The night was warm in the Hollow Tree. Jack Rabbit and Mr. Turtle, who
had been spending the evening with the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old
Black Crow, had hurried off to their homes, so as to get there before
the rain set in.
They had all stood by an open parlor window and seen it coming over the
Big West Hills, and the visitors knew they'd catch it if they didn't
hurry. Mr. Crow and the others had watched them down stairs, and called
to Jack Rabbit to push in the latch string, which would fasten the door
from the outside. Then Mr. 'Possum had taken his candle, and Mr. 'Coon
had taken his candle, and Mr. Crow had taken his candle, and each had
gone up to his own room and scrambled into bed quick, so's to be able to
cover up his head when it thundered.
Well, they hadn't any more than all gone to bed before Mr. Crow suddenly
happened to remember that, being in such a hurry, none of them had
thought to close the parlor window, and it would rain in as sure as the
world. There was a little table close to the window, with some of his
best things on it, too, and if it rained in they would all get wet and
be spoiled. He thought about this twice, and maybe more than twice, and
the more he thought about it the less he wanted to get up and close that
window. Then, all at once, there came a flash of lightning and low
growling thunder. Down he bobbed under the covers, and this made him
want to get up less than ever. He knew, though, that it would be raining
hard pretty soon, and spoiling his things. He had to do something right
off.
So, after thinking a minute, he sat up in bed and called out:
"Oh, Mr. 'Coon! You forgot to close the parlor window. It will rain in
on your things."
But Mr. 'Coon called back:
"It won't hurt MY things, Mr. Crow. They're over on the other side of
the room."
And Mr. 'Possum, who was sitting up in bed, too, listened and laughed in
the dark.
But just then there was another flash of lightning, and Mr. Crow bobbed
down, and Mr. 'Coon bobbed down, and Mr. 'Possum bobbed down, so's not
to hear the thunder. Then, pretty soon, Mr. Crow sat up in bed again and
called out:
"Oh, Mr. 'Possum! You forgot to close the parlor window. It will rain in
on your things."
But Mr. 'Possum called back:
"It won't hurt MY things, Mr. Crow. They're all over by the stairs."
And Mr. 'Coon, who was sitting up in bed, listened and laughed in the
dark, too.
Then for a minute Mr. Crow didn't know but that he'd have to go down and
shut that window himself, after all. And while he was thinking how much
he didn't want to, there came another flash of lightning, brighter than
ever, and Mr. Crow and Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum all bobbed down again
and covered up their heads, so's not to hear the thunder. But Mr. Crow
heard it a little, anyway, and it set him to thinking. So when he sat up
again he called out:
"Oh, Mr. 'Coon, did Jack Rabbit push in the latch string down stairs?"
And Mr. 'Coon called back:
"I s'pose so, Mr. Crow. You told him to. Why?"
"Oh, nothing, only he left in a great hurry, and I thought maybe he
didn't get it quite in."
And Mr. 'Possum listened again, but this time he didn't laugh.
Then Mr. Crow called out to him, too:
"Oh, Mr. 'Possum, did Mr. Rabbit push in the latch string when he left?"
And Mr. 'Possum called back:
"I don't know, Mr. Crow. But you told him to. Why?"
"Oh, nothing; only I heard something just now that sounded like Mr. Dog
barking and coming this way."
And Mr. 'Coon listened again, too, but he didn't laugh any this time,
either.
And just then there was another flash of lightning, a good deal brighter
than any of the other flashes, and down went Mr. Crow again, and down
went Mr. 'Coon again, and down went Mr. 'Possum again, so's not to hear
it thunder. But they did hear it, even under the bedclothes, and being
covered up that way, and thinking about Mr. Dog anyhow, made it sound to
them exactly like Mr. Dog's voice barking and growling, and coming
closer and closer and closer.
And when Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum heard that they didn't wait another
minute. They just threw back the covers, both of them, and piled out of
bed and made a rush for that down stairs door, as if Mr. Dog was right
behind them, sure enough. And of course neither one knew the other had
started, and when they got to the head of the stairs they bumped
together in the dark, and down they went, over and over, to the bottom.
There was a little flash of lightning just as they got there, and they
saw that Mr. Rabbit had pushed in the latch string after all.
Then they felt foolish, and each began to blame the other for making him
fall down stairs, and both of them said they knew all the time the door
was fastened, and that they weren't afraid of Mr. Dog, anyway. They'd
only got up, they said, to shut the parlor window, and they did shut
it, both together, as they came back. Then they ran up to their beds
quick, while Mr. Crow, who had been listening all the time, laid down
and rolled over and laughed and laughed in the dark.
And just then there came another big, bright flash, and down under the
covers went all three of them, so's not to hear it thunder. They stayed
under a good while that time, and when they put their heads out again
the shower had commenced, and the thunder was passing over.
So then, pretty soon, the 'Possum and the 'Coon and the Old Black Crow
all dropped off to sleep to the sound of the rain falling among the
leaves and branches of the Hollow Tree.