didn't dare to breathe or make the least bit of noise, and just huddled
back in a corner close to the wall, and Mr. 'Possum all at once felt as
if he must sneeze right away, and Mr. 'Coon would have given anything to
be able to scratch his back, and Mr. Crow thought if he could only cough
once more and clear his throat he wouldn't care whether he had anything
to eat, ever again.
And Mr. Bear he came shuffling along toward the pantry with his candle
all tipped to one side, still rubbing his eyes and trying to wake up,
and everything was just as still as still--all except a little scratchy
sound his claws made dragging along the floor, though that wasn't a nice
sound for the Hollow Tree People to hear. And when he came to the pantry
door Mr. Bear pushed it open quite wide and was coming straight in, only
just then he caught his toe a little on the door-sill and _stumbled_ in,
and that was too much for Mr. 'Possum, who turned loose a sneeze that
shook the world.
Then Mr. Crow and Mr. 'Coon made a dive under Mr. Bear's legs, and Mr.
'Possum did too, and down came Mr. Bear and down came his candle, and
the candle went out, but not any quicker than the Hollow Tree People,
who broke for the cave door and slammed it behind them, and struck out
for the bushes as if they thought they'd never live to get there.
But when they got into some thick hazel brush they stopped a minute to
breathe, and then they all heard Mr. Bear calling "Help! Help!" as loud
as he could, and when they listened they heard him mention something
about an earthquake and that the world was coming to an end.
[Illustration: MR. COON SCRATCHED HIS BACK AGAINST A LITTLE BUSH]
Then Mr. 'Possum said that from the sound of Mr. Bear's voice he seemed
to be unhappy about something, and that it was too bad for them to just
pass right by without asking what was the trouble, especially if Mr.
Bear, who had always been so friendly, should ever hear of it. So then
they straightened their collars and ties and knocked the dust off a
little, and Mr. 'Coon scratched his back against a little bush and Mr.
Crow cleared his throat, and they stepped out of the hazel patch and
went up to Mr. Bear's door and pushed it open a little and called out:
"Oh, Mr. Bear, do you need any help?"
"Oh yes," groaned Mr. Bear, "come quick! I've been struck by an
earthquake and nearly killed, and everything I've got must be ruined.
Bring a light and look at my pantry!
"So then Mr. 'Coon ran with a splinter from Mr. Bear's fire and lit the
candle, and Mr. Bear got up, rubbing himself and taking on, and began
looking at his pantry shelves, which made him better right away.
"Oh," he said, "how lucky the damage is so small! Only two pies and a
partridge knocked down, and they are not much hurt. I thought everything
was lost, and my nerves are all upset when I was getting ready for my
winter sleep. How glad I am you happened to be passing. Stay with me,
and we will eat to quiet our nerves."
Then the Hollow Tree People said that the earthquake had made them
nervous too, and that perhaps a little food would be good for all of
them; so they flew around just as if they were at home, and brought Mr.
Bear's table right into the pantry, and some chairs, and set out the
very best things and told Mr. Bear to sit right up to the table and help
himself, and then all the others sat up, too, and they ate everything
clear through, from meat-pie in mince-pie, just as if Mr. 'Possum's
dream had really come true.
And Mr. Bear said he didn't understand how he could have such a good
appetite when he had such a big supper only two hours ago, and he said
that there must have been two earthquakes, because a noise of some kind
had roused him from a little nap he had been taking in his chair, but
that the real earthquake hadn't happened until he got to the pantry
door, where he stumbled a little, which seemed to touch it off. He said
he hoped he'd never live to go through with a thing like that again.
Then the Hollow Tree People said they had heard both of the shocks, and
that the last one was a good deal the worst, and that of course such a
thing would sound a good deal louder in a cave anyway. And by-and-by,
when they were all through eating, they went in by the fire and sat down
and smoked, and Mr. Bear said he didn't feel as sleepy as he thought he
should because he was still upset a good deal by the shock, but that he
guessed he would just crawl into bed while they were there, as it seemed
nice to have company.
So he did, and by-and-by he dropped off to sleep again, and the Hollow
Tree People borrowed a few things, and went out softly and shut the door
behind them. They stopped at Mr. Rabbit's house on the way home, and
told him they had enjoyed a nice breakfast with Mr. Bear, and how Mr.
Bear had sent a partridge and a pie and a little pot of honey to Mr.
Rabbit because of his fondness for the family. Then Mr. Rabbit felt
quite pleased, because it was too early for spring vegetables and hard
to get good things for the table.
"And did Mr. Bear sleep all summer?" asks the Little Lady.
"No, he woke up again pretty soon, for he had finished his nap, and of
course the next time when he looked around he found his fire out and the
candle burned down and the clock stopped, so he got up and went outside,
and saw it was spring and that he had slept a good deal longer than
usual. But when he went to eat his spring breakfast he couldn't
understand why he wasn't very hungry, and thought it must be because
he'd eaten two such big suppers.
"But why didn't the Hollow Tree People tell him it was spring and not
let him go to bed again?"
Well, I s'pose they thought it wouldn't be very polite to tell Mr. Bear
how he'd been fooled, and, besides, he needed a nice nap again after the
earthquake--anyhow, he thought it was an earthquake, and was a good deal
upset.
[Illustration: MR. RABBIT THANKED HIM FROM ACROSS THE RIVER]
And it was a long time before he found out what _had really_ happened,
and he never would have known, if Mr. Rabbit hadn't seen him fishing one
day and thanked him from across the river for the nice breakfast he had
sent him by the Hollow Tree People.
That set Mr. Bear to thinking, and he asked Mr. Rabbit a few questions
about things in general and earthquakes in particular, and the more he
found out and thought about it the more he began to guess just how it
was, and by-and-by when he did find out all about it, he didn't care any
more, and really thought it quite a good joke on himself for falling
asleep in his chair and sleeping there all winter long.
MR. CROW'S GARDEN
MR. CROW'S GARDEN
THE HOLLOW TREE PEOPLE LEARN HOW TO RAISE FINE VEGETABLES
One morning, right after breakfast in the Hollow Tree, Mr. Crow said
he'd been thinking of something ever since he woke up, and if the 'Coon
and the 'Possum thought it was a good plan he believed he'd do it. He
said of course they knew how good Mr. Rabbit's garden always was, and
how he nearly lived out of it during the summer, Mr. Rabbit being a good
deal of a vegetarian; by which he meant that he liked vegetables better
than anything, while the Hollow Tree People, Mr. Crow said, were a
little different in their tastes, though he didn't know just what the
name for them was. He said he thought they might be humanitarians,
because they liked the things that Mr. Man and other human beings liked,
but that he wasn't sure whether that was the right name or not.
Then Mr. 'Possum said for him to never mind about the word, but to go on
and talk about his plan if it had anything to do with something to eat,
for he was getting pretty tired of living on little picked-up things
such as they had been having this hard spring, and Mr. 'Coon said so
too. So then Mr. Crow said:
"Well, I've been planning to have a garden this spring like Mr.
Rabbit's."
"Humph!" said Mr. 'Possum, "I thought you were going to start a chicken
farm."
But Mr. Crow said "No," that the Big Deep Woods didn't seem a healthy
place for chickens, and that they could pick up a chicken here and there
by-and-by, and then if they had nice green pease to go with it, or some
green corn, or even a tender salad, it would help out, especially when
they had company like Mr. Robin, or Mr. Squirrel, or Mr. Rabbit, who
cared for such things.
So then the 'Coon and the 'Possum both said that to have green pease and
corn was a very good idea, especially when such things were mixed with
young chickens with plenty of dressing and gravy, and that as this was a
pleasant morning they might walk over and call on Jack Rabbit so that
the Old Black Crow could find out about planting things. Mr. 'Possum
said that his uncle Silas Lovejoy always had a garden, and he had worked
it a good deal when he was young, but that he had forgotten just how
things should be planted, though he knew the moon had something to do
with it, and if you didn't get the time right the things that ought to
grow up would grow down and the down things would all grow up, so that
you'd have to dig your pease and pick your potatoes when the other way
was the fashion and thought to be better in this climate.
So then the Hollow Tree People put on their things and went out into the
nice April sunshine and walked over to Jack Rabbit's house, saying how
pleasant it was to take a little walk this way when everything was
getting green, and they passed by where Mr. and Mrs. Robin were building
a new nest, and they looked in on a cozy little hollow tree where Mr.
Squirrel, who had just brought home a young wife from over by the Big
West Hills, had set up housekeeping with everything new except the
old-fashioned feather-bed and home-made spread which Miss Squirrel had
been given by her folks. They looked through Mr. Squirrel's house and
said how snug it was, and that perhaps it would be better not to try to
furnish it too much at once, as it was nice just to get things as one
was able, instead of doing everything at the start.
When they got to Mr. Rabbit's house he was weaving a rag carpet for his
front room, and they all stood behind him and watched him weave, and
by-and-by Mr. 'Coon wanted to try it, but he didn't know how to run the
treadle exactly, and got some of the strands too loose and some too
tight, so he gave it up, and they all went out to look at Mr. Rabbit's
garden.
Well, Mr. Rabbit did have a nice garden. It was all laid out in rows,
and was straight and trim, and there wasn't a weed anywhere. He had
things up, too--pease and lettuce and radishes--and he had some
tomato-plants growing in a box in the house, because it was too early to
put them out.
Mr. Rabbit said that a good many people bought their plants, but that he
always liked to raise his own from seed, because then he knew just what
they were and what to expect. He told them how to plant the different
things and about the moon, and said there was an old adage in his family
that if you remembered it you'd always plant at the right time. The
adage, he said, was:
"Pease and beans in the light of the moon--
Both in the pot before it's June."
And of course you only had to change "light" to "dark" and use it for
turnips and potatoes and such things, though really it was sometimes
later than June, but June was near enough, and rhymed with "moon" better
than July and August. He said he would give Mr. Crow all the seeds he
wanted, and that when he was ready to put out tomatoes he would let him
have plenty of plants too.
Then Mr. 'Coon said it would be nice to have a few flower seeds, and
they all looked at Mr. 'Coon because they knew he had once been in love,
and they thought by his wanting flowers that he might be going to get
that way again.
But Mr. Rabbit said he was fond of flowers, too, especially the
old-fashioned kind, and he picked out some for Mr. 'Coon; and then he
went to weaving again, and the Hollow Tree People watched him awhile,
and he pointed out pieces of different clothes he had had that he was
weaving into his carpet, and they all thought how nice it was to use up
one's old things that way.
Then by-and-by the Hollow Tree People went back home, and they began
their garden right away. It was just the kind of a day to make garden
and they all felt like it, so they spaded and hoed and raked, and didn't
find it very easy because the place had never been used for a garden
before, and there were some roots and stones; and pretty soon Mr.
'Possum said that Mr. Crow and Mr. 'Coon might go on with the digging
and he would plant the seeds, as he had been used to such work when he
lived with his uncle Silas as a boy.
[Illustration: ONE SAID IT WAS ONE WAY AND THE OTHER THE OTHER WAY]
So then he took the seeds, but he couldn't remember Mr. Rabbit's adages
which told whether beets and carrots and such things as grow below the
ground had to be planted in the dark of the moon or the light of the
moon, and it was the same about beans and pease and the things that
grow above the ground; and when he spoke to Mr. Crow and Mr. 'Coon about
it, one said it was one way and the other the other way, and then Mr.
'Possum said he wasn't planting the things in the moon anyhow, and he
thought Mr. Rabbit had made the adages to suit the day he was going to
plant and that they would work either way.
So then Mr. 'Possum planted everything there was, and showed Mr. 'Coon
how to plant his flower seeds; and when they were all done they stood
off and admired their nice garden, and said it was just about as nice as
Jack Rabbit's, and maybe nicer in some ways, because it had trees around
it and was a pleasant place to work.
Well, after that they got up every morning and went out to look at their
garden, to see if any of the things were coming up; and pretty soon they
found a good _many_ things coming up, but they were not in hills and
rows, and Mr. 'Possum said they were weeds, because he remembered that
Uncle Silas's weeds had always looked like those, and how he and his
little cousins had had to hoe them. So then they got their hoes and hoed
every morning, and by-and-by they had to hoe some during the day too, to
keep up with the weeds, and the sun was pretty hot, and Mr. 'Possum did
most of his hoeing over by the trees where it wasn't so sunny, and said
that hereafter he thought it would be a good plan to plant all their
garden in the shade.
And every day they kept looking for the seeds to come up, and by-and-by
a few did come up, and then they were quite proud, and went over and
told Jack Rabbit about it, and Mr. Rabbit came over to give them some
advice, and said he thought their garden looked pretty well for being
its first year and put in late, though it looked to him, he said, as if
some of it had been planted the wrong time of the moon, and he didn't
think so much shade was very good for most things.
But Mr. 'Possum said he'd rather have more shade and less things, and he
thought next year he'd let his part of the garden out on shares.
Well, it got hotter and hotter, and the weeds grew more and more, and
the Hollow Tree People had to work and hoe and pull nearly all day in
the sun to keep up with them, and they would have given it up pretty
soon, only they wanted to show Jack Rabbit that they could have a garden
too, and by-and-by, when their things got big enough to eat, they were
so proud that they invited Mr. Rabbit to come over for dinner, and they
sent word to Mr. Turtle, too, because he likes good things and lives
alone, not being a family man like Mr. Robin and Mr. Squirrel.
Now of course the Hollow Tree People knew that they had no such fine
things in their garden as Jack Rabbit had in his, and they said they
couldn't expect to, but they'd try to have other things to make up; and
Mr. Crow was cooking for two whole days getting his chicken-pies and his
puddings and such things ready for that dinner. And then when the
morning came for it he was out long before sun-up to pick the things in
the garden while they were nice and fresh, with the dew on them.
But when Mr. Crow looked over his garden he felt pretty bad, for, after
all, the new potatoes were little and tough, and the pease were small
and dry, and the beans were thin and stringy, and the salad was pretty
puny and tasteless, and the corn was just nubbins, because it didn't
grow in a very good place and maybe hadn't been planted or tended very
well. So Mr. Crow walked up and down the rows and thought a good deal,
and finally decided that he'd just take a walk over toward Jack Rabbit's
garden to see if Mr. Rabbit's things were really so much better after
all.
It was just about sunrise, and Mr. Crow knew Jack Rabbit didn't get up
so soon, and he made up his mind he wouldn't wake him when he got there,
but would just take a look over his nice garden and come away again. So
when he got to Mr. Rabbit's back fence he climbed through a crack, and
sat down in the weeds to rest a little and to look around, and he saw
that Mr. Rabbit's house was just as still and closed up as could be,
and no signs of Jack Rabbit anywhere.
So then Mr. Crow stepped out into the corn patch and looked along at the
rows of fine roasting ears, which made him feel sad because of those
little nubbins in his own garden, and then he saw the fine fat pease and
beans and salads in Jack Rabbit's garden, and it seemed to him that Mr.
Rabbit could never in the world use up all those things himself.
[Illustration: MR. CROW DECIDED TO THIN OUT A FEW OF JACK RABBIT'S
THINGS]
Then Mr. Crow decided that he would thin out a few of Jack Rabbit's
things, which seemed to be too thick anyway to do well. It would be too
bad to disturb Mr. Rabbit to tell him about it, and Mr. Crow didn't have
time to wait for him to get up if he was going to get his dinner ready
on time.
So Mr. Crow picked some large ears of corn and some of Mr. Rabbit's best
pease and beans and salads, and filled his apron with all he could
carry, and climbed through the back fence again, and took out for home
without wasting any more time. And when he got there Mr. 'Coon and Mr.
'Possum were just getting up, and he didn't bother to tell them about
borrowing from Mr. Rabbit's garden, but set out some breakfast, and as
soon as it was over pitched in to get ready for company. Mr. 'Coon and
Mr. 'Possum flew around, too, to make the room look nice, and by-and-by
everything was ready, and the table was set, and the Hollow Tree People
were all dressed up and looking out the window.
Then pretty soon they saw Mr. Turtle coming through the timber, and just
then Jack Rabbit came in sight from the other direction. Mr. Turtle had
brought a basket of mussels, which always are nice with a big dinner,
like oysters, and Mr. Rabbit said he would have brought some things out
of his garden, only he knew the Hollow Tree People had a garden, too,
this year, and would want to show what they could do in that line
themselves. He said he certainly must take a look at their garden
because he had heard a good deal about it from Mr. Robin.
Then Mr. Crow felt a little chilly, for he happened to think that if Mr.
Rabbit went out into their garden and then saw the fine things which
were going to be on the table he'd wonder where they came from. So he
said right away that dinner was all ready, and they'd better sit down
while things were hot and fresh.
Then they all sat down, and first had the mussels which Mr. Turtle had
brought, and there were some fine sliced tomatoes with them, and Mr.
Rabbit said he hadn't supposed that such fine big tomatoes as those
could come out of a new garden that had been planted late, and that he
certainly must see the vines they came off of before he went home,
because they were just as big as his tomatoes, if not bigger, and he
wanted to see just how they could do so well.
And Mr. Crow felt _real_ chilly, and Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum both
said they hadn't supposed their tomatoes were so big and ripe, though
they hadn't looked at them since yesterday. But Mr. Rabbit said that a
good many things could happen over night, and Mr. Crow changed the
subject as quick as he could, and said that things always looked bigger
and better on the table than they did in the garden, but that he'd
picked all the real big, ripe tomatoes and he didn't think there'd be
any more.
Then after the mussels they had the chicken-pie, and when Mr. Rabbit saw
the vegetables that Mr. Crow served with it he looked at them and said:
"My, what fine pease and beans, and what splendid corn! I am sure your
vegetables are as good as anything in my garden, if not better. I
certainly _must see_ just the spot where they grew. I would never have
believed you could have done it, never, if I hadn't seen them right here
on your table with my own eyes."
Then Mr. Turtle said they were the finest he ever tasted, and Mr.
'Possum and Mr. 'Coon both said they wouldn't have believed it
themselves yesterday, and it was wonderful how much everything had grown
over night. Then the Old Black Crow choked a little and coughed, and
said he didn't seem to relish his food, and pretty soon he said that of
course their garden _had_ done _pretty_ well, but that it was about
through now, as these were things he had been saving for this dinner,
and he had gathered all the biggest and best of them this morning before
Mr. 'Possum and Mr. 'Coon were up.
When Mr. Crow said that, Jack Rabbit looked the other way and made a
very queer face, and you might have thought he was trying to keep from
laughing if you had seen him, but maybe he was only trying to keep from
coughing, for pretty soon he did cough a little and said that the early
morning was the proper time to gather vegetables; that one could always
pick out the best things then, and do it quietly before folks were up.
Then Mr. Crow felt a cold, shaky chill that went all the way up and
down, and he was afraid to look up, though of course he didn't believe
Mr. Rabbit knew anything about what he had done, only he was afraid that
he would look so guilty that everybody would see it. He said that his
head was a little dizzy with being over the hot stove so much, and he
hoped they wouldn't think of going out until the cool of the evening, as
the sun would be too much for him, and of course he wanted to be with
them.
[Illustration: BRING ON THE SALAD]
Poor Mr. Crow was almost afraid to bring on the salad, but he was just
as afraid not to. Only he did wish he had picked out Mr. Rabbit's
smallest bunches instead of his biggest ones, for he knew there were no
such other salads anywhere as those very ones he had borrowed from Mr.
Rabbit's garden. But he put it off as long as he could, and by-and-by
Jack Rabbit said that there was one thing he was sure the Hollow Tree
couldn't beat him on, and that was salad. He said he had never had such
fine heads as he had this year, and that there were a few heads
especially that he had been saving to show his friends. Then the 'Coon
and 'Possum said "No," their salads were not very much, unless they had
grown a great deal over night, like the other things--and when Mr. Crow
got up to bring them he walked wobbly, and everybody said it was too bad
that Mr. Crow _would_ always go to so much trouble for company.
Well, when he came in with that bowl of salad and set it down, Mr.
Turtle and Jack Rabbit said, "Did you ever in your life!" But Mr.
'Possum and Mr. 'Coon just sat and looked at it, for they thought it
couldn't be true.
Then pretty soon Mr. Rabbit said that he would take back everything he
had told them about his salad, and that he was coming over to take some
lessons from the Hollow Tree People, and especially from Mr. Crow, on
how to raise vegetables. He said that there were a good many ways to
raise vegetables--some raised them in a garden; some raised them in a
hothouse; some raised them in the market; but that Mr. Crow's way was
the best way there was, and he was coming over to learn it. He said they
must finish their dinner before dark, for he certainly must _see_ just
where _all_ Mr. Crow's wonderful things came from.
Then Mr. Crow felt the gray spot on his head getting a good deal grayer,
and he dropped his knife and fork, and swallowed two or three times, and
tried to smile, though it was a sickly smile. He said that Mr. Rabbit
was very kind, but that Mr. 'Possum and Mr. 'Coon had done a good deal
of the work, too.
But Jack Rabbit said "No," that nobody but an industrious person like
Mr. Crow could have raised _those_ vegetables--a person who got up
early, he said, and was used to taking a little trouble to get the best
things.
Then Mr. Crow went after the dessert, and was glad enough that there
were no more vegetables to come, especially of that kind.
And Mr. Rabbit seemed to forget about looking at the garden until they
were all through, and then he said that before they went outside he
would read a little poem he had composed that morning lying in bed and
looking at the sunrise across his own garden. He said he called it:
ME AND MY GARDEN
Oh, it's nice to have a garden
On which to put my labors.
It's nice to have a garden
Especially for my neighbors.