100 



WINTER 



I didn't quite fancy pushing my hand down 

 through the burlap cover over the end of the keg ; 

 so I turned it upside down to spill the 'possum out, 



- and out she spilled and nine little 'possums with 

 her ! 



I had put in one and spilled out ten ! And this 

 proves again that the 'possum is peculiar. Nine of 

 these were babies that had been hidden from me and 

 the dog in their mother's pouch. 



Peculiar, too, was the history of one of these 

 nine young 'possums (the one we named "Pinky"). 

 For after Pinky 's mother choked to death on a 

 fish-bone, I gave all his brothers and sisters away, 

 and devoted myself to training Pinky up in the 

 way he should go. And strangely enough, when 



