Uncle Jetliro, with Uncle Remus, gives Ei'er 

 Rabbit tlie wreath for craft ; biit in truth the 

 huirel belongs to Br'er Possum. He is an eter- 

 nal surprise. Either he is the most stupidly 

 wise animal of the woods, or the most wisely 



" He h;id Htojipeii for a 

 meal on his way out." 



stupid. He is a puzzle. Apparently liis one 

 unburied talent is heaviness. Joe, the fat boy, 

 was not a soiruder nor more constant sleeper, 

 nor was his mental machinery any slower than 

 the possum's. The little beast is utterlj' want- 

 ing in swiftness and wea])Ons, his sole hope and 

 defense being luck and indift'erence. To Inck 

 and indifference he trusts life and happiness. 

 And who can say he does not prosper — that he 

 does not roll in fat? 



I suppose there once were deer and ottei- in 

 [20] 



