New Britain herald., 1928-11-21
| BURGESS BEpIl4lE S1oRESS' }
 k$ k$s .xz<(|&1 ]
Mir. I'OssuIM shows Off His Tail
By Thornton W. Burgess

That good for you, with me might
 fail:
 Each needs his own peculiar tail.
 -Unc Billy Possum
 Rusty the Fox Squirrel was feel ing better now. He was outside that hollow tree in which he had been trapped by the Possum whose home it was. He was outside and so no longer worried. Now fear had given way to curiosity. Yes, indeed, fear had given way to curiosity. Ills Aas curious about that tail that Mir. Pos sum possessed. He was so proud of His oW4F tail and he found it so use ,iGl that he couldn't imagine Mir. Possum's queer tail with no hair on it as being useful at all Back in the Green Forest, from which Rusty ]; had made a lcng journey, he had met Inc Billy Possum. but never : had been really acquainted with s him. He had never noticed Cnc; : Bills tail. which was exactly like 4 the tail of the Mir. Possum whom !, he had just met. So Rusty had been :. asking questions.
 / Now, Mir. Possum had recovered 4 from his anger over having had his Y home occupied by Rusty and had listened with some amusement to z Rusty as he bragged about his own 4 beautiful tail. Your tail may suit yo'. Mir. Squirrel said he, but An wouldn't have such d tail as that Ah don't jump from tree to tree. so Ah don't need anything to balance me. An don't sit up to eat, so An <, don't need a tail to shut off the !, wind. An wouldn't have such tail as yours if Old Mother Nature would give it to me. An wants a tail that {. kind of tail Ah has"
 s Rusty looked at that bare. taper ing tail. and for the life of him he z couldn't see Of what possible usc il v could be. He said so. Mr. possum $ small eyes tWinkled.
 "Ah will show you said he. "Yo. sec that tree right over there. That s persimmon tree. Ans right fond v of persimmons. To watch me get some of those persimmons."
 Mr. Possum climbed down from the tree in which. he and Rusty 1 were sitting and leisurcly went over 10 the persimmon tree. Up this he climbed. By and by he got out to ' where the branches were small. I :; began to wonder if MT possum 7 wasn't in danger Of falling Then he made q discovery. That queer tail was wrapped around one of those small branches. It vas , wrapped around that branch tightly. MT. Possum let go with both his forefeet and reached out to pick Il persimmon. He didn't fall. because hn was held in place by that tail. He picked the persimmon an1 ate il. He smackcd his lips over it. Then he discovered particularly nic" perslmmon hanging from g branch q little below if. II" couldn't reach if. although he tried. Then ho did what to Rusty was an aStonishing z thing. II" let go entirely with his forefeot and hung head down. so that he had hold Of that branch only with his hindfeet and his tail. Rusty saw right away how very handy that tail was. He oven lot go with one hindfoot. Then he reached 7. and stretched and stretched and reached until finally he got hold uf that p"rsirnmon. Then he pulled himself back upon f hat branch. He looked over at Eusty.
 What do yo' think now. Erer Squirrel. about nah tail? ?" he in- uuirod.
 Its q splendid taIl' replied Rusty. Fl wish I had q tail like it."
 MT. FoSsum gave 2 pleased sort Of chrlclle. "Yo' wouldn't like i'." , said he '.It is all right fo' In" l,1I' yo' wouldn't have any ris' 'hr II Th" kind oi q tail yo' no"d, you'vo gpt. The kind Of a tail An need An have. But don't make fun Of any body's tail Find out about things before yo' make fun of them"