said
he brought an important order from the council that everybody must
get married without delay. So the chief called the people together
and told them the message from the council. Every animal took a
mate at once, and the Rabbit got a wife.
The Possum traveled so slowly that he got there after all the animals
had mated, leaving him still without a wife. The Rabbit pretended to
feel sorry for him and said. "Never mind. I'll carry the message to
the people in the next settlement, and you hurry on as fast as you can,
and this time you will get your wife."
So he went on to the next town, and the Possum followed close after
him. But when the Rabbit got to the townhouse he sent out the word
that, as there had been peace solong that everybody was getting lazy
the council had ordered that there must be war at once and they must
begin right in the townhouse. So they all began fighting, but the
Rabbit made four great leaps and got away just as the Possum came
in. Everybody jumped on the Possum, who had not thought of bring-
ing his weapons on a wedding trip, and so could not defend himself.
They had nearly beaten the life out of him when he fell over and pre-
tended to be dead until lie saw a good chance to jump up and get away.
The Possum never got a wife, but he remembers the lesson, and ever
since he shuts his eyes and pretends to be dead when the hunter has
him in a close corner.
23. THE RABBIT DINES THE BEAR
The