"Take care!" barked back her husband, "or I'll bring you off that branch
pretty quickly."

"You'd better try!" sneered his wife. "Remember how I landed you into the
billabong the other night!"

The taunt was too much for the Opossum on the branch; he scuttled up the
tree to reach his mate, who sprang forward from her perch into the air.
Dot saw her spring with her legs all spread out, so that the skinny flaps
were like furry wings. By this means she was able to break her fall, and
softly alighting on the earth, a moment after, she had scrambled up
another tree, followed by her mate. From tree to tree, from branch to
branch, they fled or pursued one another, with growls, screams, and
splutters, until they disappeared from sight.

"How unhappy those poor Opossums must be, living in the same tree," said
Dot; "why don't they live in different trees?"

"They wouldn't be happy," observed the Koala, "they are so fond of one
another."

"Then why do they quarrel?" asked Dot.

"Because they live in the same tree of course," said the Koala. "If they
lived in different trees, and never quarrelled, they wouldn't like it at
all. They'd find life dull, and they'd get sulky. There's nothing worse
than a sulky possum. They are champions at that."

"They make a dreadful noise with their quarrelling," said Dot. "They are