would. He couldn't very well have helped it, those tracks were so
very plain to be seen.

That had been a long, hard, anxious journey for Unc' Billy from Farmer
Brown's hen-house to the Green Forest. The snow was so deep that he
could hardly wade through it. When he reached that hollow tree, he was
so tired that it was all he could do to climb it. Of course it wasn't
his own hollow tree, where old Mrs. Possum and the eight little
Possums lived. He knew better than to go there, leaving a plain track
for Farmer Brown's boy to follow. So he had been very thankful to
climb up this hollow tree. And, just as he had feared, there was
Farmer Brown's boy.

Chop, chop, chop! The snow was covered with chips now. Chop, chop,
chop! The tree began to shiver and then to shake. Cra-a-ck! With a
great crash over it went!

Bowser the Hound barked excitedly, and with Farmer Brown's boy rushed
to the hollow near the top to catch Mr. Possum, if he should run out.
But he didn't run out. Farmer Brown's boy rapped on the tree with the
handle of his axe, but no one ran out.

"I guess he's playing dead," said Farmer Brown's boy, and began to
split open the tree, so as to get into the hollow. And as he chopped,
he began to sing again. Pretty soon he had split the tree wide open.
In the bottom of the hollow was an old nest of Chatterer the Red
Squirrel, and that was all. Farmer Brown's boy rubbed his eyes and
stared and stared and stared. There were Unc' Billy's tracks leading
straight up to that tree and none leading away. Did that Possum have
wings?