IS7 



THE OPOSSUM FAMILY 



Mother Opossum had chosen a curious place 

 for her home. It was an old, unused barrel in 

 the corner of a shipyard. There she lived very 

 quietly for nobody knows how long, in spite of the 

 noise and clangor all about. 



She came out only at night, and then the ship 

 yard was deserted. Everything lay as silent anc 

 lonely as in the deep forest. More silent, indeed, 

 for in the woods there would have been the rustling" 

 of the leaves. Here there was nothing but the 

 footsteps of the night watchmen sounding now and 

 then througfh the stillness. 



At first Mother 'Possum was very timid and 

 watchful, but after awhile, as nothing happened to 

 frighten her, she grew bolder. She would come 

 out and wander off on quite long journeys in search 

 of food. She was always careful, however, to be 

 at home before the daylight came, or the workmen 

 were back at their toil. 



