Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace
Joel Chandler Harris | Southern United States
Mr. Possum and Mr. Coon face Mr. Dog, revealing Mr. Possum's ticklish defense and teaching Mr. Coon about different kinds of bravery.
Once upon a time, in a big forest, lived two friends: Mr. Possum and Mr. Coon. They liked to walk around the woods at night, enjoying the fresh air and finding yummy fruits and bugs to eat.
One evening, after eating a tasty dinner of fried greens, Mr. Possum and Mr. Coon decided to explore the forest. Mr. Coon walked quickly and steadily, while Mr. Possum ran beside him, both very happy. As they walked, Mr. Coon picked up frogs and tadpoles, and Mr. Possum found sweet persimmons to eat.
Suddenly, they heard Mr. Dog barking far away. Mr. Coon was a bit scared and asked, "What will we do if Mr. Dog finds us, Mr. Possum?"
Mr. Possum smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll stay with you!"
Soon, Mr. Dog came running through the bushes, very fast. He saw Mr. Possum and Mr. Coon and started to attack. Mr. Possum quickly pretended to be very scared and fell down, playing dead. Mr. Dog thought Mr. Possum was really dead and went after Mr. Coon.
But Mr. Coon was strong and ready to fight. He fought Mr. Dog bravely. After a short fight, Mr. Dog realized he couldn't win and ran away into the woods.
When it was safe again, Mr. Possum got up, smiling because he was not hurt at all. They continued their adventure, but Mr. Coon was now thinking that Mr. Possum was a coward for playing dead instead of fighting.
The next time they met, Mr. Coon was not friendly. Mr. Possum felt sad and asked, "Why are you being mean to me, Mr. Coon?"
Mr. Coon said, "I don't want to be friends with cowards who play dead in a fight."
Mr. Possum laughed and said, "Oh, Mr. Coon, you think I was really scared? I was just waiting for the right moment to help you! I'm not afraid of a fight; I just can’t stand being tickled! When Mr. Dog touched my ribs, it tickled me so much that I laughed and couldn't move to help you fight. Believe me, if it weren’t for that, I would have joined the fight and helped you chase him away even faster!"
Mr. Coon was not sure if he believed Mr. Possum, but he was amused. He learned that Mr. Possum had his own way of dealing with danger, and sometimes, what looks like fear can actually be a clever plan.
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