Activities Coloring Pages Word Puzzles Word Treasures Return to the Story
Read by Anita Rodgers
The night was dark and cold in Fire Fall Woods.
Oliver didn’t notice the cold wind. His gray fur was warm. Oliver looked like most young opossums. He was small with a white face, black ears, and a pink nose.
Opal looked up in the tree and saw Oliver. She asked, “Oliver, what are you doing in that tree? Did you find any food?”
Oliver thought Opal was a good sister, but not much fun. Oliver asked, “Opal, are you hungry? Do you want to go with me to look for apples?”
Opal looked surprised. She asked, “Look for apples? Where do you think you will find apples? It’s too late for apples. You know they have all been picked.”
Oliver said, “There may be some left on the ground. I want to go look under the apple trees in Mrs. Baker’s orchard.” He asked, “Opal, why don’t you come with me?”
Opal was scared for her brother. She said, “No way! This is too dangerous. If you leave the woods, you will have to cross the field. You will be out in the open with no place to hide.
Please stay here and hunt with me. It’s better to be safe than sorry.” She tried to talk to Oliver but he was stubborn and would not listen.
Oliver laughed and said, “Then don’t go with me. You worry too much. You just stay here and play it safe. I will go find apples and be back before you know it.”
There was nothing Opal could say to change his mind. She said, “Oliver, hurry back. Please be careful!”
Oliver was on his way. He thought, “What’s the worst that could happen?” He ran as fast as he could to cross the open field. His sister was right about one thing. There was no safe place to hide.
At last he saw the apple trees. He thought, “I will look under the trees to see if any apples were missed.” He ran from tree to tree but found no apples. All the trees were bare.
Oliver was so unhappy. He thought, “I can’t believe there was not even one apple on the ground. Opal was right. This was a waste of my time. I’m very hungry and have nothing to eat.”
Oliver gave up and ran back home to the woods. Once again he had to cross the open field. He didn’t see his sister. Oliver wondered, “Where is Opal? Maybe it’s not too late to go hunting with her for food.”
Oliver didn’t know he was being watched. The woods were so dark that he didn’t see the danger until it was too late. He looked to his right when he heard a low growl. All he could see was a dark shadow in the trees.
Oliver opened his mouth to hiss and squawk. He thought, “Oh, no! It’s too late to run. What should I do?”
Then he remembered a trick his mother had taught him. She called it “playing possum.”
Oliver fell down on the ground on his side. His mouth was open and his tongue was hanging out. His eyes were shut tight.
A large black cat suddenly jumped from behind a tree. He stood over the small opossum and wondered, “Is he dead or alive?”
The cat thought, “If he’s not dead, this will get him up.” Then he gave a loud growl by Oliver’s head.
Oliver didn’t move. He played possum.
The black cat put his ear by Oliver to listen. Oliver was afraid the cat would hear the beat of his heart. Oliver didn’t move. He played possum.
The black cat put his nose by Oliver. He wondered, “What is that smell? Maybe he died of fright. How can any animal smell that bad?”
Oliver didn’t move. He played possum.
The cat decided to look for any sign of life. He reached out and shook Oliver with his paw.
Oliver didn’t move. He played possum.
The black cat walked in slow circles around Oliver. There still was no change. The cat thought, “I’m wasting my time here. There is no way I’m going to eat anything that smells this bad.” He gave Oliver one last look. Then the cat left him for dead.
Oliver didn’t move until he was sure the large black cat was gone. Oliver knew he was lucky to be alive. He thought, “That was too close for comfort. Just wait until I tell my mother that she was right. Playing possum saved me. It’s awesome to be an opossum!”
Activities Coloring Pages Word Puzzles Word Treasures Return to the Story
Please stay here and hunt with me. It’s better to be safe than sorry.