quite a big space under the back seat where Mr. Man +keeps his pump and sometimes other things, but he keeps most of his +things in a tool-box on the side, and only looks into the back-seat +place when he needs the pump. When we start out for a long trip he puts +Mrs. Man's and Miss Man's extra hats and things in there, but there are +none of those articles there now. So if you should come over very +early to-morrow morning, before Mr. Man is up, and get into that place +under the back seat, you would have just about room enough, and while +you couldn't see much, except maybe a little of the road through cracks +in the bottom, you would be riding all the time, and always afterward +could tell how it felt." + +Well, that was such a scary thought that at first the Hollow Tree people +couldn't do anything but just sit and shiver and think about how grand +and exciting it would be, but how awful if anything should happen. +Suppose Mr. Man should have to use his pump, what would be likely to +happen then? No one could tell. Mr. Dog said they would have to jump and +step lively then, sure enough. + +[Illustration: "MR. 'POSSUM TRIED TO TURN THE CRANK A LITTLE"] + +[Illustration: MR. 'COON SAT UP IN THE FRONT SEAT] + +So then they talked about it and gave up the thought, and went on +talking about it and giving it up some more, until Mr. 'Possum said +that, so far, the worst had never happened to him yet, and that he would +take chances if the rest would; and Mr. 'Coon said it would probably +be the end of all of them, but he'd risk it; and Mr. Crow said he +wouldn't care to pass his life in the Hollow Tree alone, and he might as +well go with the others. Then Mr. Dog skipped home as fast as he could +go, to listen around and see what Mr. Man's plans were for the next +morning, so he would know if they were going on their early trip to +Great Corners, as usual, or on some excursion. But he didn't hear +anything about a picnic before bedtime, and next morning he was up a +little before day, and pretty soon the Hollow Tree people came slipping +over, nearly scared to death, and Mr. Dog let them in by his special +door to the barn, and they all looked at the automobile, and Mr. 'Possum +tried to turn the crank a little, and Mr. 'Coon sat up in the front seat +and took hold of the steering-wheel and pretended to be driving, and Mr. +Crow said he didn't see how a thing that seemed so cold and dead as that +could suddenly come to life and move. + +[Illustration: MADE A DIVE FOR THE REAR SEAT] + +Then Mr. Dog said he heard Mr. Man coming down his back stairs, and they +all made a dive for the rear seat, and Mr. Dog put the cushion in place +and was outside waiting and barking "Good morning" to Mr. Man when he +opened the big barn doors. + +Then the Hollow Tree people were nearly dead with scare. Mr. 'Possum +whispered that he knew that his heart was beating so loud that Mr. Man +could hear it and would think his motor was going, and Mr. 'Coon said if +Mr. Man should ever move that back cushion he knew he should die. Mr. +Crow said he felt sure this was just some awful nightmare, and that he +would wake up pretty soon, and he said of all the dreams he ever had, +this was the worst. + +But just then Mr. Man got hold of the crank in front of the car and gave +it a turn, and then gave it another turn, and then said something, and +gave it another turn, and suddenly the Hollow Tree people heard a great +number of loud explosions which made them perfectly cold, and then there +was just a heavy roar and rumble, and they heard Mr. Man say to Mr. +Dog, "Come, get in!" and they felt the automobile begin to move. + +That was an awful sensation at first. They could feel that they were +going, but the soft rubber wheels did not rattle on the road, and about +the only sound was the motor, which they could tell was getting faster +and faster as they got out into the smooth road across the Wide Grass +Lands, and now and then Mr. Dog barking to them in Hollow Tree language +that everything was all right and to rest easy and enjoy +themselves--that they were just then passing the Four Oaks, and that +presently they would be in the Sugar Hollow Road, and that he wished +they could see out and notice how things went spinning by. Then they +heard Mr. Man tell Mr. Dog not to make so much noise, and after that +things were quieter, and they just heard the steady buzz of the engine, +until by and by Mr. Dog barked out that they were at Great Corners and +were stopping in front of the store. + +The Hollow Tree people whispered to one another that they had certainly +enjoyed it, but what a terrible thing it would be if something should +happen now, so far away from home, and among so many confusing things. +It seemed an age before Mr. Man came back to the car and got ready to +start again, and when he did they heard him talking to some other Mr. +Man, who asked if he should put the things under the back seat. Then the +Hollow Tree people nearly died, until they heard Mr. Man say, "No, never +mind, I'm in too much of a hurry to get home; just drop them in behind +there, any place," which made them feel a little better, and pretty soon +Mr. Man started the motor again, and they felt the car moving faster and +faster, the same as before. + +The Hollow Tree people couldn't see a thing, but they knew they were +riding faster than ever, for they bounced about a good deal, and held on +to one another and would have laughed at the fun if they hadn't been too +scared. They were pretty anxious for Mr. Man to get the car back into +the barn, so they could scamper home as soon as he went in to breakfast, +for they had had about all the excitement they wanted. But they got some +more in a minute, for all of a sudden, just as Mr. Dog barked to them +that they were in the edge of the Big Deep Woods and would be home soon, +there came a good deal rougher bumping, and then the car ran slow, and +stopped, and they heard Mr. Man say, "A puncture, by gracious! Now I've +got to put in a half-hour at that pump!" + +Those were awful words. He would be back there in a minute, and then +what? For a second or two everything was silent, except that they heard +Mr. Man getting out of the car, and they got ready to make a wild jump +the moment he lifted the seat cover. But then--right at the instant when +they expected him to do it--they heard Mr. Dog break right out into a +great, big bark, shouting as loud as he could: + +"_Come! Come! Come! Mr. Man--it's up a tree!--it's up a tree!--it's up a +tree!_" and they knew by the sound that he had jumped out and was +calling to Mr. Man to come into the woods near the road, and then, a +second later, they heard him call to them, in Hollow Tree words--"Now! +now! jump and run! Jump and run! Now! Now! _Now!_ _Now!_" + +And the Hollow Tree people didn't have to be told again. All together, +they gave a great big push at the cover of the back seat, and lifted it, +cushion and all, and scrambled out, and over the side of the car and out +the back, and were diving into the deep woods on the other side of the +road from Mr. Man, who was looking up a tree and scolding Mr. Dog +because he couldn't see anything up there to bark at. + +The Hollow Tree people didn't wait to see how it came out, but took out +for home, lickety-split, and didn't stop until they were safe in the +Hollow Tree. That night Mr. Dog came over to see how they had enjoyed +it. He said Mr. Man called him several names because he had not been +able to see anything up in the tree, and then had changed the tire and +pumped it while Mr. Dog was getting calm. Mr. Man, he said, was +surprised to find the back cushion had jumped out of place, but did not +suspicion the truth. + +Then they all talked it over several times, and were very proud of the +great experience, though they decided that they would not try it +again. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[4] See frontispiece. + + + + +MR. POSSUM'S CAR + +MR. 'POSSUM SHOWS HE CAN INVENT THINGS, ESPECIALLY AN AUTOMOBILE LIKE +MR. MAN'S + + +"YOU may remember," said the Storyteller, one evening, to the Little +Lady, "my telling you about Mr. Man's automobile, and how the Hollow +Tree people, Mr. 'Coon, Mr. 'Possum, and the Old Black Crow, got a ride +in it; how Mr. Dog helped them, you know, and just barely managed to +keep them all from being caught by Mr. Man." + +"Why, yes," said the Little Lady, "and I do hope they never wanted to +take another. They didn't, did they?" + +[Illustration: HE USED TO WALK UP AND DOWN IN THE SUN AND SMOKE, +THINKING AND THINKING] + +"Not in Mr. Man's car--no, they had had enough of that, but they were +very much excited over it, and thought if they could just sit up in the +seat and ride, like Mr. Dog, and see things go by, and not be down under +it, in the dark and danger, they would enjoy it more than anything. Mr. +'Possum thought about it, and talked about it, more than anybody, and +after breakfast, while Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Crow were doing up the +morning's work, he used to walk up and down in the sun and smoke, +thinking and thinking, for Mr. 'Possum is quite thoughtful and a good +hand to plan, when work doesn't strain his mind. + +Well, one morning, when Mr. Crow and Mr. 'Coon were all through, and +came out and sat on a log to smoke in the sun and admire Mr. 'Possum, +and think how smart he was and how well he looked for his age, he +stopped all at once, right in front of them, and said: + +"I've got it!" he said. "I can do it! I can make one as easy as +anything!" + +"Make what?" said the 'Coon and the Old Black Crow, both together, +quite excited. + +"I can make an automobile," said Mr. 'Possum. "I have planned it all +out. I am going to commence now." + +Then Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Crow took their pipes out of their mouths and +looked at Mr. 'Possum, but couldn't say a word, they were so astonished. + +But Mr. 'Possum just threw his head back a little and blew some smoke, +and said that it had been quite hard to plan and had taken all of his +best thoughts, but that it seemed easy enough now, and that he might +have it done by night. + +Then the 'Coon and the Crow did get excited, and said: "Oh yes, Mr. +'Possum, we'll help you. Will you let us help you, Mr. 'Possum?" + +And Mr. 'Possum said that of course he would have to do the most, as he +would have to show them how, but that they could do all the easy things, +and he said they might begin by bringing down the big wood-box out of +Mr. Crow's kitchen, and the big wood-saw, and the hammer, and some +nails, and any useful tool that they had borrowed from time to time from +Mr. Man during his absence. + +[Illustration: SIGHTED ACROSS IT TO SEE THAT THEY WERE KEEPING IT +STRAIGHT] + +So then Mr. Coon and Mr. Crow ran up and lugged down Mr. Crow's big +wood-box, and got the saw and all the other tools and things they could +find, and brought them out to a shady place, for it was a fine spring +day and getting quite warm, and Mr. 'Possum showed them a round tree, +quite large, that had blown down during the winter, and told them they +might saw it in two, first, and then cut off four nice slices, two large +and two smaller ones, for the four wheels. Mr. 'Possum sat down on the +end of the log and showed them just how to take hold of the saw, one at +each end, and pull first one way and then the other, and walked around +and sighted across it to see that they were keeping it straight, and got +a little cooking-grease and put on it, so it would work faster, and Mr. +'Coon and Mr. Crow worked, and sweat, and tugged, and panted, and said +it was wonderful exercise, and by and by really did get the log sawed in +two. + +Mr. 'Possum said they had done very well for the first cut, which was +always the hardest, and that they'd all better rest and smoke a little, +as his mind was quite tired with thinking. But in a few minutes he said +they might try now to make a wheel, and see if they could do that as +well; and Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Crow went at it again, and after a while got +a slice of the tree cut off, quite smooth and about an inch thick, and +Mr. 'Possum said it would make a very good wheel, but that they would be +likely to improve with each slice, and that they must be very careful to +hold the saw just as he told them. + +So then they rested and cut off another slice, and rested some more, and +cut off another slice, until they had four slices, and were nearly ready +to drop from being tired and hot, and were saying how fine it was to +have that job done, when Mr. 'Possum said that he had just remembered +they would need one more slice, for his steering-wheel. + +Well, Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Crow thought they would surely die before they +got the last slice off, and Mr. 'Possum brought some water and sprinkled +a little on their foreheads, and at last that wheel was done, too, and +they were all quite exhausted and lay in the shade a while to rest and +talk about it. Mr. 'Possum said it might take a little longer than he +thought, to finish the automobile, and that it was better not to hurry +so, as new thoughts were coming to him all the time. He said that next +year they would make another and probably change the style a good deal. + +Then when they were rested he showed them some nice straight limbs of +the tree that they could saw off for the axles, and when they got those +sawed off, which was easier to do, of course, he measured them and +showed them how to shave the ends nice and smooth with Mr. Man's +drawing-knife, and how to cut out of a strong piece of board some things +he called brackets for the back axle to turn in, because the back axle +had to turn, and how to bore holes with Mr. Man's auger, in the back +wheels, and drive them on tight, and how to bore holes in the front +wheels and put them on loose with pegs to hold them on, because the +front wheels have to turn, and how to bore a hole in the middle of the +front axle and in the bottom of the big wood-box, for the steering-rod, +because the wood-box was going to be used for the body, and the +steering-rod would turn the front axle and hold it to the body at the +same time. + +Mr. 'Possum said that he had noticed that on Mr. Man's car the +steering-rod did not stand straight up, but slanted a good deal, which +seemed to him a mistake; no doubt if Mr. Man could see their car he +would have his changed. Then the 'Coon and the Old Black Crow said, "Of +course," and that there never was anybody so smart to invent things as +Mr. 'Possum, and that it was too bad he couldn't go over and suggest +thoughts to Mr. Man. + +The Hollow Tree people didn't get their car done that first day, but +they got it a good deal more than half done, and could hardly wait to +get at it next morning. They hurried out right after breakfast, and Mr. +'Possum had Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Crow sawing, and boring, and shaving with +Mr. Man's drawing-knife, making the crank, which was a sort of double +windlass that stood up in the car over the back axle, built so two +people could turn it; and there would be a strong strap that went down +through a hole in the bottom of the car and around the axle to make that +turn, too, which would drive the car. Then Mr. 'Possum showed them how +to make a seat for the front of the box, so he could sit on it and drive +and steer, because that was the hardest thing to do, while Mr. Crow and +Mr. 'Coon only had to be the motor and work the windlass. Then they got +the strap off of Mr. 'Coon's trunk, because it was a very strong one, +and put it on, and tightened it up, and Mr. 'Possum said as far as he +could see there was nothing more to be done with his car, now, but to +use it. Of course he might think of new things later, to attach to it, +but he didn't see how he could improve it at present, and that they'd +better take it out to the race-track and try it. + +[Illustration: SO THEN MR. 'POSSUM GOT UP INTO THE SEAT TO STEER] + +So then Mr. 'Possum got up into the seat to steer, and Mr. 'Coon and Mr. +Crow pushed, but it went pretty hard, until they put some grease on the +wheels and transmission; after that it went better, but squeaked so loud +that you could hear it all through the Big Deep Woods, and Mr. Rabbit +came kiting over, and Mr. Robin and Mr. Squirrel came skipping among the +trees, and Mr. Turtle came waddling up from the Wide Blue Water, to see +what new thing was going on over at the Hollow Tree. And when they saw +what the Hollow Tree people had made they could hardly speak for their +surprise. And when they found out how Mr. 'Possum had done all the +hardest part--the planning it and showing how--they said they had never +been so proud in their lives, just to be his friend, and they all helped +push it over to the race-track, and when they got there Mr. 'Possum +invited Mr. Rabbit to sit in the front seat beside him, because Mr. +Rabbit was an author and would want to write something about it; and Mr. +Robin and Mr. Squirrel and Mr. Turtle went down the track a piece to see +them dash by. + +Then Mr. Crow and Mr. 'Coon took hold of the windlass, and Mr. 'Possum +told them not to start too suddenly or go too fast at first, as it might +injure the transmission, which was quite delicate. So Mr. 'Coon and Mr. +Crow put a little strength on the windlass, but it didn't turn. Then +they put some more on it, but it didn't turn. Then they put all they had +on it and it turned just a little bit, but very slow. Mr. 'Possum said +he didn't think it would be dangerous to go a little faster, and Mr. +'Coon and Mr. Crow turned with every bit of strength they had, and +worked harder even than they had at sawing up the log, but still Mr. +'Possum said he didn't believe they were going quite as fast as Mr. +Man's car had traveled, and Mr. Turtle called to them that perhaps if he +and the others pushed until they got it to going well, and the machinery +warmed up, it might run better. + +Mr. 'Possum didn't much like to have his car pushed, but he said that +Mr. Man's car didn't always start well, either, and very likely had to +be pushed sometimes. So then Mr. Turtle and Mr. Squirrel got one on each +corner, and Mr. Robin went ahead to kick stones out of the road, and Mr. +'Possum said "Ready!" and everybody did his best, and the Deep Woods +automobile squeaked and squealed and started down the race-track pretty +fast, but not always keeping in the middle of it, because Mr. 'Possum +couldn't steer perfectly the first time, and went from one side of the +road to the other, and said it was because they didn't push evenly, and +he was as proud as could be of his great invention. Then Mr. Squirrel +and Mr. Turtle gave it one big push, and let go, and Mr. 'Coon and Mr. +Crow ground away at the windlass their level best, and the car went on +quite a ways before it stopped. It wouldn't have stopped then if Mr. +'Coon and Mr. Crow hadn't given clean out and let go of the crank and +hung over the sides of the car and said it was all so exciting and they +were enjoying it so much that they were quite overcome. + +[Illustration: GOING FASTER AND FASTER EVERY MINUTE] + +Then Mr. Turtle said _he_ had an idea. He said down not far from his +house which stood by the Wide Blue Water there was a smooth road with a +good deal of a slant in it, and that if the car was over there and got +started down that slant it would very likely almost run itself and move +a good deal faster. So they all said yes, that was just the thing, and +everybody but Mr. 'Possum took hold and pushed, because Mr. 'Possum had +to steer; and by and by they got to the slanting road, which was really +quite a hill, and Mr. Rabbit got in again by Mr. 'Possum, and Mr. 'Coon +and Mr. Crow took hold of the windlass, and sure enough, that time, the +car started well enough, and went without any trouble at all. Mr. Turtle +and the others had run a good ways down the road to see them pass, and +pretty soon they did pass, going faster and faster every minute, and +everybody cheered and waved, and Mr. 'Possum called back to Mr. 'Coon +and Mr. Crow that they could turn a little slower, so all could enjoy +the scenery. + +But Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Crow _couldn't_ turn any slower, and when they +tried to hold back on the crank it just jerked them right around, and +when they let go entirely they went even faster, for that slanting road +had turned into a real hill, and they were going down it as speedy as +Mr. Man would go down, and perhaps speedier, and Mr. 'Possum wasn't +looking at the scenery any more, but was holding as fast as he could to +the steering-wheel; trying to keep in the road, and not doing it the +best in the world, though nobody was pushing now. + +Then all at once Mr. 'Possum saw something that scared him--scared him +so he nearly fainted away, for just then they rounded a turn, going +lickety-split, and right in front of him Mr. 'Possum saw the Wide Blue +Water. They were headed straight for it, and Mr. 'Possum's thoughts +became confused. He could only realize two things clearly--one was that +he had forgotten all about putting brakes on his car, to stop with, and +the other was that he _must_ stop without delay, or they would all +disappear in the Wide Blue Water, and that he couldn't swim. + +Mr. 'Possum wondered very rapidly what would stop them, and just then he +saw a little tree ahead, right at the side of the road, and he thought +_that_ would probably do it. He couldn't think of anything _but_ that, +and he steered for the tree as straight as he could, which wasn't so +very straight, for he hit on the bias. + +Still, that was enough to stop the car, but not the people in it. Mr. +'Possum himself flew into a thick blackberry-patch and lost +consciousness; Mr. Rabbit sailed clear over the blackberry-patch, and +landed in a boggy place, which was soft enough, but quite splashy; Mr. +'Coon went straight up into the little tree they had hit, and grabbed +some limbs and hung on, while Mr. Crow just opened his wings, though he +hadn't used them for ever so long, and went sailing over to a nice +grassy place by the road, and wasn't injured at all. + +[Illustration: MR TURTLE TOOK MR. 'POSSUM ON HIS BACK, AND EVERYBODY +SAID IT WAS FINE] + +There wasn't really anything fatally damaged except the automobile. When +Mr. 'Possum came to, and Mr. Rabbit cleaned some of the bog off of +himself, and Mr. Crow came back, and Mr. 'Coon climbed down, and the +others caught up with them, they all looked around to see what they +could find of Mr. 'Possum's invention. Some of it was in the bushes and +some in the tree, and two of the wheels they couldn't find at all. Mr. +'Coon said his trunk-strap was as good as ever, which was more than Mr. +Crow could say for his wood-box. Mr. 'Possum, who limped and seemed +suffering, said, when he looked at what they had gathered, that he felt +just about as his car looked--a good deal broken up and hardly worth +carrying home. Then he said that very likely Mr. Man had had the same +experience with his first car, and that next year's model would be +different in several ways. + +Then Mr. Turtle took Mr. 'Possum on his back, and everybody said it was +very fine for the first time, and certainly most exciting, and the +Hollow Tree people invited all the others to the Hollow Tree to +celebrate Mr. 'Possum's great invention. They stayed quite late, and +when Mr. Rabbit started home he said he would certainly write a poem on +all the events. + + + + +HOW MR. 'POSSUM'S TAIL BECAME BARE + +MR. 'POSSUM RELATES SOME VERY CURIOUS FAMILY HISTORY + + +ONCE upon a time, when it was a very pleasant afternoon, and the Hollow +Tree people were sitting along the edge of the world, hanging their feet +over and thinking, Mr. 'Possum went to sleep, and would have nodded +himself off into the Deep Nowhere if his strong, smooth tail hadn't been +quite firmly hooked around a little bush just behind him. All the others +noticed it, and said how lucky it was that a person of Mr. 'Possum's +habits had a nice, useful tail like that, which allowed him to sleep in +a position that for some was thought dangerous even to be awake in. +Then they wondered how it happened that Mr. 'Possum's family had been +gifted in that peculiar way, and by and by, when he woke up, and +stretched, and moved back in the shade, and leaned against a stump to +smoke, they asked him. + +Mr. 'Possum said it was a very old story, because it had happened about +a hundred and fifty-six great-grandfathers back. He had heard it when he +was quite small, he said, and would have to think some, to get it +straight. So then he shut his eyes and smoked very slowly, and about the +time the Deep Woods people thought he was going to sleep again he began +telling. + +"My family is a very ancient one," he said--"one of the oldest in the +Big Deep Woods, and there used to be only a few, even of us. That was +when Mr. Painter, or Panther, as we say now, was King of the Deep Woods, +and he was very fond of our family, which helped to make them scarce, +and was one reason why they got to slipping out at night for food, when +Mr. Painter was asleep. + +"We were a pretty poor lot in those days, and whenever Mr. Painter took +after one of my ancestors that ancestor would make for a tree and run +out on a limb that was too small to bear up Mr. Painter, and just cling +there, because Mr. Painter would climb up, too, and shake the limb, and +very often he would shake an ancestor down, like a papaw, and the only +thing to do then was to make for another tree, or if the next tree was +too far, to play dead, because Mr. Painter did not much like anything he +hadn't killed himself. That is how we got the playing-dead habit, which +others sometimes try and call it 'playing 'possum,' because nobody can +do it so well as our family, and I judge some of our family didn't do it +perfectly the one and only chance they got to try it, or else Mr. +Painter was smarter, or hungrier, at those times. + +"Well, my ancestors got so that they could hold to those limbs very +firmly with their hands and feet, and Mr. Painter had a hard time to +shake them down, though he didn't like to give up, and would go on +shaking all day, sometimes, until my folks would get tired out. They +used to try to hold and brace themselves with their tails, too, but we +had just big, ornamental tails in those days, covered with thick, bushy +hair, and of very little use, like Mr. Squirrel's and Mr. 'Coon's." + +When Mr. 'Possum made that remark, Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Squirrel sat up +quite straight, and were just about to say something, but Mr. Rabbit +motioned to them and said "'Sh!" and Mr. 'Possum went right on, without +noticing that anything had happened. + +"Those tails were no manner of account, but just in the way, and some of +my folks thought it would be almost better if they didn't have them at +all, but just a funny bunch of cotton, or something, like Mr. Rabbit's." + +When Mr. 'Possum said that, Mr. Rabbit sat up quite straight, and was +just about to say something, but Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Squirrel motioned to +him and said "'Sh!" and Mr. 'Possum didn't notice anything had happened. + +"You see," he went right on, "every little while it happened that one of +my ancestors would start up the tree not quite soon enough, and Mr. +Painter would just manage to get his claws in that bushy ornament, which +would settle it for that ancestor, right away. Of course, my family were +proud of those big, plumy things, people being generally proud of their +most useless property, something they would be better off, and live +longer, without. My folks thought those great tails were handsome, +especially our young people, who would walk about waving them and +practise carrying them in new positions, and about once a week would do +up the long, thick fur on them in little knots, tied with tough, twisted +grass, which would make the hair curl and look very showy indeed. Even +some of my ancestors who happened to get old acted in that foolish way, +and when the fur got thin would wear some kind of false stuff, though +any one but a blind person could always tell it. + +[Illustration: "ONE DAY A NEW AND VERY HANDSOME MR. 'POSSUM CAME INTO +THE NEIGHBORHOOD"] + +"Well, one day a new and very handsome Mr. 'Possum came into the +neighborhood, from some place nobody had ever heard of before, and none +of our folks had ever seen anything like him. He was stouter than our +breed and lighter colored, and had a very long, bushy tail that curved +in a peculiar way and stayed beautifully curled, without ever being put +up in grass at all. He said so, and my ancestors watched him, to prove +it. + +"That young man called himself Somers, and he certainly became popular +with the young Miss 'Possums of our section. They went crazy over him, +and of course that made all the young Mr. 'Possums jealous of him, +though they would have given anything to be like him. They knew they +couldn't be that, so they hoped something would happen to him, and used +to tell him of nice new and interesting walks to take when they +thought Mr. Painter might be in that neighborhood. Then they would +follow, and hide around in the bushes and watch, expecting some time to +see Mr. Painter get his claws into that curly blond duster before Somers +could reach a limb, or shake him down afterward. + +"Well, just as they expected, one day when Somers went out for a little +promenade alone Mr. Painter happened along, but Somers saw him first, +and made for a tree, with Mr. Painter after him, reaching for that fine +plume and just missing it, as the handsome stranger went up the tree and +out on a limb, with Mr. Painter right behind and making very savage +noises. Then he began shaking the limb as hard as he could, and my +ancestors, who were watching from quite a safe place, thought Somers +would drop pretty soon, for they didn't think he could be trained to +holding on--such a fine person as he was. + +"So they watched, very hopeful, and sure enough, about the third hard +shake Somers dropped--just let go with his hands and feet, and rolled +off, almost as if he really didn't care. My ancestors said that was what +it looked like, and that was what it was. Somers didn't care at all, for +when he let go and dropped, he didn't fall, but just swung off into +space, and stayed attached to that limb, hanging head down, by his tail! + +[Illustration: "CALLING OUT, 'MUCH OBLIGED, MR. PAINTER'"] + +"My ancestors had never been so astonished in their lives, nor Mr. +Painter, either. He couldn't believe it. He thought at first Somers had +got caught, somehow, and gave one more shake, but when Somers swung back +and forth, laughing and calling out, 'Much obliged, Mr. Painter--much +obliged for the nice swing!' Mr. Painter climbed down and took out for +home as hard as he could, without looking behind him, for he thought it +was some kind of magic. And pretty soon Somers climbed down, too, and +brushed himself off a little, and fixed his tail in a nice position, and +walked along, smiling; and my ancestors hurried to him and said they +had just arrived in time to witness his great performance, and begged +him to show them how he did it, and offered him anything if he would +only teach them to handle those useless ornaments of theirs in that +grand way. + +"So then Somers told them all about it. He said he was the inventor of +the idea, and of the medicine that made it work. He said he was very +soon going back to his own people, but before he went he would make up +some medicine, which would make their hair and tails both curl, and +would explain how to take it. + +"Well, they were so anxious about it that he began next morning, and +sent out different ones for different things--special kinds of roots, +and several sorts of very twisty things, such as grape-vine clingers, +and honeysuckle, and a great lot of love-vine--that yellow stuff that +winds about everything and can choke even a ragweed to death. Then he +put it all into a big kettle, and had them pour water on it and put a +fire under it, and he boiled it for two days and nights, without +letting the fire get down, and after that poured it off into a big gourd +to settle, and told them just what size swallow to take of it, and how +to practise the new habit when they felt the curling begin. Then he said +he must be going, as his family would be worried about him being away so +long, and my folks all gathered to see him off, and gave him as many +presents as he could carry, and he went away somewhere to the southeast, +and they never saw him again. + +"Of course, as soon as he was gone, and the medicine was settled nice +and clear, our whole family collected to take it. There wasn't a 'possum +in the Deep Woods that wasn't there, and they had to get in line, +because every one wanted to be first and be sure to get some of that +magic juice. + +[Illustration: "MR. WATERS HAD TO TAKE WHAT WAS LEFT"] + +"Well, perhaps they were too anxious, and took bigger swallows than +Somers told them to, or it may be the stuff was a little too strong, or +Somers got in too much of the love-vine, which has such an awful +twist; or it may be he wanted to play a joke on some of our family for +being jealous and wanting to get him caught by Mr. Painter--whatever it +was, that medicine had an awful power and did even more than he said it +would. When every one had taken a good swallow, except the last one in +line--he being a middle-aged person named Waters, who had to take what +was left, which was only about a spoonful and very disappointing to Mr. +Waters--they all felt the curling sensation begin, and commenced the new +muscle-practice Somers had mentioned; and just then Mr. Painter, who had +probably heard that Somers had gone, came tearing through the timber, +and my folks quit practising and broke for trees and limbs, with Mr. +Painter after one plump young chap which he didn't quite get, and pretty +soon was shaking a limb in the usual way, only harder, being hungrier +than common. The plump young person was scared half to death, never +having had much practice holding on, anyway, and in about a minute he +was obliged to let go with his hands and feet, and just give up +everything, shut his eyes, and drop, expecting next minute he would hit +the ground and it would be all over. + +"But right there that plump young fellow got the best surprise of his +life. He had been so scared that he had forgotten all about Mr. Somers's +medicine, but the medicine hadn't forgotten about him. During the little +minute he had been sitting on that limb his tail had curled itself +around it as tight as if it had grown there. Mr. Painter couldn't have +shaken him loose in a week. He hung down just like Somers, only not so +far, and he didn't swing much, because that strong medicine had taken up +all his slack and there was very little room for play. He didn't care +for that, of course, not then. He got brave and very cheerful right off, +and called out to Mr. Painter, just like Somers: + +"'Much obliged, Mr. Painter--much obliged for the nice swing. Swing me +again, Mr. Painter.' + +"And when the rest of our folks saw that the same thing had happened to +all of them they all let go and dropped, and began calling from the +different trees: 'Come and swing us, too, Mr. Painter--stay all day and +swing the rest of us!' + +"And when Mr. Painter heard that, and looked around and saw all my +ancestors hanging head down and making fun of him, he thought the whole +Deep Woods was full of the strange magic, and he piled down out of that +tree and took out for the bushes, and was never seen in the Big Deep +Woods again. + +[Illustration: "TOOK HIM ALL THE AFTERNOON TO PRY THE REST OF MY +ANCESTORS LOOSE"] + +"My folks called after him just as far as they could see him, and when +they were sure he was gone they thought they would come down and +celebrate. But they didn't do it--not just yet. There wasn't one of them +that could unwind himself from his limb, except old Mr. Waters, who had +got only a teaspoonful of the medicine, which very likely was just about +the right amount. Mr. Waters swung quite loose and free from his limb, +and got down without much trouble, and it took him all the afternoon +to go around from tree to tree and pry the rest of my ancestors loose, +and unwind them, because those new-fangled tails would snap together +like springs, and it took several days' steady practice and +straightening before they were really useful at a moment's notice. By +that time another strange thing had happened: The fur on them had curled +so tight at first that it was like very close wool; then it kept right +on getting tighter and tighter until it seemed to curl itself clear out, +and by the end of the week there wasn't one of our family whose tail +wasn't as bare as your hand, except old Mr. Waters, who had a handsome +curly plume, like Somers's, and became a great curiosity, the only one +that we ever had like that in our tribe. + +"All the others thought the fur would grow again, but it never did, and +when they got used to its absence they decided they were much better off +without it, especially since they had learned the Somers habit, which +they said worked easier and better in the new, smooth form. They were +sorry, at first, that Mr. Somers had not left them the recipe for that +medicine, on account of the new little 'Possums that would be coming +along. But they didn't need the recipe. That medicine was strong enough, +the amount they took, to do our family at least a thousand generations, +and maybe more. Somers never came back, and they never heard of him +again. Some of my ancestors used to say that he was not a real person at +all, but something that could take different shapes and work magic, just +as Mr. Painter believed he did. Anyhow, he was a great blessing to our +family, as you may have noticed." + +Mr. 'Possum moved over to the Edge of the World in the sun, hooked his +tail about the same little bush, and went to sleep again. The other Deep +Woods people looked at the way he did it, as if it was something new +that they had never seen before. + +Mr. 'Coon said: "I think I'd like a little, just a little, of that +medicine; Mr. 'Possum's gift certainly would come handy at times." + +Mr. Squirrel nodded. + +Mr. Rabbit looked out over the Deep Nowhere, and said nothing at all. + + +THE END + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Obvious punctuation errors repaired. + +Duplicate chapter titles were removed. + +Illustrations were moved from their original locations to locations +nearer the caption text. + +Page 44, "an ice" changed to "a nice" (a nice little person) + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Mr. Turtle's Flying Adventure, by +Albert Bigelow Paine + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. TURTLE'S FLYING ADVENTURE *** + +***** This file should be named 28192-8.txt or 28192-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/8/1/9/28192/ + +Produced by David Edwards, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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