"Who is your comp'ny, Mr. Crow?"
"Oh, just home folks. Nobody but Mr. Dog. We've got fried chicken and
it's all on the table."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Crow, but comp'ny just came here, too, and I'd have to
bring him along."
"Who is it, Mr. 'Coon?"
"Only home folks. Just Mr. Hawk run in for the evening."
[Illustration: MR. CROW NEARLY FELL OVER BACKWARD.]
Mr. Crow nearly fell over backward when he heard that. He had stolen
some of Mr. Hawk's chickens the day before, and the 'Coon knew about it.
The Hawk would surely know the flavor of his own chickens if he came
down, and, anyhow, Mr. 'Coon would tell him. So he called out just as
quick as lightning:--
"Table's all full and no room for more! Table's all full and no room for
more!"
Then he hurried right back to Mr. Dog and told him not to wait, because
Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum could not come, and Mr. Dog laughed and
pitched into the fried chicken and said it was the best joke and the
best chicken he had ever heard of. But the Crow some way did not think
it was as good a joke as he had expected and could not eat his supper
for looking up at the doors where the 'Possum and the 'Coon were.
By and by, when Mr. Dog had finished his supper and had a smoke, he said
he guessed his folks would be looking for him and that he would have to
go. Then the Crow nearly had a fit and begged and begged him to spend
the evening. He said Mr. Dog came so seldom that he ought to stay, now
he was there, so at last Mr. Dog sat down again and said he might as
well sit a little longer, he s'posed.
[Illustration: MR. CROW TALKED AND TOLD STORIES.]
Well, the Crow talked and talked and told stories and got Mr. Dog to
telling stories, too, and once he slipped around behind Mr. Dog while he
was talking away and put the clock back, but it didn't do any good. Mr.
Dog said by and by that he was obliged to go and that he was afraid now
he would be locked out when he got home. So the Crow thought as quick as
he could and called out loud:--
"Time comp'ny was going home! Time comp'ny was going home!"
But the 'Possum called back that his comp'ny wasn't in any hurry. And
the Coon called back that his comp'ny wasn't in any hurry either.
Then Mr. Crow was in a bad fix. He hopped around first on one foot and
then on the other while Mr. Dog was putting on his things, and as soon
as he was gone he skipped right up into his own room and locked the door
tight.
Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum were looking out of their windows and saw Mr.
Dog outside as he lit his pipe and marched off laughing. And the 'Coon
and 'Possum laughed, too, for they hadn't had any company at all, but
had been making believe all the time. Then they unbarred their doors and
went down into the parlor, where there was a lot of the supper left, and
sat down and passed the fried chicken across to each other and laughed
some more and said Mr. Crow was certainly a mighty good cook.
"Didn't they give the Crow any?" asked the Little Lady, who had been so
still that the Story Teller believed her asleep.
Pretty soon they did. They said it was too bad to punish him any longer,
so they went up to his door, and the 'Possum knocked and said:--
"Better come down to supper, Mr. Crow. Comp'ny's all gone!"