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Show AVARV 6PAH..A-DQNNER. THE OPOSSUMS The little gniy mul wliite npossura pith tlie long nose wns curled up in lie corner of his cage in the zoo. He appeared to he sleeping very loundly. But niter a while he uncurled him-;elf, him-;elf, blinked his eyes and. looking at :he opossum in the adjoining cage, laid, "It will take me a long jme to get )ver my habit." "I suppose it will," said the other )possum, known as Oscar, while the possum who had been sleeping was mown as Oporto Opossum. He thought that a nice name. In fact it was a nice name. "You see," said Oporto, "that you lave been in the zoo a longer time lian I have," "That's true, I have," agreed Oscar Dpossuin, blinking his eyes. "It really makes a lot of difference," laid Oporto, "because you have grown lsed to the zoo ways." "That is true, too, I have," said 3scar Opossum, once more. "Xow I," said Oporto, "have only jeen in the zoo a little wdiile. "Well do I remember my days of looking after myself. "The only thing I could do to be sure I was sefe was to pretend that was sound oleop or that I had no life in me. "Sometimes I have had dreadful xperiences ! "Cruel boys have even kicked me to make sure I wasn't pretending. "Of course I was pretending bui oh when I was kicked it took some hard work and some great quantities of will power (if I may speak in this slightly odd opossum fashion) to keep up pretending." "You may speak any way you like to me," said Oscar Opossum. "Because," lie added, "you see I am an opossum, too. Tell me some aiore." "I knew," said Oporto, "that it would keep from being caught to pretend pre-tend that I was not even alive! "I knew that it was the thing which had. been given to me to guard me through dangers the power of play- -MsMsl If tTjWTirrnj "I Suppose It Will," Said the Other. ing I was asleep, or so soundly asleep that nothing could awaken me, or that I was simply no longer alive. "And still, when I hear people coming, I pretend I am asleep. "Yes, even here in the zoo ! "I can't remember that I am ' no longer on a road, or in a tree. "When I am in my little tree belonging be-longing to my zoo home I forget it is nor n tree out in the country. "I forget that I am safe, so safe. "I start pretending the same way as r did when I was in the country.'' "Soon you will remember, though," said Oscar Opossum. "I used to be that same way when I first came to the zoo. "It takes some time to get over It," "No wonder that people have a saying which goes like this: " 'lie's playing 'possum,' meaning that he's pretending to be asleep when he's not." said Oporto. "I've heard that people said that when others were pretending to be asleep. "Yes. we're ve:y famous for that. Very, very famous for pretending we're asleep and not really being asleep at all. "Many is the time that has helped an opossum. But you needn't worry any more about my doing it here. "I will soon remember, as you say you did. that I am safe in the zoo. "In fact I don't do it so much now as I did. just a little while ago. "I'm beginning lo realize where I am. But It has taken time." |