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diff --git a/27239.txt b/27239.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1fd54f6 --- /dev/null +++ b/27239.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1399 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Little Downy, by Catharine Parr Traill + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Little Downy + The History of A Field-Mouse + +Author: Catharine Parr Traill + +Release Date: November 12, 2008 [EBook #27239] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE DOWNY *** + + + + +Produced by Louise Hope, David Edwards, Marcia Brooks & +the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdpcanada.net + + + + + +[Transcriber's Note: + +Missing quotation marks have been left unchanged for flavor. Obvious +typographical errors have been corrected; errors and inconsistencies +are listed at the end of the e-text.] + + + * * * * * + * * * * + * * * * * + + + Little Downy; + + or, + + THE HISTORY + + of + + A FIELD MOUSE. + + + Embellished With + + _TWELVE COLORED ENGRAVINGS._ + + + LONDON: + Printed for + A. K. NEWMAN and Co. Leadenhall-Street. + _Price 1s. 6d._ + + + + + [Illustration: _Mrs. Clifford relating to her son Alfred, + the history of the Field-Mouse._] + + + + + Little Downy; + + or, + + THE HISTORY + + of + + A FIELD-MOUSE. + + + A MORAL TALE. + + + Embellished + + WITH TWELVE COLORED ENGRAVINGS. + + + [Illustration] + + + LONDON: + _Printed for_ + A. K. NEWMAN and Co. LEADENHALL-STREET. + 1822. + + + + + THE LIFE AND INTERESTING ADVENTURES + + of a + + FIELD MOUSE. + + +"What is my little Alfred crying for?" asked his mother, Mrs. +Clifford, as she entered the room where Alfred stood weeping by the +table. Come here, and tell me what is the matter with you." + +Alfred slowly advanced towards his mother, and wiped away his tears +with her apron. Alfred was but a little boy, or he would not have +cried for such a simple thing as he did. + +"Well, Alfred, and what is it?" asked his kind mamma. + +"Why, mamma, you know that nice plum cake you gave me for saying my +lesson well; I had put it in the cupboard, as I did not want to eat it +then, and I came just now to take a little nibble at it; and when I +opened the closet-door to look for it, there was an ugly brown mouse +in the closet, and hardly a scrap of my cake left; that greedy thing +had eaten it all but a few crumbs." And here Alfred's tears flowed +afresh. + +"I am very sorry, my dear child, that the mouse has eaten your cake; +but still, I do not think it was worth shedding so many tears about: +you must learn to bear such trifling disappointments with more +patience. I dare say, the mouse has eaten my sugar and cake, but I +shall not cry if it has." + +"I am sure it is enough to make any one cry, (said Alfred). I only +wish, (added he, his eyes sparkling with anger), that I could have +killed the little beast for stealing my cake." + +"Now, Alfred, I am ashamed of you," said his mother gravely. + +Alfred could, however, think of nothing but the loss of his cake, +and begged his mother to let the mouse-trap be set to catch the +mischievous intruder. + +Mrs. Clifford was very sorry to hear her little son talk so, and she +represented to him his cruelty in wanting to take away the life of a +poor mouse only for having satisfied its hunger. + +"But, mamma, mice do a deal of mischief, (said Alfred), and ought to +be killed; for that mouse will soon eat up all your sugar." + +"But, Alfred; I know a certain two-legged mouse, who, if I left the +key in my store-closet, would eat more sugar in one minute than this +poor little animal could in an hour." + +Alfred hung his head at this reproof, for it was but a day or two +since he was detected at the sugar dish; and he soon after left the +room. + +Mrs. Clifford was much grieved that her little Alfred shewed so much +inclination to be cruel and revengeful, two qualities so dangerous in +a child, or in any one; and she knew that, unless it was timely +checked, it would grow into a habit. Harsh means, she did not like to +adopt; and so she at last thought of a method which seemed likely to +succeed. She was well aware of the inconvenience of having mice in her +cupboard, as they not only commit great depredations, but soil every +thing they touch; so, as she was forced to kill the mouse, she hoped +to turn its death to a good use. Therefore, the next time Alfred +entered the room, she asked him if he was still resolved to have the +mouse killed. "Yes, mamma, (replied Alfred), it had no right to eat my +cake." + +"Very well; I will have the mouse-trap set; but observe, Alfred, +whether before the day is past, you do not tell me you are sorry for +its death." + +"Oh! no; that I am sure I sha'n't," replied Alfred, and Mrs. Clifford +ordered the trap to be set. + +Early the next morning, when Mrs. Clifford came down stairs and went +to the closet, she beheld her poor little prisoner dead in his wire +cage. "See, Alfred, (said she), here is the poor mouse dead!" + +Alfred at first was glad; but when he saw what a pretty one it was, he +was sorry, but contented himself by saying to the dead mouse, "If you +had not been in the cupboard doing so much mischief, you would not +have been killed!" + +When he had said his lesson, his mother said to him, "Now, Alfred, +shall I tell you a story?" Alfred was very fond of hearing a story, if +it was not too long, and he asked his mother, if this would be a long +one. + +"I don't wish to tire you, (said his mother), so I will only tell you +part of it this morning. Alfred fetched his little stool, and having +placed it at her side, fixed his eyes on her face while she related + + +THE HISTORY OF A FIELD MOUSE. + +"In a wheat-stack, in Farmer Ball's yard, lived an old mouse with her +family, consisting of five little ones, the most worthy of which was a +pretty brown mouse, called Downy, because her fur was longer and +softer than either of her brothers and sisters, and besides being the +prettiest, she was likewise the wisest and best among them. + +"Her mother was by birth a field-mouse; she had been carried among the +sheaves of wheat into the stack, with a great many more field-mice; +and had lived there, at the expence of farmer Ball, ever since. + +"It was one fine clear morning, in the middle of March, that, as Downy +was peeping her little nose out of the straw at the edge of the stack, +to breathe a little fresh air, she saw the farmer with his men enter +the yard, and heard him tell the people that he would have the stack +taken into the barn and thrashed, and desired them to bid Fen, the +ratcatcher, come, and bring all his dogs with him. + + [Illustration] + +"Poor Downy was in a terrible fright at hearing this; she ran to +acquaint her mother with it; and asked her what they had best do; but +her mother, who was but a foolish mouse, bade her not be under the +least alarm, for she was persuaded the farmer did not mean to take it +in just then; and added, it was time enough to think of it when the +men began; she told Downy to go to bed with the rest of her brothers +and sisters, and not to be afraid. + +"But poor Downy was in great trouble about what she should do, and +could not sleep for thinking of the sad fate which threatened them; +she awakened her companions to consult with them; but her sisters only +laughed at her fear, and said, they would never leave a place where +they were so well off; and where they could get plenty of good corn, +only for the trouble of eating it. Her brothers were of the same +opinion, and added, they could run so swiftly, they were sure they +could soon get away into the field; but they expected they should live +very quietly yet for some time. + +"Poor foolish little things! they did not think the danger was so +near; but they were awakened the next morning by the farmer's men +unroofing the stack, and they now wished they had hearkened to the +prudent advice of their sister Downy. + +"Poor little Downy's heart almost died within her, when she heard the +barking of the dogs, and the hallooing of the men; how much rather +would she have been in the field, than in the warm stack! for she +heard the men drawing near to the place where they lay; and they were +all terribly afraid; and their mother, the old mouse, would go to see +how far the danger was from them. Imprudent creature! she ventured too +near; for a great black dog on the top of the stack, the moment the +men raised the sheaf where she was, snapped her up in an instant. + +"Nothing was now to be heard but shrieks and cries from every side of +the stack; and the men drew nearer and nearer: Downy heard the last +cries of her brethren; the sheaf where she had taken refuge, was +already on the point of being raised, when she sprang through an +opening in the side, and was just going to run down, when she beheld a +great dog directly under her! + +"Poor Downy gave herself up as lost, and awaited in trembling anxiety +her fate: for some moments she clung to the outside of the stack, not +daring to descend, yet fearing still more to stay; when, luckily for +our poor little mouse, some one called the dog, who instantly ran off; +and Downy, darting from the stack, had just time to gain a place of +security beneath a clod of earth, where she lay shaking with fear, not +daring to look up for some minutes. + +"She shuddered with horror when she heard the dying groans of her +friends in the stack, and the shouts of the men encouraging the dogs; +many a poor mouse did she see running away in hopes of making its +escape, but pursued and devoured by the dogs. + +"Several times poor Downy had like to have been discovered by the +dogs, or crushed beneath the horses' feet, but she crouched very close +to the ground, and lay so still, she hardly breathed, so great was her +fear; at length she watched an opportunity, when no one was near, to +quit her retreat, and ran with all the speed she could, not once +daring to pause or look behind, till she gained the farmer's orchard; +where she laid among the long grass, panting, and half dead with +terror and fatigue; she hid herself toward night under the roots of an +old apple-tree; for she was very much afraid of a great white owl +which she had seen flying near. + + [Illustration] + +"It was in vain for her to lament the sad fate of her mother and +brethren; she could not recal them to life; and Downy was thankful +that she had escaped so well; but the cold weather was not gone yet, +and poor little Downy knew she had nothing to eat and no warm house to +live in; but must make herself one; and she was afraid she should be +starved to death with hunger, or die with cold. These thoughts +occupied her mind, till she fell asleep, nor did she awake next +morning till quite late, and found herself very hungry. She first +peeped out of her hole, and seeing nothing near to hurt her, she +ventured forth in search of some food; she rummaged among the dead +leaves for some time, without success, till chance led her to a row of +nut-trees; here, after a diligent search, she had the good fortune to +discover three nuts, one of which she eat, being very hungry, and the +rest she carried home to her tree; but Downy knew they would not last +long, and so thought it best to try and get more, she therefore +deposited them safely away, and sat off to look for more provisions; +she spent nearly the whole day among the nut-trees, but returned home +only with one nut; and a shower of snow falling, she was forced to +return to her dwelling, and did not go out any more that day, but laid +still, and thought how she should make herself a warm nest; for she +was very cold here, having been used to the close warm stack, where +scarce any air entered. She eat very sparingly of her nuts, saving as +much as possible for the morrow, fearing lest the snow should hinder +her looking for more; but there had not fallen much, and in the +morning, the sun coming out quite bright, melted it all; and Downy +left her tree to look for something to line her nest with, and for +more food. That being the first object, she began to search for some +first, and was more fortunate than before, as she discovered several +ears of corn, which had been blown by the wind off the stack; she +could hardly credit her good fortune, when she beheld her store and +saw it all safely lodged in her granary. Her next care was to line her +nest; for this purpose, (though it was very cold and frosty) she +collected all the bits of dried moss and grass she could find, and +carried them in her mouth to her new habitation; she nibbled off the +fibres which hung to the roots of the tree, and dried weeds, and soon +made her house quite warm and comfortable. + +"She spent the remainder of the month of March, and the beginning of +April, in laying up stores of provision, and in enlarging the inside +of her house. + +"The Spring began with some beautiful warm days, and everything looked +cheerful and gay; the crocusses were all in flower, and the primroses, +and snow-drops, with some early violets. Downy was rejoiced when she +saw the daisies in the orchard begin to shew their white heads above +the grass, and she took many a frisk out to enjoy the sunshine, and +was quite happy and content. + +"One fine evening as she was returning to her house, she saw a +creature much like a weasel, only somewhat smaller, which she knew to +be a mousehunt, by what she had heard of them: he was prowling along +close by her tree, in hopes of catching her; he smelt about some time, +and at last went in. Poor little Downy was in a sad fright; she knew +not what to do, for she saw his head peeping out of her hole, and his +cunning black eye looking round in every direction. + + [Illustration] + +"When little Downy saw the mousehunt take possession of her house, she +knew she must not venture there again, and was in great distress, as +to where she should pass the night securely; at last she found a hole +in the bank, and into this she crept, though very much alarmed for +fear of her enemy's discovering her; she dared not go to sleep at all +that night; nor did she stir out next day, till forced by hunger to +seek for food; she did not see any thing of the mousehunt, but she +resolved to leave the orchard and seek a safer spot for her new +habitation. + +"Accordingly, next day, she sat off to look for a proper situation; +she passed through the orchard hedge into a beautiful green meadow, +all covered with daisies, red clover, cowslips, and golden buttercups. +Here Downy resolved to find a place to live in: and she whisked about +under the tall heads of the cowslips and buttercups; at last she fixed +on a little green mound, such an one as you, Alfred, call a fairy's +throne, and here she began to scratch with her fore feet, till she had +made a little opening in the turf, and she used such diligence, that +before night she had made a hole large enough to sleep in, and though +it was not lined or so warm as her house under the old apple-tree, yet +she slept so sound that she never awoke till the sun had risen quite +high in the heavens. + +"Downy jumped up in a hurry when she saw how late it was: the birds +had been up hours before her, and were all busily employed building +their nests; every bush resounded with the songs of these little +creatures while at work, and Downy knew she must not be idle, for she +had much to do; being very hungry she first went to an oak which grew +at some little distance, and here she found plenty of acorns among the +leaves--of these she made a hearty meal, and carried some to where she +was at work. With a great deal of care and labour she dug her house +and made it quite round and smooth, as she went on, carrying it in a +slanting direction along the hollow side of the hill. It cost poor +Downy many a long day's hard work before her house was completed, and +many a weary nibble before she had finished lining the inside of it. +Her next care was to make a secure room for stowing away her winter +stores; for this purpose, she made an opening on one side of her first +room, and carried a passage along some little distance, and then +formed her store chamber, which she was a long time making, but it was +at length completed perfectly to her own satisfaction, having rendered +it a most convenient granery. She had now nothing to do but find feed +for herself, and play, but Downy never came home without bringing +something useful for her house, either a bit of straw or hay, a little +tuft of moss, or the dried stalk of a flower; these she cut with her +teeth into little bits, and laid in her nest to make it soft and warm. + +"Downy was now quite happy, her mound was all covered with flowers, +fine cowslips, and butter-cups, and tuft of daisies grew close to the +entrance of her house, and served to hide it from the eyes of owls, +mousehunts, or any of the enemies to poor mice; and Downy thought +herself quite secure from all dangers: of a beautiful moonlight night +she used just to peep out from under the daisies, and look at the dew +drops all shining like diamonds in the moon-beams, and once she +whisked on to the top of her green mount, and began to play among the +flowers, but she was alarmed by the sight of a small dog running +through the high grass, and she quickly retreated into her house; nor +was she so imprudent again as venture out after it grew dusk. And now +the grass grew long and high, the flowers began to lose their beauty, +and turn brown; every thing proclaimed the approach of summer. + +"The month of June began, and the mowers came to cut down the grass; +Downy was fearful that they would molest her, and spoil her house, +when they came near the little mount; but she trusted to the chance +that they might not discover it, and she laid quite close all day. + +"But poor little Downy was very sorry to see all the nice high grass +and pretty flowers cut down to the ground, those flowers which had +sheltered her from the sun and rain for so long. + + [Illustration] + +"'And now, (thought she), I shall certainly be caught by the great +white owl; for he will be able to see me now; and I can't hide myself +under the long grass and dandelions, as I used to do, for they are all +cut down and spoiled.'--Poor little Downy was in a great fright all +the time that the hay-makers were at work, and when she found them +coming near her house, with their great pitchforks in their hands, she +remembered the fate of her mother, and all her brothers and sisters in +the stack, and she thought that she should be safer in the bank of the +garden hedge; which was not far off. She watched an opportunity when +no one was looking, and hastened away to the hedge as fast as she +could, and creeping in laid quite snug; she remained in the bank the +whole day, and enjoyed herself more than could be expected, for the +weather was extremely pleasant, and there was a fine bed of ripe wild +strawberries close by, which smelt quite refreshing. Though Downy +dared not venture back into the field for fear of being killed (for +mice are but timid little things) yet she was very happy all that day; +and when she saw the men leave the field with the pitchforks which had +caused her so much terror, she returned to her nest, and slept that +night on some new hay which she had nibbled, and brought into her +house to lay on. As soon as it was day, away ran careful Downy to the +bank; she peeped through the hedge, and saw every thing in the garden +looking very pleasant. So Miss Downy thought she should like to spend +this day in the beautiful shady garden; in she went, and soon found it +as charming as it looked; for the garden abounded in plenty of good +things; there were peas, and beans, and potatoes, and young carrots, +and beds of ripe red strawberries. Downy did nothing but eat and enjoy +herself the whole day, and did not think of returning home that day, +nor for many days afterwards, for she said to herself--'What +occasion is there for me to go back to the meadow, where I have so +much trouble to get food, for here is more than I could ever eat, and +I have no trouble in getting it at all--and I am sure no mischief will +happen to me here!' So she gave no thought of her nice house in the +field, but amused herself by eating all the day long; till she grew +quite fat, and Downy thought she was happier than ever she had been in +the field, and she grew very indolent, for she now began to think that +there was no occasion for her to work, but she said to herself, she +would play all day; and here she shewed herself to be a very simple +little mouse, (as it proved in what befel her). She had been living in +the garden for nearly a month, when one fine sunshiny day, she had +ventured nearer to the house than usual, and was lying reposing +herself in the sun by a clod of dirt, near a rain-water butt, when she +was disturbed by a noise near her, and to her horror she beheld the +black cat with a fine kitten by her side, proceeding down the walk +where she lay; to escape was almost impossible, even the attempt was +vain, and hapless Downy gave herself up for lost. A month back, and +she might have trusted to her own speed for escaping--but, alas! Downy +had so long been used to do nothing but eat and enjoy herself, that +she was no longer able to run as swiftly as she used to do; she dared +not even move a step, and sat in an agony of hopeless despair. + +"Downy now lamented her folly in having left her safe retreat in the +meadow: what would she now have given to have been in her own little +house under the mole hill? and she bitterly regretted ever having been +tempted to quit it, for there no cats ever came, and there she had +lived in innocence and happiness, whilst now she was doomed to fall a +victim to the merciless claws of a hungry cat, who would devour her +alive: she lay breathless! not a limb did she move, scarce did she +even draw her breath, for the cat approached within a yard of the spot +where she laid, and----" "Oh! poor Downy! (cried Alfred,) how sorry I +am!--but, mamma, did that wicked cat kill her? do, dear mamma, make +haste and tell me."--"Why, Alfred," said his mother, "you would not +wait for me to tell you whether she was killed or not: I am sure you +could not feel sorry for the death of a _nasty brown mouse_; you hate +mice, they are such little thieves."--Little Alfred blushed at what +his mother said, for he remembered they were his own words, and said +to his mother, "Dear mamma, I think I will never wish for the death of +any thing again, and I am very sorry I had that mouse killed; I will +never kill another mouse, if it was to eat all the cakes you mean to +give me when I am a good boy." Mrs. Clifford not help smiling at her +little boy, but went on.-- + + [Illustration] + +"The cat, as I said before, was close to the clod of earth on which +luckless Downy stood, and when she believed her death certain, she had +the inexpressible joy of finding that her motionless posture had been +the means of saving her from the vigilant eyes of the cat, who passed +on quite unconcerned without taking any notice of her prey. For an +instant Downy could scarce credit her own eyes when she saw her enemy +pass on; but fearing that if puss should return, she should not again +escape so miraculously, she darted away as she hoped unseen, but, +silly little thing! she had better have laid where she was, for the +kitten beheld her as she ran, and sprung upon her. Poor Downy felt her +claws, but exerting all her speed, she flew to the hedge--this +friendly hedge which had so often been her refuge, and darting among +the tangled roots of the hawthorn and ivy, left her pursuers far +behind, and, exhausted with terror and fatigue, remained trembling and +panting till she was half dead. Still she heard the mews of the +disappointed kitten, and the angry purrs of the old cat--who sat +watching about the bank for more than an hour, waiting to seize her if +she ventured forth,[*] but that poor Downy was not in a condition to +do, for her poor back still ached with the bruise the kitten had given +her, and she felt in such a panic, she could not have stirred a step +if she had seen a dozen cats. For two whole days poor little Downy +thought she should have died, and when she was a little better and +began to feel hungry, there was nothing for her to eat but hay seeds +and ivy leaves, or the roots of the trees, and Downy, who had of late +been used to such good fare, could not bear to eat such dry +unpalatable food as this was. + + [Footnote *: The above-mentioned circumstance, improbable as it + may appear, I myself was witness to in the garden not many paces + from the door of the house; when the poor little mouse actually + escaped the eyes of a cat and her kitten, who passed within a yard + of the spot where it stood, by standing in that motionless manner + on the top of a clod of earth, nor was it discovered till it left + its station, and though caught by the kitten, yet it finally + escaped unhurt to the garden hedge.] + +"When she used to spend her time in labour and industry, she eat the +hardest fare with an excellent appetite, and was thankful and +contented with the least bit of any thing she got, but now she turned +away disgusted at the coarse food, and it was not until pinched by +hunger, that she would eat any of it. And now Downy began to consider +within herself, whether it would not have been much better and wiser +for her to have returned back to her own house in the meadow, instead +of living so long in idleness and luxury; and Downy found that +idleness brings its own punishment sooner or later, for had she been +at home she would not have been so frightened by the cat, or nearly +killed by the kitten; or even if a cat had come near her nice nest, +she would have run away much faster than she did now, for being then +smaller and thinner, she was much nimbler; nor was her daintiness the +least evil that attended her long indulgence, and this she felt more +severely now she was ill and could not go out to find good food; she +had suffered so much with pain and terror, that she resolved never to +go into the garden again, excepting to get provisions when in want. +With a sad and penitent heart Downy once more returned to her old +habitation, but, alas! what was her grief on beholding it a complete +ruin; her nice warm nest all destroyed, and the pretty green mound +quite spoiled! Downy was sadly vexed, for the cruel hay-makers had +with their pitchforks torn open the turf and scattered her soft bed +all round on the grass. She stood gazing with anguish on the desolate +scene before her; here was all her spring work entirely ruined, and +now she was ill and had no where to lay her head. 'Ah!' thought she, +'if I had not spent so much time in doing nothing but eating and +playing, I should have escaped the danger of being caught by the cat, +and should not have been hurt by the kitten, besides which I think by +this time I might have made up my nest, and have been quite +comfortable again. She was hardly able to work, and what was far +worse, she felt very great reluctance to begin her laborious task, +so much harm had her living so long in indolence done her, as it does +to every one who indulges in it. Remember, my little Alfred, that +idleness is the root of all evil, as you may see in the case of +Downy:--now which do you think was the happiest and best,--careful and +industrious Downy making her house, and busily procuring food for +herself against the winter,--or careless idle Downy doing nothing but +playing and enjoying herself in the garden, eating the fruit, and +sleeping among the flowers? now tell me, which do you like best of the +two?" Alfred considered for a minute or two, and then said, "Why, dear +mamma, though I should have liked to have eaten the nice things in the +garden, and lived among the flowers, yet I see that it would have been +better for Downy if she had always remained in the field and worked +hard; but I am afraid I should have been as silly as Downy, and not +liked work." + +"That is what I was afraid of, therefore, my dear child, I thought it +best to shew you how wrong she was in indulging herself in that +manner; and be assured that, whoever does so, will fall into +misfortune. + +"Necessity obliged Downy at last to overcome her extreme reluctance to +work, and she once more began to look out for a proper place for her +new habitation; she visited all the green mounds in the meadow, but +alas! they were occupied by the ant, and poor Downy was quite out of +patience--and at last she was, though with reluctance, forced to take +up her lodgings in the side of the garden bank, quite at the farther +end, where no cats ever came, and at last, finding it was to her own +interest to work, she resolved not to be idle any more, and laboured +as hard as ever she had done, and soon completed her new dwelling, +having made it a most commodious habitation, in which she lived very +happily all the summer. When the harvest time arrived, then was Downy +very busy; she went into a neighbouring wheat field, and there she +made a good harvest for herself, and laid in a handsome store of grain +for her winter supply. In her journeys to the corn-fields she met many +mice, who, like her, were gathering in their winter stock of +provisions; but Downy would not stay in the corn-fields, because she +remembered the fate of her nest while she was gone in the garden, so +she came home very regularly every night. + + [Illustration] + +"Nothing of any consequence happened to Miss Downy till the latter end +of the Autumn; for some days she had missed her provisions, but could +not account for it in any way, and was at a loss to know who it could +be that devoured the fruits of her daily labour, but one morning when +she returned from gleaning in the stubble-fields, she was greatly +surprised, on entering her house, to behold a young stranger busily +employed in breakfasting in her granery; she stopped at the entrance +of her house to examine her visitor, and was struck by the beauty of +his form; he was of a reddish colour, his hair very long and thick, +his breast and fore-feet of a pale buff, and his belly white; he had a +nice round face, and small oval ears, with quick lively brown eyes and +long handsome black whiskers; in short, he was the prettiest mouse +Downy had ever seen, though he was a sad little thief, and had eaten a +great deal of her store. He appeared at first much disconcerted at +being disturbed and discovered in his depredation, and looked round on +every side for an opening to escape at, but none appearing, he stood +still, and scratched his ear with one of his hind feet, assuming as +unconcerned an air as he could possibly put on; Downy was not sorry +she had discovered who was the thief, but she soon forgave him, though +she could not help thinking he was a very dishonest mouse to come +every day and rob her as he had done, but he was so pretty, and made +so humble an apology for his intruding into her house, that she could +not find it in her heart to be angry with him long, and they soon +became very good friends, and at last he proposed her taking him as a +partner, which the simple Downy agreed to without hesitation, and +shared her house and provisions with the handsome young stranger, who +behaved with great decorum for some time, and was very careful to mind +what Downy said to him, but at last he began to throw off his +restraint, and was often getting into mischief in spite of the sage +advice of Downy, who took great pains to warn him from such evil +practices; but Silket would frisk in the garden, robbing the +newly-planted bean and pea crops with the greatest audacity, not +minding what careful Downy said, who represented to him the danger he +run of being killed by cats, or mousehunts, or caught in traps; but +Silket, like a naughty mouse as he was, only laughed and made light of +her fears; and when at last she appeared vexed at his disobedience, he +promised never to go into the garden again; but, like many more, he +broke his promise directly he was out of her sight; and beside this, +he was sadly idle, and was I am sorry to say, much fonder of play than +work, and Downy was obliged to remonstrate with him on such bad +behaviour, and said, 'Silket, how can you expect me to work for both +you and myself? you are a sad partner. Silket was very humble, and +promised to be more industrious for the future, and that very +afternoon he ransacked a new crop of peas, which the gardener had sown +that day, and came home laden with the spoils; next day he brought +home hoard of nuts from the garden, and Downy thought if he would but +continue so good, she should be very happy, for her Silket was a very +pretty creature, and she was very fond of him. But pretty creatures +are not always the best, as she soon found to her cost, for when the +weather set in cold, then Mr. Silket refused to work, or even to stir +out of the house, but lay rolled round like a ball in the soft hay, +and slept, only just getting up to eat; and Downy was much grieved, +for she feared their stock of food would never last out the winter, +if he did not help her make some addition to it, but Silket begged her +not to be under any concern, for there was plenty for them both; and +on her again expressing her fears on the subject, he gave her two or +three severe bites on her ear, and squeaked most vehemently, shewing +his anger at being found fault with, and then laid down again with a +sulky air of displeasure; while poor Downy almost broken-hearted, +slowly and full of sorrow, left her house, and strolled along the side +of the bank quite disconsolate, and she resolved never to go back +again to her ungrateful husband, who had treated her so unkindly, but +leave him in quiet possession of her dwelling. + +"Simple little Downy! she might have known beforehand how he would +have treated her, as she was so well acquainted with his propensity to +stealing, and she was a very foolish mouse to take for a partner one +who shewed, from the first, that he liked better to play about and +steal, than to labour and get an honest living. Downy ought to have +considered all this, but she thought him so pretty, that she forgot +all his misdeeds, and very imprudently shared her food and house with +him. It is true, that he promised very fair, and said he would work +for her, and that she should have nothing to do but just to eat, and +sleep, and play; and Downy (who did not think that such a pretty soft +creature could tell so many stories) believed all he said, and this +was the consequence of her imprudence. + +"So you see, Alfred, that we must not always judge by appearances, +because I know rather a pretty creature, with bright blue eyes, who, +like Silket, can steal, and tell fibs, and who likes to play better +than learn a lesson and read." Alfred coloured up, for he knew all +along that his mother meant he was like Silket; so he felt a little +ashamed, and did not make any answer; and his mother continued her +story. + +"Poor little Downy laid bewailing her sad misfortune in the cold damp +grass, determining never to go home to her little tyrant again, so +angry was she at his cruel conduct.--'Ah! foolish mouse that I was, +(said she), why did not I continue to live by myself when I was so +happy! I might have known how he would have behaved to me, but I will +never return to him, he may enjoy by himself that food which he loves +so much more than he does me, ungrateful that he is!' In this manner +she was uttering her complaints, when she heard a soft padding step +behind her, and a mournful noise made her turn round, and she beheld +her penitent Silket, (for it was him) who advancing with a sorrowful +air, humbly besought her forgiveness, and rubbed his velvet cheek in +an imploring manner against her's; his lively brown eyes were now +troubled, and very sorrowful. Downy could not resist his beseeching +looks, but forgave him for all his past offences, and took him once +more into favour, on his promising to be good in future and never to +bite her ears or tail again. Silket was very sorry for his late bad +behaviour, and he resolved to be very good and do so no more, for he +did love Downy very much, though he loved himself better. He +accompanied her home with great affection, and they were happier for +some weeks than they had ever been before; he was so attentive and +kind, and seemed to study only to please her; he spent day after day +in searching among the dry leaves in the garden for filberts; and when +he could not procure any thing else, he brought her crocus roots, and +carrots out of the garden. + +One evening he had been out later than usual, he did not see Downy's +bright eyes looking out from among the dry leaves and moss for his +return, and he was fearful some ill had befallen her. As he approached +the house, he thought he heard several little squeaking sounds, and on +entering his nest, found that Downy in his absence had become the +mother of four ittle helpless blind mice, which she was suckling. +Silket was overjoyed, he licked the little ones with much affection, +and behaved with the greatest tenderness to Downy; he presented her +the filbert he had brought home, and praised the beauty of his little +family, though none but himself could see that they possessed any, for +little mice are very ugly till they can open their eyes, and have got +fur on them; for like puppies, and kittens, and rabbits, they are all +born blind, and do not open their eyes for many days after. + +No mouse could behave better than Silket now did; he would not suffer +Downy to stir out in the cold, on any account, for, though it was the +latter end of March, the weather was unusually severe, and the frost +very hard; Silket was out almost the whole day searching for nice food +for Downy, and getting soft moss to keep his young ones warm,--but one +day he grieved Downy much and did a deal of mischief,--he wanted +something to cover his little ones with, and what did he do, but went +into the garden to the hedge where Mrs. Ball had hung out her linen to +dry, and the wicked Silket gnawed and bit one of the old lady's white +aprons almost to pieces, carrying home as many of the rags as his +mouth would hold, to his house. Downy was sadly vexed when she heard +what he had been doing, and she was forced to read him a very long +lecture on being so mischievous, while Mr. Mischief amused himself by +laying the rags out to the greatest advantage, admiring the white +quilt he had brought home for his little ones' bed, and secretly +resolving to go and fetch the remaining fragments, and though he saw +how grave Downy looked, he did not think he had done so much harm in +biting the old lady's apron; so he cast a cunning eye at Downy, to see +if she was observing him, for he wanted sadly to get the rest of the +apron, only he did not like to disoblige her commands, and get another +scolding; but she saw what he was after, and she begged him not to go, +for she said, she knew that such mischievous ways would come to no +good end, and that he would get caught in a trap, or killed by some +cat, or fall into some great danger, 'And, (added she,) what should I +do, Silket, left with these four helpless little mice to provide for?' +Silket immediately saw the impropriety of his conduct, and he never +spoiled any more of good Mrs. Ball's linen, though he often came in +the way of it. The poor old lady was greatly disturbed at the +misfortune which had befallen her best muslin apron, and threatened to +have the ratcatcher's dogs and ferrets to hunt the garden and the +hedge, if any thing more was destroyed; so that it was a good thing +that Silket took Downy's advice in that respect, or he would certainly +have been killed for his pains. + +"At the end of three weeks the little mice began to be quite lively, +and to grow very pretty little creatures; they much resembled their +father in his mischeivous inclinations, and it needed all Downy's +prudent management to keep them in order, for they would frisk out of +their nest, and scud about in the meadow, going so for out of sight, +and staying so late, that Downy was in a great fright lest any mishap +should befall them, as to Silket, he seemed to take great delight in +their pranks. + +They would lay on the bank, enjoying themselves and basking in the +sun, almost all day long. When it was fine weather, sometimes, one +bolder than the rest would run up a little tree not more than a yard +high, and clinging to the top, look down with triumph on his +companions; then, if he heard the dead leaves shake, the timid little +thing whisked down, and away they all four scudded, hiding themselves +in the holes of the hedge, till they thought the danger past. + +Downy now began to feel the cares of a family, and she was often much +grieved at the disobedient behaviour of the little mice. Velvet was +the only good-behaved one, and she was bad enough in all reason. They +were incorrigible little thieves, which quality they inherited from +their father, for no sooner were their parents out of the way, than +they found their way to the granary, and though Downy and Silket were +all day busied in getting food for them, and fed them with the best of +every thing, the wicked little things stole the corn, and eat even +more than they wanted; they grew so fat and sleek and wanton, that all +the field-mice in the meadow declared they were quite spoiled, and +Downy ought to keep them under more restraint, and punish them when +they behaved ill. As they grew older they grew worse and worse; Downy +had warned them of all the dangers which they ran in roaming so far +from home, and told them of the cat that haunted the garden, and of +the mousehunt, and the great white owl, but these bad mice paid no +attention to what their kind good mother said to them. + +"Among other things, she begged them not to go near the brick traps +which the gardener had set among the beans and peas, to entice simple +mice to eat the bait, and then they were sure to be killed, by the +trap falling on them; but they did not regard those prudent counsels +in the least, and a day or two after, they all sallied out into the +garden, (with Whitefoot, their leader) in search of something nice. +After they had rummaged the ground under the nut-tree for some time +without finding a single nut, they came to a row of late-sown peas; +these they made a terrible havoc amongst, regardless of their mother's +advice. They were going home, well pleased with their regale, when, +unluckily, Whitefoot espied a parcel of nice wheat, laid out very +carefully under a sort of brick house; now Whitefoot run all round it +and thought it stood too firm to be knocked down, and as he was rather +greedy, he determined to venture under, and eat up the wheat; he was +in such a hurry, for fear that either of his companions should come +and want to share his prize, that, in his haste, he pushed down a bit +of a stick which held the brick up--down it fell, and hapless +Whitefoot was crushed to death in an instant. + + [Illustration] + +"This was the effects of his disobedience to his mother. + +"The noise of the fallen brick alarmed the timid little mice; away +they ran as fast as they could, nor did they once stop to look behind +to see what had become of their brother Whitefoot, who was found next +morning by the gardener, under the brick, and was given to the black +cat to eat. Now had he minded what his mother had told him the day +before, he would have been alive and frisking about with the rest. +See, Alfred, what comes of disobedience and greediness." said his +mother. "Yes, mamma, (said Alfred) I will remember how poor Whitefoot +was served, and not disobey you, though you know, I could not be +killed by a brick trap as he was." "No, Alfred, but you might get hurt +in a hundred different ways by going where I bid you not--recollect +when I had so often told you not to play with the fire, how you burnt +your hand, by lighting bits of paper; and if I had not come in, you +would have been burnt to death." "Yes, mamma, and it hurt me so much, +I have never done it since." "No more would Whitefoot have gone near a +trap again, if he had only broken one of his limbs, instead of being +killed, but he should have minded what was said at first. But you +shall hear how the others behaved after his death. + +"Downy was much shocked at the death of her poor Whitefoot, and she +told the other little mice to take warning by their brother's sad +fate, and not go near any more brick traps, but be contented with the +food which she and their father provided for them. This they promised +to do, and they were very sorry for the loss of Whitefoot, who was the +most nimble of them all, and at the head of all their pranks, for he +was usually the ring-leader and the most daring of the party. + +"For a few days they were more orderly, but their bad habits returned +again, and they forgot all their promises, and were as naughty as ever +they had been--even Silket was shocked at them, and was forced to +chastise the two most unruly, by biting their ears. Wilful run away, +and came to a most untimely death.--He invaded, one night, a bee-hive, +and made great havoc in the stores of honey, eating the honey-combs, +and destroying the work of the poor bees--but at last he was punished +severely, for the bees, enraged at his lawless conduct, came in a +body, and stung their enemy in a thousand different places, so that, +unable to escape, he died in great agony." + +"And did bees ever sting a mouse to death in that manner, mamma?" +asked Alfred. "Yes, Alfred, and if you are a good boy, I will read you +a long account of bees, and how they build their cells, and make their +wax and honey." "But, mamma, there is nothing about their killing a +mouse in it, is there?" "Yes, my dear child, I will tell you all about +it one day, but let me finish my story first." + + [Illustration] + +"There were now only two young mice left, Velvet and Sprightly. Velvet +was so shocked at the bad end which her two brothers had come to, that +she resolved not to be naughty again, but try by her good conduct, to +make amends for her thoughtless behaviour--but when she told Sprightly +of her intentions, the wicked Sprightly ridiculed her, and said she +should go and seek her fortune in the meadow and garden, where no one +could scold her, and where she might do as she pleased; and with this +resolution she set off, and they never saw her again; for having no +house to go to, the white owl saw her as he was flying out one +evening, and soon made an end of Miss Sprightly, who had better have +staid at home with Velvet, and her father and mother. Velvet was the +comfort and pride of her parents; she helped them in all their +labours, and assisted them in enlarging their house, and providing +food against the winter. As she encreased in goodness, she grew +prettier, and every one admired her, she was so clean, and her skin +was as soft as satin, and looked quite bright and glossy. Velvet was +generally up and abroad before sunrise, and enjoyed being out in the +dew; she always returned home loaded with grain; and they were all +quite happy and comfortable; for Silket was very good, and Downy had +nothing to make her uncomfortable, being blessed with a good husband +and a good daughter. + +"But a sad accident happened which deprived poor Downy of all means of +providing for her wants, and gave Silket and Velvet the greatest pain +and uneasiness on her account. One day, Downy had been by herself in +the garden, and in passing under a gooseberry bush, she did not see a +trap which had been set to catch little birds, and it caught one of +her poor little feet, and she lay struggling in the greatest pain, +and shrieking lamentably--at last by a violent effort, she got loose, +but with the loss of one of her fore-feet. Sadly wounded, and crying +piteously, she at last gained her home, and Silket and Velvet found +her exhausted with pain, and almost dying; they were greatly grieved +at the misfortune, and lamented bitterly the sad fate of poor Downy, +and they feared greatly lest they should lose her, but good nursing +and great care at last restored her, in some measure, after which +Velvet and Silket would never permit her to go out to get food, but +always brought the best for her, and she lived quite at her ease, only +she never was so strong as before. + + [Illustration] + +"Velvet strove by all the means in her power, to make her mother +happy; that she might not feel her misfortune so severely; and she +succeeded so well that Downy became quite cheerful and contented, and +never complained or repined at her lameness. + +"The Summer passed happily away, but the sudden death of poor Silket, +once more filled them with grief. The innocent little creature was +sleeping under the nut-trees in the garden, one warm morning in +September; he had been collecting nuts to carry home, but being tired, +he laid down to repose himself in the sun, and unfortunately fell +asleep, nor did he wake till he found himself in the grasp of the +merciless black cat, who springing upon her defenceless prey, +strangled him in an instant. There was no fond Downy near, nor +affectionate Velvet, to receive his last sighs, nor give him aid. +The evening came, but no Silket returned to the disconsolate Downy; +another day passed, but they saw nothing of Silket, and they were at +last certain that he must have been killed. This heavy blow almost +overcame Downy, and it was with the greatest difficulty, Velvet could +persuade her to eat and be comforted; but every thing around them +served to recall the image, and remind them of the loss, of their +beloved Silket, and this gave them both great pain. At last, Velvet, +without saying any thing to her mother, stole away while she was +asleep, and having found a pretty spot, some way from farmer Ball's +land, she made a new house, much more convenient than the one they +then lived in; it was a long time before it was completed, but when it +was quite finished, and well stocked with grain, she brought Downy to +see it: it was situated in a pretty garden, on a beautiful sloping +green bank, under the shade of a fir tree, not many yards from a nice +white brick house, the front of which was covered with vines and +wall-fruit; there were pots of balsams and geraniums, placed on the +beds opposite the windows and glass door." + + [Illustration] + +"Why, mamma, (exclaimed Alfred, suddenly looking up in his mother's +face,) that was just like our garden, and our house." and he ran to +the window, and looked out into the garden, saying with great +vivacity, "Yes, mamma, it is the same; it is our garden with the +fir-tree and the bank, and all the flowers, exactly the same!" And he +turned an inquiring eye unto his mother. + +Mrs. Clifford smiled, but made no reply to his exclamations of +surprise, and went on as if she had not heard him. "In this quiet +pretty spot they settled themselves, and Downy hoped to spend the rest +of her days in quiet; she wanted for nothing, for Velvet provided for +all her wants. Downy thought, if she should ever be deprived of her, +it would break her heart, and she must soon be starved to death, as +she could not work now, as she had done formerly. These thoughts made +her often very sorrowful, and Velvet thought she seemed to droop, and +lose her spirits and appetite, so Velvet thought to get something nice +to please her; she stole into the house one day, when nobody saw her, +and after some little time, she found her way into the cupboard, where +she smelt something very nice, and beheld a new plum-cake. 'Ah!' said +she, 'how my sick mother will like a bit of this cake!' so having made +a hearty meal herself off it, she carried away the rest for her +mother, not thinking she had done any harm." + +"Ah, mamma, (cried Alfred with tears in his eyes,) how I wish I had +not set the trap to catch that good Velvet; she might have had my +cake, and welcome, if I had but known what she took it for, how sorry +I am! I wish Velvet was alive again, with all my heart." + +"Did not I tell you, Alfred, you would be sorry for killing the _nasty +brown mouse_, before the day was over." + +"Oh! yes, dear mamma, and so I am indeed; I wish you had told me the +story before, and then I should not have set the trap.--And so I +suppose poor Downy will die, because she has no one to feed her." + +"Well, Alfred, shall I finish my story? + +"Yes, if you please, mamma, but you don't know any more of it, do +you?" "Only this, when Downy found Velvet did not return, she died of +grief. Thus ended the LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF THE FIELD-MOUSE." + +"Ah, mamma," cried Alfred, bursting into tears, "what a cruel boy I +have been! I have killed both Downy and Velvet--I will never be so +cruel again." + +Mrs. Clifford, charmed with the sensibility of her little boy, kissed +him most tenderly, saying, "Dry your tears, my sweet Alfred, and +resolve not to be so desirous of the death of a little animal again. +Though it is very necessary to kill them sometimes, or they would soon +destroy all our food and clothes; still when we are forced from +necessity to kill any thing, we should do it with as much humanity as +we can, and never inflict on them unnecessary pain. I should myself +have been forced to set the trap for Velvet, only I did not like to +see my little Alfred, merely from revenge, wishing so eagerly for the +death of a poor mouse, who did not know it was doing any harm in +eating the cake." + +Alfred kissed his mother, and thanked her for her kindness in telling +him the story; and wiping his tears away, went into the garden to play +till tea was ready. + + THE END. + + +Dean and Munday, Printers, Threadneedle-street. + + * * * * * + * * * * + * * * * * + +Errors and Inconsistencies (noted by transcriber) + +Spellings such as "recal" and "befel", and "eat" as a past-tense form, +are unchanged. The author almost always uses "lay" (present) for +"lie", and "laid" for "lay" (past); no attempt was made to correct +these forms. + + and sat off to look for more provisions + she sat off to look for a proper situation + [_both unchanged; "set off" occurs only once_] + her mound was all covered with flowers [monnd] + her nice warm nest all destroyed [destoyed] + will fall into misfortune [misfortue] + his intruding into her house [kouse] + he brought home hoard of nuts + [_text unchanged: missing "a"?_] + and Downy (who did not think ... so many stories) + [(and Downy who did not ...)] + four ittle helpless blind mice + [_error uncorrected because it was irresistible_] + which she was suckling. [suckling,] + to get the rest of the apron, [_comma invisible_] + his mischeivous inclinations [_spelling unchanged_] + This was the effects of his disobedience [_text unchanged_] + ... looked quite bright and glossy. [glossy,] + ... up and abroad before sunrise, [sunrise.] + [_these matching errors come at consecutive line-ends_] + exactly the same!" [same?"] + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Little Downy, by Catharine Parr Traill + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE DOWNY *** + +***** This file should be named 27239.txt or 27239.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/7/2/3/27239/ + +Produced by Louise Hope, David Edwards, Marcia Brooks & +the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdpcanada.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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