THE OPOSSUM. 453 



stand. It walks round the base of the huge trunk, over the snow-covered 

 roots, and among them finds an aperture, which it at once enters. Seve- 

 ral minutes elapse, when it re-appears, dragging along a squirrel already 

 deprived of life, with which in its mouth it begins to ascend the tree. 

 Slowly it climbs. The first fork does not seem to suit it, for perhaps it 

 thinks it might there be too openly exposed to the view of some wily foe, 

 and so it proceeds, until it gains a cluster of branches intertwined Avith 

 grape-vines, and there composing itself, it twists its tail round one of the 

 twigs, and with its sharp teeth demolishes the unlucky squirrel, which it 

 holds all the while with its fore paws. 



The pleasant days of spring have arrived, and the trees vigorously 

 shoot forth their buds ; but the opossum is almost bare, and seems nearly 

 exhausted by hunger. It visits the margins of creeks, and is pleased to 

 see the young frogs, which afford it a tolerable repast. Gradually the 

 poke-berry and the nettle shoot up, and on their tender and juicy stems 

 it gladly feeds. The matin calls of the Wild Turkey Cock delight the 

 ear of the cunning creature, for it well knows that it wiU soon hear the 

 female, and trace her to her nest, when it will suck the eggs with delight. 

 Travelling through the woods, perhaps on the ground, perhaps aloft, from 

 tree to tree, it hears a cock crow, and its heart swells as it remembers the 

 savoury food on which it regaled itself last summer in the neighbouring 

 farm-yard. With great care, however, it advances, and at last conceals 

 itself in the very hen-house. 



Honest farmer ! why did you kill so many crows last winter ? aye, 

 and ravens too .'' Well, you have had your own way of it ; but now hie 

 to the village and procure a store of ammunition, clean your rusty gun, 

 set your traps, and teach your lazy curs to watch the opossum. There 

 it comes ! The sun is scarcely down, but the appetite of the prowler is 

 keen ; hear the screams of one of your best chickens that has been seized 

 by him ! The cunning beast is off with it, and nothing now can be done, 

 unless you stand there to watch the fox or the owl, now exulting in the 

 thought that you have killed their enemy and your own friend, the poor 

 crow. That precious hen under which you last week placed a dozen eggs 

 or so, is now deprived of them. The opossum, notwithstanding her angry 

 outcries and rufflings of feathers, has removed them one by one ; and now, 

 look at the poor bird as she moves across your yard ; if not mad, she is at 

 least stupid, for she scratches here and there, calling to her chickens all 

 tlic while. All this comes from your shooting crows. Had you been 



