"Old Mother Nature's eyes twinkled. She sat down beside Mr. Coon and
asked him all about his affairs, just as if she didn't know all about
them already. She told him how pleased she was to find him so neat and
clean, and Mr. Coon just tingled all over with pleasure. At last she
got up to go, and her eyes twinkled more than ever, as she said:

"'By the way, Mr. Coon, I am so pleased with your neatness that I am
leaving you a reward. I hope you will like it.'

"Mr. Coon didn't see any reward, but he thanked her just the same, and
Old Mother Nature went on her way. Mr. Coon watched her out of sight.
Then he sat down on the old log again and scratched his head
thoughtfully as he looked this way and that.

"'I wonder what she meant by reward. I don't see any anywhere,' he
said to himself.

"By and by he just happened to glance at his tail. 'Oh!' cried Mr.
Coon, and then for a long time he couldn't say another word, but just
looked and looked with shining eyes and such a queer feeling of
happiness in his heart. You see, Old Mother Nature had left a
beautiful, broad, black ring around his tail. Mr. Coon couldn't do
anything the rest of that day but look at and admire that ring, until
his neck ached from twisting it around so long.

"After that he was neater than ever, you may be sure, and the next
time Old Mother Nature came around, she left another handsome black
ring on his tail, because he hadn't grown careless, but had kept up
his good habits.