The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-06-22
TRICKS OF THE oeossuM.
How q Well Known Expression Origl
mated,


mated.
Perhaps every human being who
speaks or understands the English Ian,
guage, has frequently heard the ex.
preston, playing 'possum," but also
perhaps not one in a hundred knows
how it originated or what it has espe.
cial reference to. 1t is natural freak
of the opossum, or 'possum, night,
prowling little animal very common in
this country, and seems to be its prin.
cipal weapon of defense when danger
approaches and it cannot get away. II
defends itself by becoming entirely
submissive, as it neither fights nor runs
away, but drops dead in its tracks to
all appearances, and remains as still
as death until the last enemy disap.
pears, when it comes suddenly to life
and gets a lively move on it--for a
'possum. Not long since some chill
dren, acquaintance of the writer,
were visiting at a neighbor's, and re-
turning after nightfall through a
piece of wood with their dogs, came
across 'possum so suddenly as to give
him no chance to get away, and 1t
therefore dropped, as they thought,
dead. However, they carried it home
and shut it up for the night BY morn
ing it had ceased to play dead but was
playing the afflicted 'possum to perfec-
ton, so much SO that the folks con-
cluded he was badly hurt, or really
sick, and with but little life left in It,
and having compassion on it. concluded
to give it the freedom of the yard
for the benefit of its health. The
change was cial--immediateiy
so, for just as soon as Mr.. 'Posstm
found himself free, and all eyes turfed
away from him, it became at once the
healthiest, most animated, and live
lest of its kind, and before any one
was aware of it was skipping away at
such rate that he could not be over
taken, and made good its escape.
They seem to have no disposition to
bite, although we'll fixed for it The
writer once found one in a snare which
had been set for catching rabbits. The
snare pole was too slender toraiseet
off the ground, and so it was resting in
a half-reclining position, with the
string around it's neck. to alllappear-
ance dead, when l approached it.
Surprising it dead | proceeded to UNI
loop the string from around is neck
without care. After getting 1 out it
was discovered that it was net dead,
nor even hurt, but had been Engaged
in cutting the string above the loop,
and if had been few minutes later
would have been free, or If it had been
aggressive and bit me while fixing it
ont of the trap would probably have
given it its freedom without further
parley, as it would have taken me by
surprise. Although playing lead 1t
will be observed that they watch you
very closely through their hall -closed,
keen little eyes. In carrying them, by
the tail of course, they keep rigid
hook-lille curl on the end of the tail,
evidently to sustain or catch them
selves by in case of fall. They also
raise their heads and keep theif noses
between their fore legs, seemingly to
avoid the bad effects of the blood run,
ming to the head. These manifesto.
tions are proof of life and not death.
but the 'possum seems not to under>.
stand that, and so furnishes the evil
dence of life while feigning DEATH
Mocha meal NavS