This is a story of, I believe, three animals.
There is a crow, and two others whom I cannot remember. These three animals live in a tree that they share. They are trying to survive, and much of the story surrounds their attempts to Cook good meals. They may make stone soup. The book has chapters and it has some illustrations. It focuses on animals staying warm and staying well fed. For example, They eat biscuits. I would LOVE to know the title of this book. Help?
My Mom gave me the book in the 3rd grade.
I think I know this one! There are actually more than one book, but the title of what I believe to be one of the first ones is: The Hollow Tree and Deep Woods Book. It’s by Albert Bigelow Paine and illustrated by J.M. Conde. At least some of the stories came out first in periodicals beginning around 1898, and then they were collected and added to in books such as this. The three characters who live in the hollow tree are the ‘Coon, the ‘Possum, and the Old Black Crow. I don’t remember a story about stone soup, but there are a lot that center on eating. In the first actual story in this particular book, for example, the three are snowed in and food starts running very short. Eventually the Crow, wandering around, finds some flour and other things he had “borrowed” from Mr. Man’s house on various occasions as he passed by, and he makes a Johnny cake with gravy and invites the others to partake. (This may be the story the poster recalls as being about biscuits.) They continue to eat Johnny cake every day until the snow melts enough for them to get out. There’s another entire book called the Hollow Tree Snowed-In Book in which the three denizens of the hollow tree again get snowed in after Christmas dinner, this time with several of their friends who had been visiting (Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Turtle, Mr. Dog, etc.). They take turns telling stories until they’re able to get out. This time it is Mr. ‘Possum who saves them, by having the foresight to put aside some of the food that, initially, they were eating with abandon. If you do a Google search for these titles you should find Project Gutenberg versions and can see if they’re what your’re looking for.
I still think I’m right.