382 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



long dose times I " and Mammy broke into a mellow 

 laugh. 



" Then Mr. Branscomb protected Possums on his 

 plantation?" said Mr. Blake. 



"Doan know if he call it pertected. All he says 

 was — ' Doan let mc ketch none o' you boys a touchin' 

 Possums till de corn's ripe. If dey need killin', I kin 

 ten' to it myself till den.' 



" One day he come roun' to de cabin and he says : 

 'Doan you know dat little Possums lias big 'lashuns dat 

 lib down Australy way, what carries dere babies in a 

 big apron pocket, jest like Possum does, and am bigger 

 dan a man, and jump, jump 'long on hind legs quicker 

 dan Rabbits run ? Well, den, you listen I Dis big cousin 

 he swim ober sea and come here visitin' litle cousin 

 along in spring and summer, and if he find niggers 

 chasin' lit'le cousin in de woods, he put dem niggers in 

 his pocket and carry dem off wif him. Hims name 

 K-a-n-of-a-r-o-o I ' Lan ' ! how jNIassa roll dat word out 

 long ! And dough we know he were a foolin' o' us wid 

 stories, we didn't go in dem woods dose times nebber ! 



''Now de Possum am a cunnin' lit'le fellar, not much 

 bigger dan a cat. He got bright lit'le eyes an' a white 

 face and a snout mos' like a pig. He got a soft co't, 

 some sho't brown fur, and some long and white, only it 

 don't lie soft like cat fur ; it all stick up and rumfles. 

 His four legs has got hands on all ob dem, instead o' 

 feet, and he can climb like de mischief. He hab got 

 anoder han' too, a 1-o-n-g rat tail, dat curl roun' like er 

 snake. It holes on jest like it war a han', and Possum 

 wind it roun' der branch and hang hisself down and go 

 mos' ter sleep. 



