Brown's boy caught me," explained Unc' Billy. "Of course he' wouldn't
kill a daid Possum. So when he tossed me down on the chopping-block
and turned his back, Ah just naturally came to life again, and here
Ah am."

Unc' Billy Possum grinned broader than ever, and Jimmy Skunk grinned,
too.




III

UNC' BILLY POSSUM SENDS FOR HIS FAMILY


The news that Unc' Billy Possum wasn't dead at all but was back in his
hollow tree in the Green Forest soon spread through all the Green
Forest and over the Green Meadows. Everybody hastened to pay their
respects, that is everybody but Reddy Fox. Unc' Billy and his partner,
Jimmy Skunk, told every one who called how Reddy Fox had thought that
Unc' Billy was a ghost and had been frightened almost to death, so
that he ran away as fast as his legs could take him. Unc' Billy
grinned as he told how Reddy had sat under the hollow tree and tried
to sing because he was so glad that Unc' Billy was dead, and all the
little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows laughed until
their sides ached when in a funny, cracked voice Unc' Billy sang the
song for them.

Thereafter whenever one of them caught sight of Reddy Fox at a safe