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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-14 20:02:52 -0700 |
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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-14 20:02:52 -0700 |
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diff --git a/35014-h/35014-h.htm b/35014-h/35014-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3e9a0ec --- /dev/null +++ b/35014-h/35014-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,6416 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Among the Night People, by Clara Dillingham Pierson. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's Among the Night People, by Clara Dillingham Pierson + +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: Among the Night People + +Author: Clara Dillingham Pierson + +Illustrator: F. C. Gordon + +Release Date: January 20, 2011 [EBook #35014] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AMONG THE NIGHT PEOPLE *** + + + + +Produced by Heather Clark and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<a name="Frontispiece" id="Frontispiece"></a> +<img src="images/frontispiece.jpg" width="400" height="640" alt="" title="" /> +<span class="caption"><i>Frontispiece</i> COLLIE CHASED HIM AWAY <a href="#Page_138"><i>Page 138</i></a></span> +</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h1><span class="smcap">Among the Night People</span></h1> + +<h4>BY</h4> +<h2>CLARA DILLINGHAM PIERSON</h2> + +<h4>Author of "Among the Meadow People," "Pond People," etc.</h4> + +<h3>Illustrated by F. C. GORDON</h3> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 160px;"> +<img src="images/logo.jpg" width="160" height="145" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h4>NEW YORK<br /> +<big>E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY</big><br /> +<small>31 WEST TWENTY-THIRD STREET</small></h4> + + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h4><span class="smcap">Copyright</span>, 1902<br /> +BY<br /> +E. P. DUTTON & CO.</h4> + +<h5>The Knickerbocker Press, New York</h5> + + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h4> +TO<br /> +<br /> +<big>RACHEL W. PIERSON</big><br /> +<br /> +THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED</h4> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 393px;"> +<img src="images/hchap06.jpg" width="393" height="98" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td> </td><td align='right'><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE BLACK SPANISH CHICKENS</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE WIGGLERS BECOME MOSQUITOES</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_15">15</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE NAUGHTY RACCOON CHILDREN</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_30">30</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE TIMID LITTLE GROUND HOG</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_43">43</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE YOUNG RACCOONS GO TO A PARTY</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_55">55</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE SKUNKS AND THE OVEN-BIRD'S NEST</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_68">68</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE LAZY CUT-WORMS</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_82">82</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE NIGHT-MOTH'S PARTY</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_94">94</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE LONELY OLD BACHELOR MUSKRAT</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_110">110</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE GREEDY RED FOX</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_131">131</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE UNFORTUNATE FIREFLIES</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_148">148</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE KITTENS COME TO THE FOREST</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_160">160</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE INQUISITIVE WEASELS</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_176">176</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE THRIFTY DEER-MOUSE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_190">190</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE HUMMING-BIRD AND THE HAWK-MOTH</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_208">208</a></td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[Pg vi]</a></span></p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 396px;"> +<img src="images/hillustrations.jpg" width="396" height="102" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> + + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td> </td><td align='right'><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THEY WERE FREE TO GO WHERE THEY CHOSE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_6">6</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>KNOCKED HIS BROTHER DOWN</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_40">40</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>HE STARTED OFF FOR A NIGHT'S RAMBLE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_72">72</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THEY LIVED IN THE FOREST AFTER THAT</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_109">109</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE MARSH SEEMED SO EMPTY AND LONELY</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_127">127</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>COLLIE CHASED HIM AWAY</td><td align='right'><a href="#Frontispiece"><i>Frontispiece</i> 138</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>TWINKLING WITH HUNDREDS OF TINY LIGHTS</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_157">157</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>IN WINTER THEY TURNED WHITE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_178">178</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE MICE MAKE WINTER THEIR PLAYTIME</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_195">195</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE HUMMING-BIRD AND THE HAWK-MOTH</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_218">218</a></td></tr> +</table></div> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 203px;"> +<img src="images/tchap02_04_15.jpg" width="203" height="104" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[Pg viii]</a></span></p> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[Pg ix]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 393px;"> +<img src="images/hchap07.jpg" width="393" height="97" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<p><span class="smcap">My Dear Little Friends:</span>—You can +never guess how much I have enjoyed +writing these stories of the night-time, +and I must tell you how I first came to +think of doing so. I once knew a girl—and +she was not a very little girl, either,—who +was afraid of the dark. And I have +known three boys who were as brave as +could be by daylight, but who would not +run on an errand alone after the lamps +were lighted. They never seemed to +think what a beautiful, restful, growing +time the night is for plants and animals, +and even for themselves. I thought that +if they knew more of what happens between +sunset and sunrise they would love +the night as well as I.</p> + +<p>It may be that you will never see +Bats flying freely, or find the Owls<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[Pg x]</a></span> +flapping silently among the trees without +touching even a twig. Perhaps while +these things are happening you must be +snugly tucked in bed. But that is no +reason why you should not be told what +they do while you are dreaming. Before +this, you know, I have told you more of +what is done by daylight in meadow, forest, +farmyard, and pond. It would be a very +queer world if we could not know about +things without seeing them for ourselves, +and you may like to think, when you are +going to sleep, that hundreds and thousands +of tiny out-of-door people are turning, +and stretching, and going to find their +food. In the morning, when you are +dressing in your sunshiny rooms, they +are cuddling down for a good day's rest.</p> + +<p>I think I ought to tell you that I have +not been alone when writing these stories. +I have often been in the meadow and the +forest at night, and have seen and heard +many interesting things, but my good<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[Pg xi]</a></span> +Cat, Silvertip, has known far more than +I of the night-doings of the out-of-door +people. He has been beside me at my +desk, and although at times he has shut +his eyes and taken Cat-naps while I +wrote, there have been many other times +when he has taken the pen right out of +my hand. He has even tried running the +typewriter with his dainty white paws, +and he has gone over every story I have +written. I do not say that he has written +any himself, but you can see that he has +been very careful what I wrote, and I +have learned a great deal from him that +I never knew before. He is a very good +and clever Cat, and if you like these stories +I am sure it must be partly because +he had a paw in the writing of them.</p> + +<p style='text-align:right'> +Your friend, <br /> +<span class="smcap">Clara D. Pierson</span>.</p> + +<p><small><span class="smcap">Stanton, Michigan</span>,<br /> + April 15th, 1901.</small></p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii">[Pg xii]</a></span></p> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 396px;"> +<img src="images/hchap01_10.jpg" width="396" height="99" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>THE BLACK SPANISH +CHICKENS</h2> + + +<p>When the Speckled Hen wanted to +sit there was no use in trying to +talk her out of the idea, for she was a +very set Hen. So, after the farmer's wife +had worked and worked, and barred her +out of first one nesting-place and then +another, she gave up to the Speckled +Hen and fixed her a fine nest and put +thirteen eggs into it. They were Black +Spanish eggs, but the Speckled Hen did +not know that. The Hens that had laid +them could not bear to sit, so, unless some +other Hen did the work which they left +undone, there would have been no Black +Spanish Chickens. This is always their +way, and people have grown used to it.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> +Now nobody thinks of asking a Black +Spanish Hen to sit, although it does not +seem right that a Hen should be unwilling +to bring up chickens. Supposing nobody +had been willing to bring her up?</p> + +<p>Still, the Black Spanish Hens talk very +reasonably about it. "We will lay plenty +of eggs," they say, "but some of the common +Hens must hatch them." They do +their share of the farmyard work, only +they insist on choosing what that share +shall be.</p> + +<p>When the Speckled Hen came off the +nest with eleven Black Chickens (two of +the eggs did not hatch), she was not altogether +happy. "I wanted them to be +speckled," said she, "and not one of the +whole brood is." That was why she grew +so restless and discontented in her coop, +although it was roomy and clean and she +had plenty given her to eat and drink. +She was quite happy only when they +were safely under her wings at night.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> +And such a time as they always had +getting settled!</p> + +<p>When the sunbeams came more and +more slantingly through the trees, the +Chickens felt less and less like running +around. Their tiny legs were tired and +they liked to cuddle down on the grass +in the shadow of the coop. Then the +Speckled Hen often clucked to them to +come in and rest, but they liked it better +in the open air. The Speckled Hen +would also have liked to be out of the +coop, yet the farmer kept her in. He +knew what was best for Hens with little +Chickens, and also what was best for the +tender young lettuce and radishes in his +garden.</p> + +<p>When the sun was nearly down, the +Speckled Hen clucked her come-to-bed +cluck, which was quite different from her +food cluck or her Hawk cluck, and the +little Black Chickens ran between the bars +and crawled under her feathers. Then the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> +Speckled Hen began to look fatter and +fatter and fatter for each Chicken who +nestled beneath her. Sometimes one little +fellow would scramble up on to her back +and stand there, while she turned her head +from side to side, looking at him with first +one and then the other of her round yellow +eyes, and scolding him all the time. It +never did any good to scold, but she said +she had to do something, and with ten +other children under her wings it would +never do for her to stand up and tumble +him off.</p> + +<p>All the time that they were getting +settled for the night the Chickens were +talking in sleepy little cheeps, and now +and then one of them would poke his +head out between the feathers and tell +the Speckled Hen that somebody was +pushing him. Then she would be more +puzzled than ever and cluck louder still. +Sometimes, too, the Chickens would run +out for another mouthful of cornmeal<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> +mush or a few more drops of water. +There was one little fellow who always +wanted something to drink just when he +should have been going to sleep. The +Speckled Hen used to say that it took +longer for a mouthful of water to run +down his throat than it would for her to +drink the whole panful. Of course it did +take quite a while, because he couldn't +hurry it by swallowing. He had to drink, +as all birds do, by filling his beak with +water and then holding it up until the last +drop had trickled down into his stomach.</p> + +<p>When the whole eleven were at last +safely tucked away for the night, the +Speckled Hen was tired but happy. +"They are good children," she often said +to herself, "if they are Black Spanish. +They might be just as mischievous if they +were speckled; still, I do wish that those +stylish-looking, white-eared Black Spanish +Hens would raise their own broods. +I don't like to be hatch-mother to other<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> +Hens' chickens." Then she would slide +her eyelids over her eyes, and doze off, +and dream that they were all speckled +like herself.</p> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/chap01.jpg" width="400" height="640" alt="THEY WERE FREE TO GO WHERE THEY CHOSE." title="" /> +<span class="caption">THEY WERE FREE TO GO WHERE THEY CHOSE.</span> +<p style='text-align:right'><i>Page 6</i></p> +</div> + +<p>There came a day when the coop was +raised and they were free to go where +they chose. There was a fence around +the vegetable garden now and netting +around the flower-beds, but there were +other lovely places for scratching up food, +for nipping off tender young green things, +for picking up the fine gravel which every +Chicken needs, and for wallowing in the +dust. Then the Black Spanish Chickens +became acquainted with the other fowls +whom they had never met before. They +were rather afraid of the Shanghai Cock +because he had such a gruff way of speaking, +and they liked the Dorkings, yet +the ones they watched and admired and +talked most about were the Black Spanish +Cock and Hen. There were many +fowls on the farm who did not have family +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> +names, and the Speckled Hen was one +of these. They had been there longer +than the rest and did not really like having +new people come to live in the poultry-yard. +It was trying, too, when the +older Hens had to hatch the eggs laid +by the newcomers.</p> + +<p>It is said that this was what made the +Speckled Hen leave the eleven little +Black Spanish Chickens after she had +been out of the coop for a while. They +had been very mischievous and disobedient +one day, and she walked off and +left them to care for themselves while +she started to raise a family of her own +in a stolen nest under the straw-stack.</p> + +<p>When night came, eleven little Black +Spanish Chickens did not know what +to do. They went to look for their old +coop, but that had been given to another +Hen and her family. They walked +around looking very small and lonely, and +wished they had minded the Speckled<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> +Hen and made her love them more. +At last they found an old potato-crate +which reminded them of a coop and so +seemed rather homelike. It stood, top +down, upon the ground and they were +too big to crawl through its barred sides, +so they did the best they could and huddled +together on top of it. If there had +not been a stone-heap near, they could +not have done that, for their wing-feathers +were not yet large enough to help them +flutter. The bravest Chicken went first, +picking his way from stone to stone until +he reached the highest one, balancing +himself awhile on that, stretching his neck +toward the potato-crate, looking at it as +though he were about to jump, and then +seeming to change his mind and decide +not do so after all.</p> + +<p>The Chickens on the ground said he +was afraid, and he said he wasn't any +more afraid than they were. Then, after +a while, he did jump, a queer, floppy,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> +squawky kind of jump, but it landed him +where he wanted to be. After that it +was his turn to laugh at the others while +they stood teetering uncertainly on the +top stone. They were very lonely without +the Speckled Hen, and each Chicken +wanted to be in the middle of the group +so that he could have others to keep him +warm on all sides.</p> + +<p>Somebody laughed at the most mischievous +Chicken and told him he could +stand on the potato-crate's back without +being scolded, and he pouted his bill and +said: "Much fun that would be! All I +cared about standing on the Speckled +Hen's back was to make her scold." It +is very shocking that he should say +such things, but he did say exactly +that.</p> + +<p>They slept safely that night, and only +awakened when the Cocks crowed a little +while after midnight. After that they slept +until sunrise, and when the Shanghais<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> +and Dorkings came down from the apple-tree +where they had been roosting, the +Black Spanish Chickens stirred and +cheeped, and looked at their feathers to +see how much they had grown during the +night. Then they pushed and squabbled +for their breakfast.</p> + +<p>Every night they came back to sleep +on the potato-crate. At last they were +able to spring up into their places without +standing on the stone-pile, and that +was a great day. They talked about it +long after they should have been asleep, +and were still chattering when the Shanghai +Cock spoke: "If you Black Spanish +Chickens don't keep still and let us +sleep," said he, "some Owl or Weasel +will come for you, and I shall be glad to +have him!"</p> + +<p>That scared the Chickens and they +were very quiet. It made the Black +Spanish Hen uneasy though, and she +whispered to the Black Spanish Cock<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> +and wouldn't let him sleep until he had +promised to fight anybody who might try +to carry one of the Chickens away from +the potato-crate.</p> + +<p>The next night first one Chicken and +then another kept tumbling off the potato-crate. +They lost their patience and +said such things as these to each other:</p> + +<p>"You pushed me! You know you +did!"</p> + +<p>"Well, he pushed me!"</p> + +<p>"Didn't either!"</p> + +<p>"Did too!"</p> + +<p>"Well, I couldn't help it if I did!"</p> + +<p>The Shanghai Cock became exceedingly +cross because they made so much +noise, and even the Black Spanish Cock +lost his patience. "You may be my +children," said he, "but you do not take +your manners from me. Is there no +other place on this farm where you can +sleep excepting that old crate?"</p> + +<p>"We want to sleep here," answered<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> +the Chicken on the ground. "There is +plenty of room if those fellows wouldn't +push." Then he flew up and clung and +pushed until some other Chicken tumbled +off.</p> + +<p>"Well!" said the Black Spanish Cock. +And he would have said much more if +the Black Spanish Hen had not fluttered +down from the apple-tree to see what +was the matter. When he saw the expression +of her eyes he decided to go +back to his perch.</p> + +<p>"There is not room for you all," said +the Black Spanish Hen. "One must +sleep somewhere else."</p> + +<p>"There <i>is</i> room," said the Chickens, +contradicting her. "We have always +roosted on here."</p> + +<p>"There is <i>not</i> room," said the Black +Spanish Hen once more. "How do +your feathers grow?"</p> + +<p>"Finely," said they.</p> + +<p>"And your feet?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> + +<p>"They are getting very big," was the +answer.</p> + +<p>"Do you think the Speckled Hen +could cover you all with her wings if she +were to try it now?"</p> + +<p>The Chickens looked at each other +and laughed. They thought it would +take three Speckled Hens to cover them.</p> + +<p>"But she used to," said the Black +Spanish Hen. She did not say anything +more. She just looked at the potato-crate +and at them and at the potato-crate +again. Then she walked off.</p> + +<p>After a while one of the Chickens said: +"I guess perhaps there isn't room for us +all there."</p> + +<p>The mischievous one said: "If you +little Chickens want to roost there you +may. I am too large for that sort of +thing." Then he walked up the slanting +board to the apple-tree branch and +perched there beside the young Shanghais. +You should have seen how beautifully<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> +he did it. His toes hooked themselves +around the branch as though he had +always perched there, and he tucked his +head under his wing with quite an air. +Before long his brothers and sisters came +also, and heard him saying to one of his +new neighbors, "Oh, yes, I much prefer +apple-trees, but when I was a Chicken I +used to sleep on a potato-crate."</p> + +<p>"Just listen to him!" whispered the +Black Spanish Cock. "And he hasn't a +tail-feather worth mentioning!"</p> + +<p>"Never mind," answered the Black +Spanish Hen. "Let them play that they +are grown up if they want to. They will +be soon enough." She sighed as she +put her head under her wing and settled +down for the night. It made her feel old +to see her children roosting in a tree.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 180px;"> +<img src="images/tchap01.jpg" width="180" height="68" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 404px;"> +<img src="images/hchap02_11.jpg" width="404" height="102" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>THE WIGGLERS BECOME MOSQUITOES</h2> + + +<p>It was a bright moonlight night when the +oldest Wigglers in the rain-barrel made +up their mind to leave the water. They +had always been restless and discontented +children, but it was not altogether their +fault. How could one expect any insect +with such a name to float quietly? When +the Mosquito Mothers laid their long and +slender eggs in the rain-barrel, they had +fastened them together in boat-shaped +masses, and there they had floated until +the Wigglers were strong enough to +break through the lower ends of the eggs +into the water. It had been only a few +days before they were ready to do this.</p> + +<p>Then there had been a few more days<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> +and nights when the tiny Wigglers hung +head downward in the water, and all one +could see by looking across the barrel +was the tips of their breathing tubes. +Sometimes, if they were frightened, a +young Wiggler would forget and get head +uppermost for a minute, but he was always +ashamed to have this happen, and +made all sorts of excuses for himself when +it did. Well-bred little Wigglers tried to +always have their heads down, and Mosquitoes +who stopped to visit with them +and give good advice told them such +things as these: "The Wiggler who +keeps his head up may never have wings," +and, "Up with your tails and down with +your eyes, if you would be mannerly, +healthy, and wise."</p> + +<p>When they were very young they kept +their heads way down and breathed +through a tube that ran out near the tail-end +of their bodies. This tube had a +cluster of tiny wing-like things on the very<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> +tip, which kept it floating on the top of +the water. They had no work to do, so +they just ate food which they found in +the water, and wiggled, and played tag, +and whenever they were at all frightened +they dived to the bottom and stayed +there until they were out of breath. That +was never very long.</p> + +<p>There were many things to frighten +them. Sometimes a stray Horse stopped +by the barrel to drink, sometimes a Robin +perched on the edge for a few mouthfuls +of water, and once in a while a Dragon-Fly +came over to visit from the neighboring +pond. It was not always the biggest +visitor who scared them the worst. The +Horses tried not to touch the Wigglers, +while a Robin was only too glad if he +happened to get one into his bill with +the water. The Dragon-Flies were the +worst, for they were the hungriest, and +they were so much smaller that sometimes +the Wigglers didn't see them coming.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> +Sometimes, too, when they thought that +a Dragon-Fly was going the other way, +some of them stayed near the top of the +water, only to find when it was too late +that a Dragon-Fly can go backward or +sidewise without turning around.</p> + +<p>When they were a few days old the +Wigglers began to change their skins. +This they did by wiggling out of their +old ones and wearing the new ones which +had been growing underneath. This +made them feel exceedingly important, +and some of them became disgracefully +vain. One Wiggler would not dive until +he was sure a certain Robin had seen his +new suit. It was because of that vanity +he never lived to be a Mosquito.</p> + +<p>After they had changed their skins a +few times, they had two breathing-tubes +apiece instead of one, and these two grew +out near their heads. And their heads +were much larger. At the tail-end of +his body each Wiggler now had two leaf-<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span>like +things with which he swam through +the water. Because they used different +breathing-tubes, those Wigglers who had +moulted or cast their skins several times +now floated in the water with their heads +just below the surface and their tails +down. When a Wiggler is old enough +for this, he is called a Pupa, or half-grown +one.</p> + +<p>There are often young Mosquito children +of all ages in the same barrel—eggs, +Wigglers, and Pupæ all together. There +is plenty of room and plenty of food, but +because they have no work to do there is +much time for quarrelling and talking +about each other.</p> + +<p>This year the Oldest Brother had put +on so many airs that nobody liked it at +all, and several of the Wigglers had been +heard to say that they couldn't bear the +sight of him. He had such a way of saying, +"When I was a young Wiggler and +had to keep my head down," or repeat<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span>ing, +"Up with your tails and down with +your eyes, if you would be mannerly, +healthy, and wise." One little Wiggler +crossed his feelers at him, and they say +that it is just as bad to do that as to make +faces. Besides, it is so much easier—if +you have the feelers to cross.</p> + +<p>Now the Oldest Brother and those of +his brothers and sisters who had hatched +from the same egg-mass were talking of +leaving the rain-barrel forever. It was a +bright moonlight night and they longed to +get their wings uncovered and dried, for +then they would be full-grown Mosquitoes, +resting most of the day and having glorious +times at night.</p> + +<p>The Oldest Brother was jerking himself +through the water as fast as he could, +giving his jointed body sudden bends, +first this way and then that, and when he +met anyone nearly his own age he said, +"Come with me and cast your skin. It +is a fine evening for moulting."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p> + +<p>Sometimes they answered, "All right," +and jerked or wiggled or swam along +with him, and sometimes a Pupa would +answer, "I'm afraid I'm not old enough +to slip out of my skin easily."</p> + +<p>Then the Oldest Brother would reply, +"Don't stop for that. You'll be older by +the time we begin." That was true, of +course, and all members of Mosquito +families grow old very fast. So it happened +that when the moon peeped over +the farmhouse, showing her bright face +between the two chimneys, twenty-three +Pupæ were floating close to each other +and making ready to change their skins +for the last time.</p> + +<p>It was very exciting. All the young +Wigglers hung around to see what was +going on, and pushed each other aside to +get the best places. The Oldest Brother +was much afraid that somebody else +would begin to moult before he was ready, +and all the brothers were telling their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> +sisters to be careful to split their skins in +the right place down the back, and the sisters +were telling them that they knew just +as much about moulting as their brothers +did. Every little while the Oldest Brother +would say, "Now wait! Don't one of you +fellows split his old skin until I say so."</p> + +<p>Then two or three of his brothers +would become impatient, because their +outer skins were growing tighter every +minute, and would say, "Why not?" and +would grumble because they had to wait. +The truth was that the Oldest Brother +could not get his skin to crack, although +he jerked and wiggled and took very +deep breaths. And he didn't want any +one else to get ahead of him. At last it +did begin to open, and he had just told +the others to commence moulting, when a +Mosquito Mother stopped to lay a few +eggs in the barrel.</p> + +<p>"Dear me!" said she. "You are not +going to moult to-night, are you?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yes, we are," answered the Oldest +Brother, giving a wiggle that split his +skin a little farther. "We'll be biting +people before morning."</p> + +<p>"You?" said the Mosquito Mother, +with a queer little smile. "I wouldn't +count on doing that. But you young +people may get into trouble if you moult +now, for it looks like rain."</p> + +<p>She waved her feelers upward as she +spoke, and they noticed that heavy black +clouds were piling up in the sky. Even +as they looked the moon was hidden and +the wind began to stir the branches of the +trees. "It will rain," she said, "and then +the water will run off the roof into this +barrel, and if you have just moulted and +cannot fly, you will be drowned."</p> + +<p>"Pooh!" answered the Oldest Brother. +"Guess we can take care of ourselves. +I'm not afraid of a little water." Then +he tried to crawl out of his old skin.</p> + +<p>The Mosquito Mother stayed until she<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> +had laid all the eggs she wanted to, and +then flew away. Not one of the Pupæ +had been willing to listen to her, although +some of the sisters might have done so if +their brothers had not made fun of +them.</p> + +<p>At last, twenty-three soft and tired +young Mosquitoes stood on their cast-off +pupa-skins, waiting for their wings to +harden. It is never easy work to crawl +out of one's skin, and the last moulting is +the hardest of all. It was then, when +they could do nothing but wait, that these +young Mosquitoes began to feel afraid. +The night was now dark and windy, and +sometimes a sudden gust blew their floating +pupa skins toward one side of the +barrel. They had to cling tightly to +them, for they suddenly remembered that +if they fell into the water they might +drown. The oldest one found himself +wishing to be a Wiggler again. "Wigglers +are never drowned," thought he.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Who are you going to bite first?" +asked one of his brothers.</p> + +<p>He answered very crossly: "I don't +know and I don't care. I'm not hungry. +Can't you think of anything but eating?"</p> + +<p>"Why, what else is there to think +about?" cried all the floating Mosquitoes.</p> + +<p>"Well, there is flying," said he.</p> + +<p>"Humph! I don't see what use flying +would be except to carry us to our food," +said one Mosquito Sister. She afterward +found out that it was good for other +reasons.</p> + +<p>After that they didn't try to talk with +their Oldest Brother. They talked with +each other and tried their legs, and +wished it were light enough for them to +see their wings. Mosquitoes have such interesting +wings, you know, thin and gauzy, +and with delicate fringes around the edges +and along the line of each vein. The +sisters, too, were proud of the pockets +under their wings, and were in a hurry to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> +have their wings harden, so that they +could flutter them and hear the beautiful +singing sound made by the air striking +these pockets. They knew that their +brothers could never sing, and they were +glad to think that they were ahead of +them for once. It was not really their +fault that they felt so, for the brothers +had often put on airs and laughed at +them.</p> + +<p>Then came a wonderful flash of lightning +and a long roll of thunder, and the +trees tossed their beautiful branches to +and fro, while big rain-drops pattered +down on to the roof overhead and spattered +and bounded and rolled toward +the edge under which the rain-barrel +stood.</p> + +<p>"Fly!" cried the Oldest Brother, raising +his wings as well as he could.</p> + +<p>"We can't. Where to?" cried the +rest.</p> + +<p>"Fly any way, anywhere!" screamed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> +the Oldest Brother, and in some wonderful +way the whole twenty-three managed +to flutter and crawl and sprawl up the +side of the building, where the rain-drops +fell past but did not touch them. There +they found older Mosquitoes waiting for +the shower to stop. Even the Oldest +Brother was so scared that he shook, and +when he saw that same Mosquito Mother +who had told him to put off changing +his skin, he got behind two other young +Mosquitoes and kept very still. Perhaps +she saw him, for it was lighter then than +it had been. She did not seem to see +him, but he heard her talking to her +friends. "I told him," she said, "that he +might better put off moulting, but he answered +that he could take care of himself, +and that he would be out biting people +before morning."</p> + +<p>"Did he say that?" cried the other old +Mosquitoes.</p> + +<p>"He did," she replied.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span></p> + +<p>Then they all laughed and laughed and +laughed again, and the young Mosquito +found out why. It was because Mosquito +brothers have to eat honey, and +only the sisters may bite people and suck +their blood. He had thought so often +how he would sing around somebody until +he found the nicest, juiciest spot, and then +settle lightly down and bite and suck until +his slender little body was fat and round +and red with its stomachful of blood. +And that could never be! He could never +sing, and he would have to sit around +with his stomach full of honey and see his +eleven sisters gorged with blood and hear +them singing sweetly as they flew. If +Mosquito Fathers had ever come to the +barrel he might have found this out, but +they never did. He sneaked off by himself +until he met an early bird and then—well, +you know birds must eat something, +and the Mosquito was right there. Of +course, after that, his brothers and sisters<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> +had a chance to do as they wanted to, and +the eleven sisters bit thirteen people the +very next night and had the loveliest kind +of Mosquito time.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 203px;"> +<img src="images/tchap02_04_15.jpg" width="203" height="104" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 398px;"> +<img src="images/hchap03_12.jpg" width="398" height="96" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>THE NAUGHTY RACCOON CHILDREN</h2> + + +<p>There was hardly a night of his life +when the Little Brother of the Raccoon +family was not reproved by his +mother for teasing. Mrs. Raccoon said she +didn't know what she had done to deserve +such a child. When she spoke like this +to her neighbors they sighed and said, "It +must be trying, but he may outgrow it."</p> + +<p>The Oldest Wolverene, though, told +the Skunk that his cousin, Mrs. Raccoon's +husband, had been just as bad as that +when he was young. "I do not want you +to say that I said so," he whispered, "because +he might hear of it and be angry, +but it is true." The Oldest Wolverene +didn't say whether Mr. Raccoon outgrew<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> +this bad habit, yet it would seem that his +wife had never noticed it.</p> + +<p>You must not think that Mr. Raccoon +was dead. Oh, no, indeed! Every night +he was prowling through the forest on +tiptoe looking for food. But Mrs. Raccoon +was a very devoted mother and gave +so much time and attention to her children +that she was not good company for +her husband. He did not care much for +home life, and the children annoyed him +exceedingly, so he went away and found +a hole in another tree which he fitted up +for himself. There he slept through the +day and until the setting of the sun told +him that it was time for his breakfast. +Raccoons like company, and he often had +friends in to sleep with him. Sometimes +these friends were Raccoons like himself +with wives and children, and then they +would talk about their families and tell +how they thought their wives were spoiling +the children.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span></p> + +<p>The four little Raccoons, who lived with +their mother in the dead branch of the +big oak-tree, had been born in April, +when the forest was sweet with the scent +of wild violets and every one was happy. +Beautiful pink and white trilliums raised +their three-cornered flowers above their +threefold leaves and nodded with every +passing breeze. Yellow adder's-tongue +was there, with cranesbill geraniums, +squirrel-corn, and spring beauties, besides +hepaticas and windflowers and the dainty +bishop's-cap. The young Raccoons did +not see these things, for their eyes would +not work well by daylight, and when, +after dark, their mother let them put +their heads out of the hole and look +around, they were too far from the ground +to see the flowers sleeping in the dusk +below. They could only sniff, sniff, sniff +with their sharp little turned-up noses, +and wonder what flowers look like, any +way.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span></p> + +<p>When their mother was with them for a +time, and that was while they were drinking +the warm milk that she always carried +for them, she told them stories of the +flowers and trees. She had begun by +telling them animal stories, but she found +that it made them cowardly. "Just supposing," +one young Raccoon had said, "a +great big, dreadful Snail should come up +this tree and eat us all!"</p> + +<p>The mother told them that Snails were +small and slow and weak, and never +climbed trees or ate people, but it did no +good, and her children were always afraid +of Snails until they had seen one for +themselves. After that she told them +stories of the flowers, and when they +asked if the flowers would ever come to +see them, she said, "No, indeed! You +will never see them until you can climb +down the tree and walk among them, for +they grow with their feet in the ground +and never go anywhere." There were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> +many stories which they wanted over and +over again, but the one they liked best of +all was that about the wicked, wicked +Poison Ivy and the gentle Spotted Touch-me-not +who grew near him and undid all +the trouble that the Ivy made.</p> + +<p>When the night came for the young +Raccoons to climb down from their tree +and learn to hunt, all the early spring +blossoms were gone, and only the ripening +seed-vessels showed where nodding flowers +had been. You would have expected +the Raccoon children to be disappointed, +yet there were so many other things to see +and learn about that it was not until three +nights later that they thought much of +the flowers. They might not have done +so then if Little Sister had not lost her +hold upon the oak-tree bark and fallen +with her forepaws on a scarlet jack-in-the-pulpit +berry.</p> + +<p>They had to learn to climb quickly and +strongly up all sorts of trees. Perhaps<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> +Mrs. Raccoon had chosen an oak for her +nest because that was rough and easily +climbed. There were many good places +for Raccoons to grip with their twenty +strong claws apiece. After they had +learned oaks they took maples, ironwoods, +and beeches—each a harder lesson than +the one before.</p> + +<p>"When you climb a tree," said their +mother, "always look over the trunk and +the largest branches for hiding-places, +whether you want to use one then or +not."</p> + +<p>"Why?" asked three of the four children. +Big Brother, who was rather vain, +was looking at the five beautiful black +rings and the beautiful black tip of his +wonderful bushy tail. Between the black +rings were whitish ones, and he thought +such things much more interesting than +holes in trees.</p> + +<p>"Because," said the Mother Raccoon, +"you may be far from home some night<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> +and want a safe place to sleep in all day. +Or if a man and his Dogs are chasing +you, you must climb into the first hiding-place +you can. We Raccoons are too fat +and slow to run away from them, and the +rings on our tails and the black patches on +our broad faces might show from the +ground. If the hole is a small one, make it +cover your head and your tail anyway, and +as much of your brown body fur as you +can."</p> + +<p>Mother Raccoon looked sternly at Big +Brother because he had not been listening, +and he gave a slight jump and asked, +"W-what did you say?"</p> + +<p>"What did I say?" she replied. "You +should have paid better attention."</p> + +<p>"Yes 'm," said Big Brother, who was +now very meek.</p> + +<p>"I shall not repeat it," said his mother, +"but I will tell you not to grow vain of +your fur. It is very handsome, and so is +that of your sisters and your brother. So<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> +is mine, and so was your father's the last +time I saw him. Yet nearly all the +trouble that Raccoons have is on account +of their fur. Never try to show it +off."</p> + +<p>The time came for the young Raccoons +to stop drinking milk from their +mother's body, and when they tried to do +so she only walked away from them.</p> + +<p>"I cannot work so hard to care for +you," said she. "I am so tired and thin, +now, that my skin is loose, and you must +find your own food. You are getting +forty fine teeth apiece, and I never saw +a better lot of claws on any Raccoon +family, if I do say it."</p> + +<p>They used to go hunting together, for it +is the custom for Raccoons to go in parties +of from five to eight, hunt all night, and +then hide somewhere until the next night. +They did not always come home at sunrise, +and it made a pleasant change to +sleep in different trees. One day they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> +all cuddled down in the hollow of an old +maple, just below where the branches +come out. Mother Raccoon had climbed +the tree first and was curled away in the +very bottom of the hole. The four +children were not tired and hadn't wanted +to go to bed at all. Little Sister had +made a dreadful face when her mother +called her up the tree, and if it had not +already been growing light, Mrs. Raccoon +would probably have seen it and +punished her.</p> + +<p>Big Sister curled down beside her +mother and Little Sister was rather above +them and beside mischievous Little +Brother. Last of all came Big Brother, +who had stopped to scratch his ear with +his hind foot. He was very proud of his +little round ears, and often scratched +them in this way to make sure that the +fur lay straight on them. He was so +slow in reaching the hole that before he +got into it a Robin had begun his morn<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span>ing +song of "Cheerily, cheerily, cheerup!" +and a Chipmunk perched on a +stump to make his morning toilet.</p> + +<p>He got all settled, and Little Brother +was half asleep beside him, when he +remembered his tail and sat up to have +one more look at it. Little Brother +growled sleepily and told him to "let his +old tail alone and come to bed, as long +as they couldn't hunt any more." But +Big Brother thought he saw a sand-burr +on his tail, and wanted to pull it out +before it hurt the fur. Then he began +to look at the bare, tough pads on his +feet, and to notice how finely he could +spread his toes. Those of his front feet +he could spread especially wide. He +balanced himself on the edge of the hole +and held them spread out before him. +It was still dark enough for him to see +well. "Come here, Little Brother," he +cried. "Wake up, and see how big my +feet are getting."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span></p> + +<p>Mother Raccoon growled at them to +be good children and go to sleep, but +her voice sounded dreamy and far away +because she had to talk through part of +her own fur and most of her daughters'.</p> + +<p>Little Brother lost his patience, unrolled +himself with a spring, jumped to +the opening, and knocked his brother +down. It was dreadful. Of course Big +Brother was not much hurt, for he was +very fat and his fur was both long and +thick, but he turned over and over on his +way to the ground before he alighted on +his feet. He turned so fast and Little +Brother's eyes hurt him so that it looked +as though Big Brother had about three +heads, three tails, and twelve feet. He +called out as he fell, and that awakened +the sisters, who began to cry, and Mother +Raccoon, who was so scared that she +began to scold.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/chap03.jpg" width="400" height="640" alt="KNOCKED HIS BROTHER DOWN." title="" /> +<span class="caption">KNOCKED HIS BROTHER DOWN.</span> +<p style='text-align:right'><i>Page 40</i></p> +</div> + +<p>Such a time! Mother Raccoon found +out what had happened, and then she said +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> +to Little Brother, "Did you mean to push +him down?"</p> + +<p>"No, ma'am," answered Little Brother, +hanging his head. "Anyhow I didn't +mean to after I saw him going. Perhaps +I did mean to before that." You see he +was a truthful Raccoon even when he was +most naughty, and there is always hope +for a Raccoon who will tell the truth, no +matter how hard it is to do so.</p> + +<p>Big Brother climbed slowly up the trunk +of the oak-tree, while more and more of the +daytime people came to look at him. He +could not see well now, and so was very +awkward. When he reached the hole he was +hot and cross, and complained to his mother. +"Make him quit teasing me," he said, +pointing one forepaw at Little Brother.</p> + +<p>"I will," answered Mother Raccoon; +"but you were just as much to blame as +he, for if you had cuddled down quietly +when I told you to, you would have been +dreaming long ago. Now you must<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> +sleep where I was, at the lower end of +the hole. Little Brother must go next, +and I do not want to hear one word from +either of you. Sisters next, and I will +sleep by the opening. You children must +remember that it is no time for talking to +each other, or looking at claws, or getting +sand-burrs out of your tails after you +have been sent to bed. Go to sleep, and +don't awaken until the sun has gone down +and you are ready to be my good little +Raccoons again."</p> + +<p>Her children were asleep long before +she was, and she talked softly to herself +after they were dreaming. "They do +not mean to be naughty," she said. "Yet +it makes my fur stand on end to think +what might have happened.... I +ought not to have curled up for the day +until they had done so.... Mothers +should always be at the top of the heap." +Then she fixed herself for a long, restful +day's sleep.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 412px;"> +<img src="images/hchap04_13.jpg" width="412" height="105" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>THE TIMID LITTLE GROUND +HOG</h2> + + +<p>It was not often that the little Ground +Hogs were left alone in the daytime. +Before they were born their mother had +been heard to say that she had her opinion +of any Ground Hog who would be +seen out after sunrise. Mr. Ground Hog +felt in the same way, and said if he ever +got to running around by daylight, like +some of his relatives, people might call +him a Woodchuck. He thought that +any one who ate twigs, beets, turnips, +young tree-bark, and other green things +from sunset to sunrise ought to be able to +get along until the next sunset without a +lunch. He said that any Ground Hog +who wanted more was a Pig.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span></p> + +<p>After the baby Ground Hogs were +born, matters were different. They could +not go out at night to feed for themselves, +and their stomachs were so tiny +and held so little at a time that they had +to be filled very often. Mr. Ground Hog +was never at home now, and the care all +fell upon his hard-working wife.</p> + +<p>"You know, my dear," he had said, +"that I should only be in the way if I +were to stay at home, for I am not clever +and patient with children as you are. +No, I think I will go away and see to +some matters which I have rather neglected +of late. When the children are +grown up and you have more time to +give me, I will come back to you."</p> + +<p>Then Mr. Ground Hog trotted away to +join a party of his friends who had just +told their wives something of the same +sort, and they all went together to the +farmer's turnip patch and had a delightful +time until morning. Mrs. Ground Hog<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> +looked after him as he trotted away and +wished that she could go too. He looked +so handsome with the moonlight shining +down on his long, thick, reddish fur, and +showing the black streak on his back +where the fur was tipped with gray. He +was fat and shaky, with a baggy skin, and +when he stopped to sit up on his haunches +and wave his paws at her and comb his +face-fur, she thought him just as handsome +as he had been in the early spring +when they first met. That had been in a +parsnip patch where there was good feeding +until the farmer found that the Ground +Hogs were there, and dug the rest of his +vegetables and stored them in his cellar. +Such midnight meals as they had eaten +there together! Mrs. Ground Hog said +she never saw a parsnip afterward without +thinking of their courtship.</p> + +<p>She had been as handsome as he, and +there were many other Ground Hogs who +admired her. But now she was thin and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> +did not have many chances to comb her +fur with her fore paws. She could not go +with him to the turnip patch because she +did not wish to go so far from her babies. +Thinking of that reminded her to go into +her sidehill burrow and see what they +were doing. Then she lay down and let +them draw the warm milk from her body. +While they were feeding she felt of them, +and thought how fast they were growing. +It would be only a short time before they +could trot around the fields by themselves +and whistle shrilly as they dodged down +into their own burrows. "Ah!" said she, +"this is better than turnip patches or +even parsnips."</p> + +<p>When they had finished, their mother +left them and went out to feed. She had +always been a hearty eater, but now she +had to eat enough more to make the milk +for her babies. She often thought that if +Ground Hog babies could eat anything +else their father might have learned to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> +help feed them. She thought of this +especially when she saw the Great Horned +Owl carrying food home to his son and +daughter. "It is what comes of being +four-legged," said she, "and I wouldn't +be an Owl for anything, so I won't grumble." +After this she was more cheerful.</p> + +<p>When she left the burrow she always +said: "I am going out to feed, and I shall +not be gone very long. Don't be afraid, +for you have a good burrow, and it is nice +and dark outside."</p> + +<p>The children would cry: "And you +will surely come home before sunrise?"</p> + +<p>"Surely," she always answered as she +trotted away. Then the children would +rest happily in their burrow-nest.</p> + +<p>But now Mrs. Ground Hog was hungry, +and it was broad daylight. She knew +that it was because her children grew +bigger every day and had to have more +and more milk. This meant that she +must eat more, or else when they wanted<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> +milk there would not be enough ready. +She knew that she must begin to feed by +day as well as by night, and she was glad +that she could see fairly well if the sun +were not shining into her eyes.</p> + +<p>"Children," said she to them, just as +they finished their morning lunch, "I am +very hungry and I am going out to feed. +You will be quite safe here and I want +you to be good while I am gone."</p> + +<p>The young Ground Hogs began to cry +and clutch at her fur with their weak little +paws. "Oh, don't go," they said. "Please +don't go. We don't want to stay alone +in the daytime. We're afraid."</p> + +<p>"I must," said she, "or I shall have no +milk for you. And then, you wouldn't +have me lie here all day too hungry to +sleep, would you?"</p> + +<p>"N-no," said they; "but you'll come +back soon, won't you?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," said she, and she shook off their +clinging paws and poked back the daugh<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span>ter +who caught on again, and trotted away +as fast as she could. It was the first time +that she had been out by daylight, and +everything looked queer. The colors +looked too bright, and there seemed to +be more noise than usual, and she met +several people whom she had never seen +before. She stopped for a minute to look +at an Ovenbird's nest. The mother-bird +was inside, sitting there very still and +brave, although she was much frightened.</p> + +<p>"Good-morning," said Mrs. Ground +Hog. "I was just admiring your nest. +I have never seen it by daylight."</p> + +<p>"Good-morning," answered the Ovenbird. +"I'm glad you fancy my nest, but +I hope you don't like to eat meat."</p> + +<p>"Meat?" answered Mrs. Ground Hog. +"I never touch it." And she smiled and +showed all her teeth.</p> + +<p>"Oh," exclaimed the Ovenbird, "I see +you don't, for you have gnawing-teeth, +rather like those of the Rabbits." Then<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> +she hopped out of the nest and let Mrs. +Ground Hog peep in to see how the +inside was finished and also to see the four +speckled eggs which lay there.</p> + +<p>"It is a lovely nest," said Mrs. Ground +Hog, "and those eggs are beauties. But +I promised the children that I would +hurry. Good-by." She trotted happily +away, while Mrs. Ovenbird settled herself +upon her eggs again and thought +what a pleasant call she had had and +what an excellent and intelligent person +Mrs. Ground Hog was!</p> + +<p>All this time the children at home were +talking together about themselves and +what their mother had told them. Once +there was a long pause which lasted until +the brother said: "I'm not afraid, are +you?"</p> + +<p>"Of course not," said they.</p> + +<p>"Because there isn't anything to be +afraid of," said he.</p> + +<p>"Not anything," said they.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p> + +<p>"And I wouldn't be afraid anyway," +said he.</p> + +<p>"Neither would we," answered the sisters.</p> + +<p>There was another long pause.</p> + +<p>"She said we'd be just as safe as if it +were dark," said the big sister.</p> + +<p>"Of course," said the brother.</p> + +<p>"And she said she'd come back as +soon as she could," said the second +sister.</p> + +<p>"I wish she'd come now," said the +smallest sister.</p> + +<p>There was another long pause.</p> + +<p>"You don't suppose anybody would +come here just to scare us, do you?" +asked the second sister.</p> + +<p>"See here," said the brother, "I wish +you'd quit saying things to make a fellow +afraid."</p> + +<p>"You don't mean that you are frightened!" +exclaimed the three sisters together. +And the smallest one added:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> +"Why, you are, too! I can feel you +tremble."</p> + +<p>"Well, I don't care," said the brother. +"I'm not afraid of people, anyhow. If it +were only dark I wouldn't mind."</p> + +<p>"Oh, are you afraid of the daylight +too?" cried each of the sisters. "So am +I!" Then they all trembled together.</p> + +<p>"I tell you what let's do," said the +smallest sister. "Let's all stop looking +toward the light end of the burrow, and +cuddle up together and cover our eyes +and make believe it's night." They did +this and felt better. They even played +that they heard the few noises of the +night-time. A Crow cawed outside, and +the brother said, "Did you hear that +Owl? That was the Great Horned Owl, +the one who had to hatch the eggs, you +know."</p> + +<p>When another Crow cawed, the smallest +sister said, "Was that his cousin, the +Screech Owl?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yes," answered the big sister. "He +is the one who used to bring things for +the Great Horned Owl to eat."</p> + +<p>So they amused themselves and each +other, and really got along very well except +when, once in a while, they opened +their eyes a little crack to see if it were +not getting really dark. Then they had +to begin all over again. At last their +mother came, and what a comfort it was! +How glad she was to be back, and how +much she had to tell them! All about +the Ovenbird's nest and the four eggs in +it, and how the Ovenbirds spent their +nights in sleeping and their days in work +and play.</p> + +<p>"I wonder if the little Ovenbirds will +be scared when they have to stay alone +in the daytime?" said the smallest sister.</p> + +<p>"They would be more scared if they +had to stay alone at night," said their +mother.</p> + +<p>"At night!" exclaimed all the young<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> +Ground Hogs. "Why, it is dark then!"</p> + +<p>"They might be afraid of the darkness," +said their mother. Then the children +laughed and thought she was making fun +of them. They drank some milk and +went to sleep like good little Ground +Hogs, but even after he was half asleep +the big brother laughed out loud at the +thought of the Ovenbird babies being +scared at night. He could understand +any one's being afraid of daylight, but +darkness——!</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 203px;"> +<img src="images/tchap02_04_15.jpg" width="203" height="104" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/hchap05_14_15.jpg" width="400" height="102" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>THE YOUNG RACCOONS GO +TO A PARTY</h2> + + +<p>It was not very many nights after Big +Brother had tumbled from the maple-tree, +when he and the other children were +invited to a Raccoon party down by the +pond. The water was low, and in the +small pools by the shore there were +many fresh-water clams and small fishes, +such as Raccoons like best of all. A +family of six young Raccoons who lived +very near the pond had found them just +before sunrise, when they had to climb off +to bed. They knew there was much +more food there than they could eat +alone, so their mother had let them invite +their four friends who lived in the hollow +of the oak-tree. The party was to begin<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> +the next evening at moonrise, and the +four children who lived in the oak-tree +got their invitation just as they were going +to sleep for the day. They were +very much excited over it, for they had +never been to a party.</p> + +<p>"I wish we could go now," said Big +Brother.</p> + +<p>"Yes, lots of fun it would be now!" +answered Little Brother. "The sun is +almost up, and there are no clouds in the +sky. We couldn't see a thing unless we +shaded our eyes with our fore paws, and +if we had to use our fore paws in that +way we couldn't eat."</p> + +<p>"You do eat at parties, don't you?" +asked Little Sister, who had not quite +understood what was said.</p> + +<p>"Of course," shouted her brothers. +"That is what parties are for."</p> + +<p>"I thought maybe you talked some," +said Big Sister.</p> + +<p>"I suppose you do have to, some," said<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> +Big Brother, "but I know you eat. I've +heard people tell about parties lots of +times, and they always began by telling +what they ate. That's what makes it a +party."</p> + +<p>"Oh, I wish it were night and time to +go," sighed Little Brother.</p> + +<p>"I don't," said Little Sister. "I wouldn't +have any fun if I were to go now. +I'd rather wait until my stomach is +empty."</p> + +<p>"There!" said their mother. "You +children have talked long enough. Now +curl down and go to sleep. The birds +are already singing their morning songs, +and the Owls and Bats were dreaming +long ago. It will make night-time come +much sooner if you do not stay awake."</p> + +<p>"We're not a bit sleepy," cried all the +young Raccoons together.</p> + +<p>"That makes no difference at all," said +their mother, and she spoke quite sternly. +"Cuddle down for the day now, cover<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> +your eyes, and stop talking. I do not +say you must sleep, but you must stop +talking."</p> + +<p>They knew that when she spoke in that +way and said "must," there was nothing +to do but to mind. So they cuddled +down, and every one of them was asleep +before you could drop an acorn. Mother +Raccoon had known it would be so.</p> + +<p>When they awakened, early the next +night, each young Raccoon had to make +himself look as neat as possible. There +were long fur to be combed, faces and +paws to be washed, and twenty-three +burrs to be taken out of Little Brother's +tail. He began to take them out himself, +but his mother found that whenever he +got one loose he stuck it onto one of the +other children, so she scolded him and +made him sit on a branch by himself while +she worked at the burrs. Sometimes she +couldn't help pulling the fur, and then +he tried to wriggle away.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span></p> + +<p>"You've got enough out," he cried. +"Let the rest go."</p> + +<p>"You should have thought sooner how +it would hurt," she said. "You have +been told again and again to keep away +from the burrs, and you are just as careless +as you were the first night you left +the tree." Then she took out another +burr and dropped it to the ground.</p> + +<p>"Ouch!" said he. "Let me go!"</p> + +<p>"Not until I am done," she answered. +"No child of mine shall ever go to a party +looking as you do."</p> + +<p>After that Little Brother tried to hold +still, and he had time to think how glad +he was that he hadn't stuck any more +burrs on the other children. If he had +gotten more onto them, he would have +had to wait while they were pulled off +again, and then they might have been +late for the party. If he had been very +good, he would have been glad they +didn't have to be hurt as he was. But he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> +was not very good, and he never thought +of that.</p> + +<p>When he was ready at last, Mother +Raccoon made her four children sit in a +row while she talked to them. "Remember +to walk on your toes," said she, +"although you may stand flat-footed if +you wish. Don't act greedy if you can +help it. Go into the water as much as +you choose, but don't try to dive, even if +they dare you to. Raccoons can never +learn to dive, no matter how well they +swim. And be sure to wash your food +before you eat it."</p> + +<p>All the young Raccoons said "Yes'm," +and thought they would remember every +word. The first moonbeam shone on +the top of the oak-tree, and Mrs. Raccoon +said: "Now you may go. Be good +children and remember what I told you. +Don't stay too long. Start home when +you see the first light in the east."</p> + +<p>"Yes'm," said the young Raccoons,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> +as they walked off very properly toward +the pond. After they were well away +from the oak-tree, they heard their mother +calling to them: "Remember to +walk on your toes!"</p> + +<p>Raccoons cannot go very fast, and the +moon was shining brightly when they +reached the pond and met their six friends. +Such frolics as they had in the shallow +water, swimming, twisting, turning, scooping +up food with their busy fore paws, +going up and down the beach, and rolling +on the sand! They never once remembered +what their mother had told +them, and they acted exactly as they had +been in the habit of doing every day. +Big Brother looked admiringly at his +own tail every chance he got, although +he had been told particularly not to act +as if he thought himself fine-looking. +Little Brother rolled into a lot of sand-burrs +and got his fur so matted that he +looked worse than ever. Big Sister<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> +snatched food from other Raccoons, and +not one of them remembered about walking +on tiptoe. Little Sister ate half +the time without washing her food. Of +course that didn't matter when the food +was taken from the pond, but when they +found some on the beach and ate it without +washing—that was dreadful. No +Raccoon who is anybody at all will do +that.</p> + +<p>The mother of the family of six looked +on from a tree near by. The children +did not know that she was there. "What +manners!" said she. "I shall never have +them invited here again." Just then she +saw one of her own sons eat without +washing his food, and she groaned out +loud. "My children are forgetting too," +she said. "I have told him hundreds of +times that if he did that way every day +he would do so at a party, but he has +always said he would remember."</p> + +<p>The mother of the four young Rac<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span>coons +was out hunting and found herself +near the pond. "How noisy those children +are!" she said to herself. "Night +people should be quiet." She tiptoed +along to a pile of rocks and peeped between +them to see what was going on. +She saw her children's footprints on the +sand. "Aha!" said she. "So they did +walk flat-footed after all."</p> + +<p>She heard somebody scrambling down +a tree near by. "Good-evening," said a +pleasant Raccoon voice near her. It was +the mother of the six. "Are you watching +the children's party?" asked the newcomer. +"I hope you did not notice how +badly my son is behaving. I have tried +to teach my children good manners, but +they will be careless when I am not +looking, and then, of course, they forget +in company."</p> + +<p>That made the mother of the four feel +more comfortable. "I know just how +that is," said she. "Mine mean to be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> +good, but they are so careless. It is +very discouraging."</p> + +<p>The two mothers talked for a long time +in whispers and then each went to her hole.</p> + +<p>When the four young Raccoons came +home, it was beginning to grow light, and +they kept close together because they +were somewhat afraid. Their mother +was waiting to see them settled for the +day. She asked if they had a good time, +and said she was glad they got home +promptly. They had been afraid she +would ask if they had washed their food +and walked on their toes. She even +seemed not to notice Little Brother's +matted coat.</p> + +<p>When they awakened the next night, +the mother hurried them off with her +to the same pond where they had been +to the party. "I am going to visit with +the mother of your friends," said she, +"and you may play around and amuse +yourselves."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span></p> + +<p>The young Raccoons had another fine +time, although Little Brother found it +very uncomfortable to wear so many +burrs. They played tag in the trees, and +ate, and swam, and lay on the beach. +While they were lying there, the four +from the oak-tree noticed that their +mother was walking flat-footed. There +was bright moonlight and anybody might +see her. They felt dreadfully about it. +Then they saw her begin to eat food +which she had not washed. They were +so ashamed that they didn't want to look +their friends in the eye. They didn't +know that their friends were feeling in +the same way because they had seen their +mother doing ill-mannered things.</p> + +<p>After they reached home, Big Brother +said, very timidly, to his mother: "Did +you know you ate some food without +washing it?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes," she answered; "it is such a +bother to dip it all in water."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span></p> + +<p>"And you walked flat-footed," said Little +Brother.</p> + +<p>"Well, why shouldn't I, if I want to?" +said she.</p> + +<p>The children began to cry: "P-people +will think you don't know any b-better," +said they. "We were d-dreadfully +ashamed."</p> + +<p>"Oh!" said their mother. "Oh! Oh! +So you think that my manners are not so +good as yours! Is that it?"</p> + +<p>The young Raccoons looked at each +other in a very uncomfortable way. "We +suppose we don't always do things right +ourselves," they answered, "but you are +grown up."</p> + +<p>"Yes," replied their mother. "And +you will be."</p> + +<p>For a long time nobody spoke, and +Little Sister sobbed out loud. Then Mrs. +Raccoon spoke more gently: "The sun +is rising," said she. "We will go to sleep +now, and when we awaken to-morrow<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> +night we will try to have better manners, +so that we need not be ashamed of each +other at parties or at home."</p> + +<p>Long after the rest were dreaming, +Big Sister nudged Big Brother and +awakened him. "I understand it now," +she said. "She did it on purpose."</p> + +<p>"Who did what?" asked he.</p> + +<p>"Why, our mother. She was rude on +purpose to let us see how it looked."</p> + +<p>Big Brother thought for a minute. +"Of course," said he. "Of course she +did! Well she won't ever have to do it +again for me."</p> + +<p>"Nor for me," said Big Sister. Then +they went to sleep.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 204px;"> +<img src="images/tchap05.jpg" width="204" height="87" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 393px;"> +<img src="images/hchap06.jpg" width="393" height="98" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>THE SKUNKS AND THE OVEN-BIRD'S +NEST</h2> + + +<p>The Skunks did not go into society at +all. They were very unpopular, and +so many people feared or disliked them +that nobody would invite them to a party. +Indeed, if they had been invited to a +party and had gone, the other guests +would have left at once. The small people +of the forest feared them because they +were meat-eaters, and the larger ones disliked +them because of their disagreeable +habits. The Skunks were handsome and +quiet, but they were quick-tempered, and +as soon as one of them became angry he +threw a horrible smelling liquid on the +people who displeased him. It was not +only horrible smelling, but it made those<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> +who had to smell it steadily quite sick, +and would, indeed, have killed them if +they had not kept in the fresh air. If +a drop of this liquid got on to a person, +even his wife and children had to keep +away from him for a long time.</p> + +<p>And the Skunks were so unreasonable. +They would not stop to see what was the +real trouble, but if anybody ran into them +by mistake in the darkness, they would +just as likely as not throw the liquid at +once. Among themselves they seemed to +be quite happy. There were from six to +ten children born at a time in each family. +These children lived in the burrow with +their father and mother until the next +spring, sleeping steadily through the coldest +weather of winter, and only awakening +when it was warm enough for them to +enjoy life. When spring came, the children +found themselves grown-up and went +off to live their own lives in new holes, +while their mothers took care of the six<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> +or seven or eight or nine or ten new +babies.</p> + +<p>There was one very interesting Skunk +family in the forest, with the father, +mother, and eight children living in one +hole. No two of them were marked in +exactly the same way, although all were +stoutly built, had small heads, little round +ears, and beautiful long tails covered with +soft, drooping hair. Their fur was rather +long and handsome and they were dark +brown or black nearly all over. Most of +them had a streak of white on the forehead, +a spot of it on the neck, some on the +tail, and a couple of stripes of it on their +backs. One could see them quite easily +by starlight on account of the white fur.</p> + +<p>The Skunks were really very proud of +their white stripes and spots. "It is not +so much having the white fur," Mrs. +Skunk had been heard to say, "as it is +having it where all can see it. Most +animals wear the dark fur on their backs<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> +and the light on their bellies, and that is +to make them safer from enemies. But +we dare to wear ours in plain sight. <i>We</i> +are never afraid."</p> + +<p>And what she said was true, although +it hardly seemed modest for her to talk +about it in that way. It would have been +more polite to let other people tell how +brave her family were. Perhaps, however, +if somebody else had been telling it, +he would have said that part of their +courage was rudeness.</p> + +<p>Father Skunk always talked to his children +as his father had talked to him, and +probably as his grandfather had also +talked when he was raising a family. +"Never turn out of your way for anybody," +said he. "Let the other fellow +step aside. Remember that, no matter +whom you meet and no matter how large +the other people may be. If they see +you, they will get out of your path, and if +they can't it is not your fault. Don't<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> +speak to them and don't hurry. Always +take your time."</p> + +<p>Father Skunk was slow and stately. It +was a sight worth seeing when he started +off for a night's ramble, walking with a slow +and measured gait and carrying his fine tail +high over his back. He always went by +himself. "One is company, two is a +crowd," he would say as he walked away. +When they were old enough, the young +Skunks began to walk off alone as soon +as it was dark. Mother Skunk also went +alone, and perhaps she had the best time +of all, for it was a great rest not to have +eight babies tumbling over her back and +getting under her feet and hanging on +to her with their thirty-two paws, and +sometimes even scratching her with their +one hundred and sixty claws. They still +slept through the days in the old hole, so +they were together much of the time, but +they did not hunt in parties, as Raccoons +and Weasels do.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/chap06.jpg" width="400" height="640" alt="HE STARTED OFF FOR A NIGHT'S RAMBLE." title="" /> +<span class="caption">HE STARTED OFF FOR A NIGHT'S RAMBLE.</span> +<p style='text-align:right'><i>Page 72</i></p> +</div> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p> +<p>One of the brothers had no white whatever +on his tail, so they called him the +Black-tailed Skunk. He had heard in +some way that there was an Ovenbird's +nest on the ground by the fern bank, and +he made up his mind to find it the very +next night and eat the eggs which were +inside.</p> + +<p>Another brother was called the Spotted +Skunk, because the spot on his neck was +so large. He had found the Ovenbird's +nest himself, while on his way home in +the early morning. He would have liked +to rob it then, but he had eaten so much +that night that he thought it better to +wait.</p> + +<p>So it happened that when the family +awakened the next night two of the children +had important plans of their own. +Neither of them would have told for anything, +but they couldn't quite keep from +hinting about it as they made themselves +ready to go out.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Aha!" said the Black-tailed Skunk. +"I know something you don't know."</p> + +<p>"Oh, tell us!" cried four or five of the +other children, while the Spotted Skunk +twisted his head and said, "You don't +either!"</p> + +<p>"I do too!" replied the Black-tailed +Skunk.</p> + +<p>"Children! Children!" exclaimed Mrs. +Skunk, while their father said that he +couldn't see where his children got their +quarrelsome disposition, for none of his +people had ever contradicted or disputed. +His wife told him that she really thought +them very good, and that she was sure they +behaved much better than most Skunks of +their age. Then their father walked off +in his most stately manner, putting his +feet down almost flat, and carrying his tail +a little higher than usual.</p> + +<p>"I do know something that you don't," +repeated the Black-tailed Skunk, "and +it's something nice, too."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Aw!" said the Spotted Skunk. "I +don't believe it, and I don't care anyhow."</p> + +<p>"I know you don't know, and I know +you'd want to know if you knew what I +know," said the Black-tailed Skunk, who +was now getting so excited that he could +hardly talk straight.</p> + +<p>"Children!" exclaimed their mother. +"Not another word about that. I do +wish you would wake up good-natured."</p> + +<p>"He started it," said the Spotted +Skunk, "and we're not quarrelling anyhow. +But I guess he'd give a good deal +to know where I'm going."</p> + +<p>"Children!" repeated their mother. +"Go at once. I will not have you talking +in this way before your brothers and +sisters. Do not stop to talk, but go!"</p> + +<p>So the two brothers started out for the +night and each thought he would go a +roundabout way to fool the other. The +Black-tailed Skunk went to the right, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> +the Spotted Skunk went to the left, but +each of them, you know, really started to +rob the Ovenbird's nest. It was a very +dark night. Even the stars were all hidden +behind thick clouds, and one could +hardly see one's forepaws while walking. +But, of course, the night-prowlers of the +forest are used to this, and four-footed +people are not so likely to stumble and +fall as two-footed ones. Besides, young +Skunks have to remember where logs and +stumps of trees are, just as other people +have to remember their lessons.</p> + +<p>So it happened that, while Mrs. Ovenbird +was sleeping happily with her four +eggs safe and warm under her breast, two +people were coming from different ways +to rob her. Such a snug nest as it was! +She had chosen a tiny hollow in the +fern bank and had cunningly woven dry +grasses and leaves into a ball-shaped nest, +which fitted neatly into the hollow and +had a doorway on one side.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span></p> + +<p>The Black-tailed Skunk sneaked up to +the nest from one side. The Spotted +Skunk sneaked up from the other side. +Once the Black-tailed Skunk thought he +heard some other creature moving toward +him. At the same minute the Spotted +Skunk thought he heard somebody, so he +stopped to listen. Neither heard anything. +Mrs. Ovenbird was sure that she +heard a leaf rustle outside, and it made +her anxious until she remembered that a +dead twig might have dropped from the +beech-tree overhead and hit the dry leaves +below.</p> + +<p>Slowly the two brothers crept toward +the nest and each other. They moved +very quietly, because each wanted to catch +the mother-bird if he could. Close to the +nest hollow they crouched and sprang +with jaws open and sharp teeth ready to +bite. There was a sudden crashing of +leaves and ferns. The two brothers had +sprung squarely at each other, each was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> +bitten, growled, and ran away. And how +they did run! It is not often, you know, +that Skunks go faster than a walk, but +when they are really scared they move +very, very swiftly.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Ovenbird felt her nest roof crush +down upon her for a minute as two people +rolled and growled outside. Then +she heard them running away in different +directions and knew that she was safe, for +a time at least. In the morning she repaired +her nest and told her bird friends +about it. They advised her to take her +children away as soon as possible after +they were hatched. "If the Skunks have +found your nest," they said, "you may +have another call from them."</p> + +<p>When the Black-tailed Skunk came +stealing home in the first faint light just +before sunrise, he found the Spotted +Skunk telling the rest of the family how +some horrible great fierce beast had +pounced upon him in the darkness and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> +bitten him on the shoulder. "It was so +dark," said he, "that I couldn't see him at +all, but I am sure it must have been a Bear."</p> + +<p>They turned to tell the Black-tailed +Skunk about his brother's misfortune, and +saw that he limped badly. "Did the +Bear catch you, too?" they cried.</p> + +<p>"Yes," answered he. "It must have +been a Bear. It was so big and strong +and fierce. But I bit him, too. I wouldn't +have run away from him, only he was so +much bigger than I."</p> + +<p>"That was just the way with me," said +the Spotted Skunk. "I wouldn't have +run if he hadn't been so big."</p> + +<p>"You should have thrown liquid on +him," said their father. "Then he would +have been the one to run."</p> + +<p>The brothers hung their heads. "We +never thought," they cried. "We think +it must have been because we were so +surprised and didn't see him coming."</p> + +<p>"Well," said their father sternly, "I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> +suppose one must be patient with children, +but such unskunklike behavior makes +me very much ashamed of you both." +Then the two bitten brothers went to +bed in disgrace, although their mother +was sorry for them and loved them, as +mothers will do, even when their children +are naughty or cowardly.</p> + +<p>One night, some time later, these two +brothers happened to meet down by the +fern bank. It was bright moonlight and +they stopped to visit, for both were feeling +very good-natured. The Black-tailed +Skunk said: "Come with me and I'll show +you where there is an Ovenbird's nest."</p> + +<p>"All right," answered the Spotted +Skunk, "and then I'll show you one."</p> + +<p>"I've just been waiting for a bright +night," said the Black-tailed Skunk, "because +I came here once in the dark and +had bad luck."</p> + +<p>"It was near here," said the Spotted +Skunk, "that I was bitten by the Bear."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span></p> + +<p>They stopped beside a tiny hollow. +"There is the nest," said the Black-tailed +Skunk, pointing with one of his long +forefeet.</p> + +<p>"Why, that is the one I meant," exclaimed +the Spotted Skunk.</p> + +<p>"I found it first," said the Black-tailed +Skunk, "and I'd have eaten the eggs +before if that Bear hadn't bitten me."</p> + +<p>Just at that minute the two Skunks +had a new idea. "We do believe," cried +they, "that we bit each other!"</p> + +<p>"We certainly did," said the Spotted +Skunk.</p> + +<p>"But we'll never tell," said the Black-tailed +Skunk.</p> + +<p>"Now," they added together, "let's +eat everything."</p> + +<p>But they didn't. In fact, they didn't +eat anything, for the eggs were hatched, +and the young birds had left the nest +only the day before.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 393px;"> +<img src="images/hchap07.jpg" width="393" height="97" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>THE LAZY CUT-WORMS</h2> + + +<p>Now that spring had come and all the +green things were growing, the Cut-Worms +crawled out of their winter sleeping-places +in the ground, and began to eat +the tenderest and best things that they +could find. They felt rested and hungry +after their quiet winter, for they had slept +without awakening ever since the first +really cold days of fall.</p> + +<p>There were many different kinds of Cut-Worms, +brothers and sisters, cousins and +second cousins, so, of course, they did not +all look alike. They had hatched the summer +before from eggs laid by the Owlet +Moths, their mothers, and had spent the +time from then until cold weather in +eating and sleeping and eating some<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> +more. Of course they grew a great deal, +but then, you know, one can grow without +taking time especially for it. It is well +that this is so. If people had to say, "I +can do nothing else now. I must sit +down and grow awhile," there would not +be so many large people in the world as +there are. They would become so interested +in doing other things that they +would not take the time to grow as they +should.</p> + +<p>Now the Cut-Worms were fine and fat +and just as heedless as Cut-Worms have +been since the world began. They had +never seen their parents, and had hatched +without any one to look after them. They +did not look like their parents, for they +were only worms as yet, but they had +the same habit of sleeping all day and going +out at night, and never thought of +eating breakfast until the sun had gone +down. They were quite popular in underground +society, and were much liked<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> +by the Earthworms and May Beetle larvæ, +who enjoyed hearing stories of what the +Cut-Worms saw above ground. The May +Beetle larvæ did not go out at all, because +they were too young, and the Earthworms +never knew what was going on +outside unless somebody told them. They +often put their heads up into the air, but +they had no eyes and could not see for +themselves.</p> + +<p>The Cut-Worms were bold, saucy, selfish, +and wasteful. They were not good +children, although when they tried they +could be very entertaining, and one always +hoped that they would improve before +they became Moths. Sometimes +they even told the Earthworms and May +Beetle larvæ stories that were not so, and +that shows what sort of children they +were. It was dreadful to tell such things +to people who could never find out the +difference. One Spotted Cut-Worm heard +a couple of Earthworms talking about<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> +Ground Moles, and told them that Ground +Moles were large birds with four wings +apiece and legs like a Caterpillar's. They +did not take pains to be entertaining because +they wanted to make the underground +people happy, but because they +enjoyed hearing them say: "What bright +fellows those Cut-Worms are! Really +exceedingly clever!" And doing it for +that reason took all the goodness out +of it.</p> + +<p>One bright moonlight night the Cut-Worms +awakened and crawled out on top +of the ground to feed. They lived in the +farmer's vegetable garden, so there were +many things to choose from: young beets +just showing their red-veined leaves above +their shining red stems; turnips; clean-looking +onions holding their slender leaves +very stiff and straight; radishes with just +a bit of their rosy roots peeping out of +the earth; and crisp, pale green lettuce, +crinkled and shaking in every passing<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> +breeze. It was a lovely growing time, +and all the vegetables were making the +most of the fine nights, for, you know, +that is the time when everything grows +best. Sunshiny days are the best for +coloring leaves and blossoms, but the +time for sinking roots deeper and sending +shoots higher and unfolding new leaves +is at night in the beautiful stillness.</p> + +<p>Some Cut-Worms chose beets and some +chose radishes. Two or three liked lettuce +best, and a couple crawled off to nibble at +the sweet peas which the farmer's wife +had planted. They never ate all of a +plant. Ah, no! And that was one way +in which they were wasteful. They nibbled +through the stalk where it came out +of the ground, and then the plant tumbled +down and withered, while the Cut-Worm +went on to treat another in the same +way.</p> + +<p>"Well!" exclaimed one Spotted Cut-Worm, +as he crawled out from his hole.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> +"I must have overslept! Guess I stayed +up too late this morning."</p> + +<p>"You'd better look out," said one of +his friends, "or the Ground Mole will +get you. He likes to find nice fat little +Cut-Worms who sleep too late in the +evening."</p> + +<p>"Needn't tell me," answered the +Spotted Cut-Worm. "It's the early +Mole that catches the Cut-Worm. I +don't know when I have overslept myself +so. Have you fellows been up ever +since sunset?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," they answered; and one saucy +fellow added: "I got up too early. I +awakened and felt hungry, and thought +I'd just come out for a lunch. I supposed +the birds had finished their supper, +but the first thing I saw was a Robin +out hunting. She was not more than the +length of a bean-pole from me, and when +I saw her cock her head on one side +and look toward me, I was sure she saw<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> +me. But she didn't, after all. Lucky +for me that I am green and came up +beside the lettuce. I kept still and she +took me for a leaf."</p> + +<p>"St!" said somebody else. "There +comes the Ground Mole." They all kept +still while the Mole scampered to and +fro on the dewy grass near them, going +faster than one would think he could +with such very, very short legs. His +pink digging hands flashed in the moonlight, +and his pink snout showed also, +but the dark, soft fur of the rest of his +body could hardly be seen against the +brown earth of the garden. It may have +been because he was not hungry, or it +may have been because his fur covered +over his eyes so, but he went back to his +underground run-way without having +caught a single Cut-Worm.</p> + +<p>Then the Cut-Worms felt very much +set up. They crawled toward the hole +into his run-way and made faces at it,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> +as though he were standing in the doorway. +They called mean things after him +and pretended to say them very loudly, +yet really spoke quite softly.</p> + +<p>Then they began to boast that they +were not afraid of anybody, and while +they were boasting they ate and ate and +ate and ate. Here and there the young +plants drooped and fell over, and as soon +as one did that, the Cut-Worm who had +eaten on it crawled off to another.</p> + +<p>"Guess the farmer will know that +we've been here," said they. "We don't +care. He doesn't need all these vegetables. +What if he did plant them? Let +him plant some more if he wants to. +What business has he to have so many, +anyhow, if he won't share with other +people?" You would have thought, to +hear them, that they were exceedingly +kind to leave any vegetables for the +farmer.</p> + +<p>In among the sweet peas were many<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> +little tufts of purslane, and purslane is +very good to eat, as anybody knows who +has tried it. But do you think the Cut-Worms +ate that? Not a bit of it. "We +can have purslane any day," they said, +"and now we will eat sweet peas."</p> + +<p>One little fellow added: "You won't +catch me eating purslane. It's a weed." +Now, Cut-Worms do eat weeds, but they +always seem to like best those things +which have been carefully planted and +tended. If the purslane had been set in +straight rows, and the sweet peas had +just come up of themselves everywhere, +it is quite likely that this young Cut-Worm +would have said: "You won't +catch me eating sweet peas. They are +weeds."</p> + +<p>As the moon rose higher and higher in +the sky, the Cut-Worms boasted more +and more. They said there were no +Robins clever enough to find them, and +that the Ground Mole dared not touch<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> +them when they were together, and that +it was only when he found one alone +underground that he was brave enough to +do so. They talked very loudly now and +bragged dreadfully, until they noticed +that the moon was setting and a faint +yellow light showed over the tree-tops in +the east.</p> + +<p>"Time to go to bed for the day," called +the Spotted Cut-Worm. "Where are +you going to crawl in?" They had no +regular homes, you know, but crawled +into the earth wherever they wanted to +and slept until the next night.</p> + +<p>"Here are some fine holes already +made," said a Green Cut-Worm, "and big +enough for a Garter Snake. They are +smooth and deep, and a lot of us can +cuddle down into each. I'm going into +one of them."</p> + +<p>"Who made those holes?" asked the +Spotted Cut-Worm; "and why are they +here?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Oh, who cares who made them?" +answered the Green Cut-Worm. "Guess +they're ours if we want to use them."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps the farmer made them," said +the Spotted Cut-Worm, "and if he did I +don't want to go into them."</p> + +<p>"Oh, who's afraid of him?" cried the +other Cut-Worms. "Come along!"</p> + +<p>"No," answered the Spotted Cut-Worm. +"I won't. I don't want to and I won't +do it. The hole I make to sleep in will +not be so large, nor will it have such +smooth sides, but I'll know all about it +and feel safe. Good-morning." Then he +crawled into the earth and went to sleep. +The others went into the smooth, deep +holes made by the farmer with his hoe +handle.</p> + +<p>The next night there was only one +Cut-Worm in the garden, and that was +the Spotted Cut-Worm. Nobody has +ever seen the lazy ones who chose to use +the smooth, deep holes which were ready<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> +made. The Spotted Cut-Worm lived +quite alone until he was full-grown, then +he made a little oval room for himself in +the ground and slept in it while he +changed into a Black Owlet Moth.</p> + +<p>After that he flew away to find a wife +and live among her people. It is said +that whenever he saw a Cut-Worm working +at night, he would flutter down beside +him and whisper,—"The Cut-Worm who +is too lazy to bore his own sleeping-place +will never live to become an Owlet Moth."</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 250px;"> +<img src="images/tchap07.jpg" width="250" height="159" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 408px;"> +<img src="images/hchap08.jpg" width="408" height="96" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>THE NIGHT MOTH'S PARTY</h2> + + +<p>From the time when she was a tiny +golden-green Caterpillar, Miss Polyphemus +had wanted to go into society. +She began life on a maple leaf +with a few brothers and sisters, who +hatched at the same time from a cluster +of flattened eggs which their mother had +laid there ten days before. The first +thing she remembered was the light and +color and sound when she broke the shell +open that May morning. The first thing +she did was to eat the shell out of which +she had just crawled. Then she got acquainted +with her brothers and sisters, +many of whom had also eaten their egg-shells, +although two had begun at once +on maple leaves. It was well that she<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> +took time for this now, for the family +were soon scattered and several of her +sisters she never saw again.</p> + +<p>She found it a very lovely world to +live in. There was so much to eat. Yes, +and there were so many kinds of leaves +that she liked,—oak, hickory, apple, maple, +elm, and several others. Sometimes she +wished that she had three mouths instead +of one. In those days she had few visitors. +It is true that other Caterpillars +happened along once in a while, but they +were almost as hungry as she, and they +couldn't speak without stopping eating. +They could, of course, if they talked with +their mouths full, but she had too good +manners for that, and, besides, she said +that if she did, she couldn't enjoy her +food so much.</p> + +<p>You must not think that it was wrong +in her to care so much about eating. +She was only doing what is expected of a +Polyphemus Caterpillar, and you would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> +have to do the same if you were a Polyphemus +Caterpillar. When she was ten +days old she had to weigh ten times as +much as she did the morning that she +was hatched. When she was twenty +days old she had to weigh sixty times as +much; when she was a month old she +had to weigh six hundred and twenty +times as much; and when she was fifty +days old she had to weigh four thousand +times as much as she did at hatching. +Every bit of this flesh was made of the +food she ate. That is why eating was so +important, you know, and if she had +chosen to eat the wrong kind of leaves +just because they tasted good, she would +never have become such a fine great +Caterpillar as she did. She might better +not eat anything than to eat the wrong +sort, and she knew it.</p> + +<p>Still, she often wished that she had +more time for visiting, and thought that +she would be very gay next year, when<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> +she got her wings. "I'll make up for it +then," she said to herself, "when my +growing is done and I have time for +play." Then she ate some more good, +plain food, for she knew that there would +be no happy Moth-times for Caterpillars +who did not eat as they should.</p> + +<p>She had five vacations of about a day +each when she ate nothing at all. These +were the times when she changed her +skin, crawling out of the tight old one +and appearing as fresh and clean as possible +in the new one which was ready +underneath. After her last change she +was ready to plan her cocoon, and she +was a most beautiful Caterpillar. She was +about as long as a small cherry leaf, +and as plump as a Caterpillar can be. +She was light green, with seven slanting +yellow lines on each side of her body, and +a purplish-brown V-shaped mark on the +back part of each side. There were +many little orange-colored bunches on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> +her body, which showed beautiful gleaming +lights when she moved. Growing +out of these bunches were tiny tufts of +bristles.</p> + +<p>She had three pairs of real legs and +several pairs of make-believe ones. Her +real legs were on the front part of her +body and were slender. These she expected +to keep always. The make-believe +ones were called pro-legs. They grew +farther back and were fat, awkward, jointless +things which she would not need +after her cocoon was spun. But for +them, she would have had to drag the +back part of her body around like a +Snake. With them, the back part of her +body could walk as well as the front, although +not quite so fast. She always +took a few steps with her real legs and +then waited for her pro-legs to catch +up.</p> + +<p>As the weather grew colder the Polyphemus +Caterpillar hunted around on the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> +ground for a good place for her cocoon. +She found an excellent twig lying among +the dead leaves, and decided to fasten to +that. Then began her hardest work, spinning +a fluffy mass of gray-white silk which +clung to the twig and to one of the dry +leaves and was almost exactly the color of +the leaf. Other Caterpillars came along +and stopped to visit, for they did not have +to eat at cocoon-spinning time.</p> + +<p>"Better fasten your cocoon to a tree," +said a pale bluish-green Promethea Caterpillar. +"Put it inside a curled leaf, like +mine, and wind silk around the stem to +strengthen it. Then you can swing every +time the wind blows, and the silk will +keep the leaf from wearing out."</p> + +<p>"But I don't want to swing," answered +the Polyphemus Caterpillar. "I'd +rather lie still and think about things."</p> + +<p>"Fasten to the twig of a tree," advised +a pale green Cecropia Caterpillar with +red, yellow, and blue bunches. "Then<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> +the wind just moves you a little. Fasten +it to a twig and taper it off nicely at each +end, and then——"</p> + +<p>"Yes," said the Polyphemus Caterpillar, +"and then the Blue-Jays and Chickadees +will poke wheat or corn or beechnuts into +the upper end of it. I don't care to turn +my sleeping room into a corn-crib."</p> + +<p>Just here some other Polyphemus Caterpillars +came along and agreed with their +relative. "Go ahead with your tree +homes," said they. "We know what we +want, and we'll see next summer who +knew best."</p> + +<p>The Polyphemus cocoons were spun on +the ground where the dead leaves had +blown in between some stones, and no +wandering Cows or Sheep would be +likely to step on them. First a mass of +coarse silk which it took half a day to +make, then an inside coating of a kind of +varnish, then as much silk as a Caterpillar +could spin in four or five days, next an<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span>other +inside varnishing, and the cocoons +were done. As the Polyphemus Caterpillars +snuggled down for the long winter's +sleep, each said to himself something like +this: "Those poor Caterpillars in the +trees! How cold they will be! I hope +they may come out all right in the spring, +but I doubt it very much."</p> + +<p>And when the Cecropia and Promethea +Caterpillars dozed off for the winter, they +said: "What a pity that those Polyphemus +Caterpillars would lie around on the +ground. Well, we advised them what to +do, so it isn't our fault."</p> + +<p>They all had a lovely winter, and swung +or swayed or lay still, just as they had +chosen to do. Early in the spring, the +farmer's wife and little girl came out to find +wild flowers, and scraped the leaves away +from among the stones. Out rolled the +cocoon that the first Polyphemus Caterpillar +had spun and the farmer's wife +picked it up and carried it off. She<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> +might have found more cocoons if the +little girl had not called her away.</p> + +<p>This was how it happened that one May +morning a little girl stood by the sitting-room +window in the white farmhouse and +watched Miss Polyphemus crawl slowly out +of her cocoon. A few days before a sour, +milky-looking stuff had begun to trickle +into the lower end of the cocoon, softening +the hard varnish and the soft silken +threads until a tiny doorway was opened. +Now all was ready and Miss Polyphemus +pushed out. She was very wet and weak +and forlorn. "Oh," said she to herself, +"it is more fun to be a new Caterpillar +than it is to be a new Moth. I've only +six legs left, and it will be very hard +worrying along on these. I shall have to +give up walking."</p> + +<p>It was discouraging. You can see how +it would be. She had been used to having +so many legs, and had looked forward +all the summer before to the time when<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> +she should float lightly through the air +and sip honey from flowers. She had +dreamed of it all winter. And now here +she was—wet and weak, with only six legs +left, and four very small and crumpled +wings. Her body was so big and fat +that she could not hold it up from the +window-sill. She wanted to cry—it was +all so sad and disappointing. She would +have done so, had she not remembered +how very unbecoming it is to cry. When +she remembered that, she decided to take +a nap instead, and that was a most sensible +thing to do, for crying always makes +matters worse, while sleeping makes them +better.</p> + +<p>When she awakened she felt much +stronger and more cheerful. She was +drier and her body felt lighter. This +was because the fluids from it were being +pumped into her wings. That was making +them grow, and the beautiful colors +began to show more brightly on them.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> +"I wonder," she said to herself, "if +Moths always feel so badly when they +first come out?"</p> + +<p>If she had but known it, there were +at that very time hundreds of Moths as +helpless as she, clinging to branches, +leaves, and stones all through the forest. +There were many Polyphemus Moths +just out, for in their family it is the custom +for all to leave their cocoons at just +about such a time in the morning. Perhaps +she would have felt more patient +if she had known this, for it does seem to +make hard times easier to bear when one +knows that everybody else has hard times +also. Of course other people always are +having trouble, but she was young and +really believed for a time that she was +the only uncomfortable Moth in the +world.</p> + +<p>All day long her wings were stretching +and growing smooth. When it grew +dark she was nearly ready to fly. Then<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> +the farmer's wife lifted her gently by the +wings and put her on the inside of the +wire window-screen. When the lights in +the house were all put out, the moonbeams +shone in on Miss Polyphemus +and showed her beautiful sand-colored +body and wings with the dark border on +the front pair and the lighter border +on the back pair.</p> + +<p>On the back ones were dark eye-spots +with clear places in the middle, through +which one could see quite clearly.</p> + +<p>"I would like to fly," sighed Miss Polyphemus, +"and I believe I could if it were +not for this horrid screen." She did not +know that the farmer's wife had put her +there to keep her safe from night birds +until she was quite strong.</p> + +<p>The wind blew in, sweet with the scent +of wild cherry and shad-tree blossoms, +and poor Miss Polyphemus looked over +toward the forest where she had lived +when she was a Caterpillar, and wished<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> +herself safely there. "Much good it does +me to have wings when I cannot use +them," said she. "I want something to +eat. There is no honey to be sucked out +of wire netting. I wish I were a happy +Caterpillar again, eating leaves on the +trees." She was not the first Moth who +has wished herself a Caterpillar, but she +soon changed her mind.</p> + +<p>There fluttered toward her another +Polyphemus Moth, a handsome fellow, +marked exactly as she was, only with +darker coloring. His body was more +slender, and his feelers were very beautiful +and feathery. She was fat and had +slender feelers.</p> + +<p>"Ah!" said he. "I thought I should +find you soon."</p> + +<p>"Indeed?" she replied. "I wonder +what made you think that?"</p> + +<p>"My feelers, of course," said he. "They +always tell me where to find my friends. +You know how that is yourself."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I?" said she, as she changed her position +a little. "I am just from my cocoon. +This was my coming-out day."</p> + +<p>"And so you have not met any one +yet?" he asked. "Ah, this is a strange +world—a very strange world. I would +advise you to be very careful with whom +you make friends. There are so many +bad Moths, you know."</p> + +<p>"Good-evening," said a third voice near +them, and another Polyphemus Moth with +feathery feelers alighted on the screen. +He smiled sweetly at Miss Polyphemus +and scowled fiercely at the other Moth. +It would have ended in a quarrel right +then and there, if a fourth Moth had not +come at that minute. One after another +came, until there were nine handsome fellows +on the outside and Miss Polyphemus +on the inside of the screen trying to entertain +them all and keep them from quarrelling. +It made her very proud to think so +many were at her coming-out party. Still,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> +she would have enjoyed it better, she +thought, if some whom she had known as +Caterpillars could be there to see how +much attention she was having paid to her. +There was one Caterpillar whom she had +never liked. She only wished that she +could see her now.</p> + +<p>Still, society tires one very much, and +it was hard to keep her guests from quarrelling. +When she got to talking with one +about maple-trees, another was sure to +come up and say that he had always preferred +beech when he was a Caterpillar. +And the two outside would glare at each +other while she hastily thought of something +else to say.</p> + +<p>At last those outside got to fighting. +There was only one, the handsomest of +all, who said he thought too much of his +feelers to fight anybody. "Supposing I +should fight and break them off," said he. +"I couldn't smell a thing for the rest of +my life." He was very sensible, and really +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> +the eight other fellows were fighting on +account of Miss Polyphemus, for whenever +they thought she liked one best they +began to bump up against him.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/chap08.jpg" width="400" height="640" alt="THEY LIVED IN THE FOREST AFTER THAT." title="" /> +<span class="caption">THEY LIVED IN THE FOREST AFTER THAT.</span> +<p style='text-align:right'><i>Page 109</i></p> +</div> + +<p>Toward morning the farmer's wife +awakened and looked at Miss Polyphemus. +When she saw that she was strong enough +to fly, she opened the screen and let her +go. By that time three of those with +feathery feelers were dead, three were +broken-winged and clinging helplessly to +the screen, and two were so busy fighting +that they didn't see Miss Polyphemus go. +The handsome great fellow who did not +believe in fighting went with her, and they +lived in the forest after that. But she +never cared for society again.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 252px;"> +<img src="images/tchap08.jpg" width="252" height="128" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 403px;"> +<img src="images/hchap09.jpg" width="403" height="106" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<h2>THE LONELY OLD BACHELOR +MUSKRAT</h2> + + +<p>Beyond the forest and beside the +river lay the marsh where the Muskrats +lived. This was the same marsh +to which the young Frog had taken +some of the meadow people's children +when they were tired of staying at home +and wanted to travel. When they went +with him, you remember, they were gay +and happy, the sun was shining, and the +way did not seem long. When they +came back they were cold and wet and +tired, and thought it very far indeed. +One could never get them to say much +about it.</p> + +<p>Some people like what others do not, +and one's opinion of a marsh must<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> +always depend on whether he is a Grasshopper +or a Frog. But whether people +cared to live there or not, the marsh had +always been a pleasant place to see. +In the spring the tall tamaracks along +the edge put on their new dresses of +soft, needle-shaped green leaves, the +marsh-marigolds held their bright faces +up to the sun, and hundreds of happy +little people darted in and out of the +tussocks of coarse grass. There was a +warm, wet, earthy smell in the air, and +near the pussy-willows there was also a +faint bitterness.</p> + +<p>Then the Marsh Hens made their +nests, and the Sand-pipers ran mincingly +along by the quiet pools.</p> + +<p>In summer time the beautiful moccasin +flowers grew in family groups, and over +in the higher, dryer part were masses +of white boneset, tall spikes of creamy +foxglove, and slender, purple vervain. +In the fall the cat-tails stood stiffly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> +among their yellow leaves, and the Red-winged +Blackbirds and the Bobolinks +perched upon them to plan their journey +to the south.</p> + +<p>Even when the birds were gone and +the cat-tails were ragged and worn—even +then, the marsh was an interesting place. +Soft snow clung to the brown seed clusters +of boneset and filled the open silvery-gray +pods of the milkweed. In among +the brown tussocks of grass ran the +dainty footprints of Mice and Minks, +and here and there rose the cone-shaped +winter homes of the Muskrats.</p> + +<p>The Muskrats were the largest people +there, and lived in the finest homes. It +is true that if a Mink and a Muskrat +fought, the Mink was likely to get the +better of the Muskrat, but people never +spoke of this, although everybody knew +that it was so. The Muskrats were too +proud to do so, the Minks were too wise +to, and the smaller people who lived near<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> +did not want to offend the Muskrats by +mentioning it. It is said that an impudent +young Mouse did say something +about it once when the Muskrats could +overhear him and that not one of them +ever spoke to him again. The next time +he said "Good-evening" to a Muskrat, +the Muskrat just looked at him as though +he didn't see him or as though he had +been a stick or a stone or something else +uneatable and uninteresting.</p> + +<p>The Muskrats were very popular, for +they were kind neighbors and never stole +their food from others. That was why +nobody was jealous of them, although +they were so fat and happy. Their children +usually turned out very well, even +if they were not at all strictly brought up. +You know when a father and mother +have to feed and care for fifteen or so +children each summer, there is not much +time for teaching them to say "please" +and "thank you" and "pardon me."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> +Sometimes these young Muskrats did +snatch and quarrel, as on that night when +fifteen of them went to visit their old +home and all wanted to go in first. You +may recall how, on that dreadful night, +their father had to spank them with his +scaly tail and their mother sent them to +bed. They always remembered it, and +you may be very sure their parents did. +It makes parents feel dreadfully when +their children quarrel, and it is very wearing +to have to spank fifteen at once, +particularly when one has to use his tail +with which to do it.</p> + +<p>There was one old Bachelor Muskrat +who had always lived for himself, and had +his own way more than was good for him. +If he had married, it would not have been +so, and he would have grown used to +giving up to somebody else. He was a +fine-looking fellow with soft, short, reddish-brown +fur, which shaded almost to +black on his back, and to a light gray un<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span>derneath. +There were very few hairs on +his long, flat, scaly tail, and most of these +were in two fringes, one down the middle +of the upper side, and the other down the +middle of the lower side. His tiny ears +hardly showed above the fur on his head, +and he was so fat that he really seemed to +have no neck at all. To look at his feet +you would hardly think he could swim, +for the webs between his toes were very, +very small and his feet were not large.</p> + +<p>He was like all other Muskrats in using +a great deal of perfume, and it was not +a pleasant kind, being so strong and +musky. He thought it quite right, and +it was better so, for he couldn't help +wearing it, and you can just imagine how +distressing it would be to see a Muskrat +going around with his nose turned up and +all the time finding fault with his own +perfume.</p> + +<p>Nobody could remember the time when +there had been no Muskrats in the marsh.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> +The Ground Hog who lived near the edge +of the forest said that his grandfather +had often spoken of seeing them at play +in the moonlight; and there was an old +Rattlesnake who had been married several +times and wore fourteen joints in his rattle, +who said that he remembered seeing +Muskrats there before he cast his first +skin. And it was not strange that, after +their people had lived there so long, the +Muskrats should be fond of the marsh.</p> + +<p>One day in midsummer the farmer and +his men came to the marsh with spades +and grub-hoes and measuring lines. All +of them had on high rubber boots, and +they tramped around and measured and +talked, and rooted up a few huckleberry +bushes, and drove a good many stakes into +the soft and spongy ground. Then the +dinner-bell at the farmhouse rang and, +they went away. It was a dull, cloudy day +and a few of the Muskrats were out. If +it had been sunshiny they would have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> +stayed in their burrows. They paddled +over to where the stakes were, and +smelled of them and gnawed at them, +and wondered why the men had put +them there.</p> + +<p>"I know," said one young Muskrat, +who had married and set up a home of +his own that spring. "I know why they +put these stakes in."</p> + +<p>"Oh, do listen!" cried the young Muskrat's +wife. "He knows and will tell us +all about it."</p> + +<p>"Nobody ever told me this," said the +young husband. "I thought it out myself. +The Ground Hog once said that +they put small pieces of potato into the +ground to grow into whole big ones, and +they have done the same sort of thing +here. You see, the farmer wanted a +fence, and so he stuck down these stakes, +and before winter he will have a fence +well grown."</p> + +<p>"Humph!" said the Bachelor Musk<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span>rat. +It seemed as though he had meant +to say more, but the young wife looked at +him with such a frown on her furry forehead +that he shut his mouth as tightly as +he could (he never could quite close it) +and said nothing else.</p> + +<p>"Do you mean to tell me," said one +who had just sent five children out of +her burrow to make room for another lot +of babies, "that they will grow a fence +here where it is so wet? Fences grow on +high land."</p> + +<p>"That is what I said," answered the +young husband, slapping his tail on the +water to make himself seem more +important.</p> + +<p>"Well," said the anxious mother, "if +they go to growing fences and such +things around here I shall move. Every +one of my children will want to play +around it, and as like as not will eat its +roots and get sick."</p> + +<p>Then the men came back and all the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> +Muskrats ran toward their burrows, dived +into the water to reach the doors of +them, and then crawled up the long hallways +that they had dug out of the bank +until they got to the large rooms where +they spent most of their days and kept +their babies.</p> + +<p>That night the young husband was the +first Muskrat to come out, and he went +at once to the line of stakes. He had +been lying awake and thinking while his +wife was asleep, and he was afraid he +had talked too much. He found that +the stakes had not grown any, and that +the men had begun to dig a deep ditch +beside them. He was afraid that his +neighbors would point their paws at him +and ask how the fence was growing, and +he was not brave enough to meet them +and say that he had been mistaken. He +went down the river bank and fed alone all +night, while his wife and neighbors were +grubbing and splashing around in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> +marsh or swimming in the river near their +homes. The young Muskrats were rolling +and tumbling in the moonlight and +looking like furry brown balls. After it +began to grow light, he sneaked back to +his burrow.</p> + +<p>Every day the men came in their high +rubber boots to work, and every day +there were more ditches and the marsh +was drier. By the time that the flowers +had all ripened their seeds and the forest +trees were bare, the marsh was changed +to dry ground, and the Muskrats could +find no water there to splash in. One +night, and it was a very, very dark one, +they came together to talk about winter.</p> + +<p>"It is time to begin our cold-weather +houses," said one old Muskrat, "I have +never started so soon, but we are to have +an early winter."</p> + +<p>"Yes, and a long one, too," added his +wife, who said that Mr. Muskrat never +told things quite strongly enough.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span></p> + +<p>"It will be cold," said another Muskrat, +"and we shall need to build thick +walls."</p> + +<p>"Why?" asked a little Muskrat.</p> + +<p>"Sh!" said his mother.</p> + +<p>"The question is," said the old Muskrat +who had first spoken, "where we shall +build."</p> + +<p>"Why?" asked the little Muskrat, +pulling at his mother's tail.</p> + +<p>"Sh-h!" said his mother.</p> + +<p>"There is no water here except in the +ditches," said the oldest Muskrat, "and +of course we would not build beside +them."</p> + +<p>"Why not?" asked the little Muskrat. +And this time he actually poked his +mother in the side.</p> + +<p>"Sh-h-h!" said she. "How many times +must I speak to you? Don't you know +that young Muskrats should be seen and +not heard?"</p> + +<p>"But I can't be seen," he whimpered.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> +"It is so dark that I can't be seen, and +you've just got to hear me."</p> + +<p>Of course, after he had spoken in that +way to his mother and interrupted all the +others by his naughtiness, he had to be +punished, so his mother sent him to bed. +That is very hard for young Muskrats, +for the night, you know, is the time when +they have the most fun.</p> + +<p>The older ones talked and talked about +what they should do. They knew, as +they always do know, just what sort of +winter they were to have, and that they +must begin to build at once. Some years +they had waited until a whole month +later, but that was because they expected +a late and mild winter. At last the oldest +Muskrat decided for them. "We +will move to-morrow night," said he. +"We will go to the swamp on the other +side of the forest and build our winter +homes there."</p> + +<p>All the Muskrats felt sad about going,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> +and for a minute it was so still that you +might almost have heard a milkweed +seed break loose from the pod and float +away. Then a gruff voice broke the +silence. "I will not go," it said. "I +was born here and I will live here. I +never have left this marsh and I never +will leave it."</p> + +<p>They could not see who was speaking, +but they knew it was the Bachelor. The +oldest Muskrat said afterward that he +was so surprised you could have knocked +him over with a blade of grass. Of +course, you couldn't have done it, because +he was so fat and heavy, but that +is what he said, and it shows just how +he felt.</p> + +<p>The other Muskrats talked and talked +and talked with him, but it made no +difference. His brothers told him it was +perfectly absurd for him to stay, that +people would think it queer, and that he +ought to go with the rest of his relatives.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> +Yet it made no difference. "You should +stay," he would reply. "Our family have +always lived here."</p> + +<p>When the Muskrat mothers told him +how lonely he would be, and how he +would miss seeing the dear little ones +frolic in the moonlight, he blinked and +said: "Well, I shall just have to stand +it." Then he sighed, and they went away +saying to each other what a tender heart +he had and what a pity it was that he had +never married. One of them spoke as +though he had been in love with her some +years before, but the others had known +nothing about it.</p> + +<p>The Muskrat fathers told him that he +would have no one to help him if a Mink +should pick a quarrel with him. "I can +take care of myself then," said he, and +showed his strong gnawing teeth in a +very fierce way.</p> + +<p>It was only when the dainty young +Muskrat daughters talked to him that he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> +began to wonder if he really ought to +stay. He lay awake most of one day +thinking about it and remembering the +sad look in their little eyes when they +said that they should miss him. He was +so disturbed that he ate only three small +roots during the next night. The poor +old Bachelor had a hard time then, but +he was so used to having his own way +and doing what he had started to do, and +not giving up to anybody, that he stayed +after all.</p> + +<p>The others went away and he began to +build his winter house beside the biggest +ditch. He placed it among some bushes, +so that if the water in the ditch should +ever overflow they would help hold his +house in place. He built it with his +mouth, bringing great mouthfuls of grass +roots and rushes and dropping them on +the middle of the heap. Sometimes they +stayed there and sometimes they rolled +down. If they rolled down he never<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> +brought them back, for he knew that +they would be useful where they were. +When it was done, the house was shaped +like a pine cone with the stem end down, +for after he had made it as high as a tall +milkweed he finished off the long slope +up which he had been running and made +it look like the other sides.</p> + +<p>After that he began to burrow up into +it from below. The right way to do, he +knew, was to have his doorway under +water and dive down to it. Other winters +he had done this and had given the water +a loud slap with his tail as he dived. +Now there was not enough water to dive +into, and when he tried slapping on it +his tail went through to the ditch bottom +and got muddy. He had to fix +the doorway as best he could, and then +he ate out enough of the inside of his +house to make a good room and poked a +small hole through the roof to let in +fresh air.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/chap09.jpg" width="400" height="640" alt="THE MARSH SEEMED SO EMPTY AND LONELY." title="" /> +<span class="caption">THE MARSH SEEMED SO EMPTY AND LONELY.</span> +<p style='text-align:right'><i>Page 127</i></p> +</div> + +<p>After the house was done, he slept +there during the days and prowled around +outside at night. He slept there, but ate +none of the roots of which it was made +until the water in the ditch was frozen +hard. He knew that there would be a +long, long time when he could not dig +fresh roots and must live on those.</p> + +<p>At night the marsh seemed so empty +and lonely that he hardly knew what +to do. He didn't enjoy his meals, and +often complained to the Mice that the +roots did not taste so good to him as +those they used to have when he was +young. He tried eating other things and +found them no better. When there was +bright moonlight, he sat upon the highest +tussock he could find and thought +about his grandfathers and grandmothers. +"If they had not eaten their houses," he +once said to a Mouse, "this marsh would +be full of them."</p> + +<p>"No it wouldn't," answered the Mouse,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> +who didn't really mean to contradict him, +but thought him much mistaken. "If +the houses hadn't been eaten, they would +have been blown down by the wind and +beaten down by rains and washed away +by floods. It is better so. Who wants +things to stay the way they are forever +and ever? I'd rather see the trees drop +their leaves once in a while and grow +new ones than to wear the same old ones +after they are ragged and faded."</p> + +<p>The Bachelor Muskrat didn't like this +very well, but he couldn't forget it. +When he awakened in the daytime he +would think about it and at night he +thought more. He was really very forlorn, +and because he had nobody else to +think about he thought too much of himself +and began to believe that he was lame and +sick. When he sat on a tussock and remembered +all the houses which his grandparents +had built and eaten, he became +very sad and sighed until his fat sides<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> +shook. He wished that he could sleep +through the winter like the Ground Hog, +or through part of it like the Skunk, but +just as sure as night came his eyes popped +open and there he was—awake.</p> + +<p>When spring came he thought of his +friends who had gone to the swamp and +he knew that last year's children were +marrying and digging burrows of their +own. The poor old Bachelor wanted to +go to them, yet he was so used to doing +what he had said he would, and disliked +so much to let anybody know that he was +mistaken, that he chose to stay where he +was, without water enough for diving and +with hardly enough for swimming. How +it would have ended nobody knows, had +the farmer not come to plough up the old +drained marsh for planting celery.</p> + +<p>Then the Bachelor went. He reached +his new home in the early morning, and +the mothers let their children stay up until +it was quite light so that he might see<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> +them plainly. "Isn't it pleasant here?" +they cried. "Don't you like it better +than the old place?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, it does very well," he answered, +"but you must remember that I only +moved because I had to."</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes, we understand that," said one +of the mothers, "but we hope you will +really like it here."</p> + +<p>Afterward her husband said to her, +"Don't you know he was glad to come? +What's the use of being so polite?"</p> + +<p>"Poor old fellow," she answered. "He +is so queer because he lives alone, and +I'm sorry for him. Just see him eat."</p> + +<p>And truly it was worth while to watch +him, for the roots tasted sweet to him, +and, although he had not meant to be, he +was very happy—far happier than if he +had had his own way.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 173px;"> +<img src="images/tchap09.jpg" width="173" height="64" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 396px;"> +<img src="images/hchap01_10.jpg" width="396" height="99" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>THE GREEDY RED FOX</h2> + + +<p>The Red Fox had been well brought +up. His mother was a most cautious +person and devoted to her children. +When he did things which were wrong, +he could never excuse himself by saying +that he did not know better. Of course +it is possible that he was like his father +in being so reckless, yet none of his two +brothers and three sisters were like him. +They did not remember their father. In +fact, they had never seen him, and their +mother seldom spoke of him.</p> + +<p>His mother had taken all the care of +her six children, even pulling fur from +her own belly to make a soft nest covering +for them when they were first born. +They were such helpless babies. Their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> +eyes and ears were closed for some time, +and all they could do was to tumble each +other around and drink the warm milk +that their mother had for them.</p> + +<p>They had three burrows to live in, all +of them in an open field between the +forest and the farmhouse. Sometimes +they lived in the first, sometimes in the +second, and sometimes in the third. One +night when their mother went out to +hunt, she smelled along the ground near +the burrow and then came back. "There +has been a man near here," she said, "and +I shall take you away."</p> + +<p>That excited the little Foxes very +much, and each wanted to be the first to +go, but she hushed them up, and said that +if they talked so loudly as that some man +might catch them before they moved, and +then—. She said nothing more, yet they +knew from the way she moved her tail +that it would be dreadful to have a man +catch them.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span></p> + +<p>While she was carrying them to another +burrow one at a time, those who +were left behind talked about men. "I +wish I knew why men are so dreadful," +said the first. "It must be because they +have very big mouths and sharp teeth."</p> + +<p>"I wonder what color their fur is," said +another.</p> + +<p>Now these young Foxes had seen nobody +but their mother. If she had not +told them that different animals wore +different colored furs, they would have +thought that everybody looked just like +her, with long reddish-yellow fur and that +on the hinder part of the back quite grizzled; +throat, belly, and the tip of the tail +white, and the outside of the ears black. +They were very sure, however, that no +other animal had such a wonderful tail as +she, with each of its long, reddish hairs +tipped with black and the beautiful brush +of pure white at the end. In fact, she had +told them so.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span></p> + +<p>The next time their mother came back, +the four children who were still there +cried out, "Please tell us, what color is a +man's fur?"</p> + +<p>She was a sensible and prudent Fox, +and knew it was much more important to +keep her children from being caught than +it was to answer all their questions at +once. Besides, she already had one child +in her mouth when they finished their +question, and she would not put him +down for the sake of talking. And that +also was right, you know, for one can +talk at any time, but the time to do work +is just when it needs to be done.</p> + +<p>After they were snugly settled in the +other burrow, she lay down to feed them, +and while they were drinking their milk +she told them about men. "Men," she +said, "are the most dreadful animals there +are. Other animals will not trouble you +unless they are hungry, but a man will +chase you even when his stomach is full.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> +They have four legs, of course,—all animals +have,—but they use only two to walk +upon. Their front legs they use for carrying +things. We carry with our mouths, +yet the only thing I ever saw a man have +in his mouth was a short brown stick that +was afire at one end. I thought it very +silly, for he couldn't help breathing some +of the smoke, and he let the stick burn +up and then threw the fire away. However, +men are exceedingly silly animals."</p> + +<p>One of the little Red Foxes stopped +drinking long enough to say, "You didn't +tell us what color their fur is."</p> + +<p>"The only fur they have," said Mother +Fox, "is on their heads. They usually +have fur on the top and back parts of their +heads, and some of them have a little on +the lower part of their faces. They may +have black, red, brown, gray, or white fur. +It is never spotted."</p> + +<p>The children would have liked to ask +more questions, but Mother Fox had eaten<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> +nothing since the night before, and was in +a hurry to begin her hunt.</p> + +<p>One could never tell all that happened +to the little Red Foxes. They moved +from burrow to burrow many times; they +learned to eat meat which their mother +brought them instead of drinking milk +from her body, they frolicked together +near the doorway of their home, and while +they did this their mother watched from +the edge of the forest, ready to warn them +if she saw men or dogs coming.</p> + +<p>She had chosen to dig her burrows in +the middle of a field, because then there +was no chance for men or Dogs to sneak +up to them unseen, as there would have +been in the forest, yet she feared that her +children would be playing so hard that +they might forget to watch. They slept +most of the day, and at night they were +always awake. When they were old +enough, they began to hunt for themselves. +Mother Fox gave them a great deal of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> +good advice and then paid no more attention +to them. After that, she took her +naps on a sunny hillside, lying in a beautiful +soft reddish-yellow bunch, with her +bushy tail curled around to keep her feet +warm and shade her eyes from the light.</p> + +<p>The six brothers and sisters seldom saw +each other after this. Foxes succeed +better in life if they live alone, and of +course they wanted to succeed. The eldest +brother was the reckless one. His mother +had done her best by him, and still he was +reckless. He knew by heart all the rules +that she had taught him, but he did not +keep them. These were the rules:</p> + +<p>"Always run on hard, dry things when +you can. Soft, wet places take more scent +from your feet, and Dogs can follow your +trail better on them.</p> + +<p>"Never go into any place unless you +are sure you can get out.</p> + +<p>"Keep your tail dry. A Fox with a +wet tail cannot run well.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span></p> + +<p>"If Dogs are chasing you, jump on to a +rail fence and run along the top of it or +walk in a brook.</p> + +<p>"Always be willing to work for your +food. That which you find all ready and +waiting for you may be the bait of a trap.</p> + +<p>"Always walk when you are hunting. +The Fox who trots will pass by that which +he should find."</p> + +<p>For a while he said them over to himself +every night when he started out. +Then he began to skip a night once in a +while. Next he got to saying them only +when he had been frightened the day +before. After that he stopped saying +them altogether. "I am a full-grown Fox +now," he said to himself, "and such things +are only good for children. I guess I +know how to take care of myself."</p> + +<p>He often went toward the farmhouse +to hunt, sometimes for grapes, sometimes +for vegetables, and sometimes for heartier +food. Collie had chased him away, but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> +Collie was growing old and fat and had to +hang his tongue out when he ran, so the +Red Fox thought it only fun. He trotted +along in the moonlight, his light, slender +body seeming to almost float over the +ground, and his beautiful tail held straight +out behind. His short, slender legs were +strong and did not tire easily, and as long +as he could keep his tall dry he outran +Collie easily. Sometimes he would get +far ahead and sit down to wait for him. +Then he would call out saucy things to +the panting Dog, and only start on when +Collie's nose had almost touched him.</p> + +<p>"Fine evening!" he once said. "Hope +your nose works better than your legs +do."</p> + +<p>That was a mean thing to say, you +know, but Collie always keeps his temper +and only answered, "It's sweating finely, +thank you." He answered that way because +it is the sweat on a Dog's nose +which makes it possible for him to smell<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> +and follow scents which dry-nosed people +do not even know about.</p> + +<p>Then the Fox gave a long, light leap, +and was off again, and Collie had to lie +down to breathe. "I think," said he, +"that I can tend Sheep better than I +can chase Foxes—and it is a good deal +easier." Still, Collie didn't like to be +beaten and he lay awake the rest of the +night thinking how he would enjoy catching +that Fox. Every little while he heard +the Red Fox barking off in the fields, +and it made him twitch his tail with +impatience.</p> + +<p>Now the Red Fox was walking carefully +toward the farmhouse and planning +to catch a Turkey. He had watched the +flocks of Turkeys all afternoon from his +sleeping-place on the hillside. Every +time he opened his eyes between naps he +had looked at them as they walked to and +fro in the fields, talking to each other in +their gentle, complaining voices and mov<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span>ing +their heads back and forth at every +step. If his stomach had not been so +full he would have tried to catch one +then. He made up his mind to try it that +night, and decided that he would rather +have the plump, light-colored one than +any of her darker sisters. He did not +even think of catching the old Gobbler, +for he was so big and strong and fierce-looking. +He had just begun to walk with +the Turkey mothers and children. During +the summer they had had nothing to +do with each other.</p> + +<p>When the Red Fox reached the farmyard, +he found them roosting on the low +branches of an apple-tree. A long board +had been placed against it to let the +Chickens walk up. Now the Chickens +were in the Hen-house, but the board was +still there. The Red Fox looked all +around. It was a starlight night. The +farmhouse was dark and quiet. Collie +was nowhere to be seen. Once he heard<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> +a Horse stamp in his sleep. Then all +was still again.</p> + +<p>The Red Fox walked softly up the +slanting board. The Gobbler stirred. +The Red Fox stopped with one foot in +the air. When he thought him fast asleep +he went on. The Gobbler stirred again +and so did the others. The Red Fox +sprang for the plump, light-colored one. +She jumped also, and with the others flew +far up to the top of the barn. The Red +Fox ran down the board with five buff +tail-feathers in his mouth. He was much +out of patience with himself. "If I +hadn't stopped to pick for her," he said, +"I could have caught one of the others +easily enough."</p> + +<p>He sneaked around in the shadows to +see if the noise made by the turkeys had +awakened the farmer or Collie. The +farmhouse was still and dark. Collie was +not at home. "I will look at the Hen-house," +said the Red Fox.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span></p> + +<p>He walked slowly and carefully to the +Hen-house. The big door was closed and +bolted. He walked all around and into +the poultry yard. There was a small +opening through which the fowls could +pass in and out. The Red Fox managed +to crawl though, but it was not easy. It +squeezed his body and crushed his fur. +He had to push very hard with his hind +feet to get through at all. When he was +inside it took him some time to get his +breath. "That's the tightest place I +ever was in," said he softly, "but I always +could crawl through a very small +hole."</p> + +<p>He found the fowls all roosting too +high for him. Perhaps if the Hen-house +had been larger, he might have leaped +and caught one, but there was not room +for one of his finest springs. He went +to the nests and found many eggs there. +These he broke and ate. They ran down +in yellow streams from the corners of his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> +mouth and made his long fur very sticky. +You can just imagine how hard it would +be to eat raw eggs from the shell with +only your paws in which to hold them.</p> + +<p>One egg was light and slippery. He +bit hard to break that one, and when it +broke it was hollow. Not a drop of anything +to eat in it, and then it cut his lip a +little, too, so that he could not eat more +without its hurting. He jumped and +said something when he was cut. The +Shanghai Cock, who was awakened by the +noise, said that he exclaimed, "Brambles +and traps!" but it may not have been +anything so bad as that. We will hope +it was not.</p> + +<p>The Shanghai Cock awakened all the +other fowls. "Don't fly off your perch!" +he cried. "Stay where you are! <i>Stay where +where you are!</i> <span class="smcap">Stay where you are!</span>" +The other Cocks kept saying "Eru-u-u-u," +as they do when Hawks are near. The +Hens squawked and squawked and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> +squawked, until they were out of breath. +When they got their breath they squawked +some more.</p> + +<p>The Red Fox knew that it was time for +him to go. The farmer would be sure to +hear the noise. He put his head out of +the hole through which he had come in, and +he pushed as hard as he could with his +hind feet and scrambled with his fore feet. +His fur was crushed worse than ever, and +he was squeezed so tightly that he could +hardly breathe. You see it had been all +he could do to get in through the hole, +and now he had nine eggs in his stomach +(excepting what had run down at the +corners of his mouth), and he was too +large to pass through.</p> + +<p>The fowls saw what was the matter, and +wanted to laugh. They thought it very +funny, and yet the sooner he could get +away the better they would like it. The +Red Fox had his head outside and saw a +light flash in the farmer's room. Then he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> +heard doors open, and the farmer came +toward the Hen-house with a lantern in +his hand. Collie came trotting around the +corner of the house. The Red Fox made +one last desperate struggle and then lay +still.</p> + +<p>When the farmer picked him up and +tied a rope around his neck, he had to pull +him backward into the Hen-house to do +it. The Red Fox was very quiet and +gentle, as people of his family always are +when caught. Collie pranced around on +two legs and barked as loudly as he could. +The fowls blinked their round yellow eyes +in the lantern light, and the farmer's man +ran out for an empty Chicken-coop into +which to put the Red Fox. Collie was +usually quite polite, but he had not forgotten +how rude the Red Fox had been +to him, and it was a fine chance to get +even.</p> + +<p>"Good evening!" he barked. "Oh, +good evening! I'm glad you came. Don't<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> +think you must be going. Excuse me, +but your mouth worked better than your +legs, didn't it?"</p> + +<p>The Red Fox shut his eyes and pretended +not to hear. The dirt from the +floor of the Hen-house had stuck to his +egg-covered fur, and he looked very badly. +They put him in a Chicken-coop with a +board floor, so that he couldn't burrow +out, and he curled down in a little heap +and hid his face with his tail. Collie hung +around for a while and then went off to +sleep. After he was gone, the Red Fox +cleaned his fur. "I got caught this time," +he said, "but it won't happen again. Now +I must watch for a chance to get away. +It will surely come."</p> + +<p>It did come. But that is another story.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 262px;"> +<img src="images/tchap10.jpg" width="262" height="67" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 404px;"> +<img src="images/hchap02_11.jpg" width="404" height="102" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>THE UNFORTUNATE FIREFLIES</h2> + + +<p>Several very large families of Fireflies +lived in the marsh and were +much admired by their friends who were +awake at night. Once in a while some +young Firefly who happened to awaken +during the day would go out and hover +over the heads of the daylight people. +He never had any attention paid to him +then, however, for during the day he +seemed like a very commonplace little +beetle and nobody even cared to look at +him a second time. The only remarkable +thing about him was the soft light that +shone from his body, and that could only +be seen at night.</p> + +<p>The older Fireflies told the younger<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> +ones that they should get all the sleep +they could during the daytime if they +were to flutter and frisk all night. Most +of them did this, but two young Fireflies, +who cared more about seeing the world +than they did about minding their elders, +used to run away while the rest were +dreaming. Each thought herself very important, +and was sure that if the others +missed her they wouldn't sleep a wink all +day.</p> + +<p>One night they planned to go by daylight +to the farthest corner of the marsh. +They had heard a couple of young Muskrats +talking about it, and thought it might +be different from anything they had seen. +They went to bed when the rest did and +pretended to fall asleep. When she was +sure that the older Fireflies were dreaming, +one of them reached over with her +right hind leg and touched the other just +below the edge of her left wing-cover. +"Are you ready?" she whispered.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yes," answered the friend, who happened +to be the smaller of the two.</p> + +<p>"Come on, then," said the larger one, +picking her way along on her six tiptoes. +It was already growing light, and they +could see where they stepped, but, you +know, it is hard to walk over rough places +on two tiptoes, so you can imagine what +it must be on six. There are some pleasant +things about having many legs. There +are also some hard things. It is a great +responsibility.</p> + +<p>When well away from their sleeping +relatives, they lifted their wing-covers, +spread their wings, and flew to the farthest +corner of the marsh. They were not +afraid of being punished if caught, for they +were orphans and had nobody to bring +them up. They were afraid that if the other +Fireflies awakened they would be called +"silly" or "foolish young bugs." They +thought that they were old enough to take +care of themselves, and did not want advice.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Oh, wouldn't they make a fuss if they +knew!" exclaimed the Larger Firefly.</p> + +<p>"They think we need to be told every +single thing," said the Smaller Firefly.</p> + +<p>"Guess we're old enough now to go +off by ourselves," said the Larger Firefly.</p> + +<p>"I guess so," answered the Smaller Firefly. +"I'm not afraid if it is light, and I can +see pretty near as well as I can at night."</p> + +<p>Just then a Flycatcher darted toward +them and they had to hide. He had +come so near that they could look down +his throat as he flew along with his beak +open. The Fireflies were so scared that +their feelers shook.</p> + +<p>"I wish that bird would mind his own +business," grumbled the Larger Firefly.</p> + +<p>"That's just what he was doing," said +a voice beside them, as a Garter Snake +drew himself through the grass. Then +their feelers shook again, for they knew +that snakes do not breakfast on grass and +berries.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Did you ever see such luck?" said the +Smaller Firefly. "If it isn't birds it is +snakes."</p> + +<p>"Perfectly dreadful!" answered the +other. "I never knew the marsh to be +so full of horrid people. Besides, my eyes +are bothering me and I can't see plainly."</p> + +<p>"So are mine," said the Smaller Firefly. +"Are you going to tell the other Fireflies +all about things to-night?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know that I will," said the +Larger Firefly. "I'll make them ask +me first."</p> + +<p>Then they reached the farther corner of +the marsh and crawled around to see what +they could find. Their eyes bothered +them so that they could not see unless +they were close to things, so it was useless +to fly. They peeped into the cool +dark corners under the skunk cabbage +leaves, and lay down to rest on a bed of +soft moss. A few stalks of last year's +teazles stood, stiff and brown, in the cor<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span>ner +of the fence. The Smaller Firefly +alighted on one and let go in such a +hurry that she fell to the ground. +"Ouch!" she cried. "It has sharp hooks +all over it."</p> + +<p>While they were lying on the moss +and resting, they noticed a queer plant +growing near. It had a flower of green +and dark red which was unlike any other +blossom they had ever seen. The leaves +were even queerer. Each was stiff and +hollow and grew right out of the ground +instead of coming from a stalk.</p> + +<p>"I'm going to crawl into one of them," +said the Larger Firefly. "There is something +sweet inside. I believe it will be +lots better than the skunk cabbage." She +balanced herself on the top of a fresh +green leaf.</p> + +<p>"I'm going into this one," said the +other Firefly, as she alighted on the edge +of a brown-tipped leaf. "It looks nice +and dark inside. We must tell about this<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> +at the party to-night, even if they don't +ask us."</p> + +<p>Then they repeated together the little +verse that some of the pond people use +when they want to start together:</p> + +<div class="poem"><p> +"Tussock, mud, water, and log,<br /> +Muskrat, Snake, Turtle, and Frog,<br /> +Here we go into the bog!"<br /> +</p></div> + +<p>When they said "bog" each dropped +quickly into her own leaf.</p> + +<p>For a minute nobody made a sound. +Then there was a queer sputtering, choking +voice in the fresh green leaf and +exactly the same in the brown-tipped one. +After that a weak little voice in the green +leaf said, "Abuschougerh! I fell into +water."</p> + +<p>Another weak voice from the brown-tipped +one replied, "Gtschagust! So +did I."</p> + +<p>On the inside of each leaf were many +stiff hairs, all pointing downward. When +the Fireflies dropped in, they had brushed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> +easily past these hairs and thought it +rather pleasant. Now that they were +sputtering and choking inside, and wanted +to get out, these same hairs stuck into +their eyes and pushed against their legs +and made them exceedingly uncomfortable. +The water, too, had stood for some +time in the leaves and did not smell +good.</p> + +<p>Perhaps it would be just as well not to +tell all the things which those two Fireflies +said, for they were tired and out of +patience. After a while they gave up +trying to get out until they should be +rested. It was after sunset when they +tried the last time, and the light that +shone from their bellies brightened the +little green rooms where they were. +They rested and went at it carefully, instead +of in the angry, jerky way which +they had tried before. Slowly, one foot +at a time, they managed to climb out of +the doorway at the top. As they came<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> +out, they heard the squeaky voice of a +young Mouse say, "Oh, where did those +bright things come from?"</p> + +<p>They also heard his mother answer, +"Those are only a couple of foolish Fireflies +who have been in the leaves of the +pitcher-plant all day."</p> + +<p>After they had eaten something they +flew toward home. They knew that it +would be late for the party, and they expected +to surprise and delight everybody +when they reached there. On the way +they spoke of this. "I'm dreadfully +tired," said one, "but I suppose we shall +have to dance in the air with the rest or +they will make a fuss."</p> + +<p>"Yes," said the other. "It spoils +everything if we are not there. And +we'll have to tell where we've been and +what we've done and whom we have +seen, when we would rather go to sleep +and make up what we lost during the +daytime."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 487px;"> +<img src="images/chap11.jpg" width="487" height="780" alt="TWINKLING WITH HUNDREDS OF TINY LIGHTS." title="" /> +<span class="caption">TWINKLING WITH HUNDREDS OF TINY LIGHTS.</span> +<p style='text-align:right'><i>Page 157</i></p> +</div> + +<p>As they came near the middle of the +marsh they were surprised to see the +mild summer air twinkling with hundreds +of tiny lights as their friends and relatives +flew to and fro in the dusk. +"Well," said the Larger Firefly, "I +think they might have waited for us."</p> + +<p>"Humph!" said the Smaller Firefly. +"If they can't be more polite than that, +I won't play."</p> + +<p>"After we've had such a dreadfully +hard time, too," said the Larger Firefly. +"Got most eaten by a Flycatcher and +scared by a Garter Snake and shut up all +day in the pitcher-plant. I won't move +a wing to help on their old party."</p> + +<p>So two very tired and cross young +Fireflies sat on a last year's cat-tail and +sulked. People didn't notice them because +they were sitting and their bright +bellies didn't show. After a long time +an elderly Firefly came to rest on the cat-tail +and found them. "Good evening,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> +said he. "Have you danced until you +are tired?"</p> + +<p>They looked at each other, but before +either could speak one of their young +friends alighted beside them and said +the same thing. Then the Smaller Firefly +answered. "We have been away," +said she, "and we are not dancing to-night."</p> + +<p>"Going away, did you say?" asked +the elderly Firefly, who was rather deaf. +"I hope you will have a delightful time." +Then he bowed and flew off.</p> + +<p>"Don't stay long," added their young +friend. "We shall be so lonely without +you."</p> + +<p>After he also was gone, the two runaways +looked into each other's eyes. +"We were not even missed!" they cried. +"We had a bad time and nobody makes +any fuss. They were dancing without +us." Poor little Fireflies!</p> + +<p>They were much wiser after that, for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> +they had learned that two young Fireflies +were not so wonderfully important +after all. And that if they chose to do +things which it was never meant young +Fireflies should do, they would be likely +to have a very disagreeable time, but +that other Fireflies would go on eating +and dancing and living their own lives. +To be happy, they must keep the Firefly +laws.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 197px;"> +<img src="images/tchap11.jpg" width="197" height="126" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 398px;"> +<img src="images/hchap03_12.jpg" width="398" height="96" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>THE KITTENS COME TO THE +FOREST</h2> + + +<p>One day the three big Kittens who +lived with their mother in the farmer's +barn had a dreadful quarrel. If their +mother had been with them, she would +probably have cuffed each with her fore +paw and scolded them soundly. She was +not with them because she had four little +new Kittens lying beside her in the hay-loft +over the stalls.</p> + +<p>You would think that the older Kittens +must have been very proud of their baby +brothers and sisters, yet they were not. +They might have done kind little things for +their mother, but they didn't. They just +hunted food for themselves and never +took a mouthful of it to her. And this<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> +does not prove that they were bad Kittens. +It just shows that they were young +and thoughtless.</p> + +<p>The Brown Kitten, the one whose fur +was black and yellow mixed so finely as +to look brown, had climbed the barn stairs +to see them. When he reached their corner +he sat down and growled at them. +His mother said nothing at first, but when +he went so far as to switch his tail in a +threatening way, she left her new babies +and sprang at him and told him not to +show his whiskers upstairs again until he +could behave properly.</p> + +<p>His sisters, the Yellow Kitten and the +White Kitten, stayed downstairs. They +didn't dislike babies so much as their +brother. They just didn't care anything +about them. Cats never care much about +Kittens, you know, unless they are their +own, and big brothers always say that +they can't bear them.</p> + +<p>Now these three older Kittens were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> +perfectly able to care for themselves. It +was a long time since their mother +stopped feeding them, and they were +already excellent hunters. They had +practised crouching, crawling, and springing +before they left the hay-loft. Sometimes +they hunted wisps of hay that +moved when the wind blew in through +the open door. Sometimes they pounced +on each other, and sometimes they hunted +the Grasshoppers who got brought in +with the hay. It was when they were +doing this once that they were so badly +scared, but that is a story which has already +been told.</p> + +<p>There was no reason why they should +feel neglected or worry about getting +enough to eat. If one of them had poor +luck in hunting, all he had to do was +to hang around the barn when the Cows +were brought up, and go into the house +with the man when he carried the great +pails full of foamy milk. Then if the Kit<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span>tens +acted hungry, mewed very loudly, +and rubbed up lovingly against the farmer's +wife they were sure to get a good, +dishful of warm milk.</p> + +<p>You can see how unreasonable they +were. They had plenty to eat, and their +mother loved them just as much as ever, +but they felt hurt and sulked around in +corners, and answered each other quite +rudely, and would not run after a string +which the farmer's little girl dangled before +them. They were not cross all the +time, because they had been up the whole +night and had to sleep. They stopped +being cross when they fell asleep and began +again as soon as they awakened. The +Hens who were feeding around became +so used to it that as soon as they saw a +Kitten twist and squirm, and act like +awakening, they put their heads down +and ran away as fast as they could.</p> + +<p>They did not even keep themselves +clean. Oh, they licked themselves over<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> +two or three times during the day, but +not thoroughly. The Yellow Kitten did +not once try to catch her tail and scrub +it, and actually wore an unwashed tail all +day. It didn't show very plainly because +it was yellow, but that made it no cleaner. +The White Kitten went around with her +fore paws looking really disgraceful. The +Brown Kitten scrubbed his ears in a sort +of half-hearted way, and paid no attention +to the place under his chin. When he +did his ears, he gave his paw one lick and +his ear one rub, and repeated this only +six times. Everybody knows that a truly +tidy Cat wets his paw with two licks, +cleans his ear with two rubs, and does +this over and over from twenty to forty +times before he begins on the other ear.</p> + +<p>Toward night they quarrelled over a +dishful of milk which the farmer's wife +gave them. There was plenty of room +for them all to put their heads into the +dish at once and lap until each had his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> +share. If it had not been for their whiskers, +there would have been no trouble. +These hit, and each told the others to +step back and wait. Nobody did, and +there was such a fuss that the farmer's +wife took the dish away and none of +them had any more. They began to +blame each other and talk so loudly that +the man drove them all away as fast as +they could scamper.</p> + +<p>Now that they were separated, each began +to grow more and more discontented. +The Brown Kitten had crawled under the +carriage house, and as soon as it was +really dark he stole off to the forest.</p> + +<p>"My mother has more Kittens," he +said, "and my sisters get my whiskers all +out of shape, and I'll go away and never +come back. I won't say good-by to them +either. I guess they'll feel badly then +and wish they'd been nicer to me! If +they ever find me and want me to come +back, I won't go. Not if they beg and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> +beg! I'll just turn my tail toward them +and walk away."</p> + +<p>The Brown Kitten knew that Cats +sometimes went to live in the woods and +got along very well. He was not acquainted +with one who had done this; +his mother had told him and his sisters +stories of Cats who chose to live so. She +said that was one thing which showed +how much more clever they were than +Dogs. Dogs, you know, cannot live happily +away from men, although there may +be the best of hunting around them.</p> + +<p>"I will find a good hollow tree," said +he, "for my home, and I will sleep there +all day and hunt at night. I will eat so +much that I shall grow large and strong. +Then, when I go out to hunt, the forest +people will say, 'Sh! Here comes the +Brown Cat.'"</p> + +<p>As he thought this he was running +softly along the country road toward the +forest. Once in a while he stopped to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> +listen, and stood with his head raised and +turned and one fore foot in the air. He +kept his ears pointed forward all the +time so as to hear better.</p> + +<p>When he passed the marsh he saw the +Fireflies dancing in the air. Sometimes +they flew so low that a Kitten might +catch them. He thought he would try, +so he crawled through the fence and toward +the place where they were dancing. +He passed two tired ones sitting on a leaf +and never saw them. That was because +their wings covered their sides so well +that no light shone past, and their bright +bellies were close to the leaf. He had +almost reached the dancers when he found +his paws getting wet and muddy. That +made him turn back at once, for mud was +something he couldn't stand. "I wish I +had something to eat," he said, as he took +a bite of catnip. "This is very good for +a relish, but not for a whole meal."</p> + +<p>He trotted on toward the forest,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> +thinking about milk and Fireflies and several +other things, when he was stopped by +some great winged person flying down +toward him and then sweeping upward +and alighting on a branch. The Brown +Kitten drew back stiffly and said, +"Ha-a-ah!"</p> + +<p>"Who? Who? To who?" asked the +person on the branch.</p> + +<p>The Brown Kitten answered, "It is I." +But the question came again: "Who? +Who? To who?"</p> + +<p>That made the Brown Kitten remember +that, since his voice was not known +in the forest, nobody could tell anything +by his answer. This time he replied: "I +am the Brown Kitten, if you please, and +I have come to live in the forest."</p> + +<p>"Who? Who? To who?" was the +next question, and the Brown Kitten +thought he was asked to whose home he +was going.</p> + +<p>"I am not going to anybody," he said.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> +"I just wanted to come, and left my old +home suddenly. I shall live alone and +have a good time. I didn't even tell my +mother."</p> + +<p>"Who? Who? To who?" said the +Great Horned Owl, for it was he.</p> + +<p>"My m-mother," said the Brown Kitten, +and then he ran away as fast as he +could. He had seen the Owl more +clearly as he spoke, and the Owl's face +reminded him a little of his mother and +made him want to see her. He ran so +fast that he almost bumped into the +Skunk, who was taking a dignified stroll +through the forest and sniffing at nearly +everything he saw. It was very lucky, +you know, that he did not quite run into +the Skunk, for Skunks do not like to +be run into, and, if he had done so, other +people would soon have been sniffing at +him.</p> + +<p>The Brown Kitten thought that the +Skunk might be related to him. They<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> +were about the same size, and the Brown +Kitten had been told that his relatives +were not only different colors, but different +shapes. His mother had told of seeing +some Manx Kittens who had no tails +at all, and he thought that the Skunk's +elegant long-haired one needn't prevent +his being a Cat.</p> + +<p>"Good evening," said the Brown Kitten. +"Would you mind telling me if you +are a Cat."</p> + +<p>"Cat? No!" growled the Skunk. +"They sometimes call me a Wood-Kitty, +but they have no right to. I am a Skunk, +<i>Skunk</i>, <span class="smcap">Skunk</span>, and I am related to the +Weasles. Step out of my path."</p> + +<p>A family of young Raccoons in a tree +called down teasingly to him to come up, +but after he had started they told him to +go down, and then laughed at him because +he had to go tail first. He did +not know that forest climbers turn the +toes of their hind feet backward and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> +scamper down head first. Still, it would +have made no difference if he had known, +for his toes wouldn't turn.</p> + +<p>He found something to eat now and +then, and he looked for a hollow tree. +He found only one, and that was a Bee +tree, so he couldn't use it. All around +him the most beautiful mushrooms were +pushing up from the ground. White, +yellow, orange, red, and brown they were, +and looked so plump and fair that he +wanted to bite them. He knew, however, +that some of them were very poisonous, +so he didn't even lick them with his +eager, rough little pink tongue. He was +just losing his Kitten teeth, and his +new Cat teeth were growing, and they +made him want to bite almost everything +he saw. One kind of mushroom, which +he thought the prettiest of all, grew only +on the trunks of fallen beech trees. It +was white, and had a great many little +branches, all very close together.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p> + +<p>Most of the plants which he saw were +sound asleep. Every plant has to sleep, +you know, and most of them take a long +nap at night. Some of them, like the +water-lilies, also sleep on cloudy days. +He was very fond of the clovers, but +they had their leaflets folded tight, and +only the mushrooms, the evening primroses, +and a few others were wide awake. +Everybody whom he met was a stranger, +and he began to feel very lonely. Cats +do not usually mind being alone. Indeed, +they rather like it; still, you can +see how hard it would be for a Kitten +who had always been loved and cared for +to find himself alone in a dark forest, +where great birds ask the same questions +over and over, and other people make +fun of him. You wouldn't like it yourself, +if you were a Kitten.</p> + +<p>At last, when he was prowling along +an old forest road and hoping to meet a +tender young Wood-Mouse, he saw a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> +couple of light-colored animals ahead of +him. They looked to him very much +like Kittens, but he remembered how the +Skunk had snubbed him when taken for +a Cat, and he kept still. He ran to overtake +them and see more clearly, and just +as he reached them they all came to a +turn in the road.</p> + +<p>Before he could speak or they could +notice that he was there, the wind roared +through the branches above, and just +ahead two terrible great eyes glared at +them out of an old log. They all stopped +with their back-fur bristling and their +tails arched stiffly. Not a sound did one +of them make. They lifted first one foot +and then another and backed slowly +and silently away. When they had gone +far enough, they turned quickly and ran +down the old road as fast as their +twelve feet could carry them. They +never stopped until they were in the +road for home and could look back in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> +starlight and be sure that nobody was +following them. Then they stared at +each other—the Yellow Kitten, the White +Kitten, and the Brown Kitten.</p> + +<p>"Did you run away to live in the forest?" +asked the sisters.</p> + +<p>"Did you?" asked the Brown Kitten.</p> + +<p>"You'll never tell?" said they.</p> + +<p>"Never!" said he.</p> + +<p>"Well then, we did run away, and met +each other just before you came. We +meant to live in the forest."</p> + +<p>"So did I," said he. "And I couldn't +find any hollow tree."</p> + +<p>"Did you meet that dreadful bird?" +said they,—"the one who never hears +your answers and keeps asking you over +and over?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," said he. "Don't you ever tell!"</p> + +<p>"Ha-ha!" screamed a laughing little +Screech-Owl, who had seen what had +happened in the old forest road and +flapped along noiselessly behind them.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Three big Kittens afraid of fox-fire! +O-ho! O-ho!"</p> + +<p>Now all of them had heard about fox-fire +and knew it was the light which +shines from some kinds of rotten wood in +the dark, but they held up their heads and +answered, "We're not afraid of fox-fire."</p> + +<p>"Ha-ha!" screamed the Screech-Owl +again. "Thought you saw big eyes glaring +at you. Only fox-fire. Dare you to +come back if you are not afraid."</p> + +<p>"We don't want to go back," answered +the Brown Kitten. "We haven't time."</p> + +<p>"Ha-ha!" screamed the Screech-Owl. +"Haven't time! Where are you going?"</p> + +<p>"Going home, of course," answered +the Brown Kitten. And then he whispered +to his sisters, "Let's!"</p> + +<p>"All right," said they, and they raced +down the road as fast as they could go. +To this day their mother does not know +that they ever ran away from home.</p> + +<p>But it was only fox-fire.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 412px;"> +<img src="images/hchap04_13.jpg" width="412" height="105" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>THE INQUISITIVE WEASELS</h2> + + +<p>The Weasels were very unpopular with +most of the forest people, the pond +and meadow people did not like them, +and those who lived in the farmyard +couldn't bear them. Something went +wrong there every time that a Weasel +came to call. Once, you know, the Dorking +Hen was so frightened that she +broke her wonderful shiny egg, and there +were other times when even worse things +had happened. Usually there was a +Chicken or two missing after the Weasel +had gone.</p> + +<p>The Weasels were very fond of their +own family, however, and would tell their +best secrets to each other. That meant +almost as much with them as to share food,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> +for they were very inquisitive and always +wanted to know all about everything. +They minded their own business, but they +minded everybody's else as well. If you +told a thing to one Weasel you might be +sure that before the night was over every +Weasel in the neighborhood would know +all about it. They told other people, too, +when they had a chance. They were +dreadful gossips. If they saw a person +do something the least unusual, they +thought about it and talked about it and +wondered what it meant, and decided that +it meant something very remarkable and +became very much excited. At such times, +they made many excuses to go calling, and +always managed to tell about what they +had seen, what they had heard, and what +they were perfectly certain it meant.</p> + +<p>They went everywhere, and could go +quietly and without being noticed. They +were small people, about as long as Rats, +but much more slender, and with such<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> +short legs that their bodies seemed to +almost lie on the ground. All their fur +was brown, except that on their bellies and +the inside of their legs, which was pure +white. Sometimes the fur on their feet +matched their backs and sometimes it +matched their bellies. That was as might +happen. You can easily see how they +could steal along over the brown earth or +the dead leaves and grass without showing +plainly. In winter they turned white, and +then they did not show on the snow. The +very tip of their short tails stayed a pale +brown, but it was so tiny as hardly to be +noticed. Any Hawk in the air, who saw +just that bit of brown on the snow beneath +him, would be likely to think it a leaf or a +piece of bark and pay no more attention +to it.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/chap13.jpg" width="400" height="640" alt="IN WINTER THEY TURNED WHITE." title="" /> +<span class="caption">IN WINTER THEY TURNED WHITE.</span> +<p style='text-align:right'><i>Page 178</i></p> +</div> + + +<p>The Weasel mothers were very careful +of their children and very brave. It made +no difference how great the danger might +be, they would stay by their babies and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> +fight for them. And such workers as they +were! It made no difference to them +whether it was day or night, they would +burrow or hunt just the same. When they +were tired they slept, and when they +awakened they began at once to do +something.</p> + +<p>Several families lived in the high bank +by the edge of the forest, just where the +ground slopes down to the marsh. They +had lived there year after year, and had +kept on adding to their burrows. There +was only one doorway to each burrow and +that was usually hidden by some leaves or +a stone. They were hardly as large as +Chipmunk's holes and easily hidden. "It +is a good thing to have a fine, large home," +said the Weasels, "but we build for comfort, +not for show."</p> + +<p>All the Weasel burrows began alike, +with a straight, narrow hall. Then more +halls branched off from this, and every little +way there would be a room in which to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> +turn around or rest. In some of these +they stored food; in others they had nothing +but bones and things which were left +from their meals. Each burrow had one +fine, large room, bigger than an Ovenbird's +nest, with a soft bed of leaves and fur. +Some of the rooms were so near the top +of the ground that a Weasel could dig his +way up in a few minutes if he needed +another door. They were the loveliest +sort of places for playing hide-and-seek, +and that is a favorite Weasel game, only +every Weasel wants to seek instead of +hiding. There was never a bit of loose +earth around these homes, and that is the +one secret which Weasels will not tell out +of the family—they never tell what they +do with the earth they dig out. It just +disappears.</p> + +<p>Weasels like to hunt in parties. They +say there is no fun in doing anything unless +you have somebody with whom to +talk it over. One night four of them<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> +went out together as soon as it was +dark. They were young fellows and had +planned to go to the farmer's Hen-house +for the first time. They started to go +there, but of course they wanted to see +everything by the way. They would run +straight ahead for a little while, then +turn off to one side, as Ants do, poking +into a Chipmunk's hole or climbing a tree +to find a bird's nest, eating whatever +food they found, and talking softly about +everything.</p> + +<p>"It is disgraceful the way that Chipmunk +keeps house," said one of them, as +he came back from going through a burrow +under a tree. "Half-eaten food +dropped right on the floor of the burrow +in the most careless way. It was only a +nut. If it had been anything I cared for, +I would have eaten it myself."</p> + +<p>Then they gossiped about Chipmunks, +and said that, although they always looked +trim and neat, there was no telling what<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> +sort of housekeepers they were; and that +it really seemed as though they would do +better to stay at home more and run +about the forest less. The Chipmunk +heard all this from the tree where he had +hidden himself, and would have liked to +speak right out and tell them what he +thought of callers who entered one's +home without knocking and sneaked +around to see how things were kept. He +knew better than to do so, however. He +knew that when four hungry Weasels +were out hunting their supper, it was an +excellent time to keep still. He was +right. And there are many times when +it is better for angry people to keep still, +even if they are not afraid of being +eaten.</p> + +<p>After they had gone he came down. +"It was lucky for me," he said, "that I +awakened hungry and ate a lunch. If I +hadn't been awake to run away there's +no telling where I would be now. There<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> +are some things worse than having people +think you a poor housekeeper."</p> + +<p>Just as the Chipmunk was finishing his +lunch, one of the Weasels whispered to +the others to stop. "There is somebody +coming," said he. "Let's wait and see +what he is doing."</p> + +<p>It was the Black-tailed Skunk, who +came along slowly, sniffing here and there, +and once in a while stopping to eat a few +mouthfuls.</p> + +<p>"Doesn't it seem to you that he acts +very queerly?" said one of the Weasels +to the rest.</p> + +<p>"Very," replied another. "And he +doesn't look quite as usual. I don't +know that I ever saw him carry his tail in +just that way."</p> + +<p>"I'd like to know where he is going," +said another. "I guess he doesn't think +anybody will see him."</p> + +<p>"Let's follow him," said the fourth +Weasel, who had not spoken before.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span></p> + +<p>While he was near them they hid behind +a hemlock log out of which many +tiny hemlocks were growing. Once in a +while they peeped between the soft +fringy leaves of these to see what he was +doing. They were much excited. "He +is putting his nose down to the ground," +one would say. "It must be that he has +found something."</p> + +<p>Then another would poke his little +head up through the hemlocks and look +at the Skunk. "He couldn't have found +anything after all," he would say. "I +can't hear him eating."</p> + +<p>"It is very strange," the rest would +murmur.</p> + +<p>Now it just happened that the Black-tailed +Skunk had scented the Weasels +and knew that they were near. He had +also heard the rustling behind the hemlock +log. He knew what gossips Weasels +are, and he guessed that they were +watching him, so he decided to give them<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> +something to think about. He knew that +they would often fight people larger than +themselves, but he was not afraid of anybody. +He did not care to fight them +either, for if he got near enough to really +enjoy it they would be likely to bite him +badly, and when a Weasel has set his +teeth into anybody it is not easy to make +him let go. "I rather think," said he to +himself, "that there will be four very tired +young Weasels sleeping in their burrows +to-morrow."</p> + +<p>"He's walking away," whispered one +of the Weasels. "Where do you suppose +he is going?"</p> + +<p>"We'll have to find out," said the +others, as they crept quietly out of their +hiding-places.</p> + +<p>The Skunk went exactly where he +wanted to. Whenever he found food he +ate it. The Weasels who followed after +found nothing left for them. They became +very hungry, but if one of them<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> +began to think of going off for a lunch, the +Skunk was certain to do something queer. +Sometimes he would lie down and laugh. +Then the Weasels would peep at him from +a hiding-place and whisper together.</p> + +<p>"What do you suppose makes him +laugh?" they would ask. "It must be +that he is thinking of something wonderful +which he is going to do. We must +not lose sight of him."</p> + +<p>Once he met the Spotted Skunk, his +brother, and they whispered together for +a few minutes. Then the Spotted Skunk +laughed, and as he passed on, the Black-tailed +Skunk called back to him: "Be +sure not to tell any one. I do not want it +known what I am doing."</p> + +<p>Then the four young Weasels nudged +each other and said, "There! We knew +it all the time!"</p> + +<p>After that, nobody spoke about being +hungry. All they cared for was the following +of the Black-tailed Skunk. Once,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> +when they were in the marsh, they were +so afraid of being seen that they slipped +into the ditch and swam for a way. They +were good swimmers and didn't much +mind, but it just shows how they followed +the Skunk. Once he led them over to +the farm and they remembered their plan +of going to the Hen-house. They were +very, very hungry, and each looked at +the others to see what they thought about +letting the Skunk go and stopping for +a hearty supper. Still, nobody spoke of +doing so. One Weasel whispered: "Now +we shall surely see what he is about. He +ought to know that he cannot do wrong +or mischievous things without being found +out. And since we discover it ourselves, +we shall certainly feel free to speak of +it."</p> + +<p>Collie, the watch-dog, was sleeping +lightly, and came rushing around the +corner of the house to see what strangers +were there, but when he saw who they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> +were, he dropped his tail and walked +away. He was old enough to know many +things, and he knew too much to fight +either a Skunk or a Weasel. Every one +lets Skunks alone, and it is well to let +Weasels alone also, for although they are +so small they bite badly.</p> + +<p>Now the Black-tailed Skunk turned to +the forest and walked toward his hole. +The Screech-Owl passed them flying +homeward, and several times Bats darted +over their heads. When they went by +the Bats' cave they could tell by the +sound that ten or twelve were inside +hanging themselves up for the day. A +dim light showed in the eastern sky, and +the day birds were stirring and beginning +to preen their feathers.</p> + +<p>"What do you think it means?" whispered +the Weasels. "He seems to be +going home. Do you suppose he has +changed his mind?"</p> + +<p>When he reached his hole the Black-<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span>tailed +Skunk stopped and looked around. +The Weasels hid themselves under some +fallen leaves. "I bid you good-morning," +said the Skunk, looking toward the place +where they were. "I hope you are not +<i>too</i> tired. This walk has been very easy +for me, but I fear it was rather long for +Weasels. Besides, I have found plenty +to eat and have chosen smooth paths for +myself. Good-morning! I have enjoyed +your company!"</p> + +<p>When even the tip of his tail was hidden +in the hole, the Weasels crawled from +under the leaves and looked at each other.</p> + +<p>"We believe he knew all the time that +we were following him," they said. "He +acted queerly just to fool us. The +wretch!"</p> + +<p>Yet after all, you see, he had done only +what he did every night, and it was because +they were watching and talking +about him that they thought him going +on some strange errand.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/hchap05_14_15.jpg" width="400" height="102" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>THE THRIFTY DEER MOUSE</h2> + + +<p>When the days grew short and chilly, +and bleak winds blew out of the +great blue-gray cloud banks in the west, +many of the forest people went to sleep +for the winter. And not only they, but +over in the meadow the Tree Frog and +the Garter Snake had already crawled +out of sight and were dreaming sweetly. +The song birds had long before this +started south, and the banks of the pond +and its bottom of comfortable soft mud +held many sleepers. Under the water +the Frogs had snuggled down in groups +out of sight. Some of the Turtles were +there also, and some were in the bank.</p> + +<p>The Ground Hogs had grown stupid +and dozy before the last leaves fluttered<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> +to the ground, and had been the first of +the fur-bearers to go to bed for the +winter. There were so many interesting +things to see and do in the late fall days +that they tried exceedingly hard to keep +awake.</p> + +<p>A Weasel was telling a Ground Hog +something one day—and it was a very +interesting piece of gossip, only it was +rather unkind, and so might better not +be told here—when he saw the Ground +Hog winking very slow and sleepy winks +and letting his head droop lower and +lower. Once he asked him if he understood. +The Ground Hog jumped and +opened his eyes very wide indeed, and +said: "Oh, yes, yes! Perfectly! Oh-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah." +His yawn didn't look so +big as it sounds, because his mouth was +so small.</p> + +<p>He tried to act politely interested, but +just as the Weasel reached the most +exciting part of his story, the Ground<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> +Hog rolled over sound asleep. The next +day he said "good-by" to his friends, +wished them a happy winter, and said he +might see some of them before spring, +as he should come out once to make the +weather. "I only hope I shall awaken +in time," he said, "but I am fat enough +to sleep until the violets are up."</p> + +<p>He had to be fat, you know, to last +him through the cold weather without +eating. He was so stout that he could +hardly waddle, his big, loose-skinned +body dragged when he walked, and +was even shakier than ever. He really +couldn't hurry by jumping and he was +so short of breath that he could barely +whistle when he went into his hole.</p> + +<p>The Raccoons went after the Ground +Hog and the Skunks were later still. +They never slept so very long, and said +they didn't really need to at all, and +wouldn't except that they had nothing +to do and it made housekeeping easier.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> +It saved so much not to have to go out +to their meals in the coldest weather.</p> + +<p>When the large people were safely out +of the way, the smaller ones had their +best times. The Muskrats were awake, +but they had their big houses to eat and +were not likely to trouble Mice and +Squirrels. There was not much to fear +except Owls and Weasels. The Ground +Hogs had once tried to get the Great +Horned Owl to go south when the +Cranes did, and he had laughed in their +faces. "To-whoo!" said he. "Not I! +I'm not afraid of cold weather. You +don't know how warm feathers are. I +never wear anything else. Furs are all +right, but they are not feathers."</p> + +<p>He and his relatives sat all day in their +holes, and seldom flew out except at +night. Sometimes, when the day was +not too bright, they made short trips out +for luncheon. It was very unfortunate +for any Mouse to be near at those times.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span></p> + +<p>Now the snow had fallen and the beautiful +still cold days had come. The +Weasels' fur had changed from brown to +white, as it does in cold countries in +winter. The Chipmunks had taken their +last scamper until early spring, and were +living, each alone, in their comfortable +burrows. They were most independent +and thrifty. No one ever heard of a +Chipmunk lacking food unless some robber +had carried off his nuts and corn. +The Mice think that it must be very +dull for a Chipmunk to stay by himself +all winter, since he does not sleep steadily. +The Chipmunks do not find it so. One +of them said: "Dull? I never find it dull. +When I am awake, I eat or clean my fur +or think. If I had any one staying with +me he might rouse me when I want to +sleep, or pick the nut that I want for +myself, or talk when I am thinking. No, +thank you, I will go calling when I want +company."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 432px;"> +<img src="images/chap14.jpg" width="432" height="640" alt="THE MICE MAKE WINTER THEIR PLAYTIME." title="" /> +<span class="caption">THE MICE MAKE WINTER THEIR PLAYTIME.</span> +<p style='text-align:right'><i>Page 195</i></p> +</div> + + +<p>The Mice make winter their playtime. +Then the last summer's babies are all +grown up and able to look out for themselves, +and the fathers and mother's have +a chance to rest. The Meadow Mice +come together in big parties and build +groups of snug winter homes under the +snow of the meadow, with many tiny +covered walks leading from one to another. +Their food is all around them—grass +roots and brown seeds—and there +is so much of it that they never quarrel +to see who shall have this root and who +shall have that. They sleep during the +daytime and awaken to eat and visit and +have a good time at night.</p> + +<p>Sometimes they are awakened in the +daytime, as they were when the Grouse +broke through the snow near them. That +was an accident, and the Grouse felt very +sorry about it. They had snuggled down +in a cozy family party near by, and were +just starting out for a stroll one morning<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span> +when the eldest son stumbled and fell +and crushed through the snow into the +little settlement of Meadow Mice.</p> + +<p>The young Grouse was much ashamed +of his awkwardness. "I am so sorry," +he said. "I'm not used to my snow-shoes +yet. This is the first winter I have +worn them."</p> + +<p>"That is all right," said the Oldest +Mouse politely. "It must be hard to +manage them at first. We hope you will +have better luck after this." Then they +bowed to each other and the Grouse +walked off to join his brothers and sisters, +lifting his feet with their newly grown +feather snow-shoes very high at every +step. The Meadow Mice went to work +to make their homes neat again, yet they +never looked really right until that snow +had melted and more had fallen. One +might think that the Meadow Mice and +the Grouse would care less for each +other after that, but it was not so. It<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> +never is so if people who make trouble +are quick to say that they are sorry, and +those who were hurt will keep patient +and forgiving.</p> + +<p>It was only the night after this happened +that one of the Deer Mice had a +great fright. His home was in a Bee +tree in the forest. The Bees and he had +always been the best of friends, and now +that they were keeping close to their +honeycomb all winter, the Deer Mouse +had taken a small room in the same tree. +It helped to keep him warm when he +slept close to the Bees, for there was +always some heat coming from their +bodies. Once in a while, too, he took +a nibble of honey, and they did not mind.</p> + +<p>The Deer Mouse did not keep much +of his own winter food where he lived. +He had a few beechnuts near by, and +when the weather was very stormy indeed +he ate some of these. There was +room for many more in the storeroom<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> +(another hole in the Bee tree), but he +liked to keep food in many places. "It +is wiser," said he. "Supposing I had +them all here and this tree should be +blown down, and it should fall in such +a way that I couldn't reach the hole. +What would I do then?"</p> + +<p>He was talking to a Rabbit when he +said this. The Rabbit never stored up +food himself, yet he sometimes told other +people how he thought it should be done. +He was sure it would be better to have +all the nuts in one place as the Chipmunks +did. And now that the Deer +Mouse had given his reasons, he was just +as sure as ever. "The Bee tree is not +very likely to blow down in that way," +said he. "There is not much danger."</p> + +<p>"Not much, but some," answered the +Deer Mouse. "Hollow trees fall more +quickly than solid ones. You may store +your food where you please and I'll take +care of mine."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span></p> + +<p>The Deer Mouse spoke very decidedly, +although he was perfectly polite. His +beautiful brown eyes looked squarely at +the Rabbit, and you could tell by the position +of his slender long tail that he was +much in earnest. The Rabbit went home.</p> + +<p>The Deer Mouse put away hundreds +and hundreds of beechnuts. These he +took carefully out of their shells and laid +in nicely lined holes in tree-trunks. He +used leaves for lining these places. Besides +keeping food in the trees, he hid +little piles of nuts under stones and logs, +and tucked seeds into chinks of fences +or tiny pockets in the ground. He had +worked in the wheatfield after the grain +was cut, picking up and carrying away the +stray kernels which had fallen from the +sheaves. He never counted the places +where food was stored, but he was happy +in thinking about them. When he lay +down to sleep in the morning he always +knew where the next night's meals were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> +coming from. There was not a thriftier, +happier person in the forest. He was gentle, +good-natured, and exceedingly businesslike. +He was also very handsome, +with large ears and white belly and feet.</p> + +<p>The night after his cousins, the Meadow +Mice, had been so frightened by the +Grouse, this Deer Mouse started out for +a good time. He called on the Meadow +Mice, ate a chestnut which he dug up in +the edge of the forest, scampered up a +fence-post and tasted of his hidden wheat +to be sure that it was keeping well, and +then went to the tree where most of his +beechnuts were stored. He was not +quite certain that he wanted to eat one, +but he wished to be sure that they were +all right before he went on. He had +been invited to a party by some other +Deer Mice, and so, you see, it wouldn't +do for him to spoil his appetite. They +would be sure to have refreshments at +the party.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I suppose they are all right," said he, +as he started to run up the tree; "still it +is just as well to be sure."</p> + +<p>"My whiskers!" he exclaimed, when +he reached the hole. "If that isn't just +like a Red Squirrel!"</p> + +<p>The opening into the tree had been +barely large enough for him to squeeze +through, and now he could pass in without +crushing his fur. Around the edge of it +were many marks of sharp teeth. Somebody +had wanted to get in and had not +found the doorway large enough. The +Deer Mouse went inside and sat on his +beechnuts. Then he thought and thought +and thought. He knew very well that it +was a Red Squirrel, for the Red Squirrels +are not so thrifty as most of the nut-eaters. +They make a great fuss about +gathering food in the fall, and frisk and +chatter and scold if anybody else comes +where they are busy. For all that, the +Chipmunks and the Deer Mice work<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> +much harder than they. It is not always +the person who makes the greatest fuss, +you know, who does the most.</p> + +<p>A Red Squirrel is usually out of food +long before spring comes, and after that +he takes whatever he can lay his paws on. +Sometimes the Chipmunks tell them that +they should be ashamed of themselves and +work harder. Then the Red Squirrels sigh +and answer, "Oh, that is all very well for +you to say, still you must remember that +we have not such cheek pouches as you."</p> + +<p>The Deer Mouse thought of these +things. "Cheek pouches!" cried he. "I +have no cheek pouches, but I lay up my +own food. It is only an excuse when +they say that. I don't think much of +people who make excuses."</p> + +<p>He passed through the doorway several +times to see just how big it was. He +found it was not yet large enough for a +Red Squirrel. Then he scampered over +the snow to a friend's home. "I'm not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> +going to the party," said he. "I have +some work to do."</p> + +<p>"Work?" said the friend. "Work? +In winter?" But before he had finished +speaking his caller had gone.</p> + +<p>All night long the Deer Mouse carried +beechnuts from the old hiding-place to a +new one. He wore quite a path in the +snow between one tree and the other. +His feet were tiny, but there were four +of them, and his long tail dragged after +him. It was not far that he had to go. +The new place was one which he had +looked at before. It was in a maple tree, +and had a long and very narrow opening +leading to the storeroom. It was having +to go so far into the tree that had kept +the Deer Mouse from using it before. Now +he liked it all the better for having this.</p> + +<p>"If that Red Squirrel ever gnaws his +way in here," he said, "he won't have any +teeth left for eating."</p> + +<p>When the sun rose, the Deer Mouse<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> +went to sleep in the maple tree. The Red +Squirrel came and gnawed at the opening +into his old storeroom. If he had gnawed +all day he would surely have gotten in. +As it was, he had to spend much time +hunting for food. He found some frozen +apples still hanging in the orchard, and +bit away at them until he reached the +seeds inside. He found one large acorn, +but it was old and tasted musty. He +also squabbled with another Red Squirrel +and chased him nearly to the farmyard. +Then Collie heard them and chased him +most of the way back.</p> + +<p>When night came and he ran off to +sleep in his hollow tree, he had made the +hole almost, but not quite, large enough. +He could smell the beechnuts inside, and +it made him hungry to think how good +they would taste. "I will get up early +to-morrow morning and come here," he +said. "I can gnaw my way in before +breakfast, and then!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span></p> + +<p>He went off in fine leaps to his home +and was soon sound asleep. In summer +he often frolicked around half of the +night, but now it was cold, and when the +sun went down he liked to get home +quickly and wrap up warmly in his tail. +The Red Squirrel was hardly out of sight +when the Deer Mouse came along his +path in the snow and up to his old storeroom. +His dainty white feet shook a little +as he climbed, and he hardly dared +look in for fear of finding the hole empty. +You can guess how happy he was to find +everything safe.</p> + +<p>All night long he worked, and when +morning came it was a very tired little +Deer Mouse who carried his last beechnut +over the trodden path to its safe new +resting place. He was tired but he was +happy.</p> + +<p>There was just one other thing that he +wanted to do. He wanted to see that Red +Squirrel when he found the beechnuts<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> +gone. He waited near by for him to +come. It was a beautiful, still winter +morning when the hoar-frost clung to all +the branches, and the shadows which fell +upon the snow looked fairly blue, it was +so cold. The Deer Mouse crouched +down upon his dainty feet to keep them +warm, and wrapped his tail carefully +around to help.</p> + +<p>Along came the Red Squirrel, dashing +finely and not noticing the Deer Mouse +at all. A few leaps brought him to the +tree, a quick run took him to the hole, +and then he began to gnaw. The Deer +Mouse was growing sleepy and decided +not to wait longer. He ran along +near the Red Squirrel. "Oh, good-morning!" +said he. "Beautiful day! I see +you are getting that hole ready to use. +Hope you will like it. I liked it very +well for a while, but I began to fear it +wasn't safe."</p> + +<p>"Wh-what do you mean?" asked the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> +Red Squirrel sternly. He had seen the +Deer Mouse's eyes twinkle and he was +afraid of a joke.</p> + +<p>"Oh," answered the Deer Mouse with a +careless whisk of his tail, "I had some +beechnuts there until I moved them."</p> + +<p>"You had!" exclaimed the Red Squirrel. +He did not gnaw any after that. +He suddenly became very friendly. "You +couldn't tell me where to find food, I suppose," +said he. "I'd eat almost anything."</p> + +<p>The Deer Mouse thought for a minute. +"I believe," said he, "that you will +find plenty in the farmer's barn, but you +must look out for the Dog."</p> + +<p>"Thank you," said the Red Squirrel. +"I will go."</p> + +<p>"There!" said the Deer Mouse after +he had whisked out of sight. "He has +gone to steal from the farmer. Still, +men have so very much that they ought +to share with Squirrels."</p> + +<p>And that, you know, is true.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/hchap05_14_15.jpg" width="400" height="102" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>THE HUMMING-BIRD AND THE +HAWK-MOTH</h2> + + +<p>The Hawk-Moths are acquainted with +nearly everybody and are great society +people. They are invited to companies +given by the daylight set, and also +to parties given at night by those who +sleep during the day. This is not because +the Hawk-Moths are always awake. +Oh dear, no! There is nobody in pond, +forest, meadow, marsh, or even in houses, +who can be well and strong and happy +without plenty of sleep.</p> + +<p>The Hawk-Moths were awake more or +less during the day, but it was not until +the sun was low in the western sky that +they were busiest. When every tree had +a shadow two or three times as long as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> +the tree itself, then one heard the whir-r-r +of wings and the Hawk-Moths darted +past. They staid up long after the daylight +people went to bed. The Catbird, +who sang from the tip of the topmost +maple tree branch long after most of +his bird friends were asleep, said that +when he tucked his head under his wing +the Hawk-Moths were still flying. In +that way, of course, they became acquainted +with the people of the night-time.</p> + +<p>There was one fine large Hawk-Moth +who used to be a Tomato Worm when +he was young, although he really fed as +much upon potato vines as upon tomato +plants. He was handsome from the tip +of his long, slender sucking-tongue to the +tip of his trim, gray body. His wings +were pointed and light gray in color, with +four blackish lines across the hind ones. +His body was also gray, and over it and +his wings were many dainty markings of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> +black or very dark gray. On the back +part of it he had ten square yellow spots +edged with black. There were also twenty +tiny white spots there, but he did not +care so much for them. He always felt +badly to think that his yellow spots +showed so little. That couldn't be helped, +of course, and he should have been thankful +to have them at all.</p> + +<p>Another thing which troubled him was +the fact that he couldn't see his own yellow +spots. He would have given a great deal +to do so. He could see the yellow spots +of other Hawk-Moths who had been Tomato +Worms when he was, but that was +not like seeing his own. He had tried +and tried, and it always ended in the +same way—his eyes were tired and his +back ached. His body was so much +stouter and stiffer than that of his butterfly +cousins that he could not bend it +easily.</p> + +<p>When he got to thinking about his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> +yellow spots he often flew away to the +farmer's potato-fields, where the young +Tomato Worms were feeding. He +would fly around them and cry out: +"Look at my yellow spots. Are they +not fine?" Then he would dart away +to the vegetable-garden and balance himself +in the air over the tomato plants. +The humming of his wings would make +the Tomato Worms there look up, and +he would say: "If you are good little +Worms and eat a great deal, you may +some day become fine Moths like me and +have ten yellow spots apiece."</p> + +<p>Sometimes he even went down to the +corner where the farmer had tobacco +plants growing, and showed his yellow +spots to the Tomato Worms there. He +never went anywhere else, for these +worms do not care for other things to +eat. Everywhere that he went the Tomato +Worms exclaimed: "Oh! Oh! +What beautiful yellow spots! What<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> +wonderful yellow spots!" When he flew +away they would not eat for a while, but +rested on their fat pro-legs, raised the +front part of their bodies in the air, folded +their six little real legs under their chins, +and thought and thought and thought. +They always sat in that position when they +were thinking, and they had a great many +cousins who did the same thing. It was +a habit which ran in the family.</p> + +<p>When other people saw them sitting in +this way, with their real legs crossed under +their chins, they always cried: "Look +at the Sphinxes!" although not one of +them knew what a Sphinx really was. +And that was just one of their habits. +This was why the Hawk-Moths were +sometimes called Sphinx-Moths.</p> + +<p>It was not kind in the Hawk-Moth to +come and make the Tomato Worms discontented. +If he had stayed away, they +would have thought it the loveliest thing +in the world to be fat green Tomato<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> +Worms with two sorts of legs and each +with a horn standing up on the hind end +of his body. That is not the usual place +for horns, still it does very well, and these +horns are worn only for looks. They are +never used for poking or stinging.</p> + +<p>Before the Hawk-Moth came to visit +them, the Tomato Worms had thought +it would be quiet, and restful, and pleasant +to lie all winter in their shining brown +pupa-cases in the ground, waiting for the +spring to finish turning them into Moths. +Now they were so impatient to get their +yellow spots that they could hardly bear +the idea of waiting. They did not even care +about the long, slender tongue-case which +every Tomato-Worm has on his pupa-case, +and which looks like a handle to it.</p> + +<p>One day the Tomato Worms told the +Ruby-throated Humming-Bird about all +this. The Humming-Bird was a very +sensible fellow, and would no doubt have +been a hard-working husband and father<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> +if his wife had not been so independent. +He had been a most devoted lover, and +helped build a charming nest of fern-wool +and plant-down, and cover it with beautiful +gray-green lichens. When done it +was about as large as half of a hen's egg, +and a morning-glory blossom would have +more than covered it. The lichens were +just the color of the branch on which it +rested, and one could hardly see where it +was. That is the nicest thing to be said +about a nest. If a bird ever asks you +what you think of his nest, and you wish +to say something particularly agreeable, +you must stare at the tree and ask: +"Where is it?" Then, when he has +shown it to you, you may speak of the +soft lining, or the fine weaving, or the +stout way in which it is fastened to +the branches.</p> + +<p>After this nest was finished and the +two tiny white eggs laid in it, Mrs. Humming-Bird +cared for nothing else. She<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> +would not go honey-hunting with her +husband, or play in the air with him +as she used to do. He tried to coax her +by darting down toward her as she sat +covering her eggs, and by squeaking the +sweetest things he could think of into +her ear, but she acted as though she +cared more for the eggs than for him, +and did not even squeak sweet things +back. So, of course, he went away, and +let her hatch and bring up her children +as she chose. It was certainly her fault +that he left her. She might not have +been able to leave the eggs, but she could +have squeaked.</p> + +<p>Now that the Ruby-throated Humming-Bird +had no home cares, he made many +calls on his friends. They were very +short calls, for he would seldom sit down, +yet he heard and told much news while +he balanced himself in the air with his +tiny feet curled up and his wings moving +so fast that one could not see them.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span></p> + +<p>When the Tomato Worms told him +how they felt about the Hawk-Moth's +yellow spots, he became very indignant. +"Those poor young worms!" he said +to himself. "It is a shame, and something +must be done about it."</p> + +<p>The more he thought, the angrier he +became, and his feathers fairly stood on +end. He hardly knew what he was +doing, and ran his long, slender bill into +the same flowers several times, although +he had taken all the honey from them at +first.</p> + +<p>That night, when the sun had set and +the silvery moon was peeping above a +violet-colored cloud in the eastern sky, +the Ruby-throated Humming-Bird sat on +the tip of a spruce-tree branch and waited +for the Hawk-Moth.</p> + +<p>"I hope nobody else will hear me talking," +said he. "It would sound so silly +if I were overheard." He sat very still, +his tiny feet clutching the branch tightly.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> +It was late twilight now and really time +that he should go to sleep, but he had +decided that if he could possibly keep +awake he would teach the Hawk-Moth +a lesson.</p> + +<p>"I wish he would hurry," said he. "I +can hardly keep my eyes open." He did +not yawn because he had not the right +kind of mouth for it. You know a yawn +ought to be nearly round. His beak +would have made one a great, great many +times higher than it was wide, and that +would have been exceedingly unbecoming +to him.</p> + +<p>Yellow evening primroses grew near +the spruce-tree, and the tall stalks were +opening their flowers for the night. +Above the seed-pods and below the buds +on each stalk two, three, or four blossoms +were slowly unfolding. The Ruby-throated +Humming-Bird did not often +stay up long enough to see this, and he +watched the four smooth yellow petals<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> +of one untwist themselves until they +were free to spring wide open. He had +watched five blossoms when he heard the +Hawk-Moth coming. Then he darted +toward the primroses and balanced himself +daintily before one while he sucked +honey from it.</p> + +<p>Whir-r-r-r! The Hawk-Moth was +there. "Good evening," said he. "Rather +late for you, isn't it?"</p> + +<p>"It is a little," answered the Humming-Bird. +"Growing a bit chilly, too, +isn't it? I should think you'd be cold +without feathers. Mine are such a comfort. +Feel as good as they look, and that +is saying a great deal."</p> + +<p>The Hawk-Moth balanced himself before +another primrose and seemed to care +more about sucking honey up his long +tongue-tube than he did about talking.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/chap15.jpg" width="400" height="640" alt="THE HUMMING-BIRD AND THE HAWK-MOTH." title="" /> +<span class="caption">THE HUMMING-BIRD AND THE HAWK-MOTH.</span> +<p style='text-align:right'><i>Page 218</i></p> +</div> + +<p>"I think it is a great thing to have a +touch of bright color, too," said the Humming-Bird. +"The beautiful red spot on +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span> +my throat looks particularly warm and +becoming when the weather is cool. You +ought to have something of the sort."</p> + +<p>"I have yellow spots—ten of them," +answered the Hawk-Moth sulkily.</p> + +<p>"You have?" exclaimed the Humming-Bird +in the most surprised way. +"Oh yes! I think I do remember something +about them. It is a pity they don't +show more. Mrs. Humming-Bird never +wears bright colors. She says it would +not do. People would see her on her +nest if she did. Excepting the red spot, +she is dressed like me—white breast, +green back and head, and black wings +and tail. Green is another good color. +You should wear some green."</p> + +<p>The Hawk-Moth murmured that he +didn't see any particular use in wearing +green.</p> + +<p>"Oh," said the Humming-Bird, "it +is just the thing to wear—neat, never +looks dusty" (here the Hawk-Moth drew<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span> +back, for his own wings, you know, were +almost dust color), "and matches the +leaves perfectly."</p> + +<p>The Hawk-Moth said something about +having to go and thinking that the primrose +honey was not so good as usual.</p> + +<p>"I thought it excellent," said the +Humming-Bird. "Perhaps you do not +get it so easily as I. Ah yes, you use a +tongue-tube. What different ways different +people do have. Now I like honey, +but I could not live many days on that +alone. What I care most for is the tiny +insects that I find eating it. And you +cannot eat meat. What a pity! I must +say that you seem to make the best of it, +though, and do fairly well. Oh, must +you go? Well, good night."</p> + +<p>The Hawk-Moth flew away feeling +very much disgusted. He had always +thought himself the most beautiful person +in the neighborhood. He rather +thought so still. Yet it troubled him to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> +know that others did not think so, and +he began to remember how many times +he had heard people admire the Ruby-throated +Humming-Bird. He never liked +him after that. But neither did he brag.</p> + +<p>The young Tomato Worms soon forgot +what the Hawk-Moth had said to +them, and became happy and contented +once more. The Ruby-throated Humming-Bird +never cared to talk about it, +yet he was once heard to say that he +would rather offend the Hawk-Moth and +even make him a little unhappy than to +have him bothering the poor little Tomato +Worms all the time.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 203px;"> +<img src="images/tchap02_04_15.jpg" width="203" height="104" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Among the Night People, by Clara Dillingham Pierson + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AMONG THE NIGHT PEOPLE *** + +***** This file should be named 35014-h.htm or 35014-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/5/0/1/35014/ + +Produced by Heather Clark and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + +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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