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in the depth of a wood, he stopped the horse, 

 lifted out the bag, untied the fastening, and 

 gently shook Mother 'Possum and her brood out 

 upon the ground. 



For a little while they stood as though dazed by 

 their long ride, or perhaps not believing freedom 

 was really offered to them; but, at last, first one 

 and then another crept away through the under- 

 brush, going faster and faster as they felt them- 

 selves getting out of reach. 



When the last one had disappeared, the young 

 man got Into the wagon, and drove slowly back 

 the way he had come, — back to his room, where 

 the empty cage awaited him, and the rope that 

 would never again be clasped by the little 'possums' 

 tails as they swung there in a row. 



POLLY 



Paulina was a parrot. Paulina was her name, 

 but she was always called Polly. 



Paulina's mistress had had a great many parrots, 

 but they had all died. Then Polly was sent to her. 



Polly was a beautiful bird. She was of a soft, 

 gray color, all except her tail ; that was red — a 



