A STRANGE STORY. 69 



penetrating through the stuff of my waistcoat, and gnaw- 

 ing at something below my waist. ' This rascally animal 

 will spoil my pantaloons ! ' I extracted him from my 

 pocket, and holding him by the feet, I gave him a 

 blow with my fist on his little snout which would have 

 stunned an ox. ' Have you had enough, you scoundrel ? ' 

 cried I, flinging him over my shoulder. 



" Will you believe it, my dear? that abominable opossum 

 had not had enough, for he bit me in the ear. This time 

 I squeezed his sides, and I heard his bones crack ; then, 

 taking hold of him by the tail, lest he should dirty my 

 hands, I went on my way. But lo ! he made a sort of 

 summerset and bit my fingers ! Ah, well, as a punish- 

 ment for such misbehaviour, I first strangled him ; and 

 you may believe me if you like I would rather be hung 

 from the highest yard of the tallest ship in Bordeaux 

 harbour than stoop one inch to pick up another opossum !" 



This strange animal, indigenous to North America, be- 

 longs to the family of the Didelphidse. On first catching- 

 sight of him you would think he was wholly devoid of 

 instinct, while, on the contrary, he is as full of tricks as 

 the most cunning of foxes. The female opossum carries 

 a natural pouch, into which, at the least sign of danger, 

 her little ones fly for refuge ; and at the bottom of it are 

 placed the teats which provide them with nourishment. 

 Another peculiarity of the anatomical structure of these 

 animals is, that the first toe of their hind-feet has no nail, 

 and is separated from the others like the thumb of the 

 human hand ; while the other fingers, set close together, 

 are armed with long, crooked nails. 



Oil the subject of the opossum I was animated with 



