IN WHICH THE READER LEARNS TO KNOW THE HOLLOW TREE PEOPLE AND THEIRFRIENDS, AND THE LITTLE LADY, AND THE STORY TELLER
NOW this is the beginning of the Hollow Tree stories which the StoryTeller told the Little Lady in the queer old house which stands in thevery borders of the Big Deep Woods itself. They were told in the Room ofthe Lowest Ceiling and the Widest Fire--a ceiling so low that when theStory Teller stands upright it brushes his hair as he walks, and a fireso deep that pieces of large trees do not need to be split but can beput on whole. In the old days, several great-grandfathers back, as theHollow Tree People might say, these heavy sticks were drawn in by ahorse that came right through the door and dragged the wood to the widestone hearth.
It is at the end of New-Year's Day, and the Little Lady has beenenjoying her holidays, for Santa Claus found his way down the big stonechimney and left a number of things she wanted. Now, when the night iscoming down outside, and when inside there is a heap of blazing logs anda rocking-chair, it is time for the Story Teller. The Story Tellergenerally smokes and looks into the fire when he tells a Hollow Treestory, because the Hollow Tree People always smoke and look into thefire when _they_ tell _their_ stories, and the Little Lady likeseverything to be "just the same," and the stories must be always toldjust the same, too. If they are not, she stops the Story Teller and setshim right. So while the Little Woman passes to and fro, putting away thetea-things, the Story Teller lights his pipe, and rocks, and looks intothe fire, and holds the Little Lady close, and begins the Tales of theHollow Tree.
"Once upon a time," he begins--
"Once upon a time," murmurs the Little Lady, settling herself.
"Yes, once upon a time, in the old days of the Hollow Tree, when Mr. Doghad become friends with the 'Coon and the 'Possum and the Old Black Crowwho lived in the three hollow branches of the Big Hollow Tree, and usedto meet together in their parlor-room down-stairs and invite all theirfriends, and have good times together, just like folk--"
"But they live there now, don't they?" interrupts the Little Lady,suddenly sitting up, "and still have their friends, just the same?"
"Oh yes, of course, but this was one of the old times, you know."
The Little Lady settles back, satisfied.
"Go on telling, now," she says.
"Well, then, this was one of the times when all the Deep Woods Peoplehad been invited to the Hollow Tree for Christmas Day, and were snowedin. Of course they didn't expect to be snowed in. Nobody ever expects tobe snowed in till it happens, and then it's too late."
"Was that the Christmas that Mr. Dog played Santa Claus and brought allthe presents, and Mr. Squirrel and Mr. Robin and Mr. Turtle and JackRabbit came over, and they all sat around the fire and ate things andtold nice stories? You said you would tell about that, and you neverdid."
"I am going to tell it now, as soon as a Little Lady gets real still,"says the Story Teller. So then the Little Lady _is_ "real still," and hetells the first snowed-in story, which is called: