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diff --git a/old/55704-0.txt b/old/55704-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 3f97613..0000000 --- a/old/55704-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3379 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Wilderness Babies, by Julia Augusta Schwartz - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Wilderness Babies - -Author: Julia Augusta Schwartz - -Illustrator: John Huybers - -Release Date: October 8, 2017 [EBook #55704] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WILDERNESS BABIES *** - - - - -Produced by David E. Brown and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: THE SQUIRREL. - -“They sat on the branches with their bushy tails curving over their -backs.” _Frontispiece. See page 104._] - - - - - Wilderness Babies - - By - Julia Augusta Schwartz - - _Illustrated from Drawings by John Huybers - and from Photographs_ - - School Edition - - Boston - Little, Brown, and Company - - - - - _Copyright, 1905, 1906_, - - BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY. - - _All rights reserved_ - - - Printers - - S. J. PARKHILL & CO., BOSTON, U. S. A. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - - INTRODUCTION ix - - I. THE ONE WITH A POCKET 1 - - II. THE ONE THAT EATS GRASS IN THE SEA 17 - - III. THE BIGGEST ONE 27 - - IV. ONE OF THE FLEETEST 43 - - V. THE BEST BUILDER 57 - - VI. THE TIMID ONE 77 - - VII. THE ONE WITH THE PRETTIEST TAIL 93 - - VIII. ONE THAT SLEEPS ALL WINTER 107 - - IX. THE WISEST ONE 121 - - X. THE FIERCEST ONE 135 - - XI. THE ONE THAT DIGS THE BEST 149 - - CONCLUSION 161 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - THE SQUIRREL - “They sat on the branches with their bushy tails curving - over their backs” _Frontispiece_ - - THE OPOSSUM PAGE - “In a few minutes another and another baby followed - the big brother and clung there on the mother’s - furry back” 5 - - THE MANATEE - “The old mother manatee held him close to her” 19 - - THE WHALE - “The old mother whale came tearing back to the rescue” 39 - - THE ELK - “Grazing over the upland meadows” 48 - - THE BEAVER - “Across the pond to feast in the woods” 65 - - THE RABBIT - “It was pleasant there in the underbrush of the woods” 84 - - THE FOX - “Now and then the fox stopped to listen” 131 - - THE WOLF - “It was the father wolf coming in” 137 - - THE MOLE - “The greedy young ones shoved and pushed and fought - as if they were starving” 152 - - - - -INTRODUCTION - - -THIS book tells the stories of some of the baby mammals of the -wilderness,—how they grow and learn day by day to take care of -themselves. In hollow trees or down under water among the lily leaves, -in the cool sea or on the rugged mountains, on the grassy plains or -among the waving tree-tops, in the dark caves and burrows or hidden in -the tangles underfoot,—all the world is alive with young creatures. - -Bright eyes glitter and small paws patter, little noses sniff the -air and sharp ears twitch. There is a rustling of leaves above and a -crackling of twigs below, a splashing in the swamp and a silent bending -of the grasses. In the sunshine or the rain, in the daytime or at -night, life is busy everywhere on this beautiful old earth. - -All the mammals are alike in having hair on some part of their bodies, -in having teeth at some time in their lives, and in feeding the young -with milk. But there are many, many kinds of mammals, of different -shapes and sizes and colors. There are all sorts of babies, from the -tiny mouse that could sleep in an eggshell to the big baby whale, twice -as long as an ox. Some can swim like fishes; others can fly like birds. -Some dig homes under the ground; others make their nests in hollow -trees or caves. Some live in the mountains and some on the plains. Some -live in the woods and some in the sea. Some eat grass, and others eat -flesh; some eat nuts, some eat fruit, and some eat anything they can -find. - -Many of the mammals are alike in some ways. Squirrels and mice have -strong teeth to gnaw with; the cow and elk eat grass and chew a cud, -and the bear, wolf, and fox eat flesh. - -Those mammals that are most alike are said to belong to the same order. -For example, every animal with hoofs belongs to the Order of Hoofed -Mammals. Every animal with four gnawing teeth in the front of its mouth -belongs to the Order of Gnawing Mammals. Every animal that lives on -flesh belongs to the Order of Flesh-Eating Mammals. - -There are eleven of these groups, but the animals of North America -belong to only eight of them. All the animals in the first group have -pouches or pockets, of their own skin, in which to carry the young. -The opossum belongs to this Order of Pouched Mammals. When he is a baby -he is carried around in his mother’s furry pocket. Later he learns to -hang by his feet and tail to a branch while he eats fruit. At night he -trots through the woods and roots for insects with his pointed nose. - -The manatee belongs to the Order of Sea-Cows. Sea-Cows are fishlike -creatures that eat vegetable food in the sea or in rivers. The fat baby -manatee lies in his mother’s arms as she balances herself on the end of -her tail in the water. He learns to crawl about on the sandy bottom and -munch water-plants. - -The whale belongs to the Order of Whales. Though he lives in the deep -ocean and looks like a monstrous fish, he is really a mammal. He has -warm blood and a few bristles for hair. The baby whale is fed on milk -at first. When he grows older he is taught to catch and eat water -animals. - -The wapiti, called the American elk, belongs to the Order of Hoofed -Four-Foots. They eat grass and chew the cud. The story of an elk -roaming over the mountains is almost the same as the story of any of -the swift deer family. - -The beaver and the squirrel and the rabbit belong to the Order of -Gnawers. The beaver cuts down trees with his strong teeth, and builds -dams and houses of sticks. The squirrel scampers along the branches, -and sits up to nibble nuts in the shadow of his own bushy tail. The -rabbit scuttles over the ground from one hiding-place to another, in -his daily search for green grass and tender twigs to eat. Rats and mice -are also Gnawers. Indeed, there are many more animals in this Order -than in any of the others. - -The bear and the wolf and the fox belong to the Order of Flesh Eaters. -They are all mighty hunters. The swift wolf, the tricky fox, and the -strong-armed bear all have many long, cutting teeth to tear their prey -to pieces. - -The mole belongs to the Order of Insect-Eaters. He lives underground, -and learns to dig with his shovel-like hands. When his pointed teeth -grow out he chases worms up and down and around, and gobbles them as -fast as he can. - -The bats belong to the Order of Wing-Handed Mammals. The baby bat is -rocked to sleep in his mother’s wings. He learns to fly in the dark and -to hunt the swift insects that hover above the roads and ponds. When -winter is near he finds a gloomy cave. There he hangs, head downward, -by the hooks on his claws, and sleeps till spring brings the warm -weather again. - -It is now countless years since the earth was new. It has changed from -a bare, hot gloomy ball, covered with black rocks and muddy water, to -a green, beautiful world. There are all kinds of living things in the -ocean. In the forests insects hum above the flowers; birds fly from -branch to branch; reptiles crawl beside the rivers. And everywhere—in -the air and beneath the ground, on the land and under the water—live -the mammals. - -The opossum is the one with a pocket. The manatee is the only eater -of grass in the sea. The whale is the biggest of all animals. The elk -is the handsomest of the swift deer family. The beaver is the best -builder. The squirrel has the prettiest tail. The rabbit is the most -hunted by all its hungry enemies. The bear is the surliest one. The -wolf is the fiercest. The fox is the shrewdest. The mole can dig better -and faster than any of the others. - - - - -I - -THE OPOSSUM - -“THE ONE WITH A POCKET” - - - - -_Wilderness Babies_ - - - - -THE ONE WITH A POCKET - - -FOR days and days the new baby opossums lay crowded close together in -their mother’s furry pocket. They slept and drank milk, and grew and -grew till their eyes began to open. It was dark all around them, but up -above their heads a faint gray line showed where light was stealing in -over the edge of the pocket. - -The biggest baby opossum looked and looked with his little bright eyes. -He wanted to see more. So up he crawled, clambering over the soft, tiny -bodies of the eleven other babies. Some of them wriggled and squirmed -under his bare little feet. After slipping back once or twice he -reached the edge and poked his pointed white snout outside. - -He could not see anything because he was under his mother, and her long -fur hung down over him. She was lying on a nest of grasses in a hollow -tree. That was where she stayed all day long when the sun was shining -without. Every night at dusk she climbed down the rough trunk and went -to hunt for something to eat. - -When she felt the tiny claws of her baby clutching her fur she looked -down between her fore-paws at the little mouse-like fellow. Then with -her smooth pink hands she gently pushed him back into the pocket and -closed the opening. He was not big enough yet to come out of the warm, -dark nursery. - -So for a week longer he cuddled down beside the others, while they all -slept and drank more milk and grew stronger every hour. The biggest -baby was so restless that he scrambled around and crowded the others. -Once he caught hold of another’s tail between the thumbs and fingers of -his hind-feet, and pulled till the little one squeaked. His fore-feet -were like tiny hands without any thumbs. - -At last, one day, he saw the edge of the pocket open a crack. He was -so glad that he climbed up as fast as he could scramble, and pushed -outside. He held on to his mother’s fur with all four feet. When she -reached down to smell him the bristles on her lips tickled his nose. -Then he climbed around upon her back and twisted his tail about hers to -hold him steady. - -[Illustration: THE OPOSSUM. - -“In a few minutes another and another baby followed the big brother and -clung there on the mother’s furry back.” _Page 5._] - -He looked like a mouse, with his long tail, his black ears erect, his -bright eyes twinkling in his little white face, and his pointed nose -sniffing at the strange odors in the hollow tree. It was much lighter -there than inside the pocket. Higher up over his head there was a -hole leading out of the hollow. Queer small shadows were dancing and -flickering across the opening. He did not know that they were only -green leaves. - -In a few minutes another and another baby followed the big brother -and clung there on the mother’s furry back. It must have seemed a -noisy place to them, for while in the pocket they had noticed only the -softest muffled rustling and scratching of the old one’s feet in the -nest. Now they could hear a chirping and a squeaking and a rattling -of branches. They crowded close together in fright at the scream of a -blue jay, as it chased a chattering red squirrel through the tree-top. -Then a sudden loud thump-thump-thump of a woodpecker hammering on the -bark outside sent them scuttling back to the safe nursery in a tumbling -hurry. - -After this the whole family climbed out every day to play about on the -mother’s back. The biggest baby liked to curl his small tail about her -large one, and then swing off head downward. Sometimes he pushed the -others down just for the fun of seeing them scramble up again, hand -over hand, clutching the long fur. - -Of course he was the first one to poke his head out every day. Once -he woke from a nap in the pocket and started to climb outside. But -he stopped half-way, hanging to the edge with both fore-feet. It was -nearly evening, and the old mother opossum was clambering down the -trunk to go hunting for her supper. - -The baby held on tightly, while she trotted away through the woods. -Now and then a leaf rustled or a stick cracked under her feet. Sleepy -birds were twittering in their nests. The mother pricked her ears and -listened, for she ate eggs and young birds whenever she could find them -within reach. She had not tasted an egg this spring, because she could -not climb very nimbly with her pocket full of babies. - -Presently she came to a swamp, and splash, splash, splash! the mud went -flying. It spattered the baby’s white face and made him sputter and -cough. Then he heard the dreadful croaking of hundreds of frogs. In a -terrible fright he slid back into the nursery to hide beside the others. - -The old one was trying to catch a frog to eat. Now she jumped this way, -and now she jumped that way. Such a jostling as the babies felt when -she finally gave a great spring for a big green fellow sitting on a -log. She caught him, too, but the jolt almost knocked the breath out of -the twelve soft little bodies in her pocket. - -On another evening the babies awoke to find themselves swinging to and -fro in dizzying jerks. They rolled and tumbled from side to side. They -bumped their heads and noses against one another. When the biggest -baby tried to push his way out he found the edge of the pocket close -shut. Though he scratched and squeaked the mother did not open it. She -was afraid that they would all fall to the ground, for there she was -hanging upside-down by her tail to a branch of the tree. - -Down below on the ground a big black bear was hugging the trunk and -shaking it as hard as he could. He was trying to shake the old opossum -off so that he might catch her and eat the whole family. But she held -on so long that finally he became tired of waiting. So away he walked -to find something else for supper. Then the mother swung down to the -nest in the hollow and rested there while her babies played around her. - -Every day the babies stayed outside the nursery for a longer time, -though they were always ready to scurry back at the mother’s first -warning grunt. They kept growing bigger, till one night they found that -they could not all crowd into the pocket. Then they huddled together on -her back, with their tails twisted around hers. - -In this way they rode through the woods when she went hunting. They -watched with their bright eyes while she turned over rotting logs with -her snout to catch the grubs underneath. Sometimes she rooted in the -ground for sprouting acorns, or nipped off mouthfuls of tender grass. -Once she caught a young rabbit. Then how excited the little opossums -were! And how they all squeaked and hissed together as they rode -trotting home! - -By this time they had cut their teeth,—fifty sharp little teeth in -each hungry mouth. It was time for them to be weaned. When they tried -to drink milk the mother pushed them away. Then she picked some sweet -red berries, and taught the hungry babies how to eat them. They learned -to chew the juicy roots that she dug in the fields. - -The babies were greedy little things. When the old one caught a mouse -or a mole or a toad, the young ones all rushed and snatched. Once the -biggest baby gobbled up a beetle before the others could get a taste. -They were so angry that they tried to bite his nose and ears. He -squeaked, and ran as fast as he could to hide under the mother. - -She was a good and patient mother. Of course, as long as they were -small enough to stay in her pocket she carried them everywhere with -her. Even when they grew as large as rats they rode on her back -through the woods. These twelve fat babies were so heavy that -sometimes she staggered and stumbled under the load. - -One night, when all the babies were trotting along on their own feet, -they saw two gleaming red eyes in the dark thicket before them. -Something round and furry snarled and sprang at them. They all ran -under their mother as quick as a wink. She ruffled her long grayish -hair above them. When the animal jumped at her she growled and hissed -and scratched and bit furiously, till he ran limping away into the -shadowy wilderness. - -On another evening a big dog came galloping up before they could -scramble into a tree. His red tongue was hanging out of his mouth -between his white teeth. As soon as he caught sight of the opossums -he made a dash to catch them. Instantly they all fell down and rolled -over, just as if they were dead. - -There they lay, with their eyes shut, their paws limber, their tails -limp. They seemed to stop breathing. The dog smelled them and pushed -them with his cold nose. But they kept perfectly still and did not move -even an eyelash. They were pretending to be dead. It was the one trick -that they all knew without being taught. - -The minute the dog walked away up they all jumped and scampered into a -tree as fast as they could scurry. When the dog turned his head and saw -them he ran back and leaped up to reach them. But all the opossums were -safe enough now. While he was jumping and barking below they clung fast -in the tree with their hand-like feet. They wound their tails about the -branches above to hold more securely. - -The little opossums learned to climb all sorts of trees, rough or -smooth. It was easier to climb the rough trees because they could dig -their nails farther into the bark. The biggest baby could walk along -the springiest limb, even if it kept teetering up and down in the wind. -When he felt like it he swung by his tail for the longest time without -getting dizzy. - -All summer long the twelve little opossums stayed with their mother. -During the day they slept cuddled in the hollow tree. The old father -opossum never came home, for the mother had driven him away before the -babies were born. She wanted all the room in the nest for them. She -could take care of them better than he could, because she was bigger -and knew how to fight her enemies more fiercely. Every night, after -sunset, the mother and her twelve children set off on their hunting. -Down through the woods to the marsh they trotted. There some waded into -the mud to catch frogs, while others chased mud-turtles over the shore. -Some hunted for berries and others nosed for acorns under the oaks. - -It was beautiful there in the woods at night. When the stars twinkled -overhead and the soft wind rustled in the tree-tops the little ones -frisked and frolicked. They hid under the shadowy bushes or jumped -hither and thither to snap at the fluttering moths. But on stormy -evenings they plodded on in the rain, their wet fur drooping. With -their noses close to the ground they hunted till they found a few -mouthfuls to eat. Then back to the cosy hollow for a longer nap, after -licking their pink hands clean and washing their white faces, just as -kittens do. - -One night, in autumn, the old mother opossum felt the nip of frost in -the air. Then she knew that the persimmons were ready to be eaten. -Away through the woods she hurried, with the young ones trotting after -her. Past the marsh and over the blackberry hills she led the way -to a thicket of trees tangled with wild grapevines. There above on -the branches the round little persimmons were shining yellow in the -moonlight. - -Up the trees eleven of the babies scrambled hungrily, and, hanging -by their tails, stuffed the fruit into their wide mouths. Ah! but -wasn’t it delicious! Better than anything they had ever tasted before -in all their short lives! Then the biggest baby, who had stopped to -gobble ripe grapes, heard them munching so greedily. One look sent him -clambering after the others. He was sorry enough that he had wasted any -time eating wild grapes. - -Night after night, till the persimmons were gone, the opossums hurried -away to the thicket, and ate and ate till they could eat no longer. -They grew so fat that they puffed and panted when trotting home again -in the gray light of frosty dawn. - -As the weather grew colder the opossums roamed farther through -the woods in search of food. Once in a while one of them found a -pawpaw-tree. Then from far and near opossums gathered under the low -wide-spreading branches to feast on the banana-shaped fruit. That was -the last good dinner that the little fellows had for many weeks. - -Soon the ground was frozen hard over the juicy roots. All the fruit -left in the woods hung wrinkled and frost-bitten. The worms and toads -crawled into their holes for the winter. The beetles disappeared, and -the spiders curled up in their hiding-places to sleep through the cold -weather. Most of the birds flew away south. - -One by one each little opossum wandered off by himself, and made a nest -in a cosy hole or a snug hollow stump. There he drowsed away the days, -and often slept through the nights without stirring out. Now and then -one of them caught a mouse or dug up a frozen root to nibble. Sometimes -they tore rotten logs apart to get at the torpid grubs within. The -biggest baby found a heap of nuts hidden away under a stone by a -thrifty chipmunk. - -In the beginning of the winter the little opossums were so fat that -they could live three or four weeks without eating or drinking. When -the cold winds blew, and the snow fell silently, they cuddled down in -their warm nests and slept the time away. But many a night they woke up -hungry. And every day their round furry bodies were a little thinner, -till at last spring melted the snow and ice everywhere. - -There was plenty to eat by that time, with all the green things -growing. The little creatures of the woods and ponds were waking to -new life. There were buds to nibble and beetles to catch. There was -many a nest of birds’ eggs, too, and broods of tender young field-mice -squeaking in the grass. There were frogs croaking in the marsh, and -berries were ripening in the fields. - -The twelve little opossums were grown up now, and knew how to take care -of themselves. Their mother had another family of babies in her furry -pocket. Sometimes she met her other children roaming beside the marsh -to catch frogs. One evening they saw, just as plain as anything, a -little pointed nose and two twinkling bright eyes peeping over the edge -of her pocket. - - - - -II - -THE MANATEE - -“THE ONE THAT EATS GRASS IN THE SEA” - - -[Illustration: THE MANATEE. - -“The old mother manatee held him close to her.” _Page 19._] - - - - -THE ONE THAT EATS GRASS IN THE SEA - - -DOWN among the lily-leaves, under the river, the baby manatee was being -rocked to sleep on his mother’s breast. He looked like a roly-poly -fish, with a puffy dog-face. He was covered all over from his broad -tail to his round head with thick and wrinkly gray skin. His tiny eyes -were shut, and his flippers were folded together as he slept. - -The old mother manatee held him close to her, bending her short -flippers, which were really her arms. The fingers at the ends of her -hands were so hidden under the skin that they looked as if covered with -mittens. She was balancing herself on the end of her tail, and swaying -gently to and fro in the water. - -The baby’s nap did not last very long. One of the annoying things about -being a manatee and living under water was the trouble in breathing. -Every two or three minutes the mother flapped her tail and rose to the -top of the river to breathe. That always woke the baby. He opened his -eyes, blinking in the bright sunlight. - -All around him the water sparkled and dimpled in the sunshine. Here -and there dragon-flies glittered as they skimmed over the ripples. -Butterflies were fluttering over the golden centres of the floating -lilies. Graceful reeds bordered the shore. The juicy grass, that -manatees love to eat, grew green, trailing underneath. Far up above it -all the summer sky was blue. - -The baby manatee did not seem to care for all these beautiful sights. -Very likely he could not see well above water, and he did not enjoy the -dry, warm feeling of the air. His sense of smell must have been too -dull to notice the fragrance of the lilies or the spicy scent from the -swamp. Creatures living under water do not use their noses much. - -But the little manatee could hear the least soft plop of a leaf falling -in the river. The sudden splash of a frog’s jump made him squirm and -twist in terror. He wriggled out of his mother’s hold, and sank down, -down, down, with the bubbles eddying over his roly-poly body. - -Of course he was not afraid, for he could swim as soon as he was born. -He paddled with his tail and flapped with his flippers as he went -swimming around over the clean white sand of the river-bottom. At first -he could not steer very well, and so he bumped into the stems of the -lily-plants and tangled his flippers among the roots of the reeds. - -Through the pale green of the water all around him he caught sight -of his father and big brother. They were creeping about on their -flippers and tails, while they munched the weeds and grasses. When they -stretched out their heads, toward a bite of something, each one grasped -the food between two horny pads in the front of his jaw, tore it free, -and then chewed it with his few grinding teeth in the back. Their faces -looked like monstrous caterpillars sucking and chewing. - -The baby champed his small jaws and sucked with his split upper lip as -he watched. The sight of them eating made him so hungry that he wanted -his mother to come and feed him with her milk. Manatees are mammals -that live in shallow water. Of all the animals in the sea and salt -rivers manatees are the only ones that eat only grass and weeds. All -other sea-mammals, and fishes, too, eat living creatures. - -Sometimes the baby manatee had great fun in rolling over and over on -the sand and pebbles at the bottom of the river. The old ones liked to -scratch and clean their wrinkled skins by plunging and scraping over -the gravel. It was easy enough for them to roll, because they were so -round and had no legs to get in the way. - -After the tumbling he followed the others as they went paddling to -the top of the river. There he twitched apart his lip-lobes and blew, -spouting up spray and water. Then, drawing in a long breath, he closed -the stoppers in his nostrils and floated down to the sandy bottom to -sleep or eat again. - -All summer the manatees lived there in the pleasant river. On misty -mornings sometimes they swam up to a mud flat, and crawled out to -take a nap in the soft warm slime. Out in the air they could sleep -and breathe at the same time, without waking up every few minutes. -When the baby was tired of staying still he slid down the slippery -bank—splash!—into the water. - -His splashing sent a snake wriggling away through the swamp. The crabs -on the sand below went scuttling wildly hither and thither to escape -the flapping of his tail. Fishes darted out-stream, and mussels closed -their shells to keep out the stirred-up gravel. The frogs sitting in -the mud turned their round eyes to look at the funny little fellow with -the wrinkled dark skin. - -Away he paddled to the bottom and tried to munch the water-grasses. -His few teeth were cutting through his gums by this time, and he was -hungry for something besides milk. The green leaves tasted so salty and -stringy that he did not like them at first. It was easier to suck warm, -rich milk, without needing to chew and chew till his jaws really ached. - -One night the manatees lay down on the clean sand, folded their -flippers under them, and closed their eyes. They fell fast asleep. Now -one and now another woke to swim to the top for a good long breath. -About mid-night the old mother suddenly felt a chill stealing through -the water. She shivered all over, and hurried to wake the others. She -knew that cold weather had come. If they did not take care they would -all catch cold and die. - -So away they started, as fast as they could paddle, down the river -to the sea. Then south along the shore they travelled to find warmer -waters. They kept so near land that they could hear the waves breaking -on the beach. The ocean washed to and fro in swinging billows over -their heads. When the baby lifted his head above the surface, bits of -foam blew in his eyes from the curling crests of the waves. - -Down below, where the old ones stopped to munch the seaweeds, he saw -wonderful things. There were starfish crawling along with their five -rays spread out. There were transparent jellyfishes, with long threads -streaming down from their quivering bodies. There were mussels in their -hinged shells lying on the bottom. There were sponges growing on the -rocks. There were trees of branching coral, each tiny coral animal -waving the fringe around its open mouth. - -Of course there were fishes—hundreds and hundreds of them—flashing -everywhere. Once a fat porpoise came rolling and tumbling through the -shallow water. He was a mammal, and belonged to the same group as the -whales. When he was a baby he fed on milk, just in the same way as the -little manatee and all other mammals. - -On and on travelled the manatees toward the warm south seas, now -swimming on swiftly, now stopping to munch the weeds. Sometimes they -stood on the tips of their tails and nodded their heads as if bowing. -Sometimes they folded their flippers under them to sleep, then woke to -breathe, and fall asleep again. - -After days and days they reached the southern river, where they were -to spend the winter. There they found another family of manatees with -a little one just the size of the baby. While the old ones munched the -weeds, or dozed on the mud islands, the two youngest slid down the -slippery banks and splashed and dived together. They took naps side by -side. Sometimes they tried to balance themselves on their tails, as the -old ones did. - -This southern river was different from that one at home. The plants -had broader leaves and larger flowers. The swamp was tangled and -shadowy even at noonday. Strange animals tramped through the -underbrush; monkeys swung on the branches, and brightly-colored birds -flew overhead. Hairy spiders crawled over the ground, and big snakes -wriggled into the water. - -When spring came, away the manatees swam on their way back to the -pleasant river, where the baby first opened his little eyes in the cool -green nursery among the lily-leaves. Of course he never knew that some -sailors once saw his mother rocking him to sleep at the top of the -water. They thought that she was a mermaid with a baby in her arms. - - - - -III - -THE WHALE - -“THE BIGGEST ONE” - - - - -THE BIGGEST ONE - - -HE was the very biggest baby in all the world. He looked like a -monstrous fish as he lay beside his mother in the middle of the bay. -But he was not a fish. He breathed with lungs instead of gills. On his -thick skin he had a few bristly hairs instead of scales such as fishes -have. The blood rushing through the great veins in his body was warm -instead of cold. And finally he was drinking milk in mighty gulps that -sent gallons and gallons down his baby throat at every swallow. He was -a whale, and belonged to the class of mammals. - -The big body of the mother whale looked like a dark rounded island as -she lay on her side almost out of water. She was the largest mother -animal that ever lived. When she opened her enormous jaws her mouth -seemed like a gloomy cave. Fastened along its floor was an immense -cushiony white tongue as big as a feather-bed. - -The baby whale himself was twice as long as an ox. His smooth skin -glistened like shiny leather when he heaved his back above the waves -for an instant. Once in a while he flapped his forked tail or wriggled -his front fins. Though his eyes were bigger than a cow’s they looked -very small while he lay, half asleep, rocking lazily to and fro in the -swell of the sea. - -The baby whale knew how to swim alone from the very first day. The -earliest thing he remembered was the water lapping over his eyes and -tickling in the tiny holes of his ears. On top of his head there were -two blow-holes, or nostrils, closed with valves, to keep the water from -trickling into his lungs. - -When he rose to the top of the sea, to fill his lungs with air, away -he swam, up and up, easily and lightly, through the pale-green water, -toward the sunlight twinkling on the surface above. The mother whale -swam beside him, almost touching him with her flippers. Her flippers -were really her arms. When he was tired she helped him by holding him -up. - -As soon as his head pushed above the waves he opened the valves in the -blow-holes and drew great breaths of sweet, fresh air deep down into -his lungs. How good it felt! Then arching his back, with a flourish of -his tail down he dived after his mother. They sank swiftly into the -cool depths, while the sea closed silently over their shining sides. - -The baby whale did not go down very far. The air in his lungs buoyed -him up. His bones were light and full of oil. Under his dark skin a -layer of fat, called blubber, kept him floating, almost as if he were -wearing a life-preserver wrapped around him. - -The new air in his lungs grew warm and damp. After a few minutes he -wanted to breathe again. So with a flap-flap-flap of his tail up he -paddled. Puff, piff! out through the blow-holes rushed the warm air -from his lungs. In the cold outside air it changed to spray, and went -spouting up like a fountain. Down it came showering, with silver drops -splashing and tinkling. - -That must have been fun. The baby could not stay under water so long -as his mother could. Often he left her swimming around over the rocky -bottom of the bay while he paddled up to get a fresh breath. Sometimes -he was in such a hurry that he blew out before reaching the top. Then -the water above him went spouting up, and sprinkling back noisily about -his glistening head. - -For days and days the baby whale lived there in the bay with his -mother. It was the whole world to him, for he had seen no other place. -Of course he did not know how it looked from above, with its blue, -sparkling water, and its tall cliffs casting long shadows over the -ripples at dawn. - -To him the bay was a delightful playground. Its oozy floor was covered -with rocks under the cool green water. Long fringes of seaweed floated -deep down under there. In dark caves sponges and sea-lilies grew, and -crabs scuttled backward into slimy crannies. There were big fishes and -little fishes darting to and fro. At times they hung motionless, with -glistening scales, their round eyes unwinking, their tails quivering -now and then. - -Every day, after the baby whale drank all the milk he wanted, he took -a nap, lying beside his mother on the surface of the bay. Every day he -grew a little bigger, and swam a little faster, and stayed below a -little longer without rising to breathe. - -When he was old enough to stop drinking milk he learned to eat the food -which his mother liked. He often watched her swimming around the bay, -with her great mouth hanging open. There were millions of the tiniest -kind of creatures living in the water. They flowed into her mouth at -the same time with the water. When she felt them tickling and wiggling -over her tongue she closed her jaw almost shut. A sieve of long elastic -strips of bone fell like a curtain from the roof of her mouth. Then the -water drained out between the strips of bone, leaving the tiny animals -inside to be swallowed. - -Instead of teeth the baby whale found such a fringe of whalebone strips -growing on the roof of his mouth. When it was long enough to use he -began to swim around with his jaw hanging down. Every day, in this way, -he caught and ate thousands of tiny shrimps and crabs and mussels. He -could not swallow any large fish because his throat was only a few -inches wide. - -He did not know that there are different whales in a different part of -the sea. These other whales have teeth instead of whalebone sieves. In -the tops of their heads they have great holes filled with sperm oil. -Their throats are wide enough to swallow a man. They are called sperm -whales, but the whales with whalebone strips in their mouths are called -true whales. - -When the baby stopped drinking milk the mother set out with him to -leave the bay, and find the father whale in the deep sea without. The -young whale could swim almost as fast as the old one now. He could stay -under water without breathing quite as long as she could. The warm -blanket of blubber under his skin had grown thicker. It kept him warm -and helped him to float. - -Perhaps he was afraid to leave the safe bay for the wide ocean. He -kept close beside his mother as they went rushing on, with their tails -slapping up and down and around. The tail sent each one ahead, just -as the screw of a steamer drives it forward. With their flippers they -steadied their round bodies so that they would not roll over and over -like logs. - -Out between the rocky cliffs, at the mouth of the inlet, they rushed -through the green water. After travelling some distance out to sea the -baby noticed that the water looked black below them, reaching down -and down and down. He could not see the oozy, shell-covered floor, as -in the bay. Above him the waves were larger, and swayed to and fro, -cresting in foam. The big fishes were darting hither and thither before -the great round, rushing bodies of the mother and the baby whale. - -Very likely the old whale had been lonesome in the bay. She swam on in -a hurry to find her mate and the rest of the herd. The baby followed -as hard as he could paddle. This was a wonderful new world to him. -Probably he wanted to stop and look around, especially when he rose to -breathe. Once he gave a mighty jump and shot out far above the waves. -He could not see well, except directly behind him. But while above -there in the air he twisted in a curving leap. Everywhere water, water, -water, stretching on and on and on. - -He could not see a single sign of any other whales being near. Yet -somehow or other the old mother knew that they were not far away. It -may be that she could hear through the water, as if telephone-wires -were spread under the waves. Sure enough! soon the baby heard the -splashing of heavy bodies turning over and over in slow rolling. When -he rose to breathe he caught sight of spouting fountains, where the -other whales were blowing in the sea. - -When the strangers came swimming toward him he hung back behind his -mother. They glided about him, now and then touching him with their -fins, noses, or tails. They twisted around so as to see him with their -dull little eyes. Then they went on with their eating and lazy rolling -on the surface of the sea. - -The baby and his mother belonged to the herd now. It was time for them -all to start north to colder waters, as summer was near. Food was -growing scarce in that part of the ocean. When the whales stayed too -long in one place barnacles and limpets fastened on the huge bodies, -and made them uncomfortable. One day the baby felt a tickling barnacle -on his throat. He scratched so hard against a jagged rock that he tore -a rent a foot long in the blubber. But it did not hurt much, and in a -few days it was healed. - -There were a number of other young whales in the herd. The biggest old -father whale took the lead while the rest followed, on and on, moving -through the sea all day long. Sometimes they stopped to swim around and -around with their mouths hanging open. The tiny crabs and other animals -flowed in upon the great satiny white tongues. Sometimes they all took -pleasant naps while floating on the surface. Once a sea-bird flew down -and pecked at a barnacle on the baby’s head. - -At night the herd lay still, sleeping beneath the stars. All around -them the ocean glimmered and twinkled. The ripples shone with fiery -light. Now and then one or another big whale blew out his warm breath -slowly and drowsily, his great sides heaving in a tremendous sigh. -Then, when the morning came, and the sky grew bright at the horizon, -they woke and plunged below for breakfast. They did not even look at -the beautiful colors in the sky. - -Nearly every day the young ones had a race. Off and away! their bodies -bending like bows, their broad tails churning the water into foaming -waves behind them. Many a time the baby dived down, down, down, till -the water looked black around him. Then, when he was almost smothering -under the heavy weight of the sea, he turned in a hurry, and went -rushing up with a bound and a puff. He shot out into the sunshine with -a mighty leap. What a tremendous splashing he made as he fell back on -his side, while all the other baby whales slapped the water with their -tails under the shower of spray! - -One morning he had a terrible fright. It happened that he lagged behind -the herd to catch one more mouthful of breakfast. When at last he was -ready to follow the rest he saw three strange animals hurrying after -him. They were almost as big as he was, and they had fierce little eyes -and sharp white teeth. He was so afraid that he swam as fast as he -could. - -[Illustration: THE WHALE. - -“The old mother whale came tearing back to the rescue.” _Page 39._] - -They were really a kind of small whale that eats the tongues of large -whales. They were called killers. All three raced after the baby. -One caught hold of his lip and tried to drag his mouth open. The -other two pulled and bit at the other side of the poor frightened -fellow. Just as they had his mouth almost open, and were snapping like -wolves at sight of his tongue, they heard the old mother whale come -tearing back to the rescue. - -Before they had time to dart away she dived head foremost. Raising her -great tail she swept it around and around, churning the water into -foam. One dreadful blow crushed a killer, and the others rushed away. -Seizing the trembling baby between her flippers and neck the mother -hurried on to catch up with the herd again. - -This was excitement enough for one day. Indeed, it was the greatest -adventure of the year, except for the narrow escape from the ice-floe. -This last adventure happened when the herd was just leaving the north -to swim south again. The baby whale was quite a big fellow by this -time. By some accident he found himself shut into a bay by a floating -mass of ice. - -The ice-floe covered the water and was driving closer and closer to -the shore. The young whale swam ahead of it till he was almost on the -beach. Still it kept pressing nearer and nearer. Again and again he -tried to swim under it, but he could not hold his breath long enough to -get through to the open sea. If he could not breathe he would drown, -just like any other mammal. - -Finally, just as the ice was rubbing against the big black sides, he -raised himself high in the air and threw his heavy body with a crash -down on the floe. Luckily, he happened to strike a thin place. The -immense cake of ice cracked and split. The whale gave a plunge and -broke his way through to safety. He was glad enough to find the herd -again and swim on with them toward the southern waters. - -So down along the shore the huge beasts went frolicking together. They -leaped out of the sea, turning summersaults and tumbling over and over. -They patted one another with such resounding smacks of their flippers -that the noise was like thunder. Now they darted ahead, leaving a wake -of dancing foam; now they dived, arching their backs, and flirting -their tails high in the air. And through the quiet nights they lay with -the waves lapping softly against them, with the starlight glistening -upon the great black bodies rolling in the swell. - - - - -IV - -THE ELK (WAPITI) - -“ONE OF THE FLEETEST” - - - - -ONE OF THE FLEETEST - - -IT was the most interesting thing! The big brother elk, who was just -a year old, peered in through the branches, his ears pointed forward. -His great soft eyes were shining, and his nostrils were quivering with -excitement. There, on a bed of leaves in the mountain-thicket, lay a -new little baby elk. - -He looked like the big brother, except for the white spots on his -satiny brown coat. With his slender legs doubled under him he lay -perfectly still, not even twitching his ears, as old deer to catch the -slightest sound. He was looking up at his big brown mother standing -beside him. - -The brother elk edged nearer and nearer, till a branch crackled under -his hoofs. Instantly the old mother raised her head and pricked her -ears in the direction of the sound. When she caught sight of the -brother she drew back her lips from her teeth and squealed angrily. Her -eyes gleamed. She began to walk toward him, squealing and shaking her -head to drive him away. He was so surprised that he snorted out loud. -Then backing off, first one foot and then the other, he hid among some -trees close by. - -He must have felt very lonesome as he waited there by himself on the -mountain. He listened to every rustle of a leaf or crackle of a twig in -the thicket where the baby was lying. Before this his mother had always -been kind to him. He did not know why she drove him away,—when he was -not doing any harm. The reason was because every little noise made her -nervous. She was afraid wolves or panthers might come prowling around -there, where the baby lay helpless on the leaves. - -After a few days the baby scrambled to his feet and went staggering -a bit unsteadily after his mother as she led the way out from the -thicket. The big brother came timidly up to them. He smelled the little -one very gently, nosing all over his soft dappled body. The mother did -not pay much attention, and the baby was not afraid. He stood quite -still, looking around with his shining eyes. - -It was a beautiful world in May. All around him there were groves of -aspens twinkling their silvery leaves in the early sunlight. Farther up -the mountain-side dark evergreens grew thick among the rocks. Down the -valley a brook splashed and gurgled over stones on its way to a lake -lying in the cool shadow of the pines. - -Very likely, although the baby elk could see well enough, he cared -more for the things which he could smell. There was such a delicious -fragrance everywhere of spicy evergreens and the damp sweet breath of -mosses and blossoming flowers. Of course he was too young to taste the -juicy grasses and tender twigs, but he surely enjoyed the tempting odor -of it all. The world smelled very good to eat. - -Like all little mammals he drank milk till his teeth cut through his -gums later in the year. Like the buffaloes the older elk had horny -pads instead of teeth in the front of their upper jaws. They tore off -a mouthful of grass or leaves with a jerk of the head and swallowed it -half chewed. Then, during the heat of the day, when they were lying -down to rest in the shade, or standing in pools of water, they drew up -the fodder from their stomachs and chewed it again. - -All summer long the little elk lived in the mountains with his mother -and brother. At night he slept nestled close to them in some safe -thicket. In the daytime he trotted beside them as they roamed grazing -over the upland meadows and along the brooks. Though they were fond of -feeding near the water they did not care so much as some other kinds of -deer to eat lily-leaves. - -In the early part of the summer the mother and brother looked very -ragged. Their thick winter coat began to fall out. It was so matted -that it clung to the body like a torn blanket. Every time they rubbed -against a bush or thorny tree their old hair was torn in long strips -and tatters. When at last it had all been rubbed off their fresh short, -summer fur shone out bright and glistening in the sunshine. - -Little by little the white spots on the baby’s coat were fading. By -the end of August he was all in plain brown like the older ones, with -only a patch of white around his tail. Probably he did not notice the -difference himself because he could not turn his head far enough to -see many of the spots on his sides and neck. - -[Illustration: THE ELK. - -“Grazing over the upland meadows.” _Page 48._] - -Indeed he was astonished enough one day, while still in the spotted -coat, to see another little spotted elk come timidly out of a thicket -of aspens. At first both babies stood still, with their ears pricked -forward and their big soft eyes wide open. Then the first one bravely -walked up to the other and smelled him all over. After that they were -friends and played together. They could both say ba-a-a, and drink -milk, and gallop over the grass, with their little hoofs kicking out -behind. - -The next day another mother elk with a baby and a big brother joined -the band. Then another family came, and another, till there were dozens -and dozens of them all together. Such scampering frolics as the little -ones enjoyed! While the old mothers were quietly grazing over the steep -slopes the babies raced from one rock to another. Each one tried to -push up first to the highest point, and then stand there, looking down -at the others. Once the roughest little fellow butted another off a -high rock and almost broke his leg. - -When a baby butted with his round little head it did not hurt much. But -the big brothers all had sharp antlers sprouting from their foreheads. -In the spring the knobs above their eyes had begun to swell and grow -out into bony spikes covered with a velvety network of skin and veins. -These antlers were different from the horns worn by the buffaloes. -Every buffalo had a pair of horns that lasted all his life. The mother -buffaloes had horns, but the mother elk did not have antlers. The -antlers were solid bone instead of hollow like the horns. Each of the -father elks and the big brothers had a new pair every spring to replace -the old pair that dropped off during the winter. - -By mid-summer the antlers stopped growing. Then the big brothers in the -band pounded and rubbed their antlers against bushes and young trees, -so as to strip off the velvety covering. When they had sham fights they -could butt hard enough to hurt. They bumped their heads together, and -pushed with all their might to see which was the strongest. - -Autumn was not far off now, and the band of mother elk and young ones -began to move down from the mountains to the foot-hills. In winter the -snow lay so deep in the high valleys that they could not walk far or -find enough to eat. Farther and farther down they wandered every day. -The babies were learning to eat grass like the older ones. - -One morning the smallest baby elk was picking his steps along the -edge of a cliff. He halted and raised his pretty head to look far up -the canyon before him. There, away off against the pine-woods on the -mountain-side, he caught sight of a spot of brown moving toward him. -Nearer and nearer it came, till he saw that it was an animal even -bigger than his mother. It was an old father elk coming down from his -summer retreat in the highest gorges. - -In all his short life the baby had never seen such a stately and -beautiful creature. His mother was not nearly so large as this elk, and -she wore no antlers at all. The big brother’s antlers were only short -spikes without any prongs. On strode the newcomer, leaping over fallen -trees and wading through the brooks to join the band. His long black -mane was waving on his neck; his nostrils were quivering; his great -eyes were flashing; his splendid antlers rose, branching high above his -graceful head. - -The fine stranger stalked among the others and smelled them, in their -way of getting acquainted. Then he began to feed with them all. The -mother elk and little ones followed meekly when he started to lead the -band down the mountain. He did not pay much attention to the babies. -Sometimes he pushed them out of his way, or drove them hither and -thither, as he pleased. He was a selfish old fellow and never thought -of taking care of the others. Whenever he found a delicious tuft of -juicy grass he hurried to munch it all by himself. - -As the frosty days passed by another father elk appeared, and then -another and another. Each one wanted to be leader of the band. Many a -snowy night the baby elk huddled close to his mother as he listened to -the noise of the old father elk roaming through the woods. He could -hear them snuffing the frosty air. They beat the bushes with their -antlers and stamped on the crackling branches underfoot. The snow lay -thick on their bristling manes. Now here in the valley, now there high -on the ridge, the sound of their whistling came pealing down through -the still white woods in the moonlight. - -Often and often the baby trembled as he heard the shrill squealing of -two old elk fighting together. Each one was trying to drive the other -away from the band. They rushed together with a crash, and pushed and -strained, with their antlers locked tight. Though the prongs could not -cut through the tough skin of their shoulders, still the weaker one -always had to give way and run. The other chased him off and then came -back, whistling and barking in triumph, to be leader of the band. - -In a few weeks the old elk became tired of fighting. The band settled -down to spend a peaceful winter together. Their fur grew long and -thick to keep out the cold. On they travelled mile after mile. They -were looking for a sheltered spot to be their home during the coldest -weather. - -The old elk walked so fast that the babies had to gallop to keep from -being left behind. Up hills and down gorges they went crashing through -thickets and over the rocks. They climbed steep cliffs and went leaping -down narrow trails. Even the little ones were sure-footed. They never -stumbled or slipped as they bounded over the dead logs and tangled -vines between the trees. - -At last they found a wooded spot where the hills sheltered them from -the bitterest winds. There was grass on the ground. There were plenty -of young trees with twigs and buds and bark for them to eat. A swift -little brook ran over the rocks not far away. - -Here in this place the band of elk spent the winter. When the snow fell -deeper they trod it into narrow paths by walking from tree to tree to -feed. These paths led to and fro, criss-crossing, and around in uneven -curves all through the yard, as it may be called. With every storm the -snow beside the paths piled higher and higher, till the baby could not -see over the edges, even when he stretched up his neck. - -It must have been a dreary winter for the little fellow. Night after -night he huddled beside his mother to keep warm. Sometimes the stars -sparkled above the white earth, and sometimes the wind sifted the icy -flakes over their brown bodies. Day after day of cold and storm he -walked along the paths from tree to tree. Here he could reach a bunch -of dead leaves, there a cluster of twig-ends, or a mouthful of bark. - -The older elk were so much taller than he was that they could reach -the higher branches by standing on their hind-legs and stretching out -their necks. Often he went hungry, for the fodder near the paths was -all eaten before spring. The snow was so deep outside the yard that he -could not touch solid ground with his feet. Sometimes he pawed through -the icy crust, and dug away the snow from over the grass. - -Once a pack of wolves came prowling near and tried to drive the elk out -into the deep snow. Though the elk, like all deer, are the fleetest of -mammals, the wolves could run better over the snow, for their broad -paws did not sink in so far as the elk’s slender hoofs. Instead of -running away all the mother elk rushed squealing after the wolves and -tried to stamp them to death. The mother elk were always very brave in -taking care of their little ones. The cowardly old fathers were afraid -to fight anything, now that they had lost their sharp antlers. - -Spring came at last, and the snow melted from the hill-tops and then -from the valleys. The first tender grass began to sprout in the -meadows. The elk left their winter home and scattered over the plains -in search of food. The sun shone and the soft winds blew. - -The baby elk followed his mother, when she left the others, and started -up toward the mountains. He wandered after her, grazing as he went, -till he lost her in a mountain thicket. While he was looking for her he -heard a rustling of twigs. He peered through the branches, and there he -saw a new little baby elk lying on a bed of leaves. The old mother was -standing over him, and licking his satiny spotted coat with her long -red tongue. - - - - -V - -THE BEAVER - -“THE BEST BUILDER” - - - - -THE BEST BUILDER - - -OUT in the woods rain was pouring down steadily from the black sky. It -beat against the leaves and trickled over the trunks of the trees and -spattered into the pond. Now and then a flash of lightning glimmered -over the water and twinkled in through the hole at the top of the -little round house where the beavers lived. - -From the outside this house looked like a heap of old brush-wood on a -tiny island in the middle of the pond. But inside of it there was a -little room, like a cave, with a smooth floor and an arched roof. Along -the sides of this room there were five beds of leaves and grass. On one -of these beds lay three baby beavers fast asleep in the dark. - -The other beds were all empty. The big one at the end belonged to the -father beaver. Before the babies were born in May he had gone away for -the summer. He had started off with all the other old fathers in the -beaver village to have a good time in the woods up the brook. They -played and feasted on roots and plants, while the mother beavers stayed -home to take care of the babies. - -The other three beds belonged to the mother and to her two older -children. On this rainy summer night they had gone out to eat their -supper under the trees by the pond. - -Suddenly the three baby beavers opened their eyes with a start, and -rolled off their bed. They had been awakened by the sound of a loud -whack on the water outside. It was a noise made by the mother’s flat -tail as she dived down toward the door of her house. Her front hall was -a tunnel that led from the bottom of the pond to the floor of the dark -little room. Through this she went swimming, while the waves bubbled -and splashed around her. - -When the babies saw her round head poke up through the door in the -floor they squeaked and ran to meet her. She was carrying a bundle of -small sticks between her chin and her fore-paw. Each little beaver sat -up on his hind-legs, with his tail propping him steady from behind. -Then he took one of the sticks in his hands and began to nibble the -bark with his new yellow teeth. - -They were wonderful teeth. After the babies were too old to live on -milk, four curved teeth grew out in the front of each little mouth. Two -were in the upper jaw and two in the lower jaw. It was the strangest -thing! The more these teeth gnawed the sharper they became. The inner -side of each tooth was softer than the outer side. In biting together, -the inner edge wore down faster, and left the outer edge as sharp as a -knife. - -The beaver belongs to the _Order of Gnawers_. Squirrels and rabbits -and rats and many other mammals belong to this order. They all have -these chisel-shaped front teeth, which keep on growing all their lives -long. If any one of them is too lazy to gnaw every day his teeth grow -so long that he cannot bite anything at all. Beavers are the largest of -the gnawing animals, except the water-hog of South America. They have -stronger teeth than any of the others. - -Not long after this stormy night the mother beaver decided to take the -three babies out with her into the woods. She chose another rainy -evening because then their enemies were not likely to be wandering -under the dripping trees. Bears and foxes and wild-cats hate to get -wet, but beavers enjoy feeling the cool water trickle over their fur -and splash on their tails. - -Except for their broad, flat tails, the three little beavers looked -like rats covered with silky brown fur. The mother seemed like a giant -rat, about three feet long from her round nose to the root of her tail. -Instead of fur her tail was covered with thick skin. This skin was so -creased and dented that it looked like scales. - -What an exciting evening it was for the babies! One behind the other -they trotted down the dark tunnel after their mother. At first the -floor was dry and hard. After a few steps their feet touched something -wet. Soft mud oozed between the fingers on their fore-paws. Their -hind-feet were webbed up to the toe-nails, and so did not sink in so -deep as their fore-paws. Beavers are the only mammals which have webs -on one pair of feet, and not on the other pair. They are half land -animals and half water animals. - -This was not the first time that the three little beavers had ventured -into the tunnel. More than once before they had crept down as far as -the water and waded about at the edge. But now they kept right on, -splashing in farther and farther. The water grew deeper and deeper. -In the dark they felt it wash up to their knees, and then up to their -chins, and finally away over their backs and their heads to the roof of -the tunnel. - -Away went the three babies swimming after the old mother. They held -their breaths, and shut their ears tight. Their small fore-paws hung -down by their sides. They paddled with their webbed hind-feet, and used -their broad tails as rudders, to send them now this way, now that. - -It seemed the longest time to the last little beaver before his head -popped up into the fresh air above the pond. He blinked his light-brown -eyes, and winked away the drops on his eyelashes. Now and then a flash -of lightning glimmered on the trees around the pond. Of course he did -not know yet that his food came from those tall, shadowy things at the -edge of the water. - -Half-way to the shore a round, dark spot was ploughing through the -water, with two ripples spreading out behind it. It was the head of the -mother beaver. Behind her followed another head, and then another. The -last little beaver swung his tail around and started after them. He -puffed and sputtered when a wave washed over his nose. But he did not -mind that at all, because this cool water was much pleasanter than the -stale air in the warm room at home. - -There, under a bush on the bank, he saw his older brother and sister -sitting on their tails, while they nibbled the bark from some sticks -beside them. When the baby reached his hand toward the pile they -grunted and sniffed at him. Just then a flash of lightning gleamed on -their long, yellow teeth, and frightened the little fellow so much that -he scampered after his mother and the two other babies. - -They followed a path into the woods. The father beavers in the village -had made it by cutting down trees and bushes and dragging them out of -the way. It was a straight path, and more than wide enough for the -fattest old beaver. But the last baby was so much afraid of being -left behind that he ran without looking on the ground. He stumbled over -two low stumps, and bumped into a trunk at one side, before he caught -up to the others. - -[Illustration: THE BEAVER. - -“Across the pond to feast in the woods.” _Page 65._] - -He saw the mother beaver standing on her hind-legs under a tree. She -reached up as high as she could with her mouth and gnawed off a branch. -When it fell crackling and rustling she called the three babies to come -and learn how to cut their own sticks to eat. She showed them how to -set their teeth against the bark, and tear off a chip with a jerk of -the head. Another chip and another was gnawed out till the branch was -cut in two. The mother could bite through a small stick with one snip -of her jaws. - -After that, every night all summer long, the three babies followed -their mother out through the tunnel and across the pond to feast in the -woods. They ate tender grasses and roots as well as bark. Sometimes -they went out before dark to romp and play tag in the pond. The biggest -little beaver thought that it was the greatest fun to push the others -off floating logs. He chased them round and round, splashing water in -their faces and making them duck their heads. They enjoyed the fun as -much as he did, especially after they all scrambled upon the bank to -rest. - -On land, the biggest baby was too fat and clumsy to move as fast as the -other two. They danced about on their hind-legs, and pretended to step -on his tail or pull his fur. It was beautiful fur, so fine and thick -and soft that water could not soak through to the skin. The babies did -not have a coat of coarse outer hair like the old beavers. When tired -of play they sat up and scratched their heads and shoulders with the -claws on their hairy fore-paws. Then, after combing their sides with -their hind-feet, they curled down in the grass for a nap. - -There were plenty of other little low houses in the pond, and in each -one lived a family of beavers. The three babies made friends with all -the other babies. Together they explored every corner of the pond, from -the brook at the upper end to the dam at the lower end. - -Very likely the little fellows believed that the dam had always been -there. But in fact the old beavers had built it themselves. When they -first came to that spot in the woods they found only a brook flowing -over a hard, gravelly bottom. They first cut down a bush and floated it -along till it stuck fast between a rock and a clump of trees. Next they -cut other bushes, and carried down poles and branches, till they had a -tangle of brush stretching from one bank to the other. Upon this they -piled sticks and stones and mud, and then more sticks and stones and -mud, and then still more sticks and stones and mud. - -At last the dam was so high and solid that the water could not flow -through. So it spread out in a pond above the dam till it was deep -enough to trickle over the top and tinkle away in a little brook under -the trees. - -Tiny islands were left here and there in the pond. The old beavers -built their houses on the islands or on the bank. First each mother and -father dug two tunnels from the bottom of the pond up through the earth -to the floor of their house. One tunnel was to be used when going in -and out during the summer. The other tunnel led to their winter pantry -under the water. This pantry was to be a pile of fresh sticks cut in -the woods every autumn. - -Around the two holes in the floor the beavers laid logs and stones in -a circle. Upon this foundation they piled sticks and sod to form walls -and a roof. Then they plastered the house all over with mud. At the -top of the roof they left a small hole, covered only with a tangle of -sticks. This was for fresh air. Last of all they swam inside and made -the walls even by gnawing off the sharp ends of the wood. Then the -house was ready to be furnished with beds of leaves and grasses. - -Perhaps during the happy summer the babies believed that play was the -most delightful thing in the world. But soon the father beavers came -strolling back to the village to cut down trees for the winter. Then -the little fellows found that work was even better fun than play. - -One night the three babies followed their parents into the woods and -watched them cut down a tree. The father stood up on his hind-legs, -propping himself with his tail, and began to cut a notch around the -trunk. The mother helped on the other side. They gnawed upward and -downward, digging out huge chips with their chisel teeth. The circle -grew deeper and deeper, till the father’s head was almost hidden -whenever he thrust it in to take a fresh bite. - -When finally the wood cracked and the tree-top began to sway all the -family scampered away to the pond. They dived for the tunnel and hid in -the house for a while. There was danger that some hungry wild-cat had -heard the crash of the branches and had hurried there to catch them for -its supper. - -As soon as it seemed safe to do so the beavers paddled out again and -trotted away to the fallen tree. The parents trimmed off the branches -and cut the trunk into pieces short enough to carry. The father seized -a thick pole in his teeth and swung it over his shoulders. As he -dragged it toward the pond he kept his head twisted to one side, so -that the end of the pole trailed on the ground. - -The biggest little beaver tried to drag a smaller branch in the same -way. When he rose on his hind-legs, so as to walk along more easily, -he forgot to brace himself with his tail. The branch caught on a stone -and tipped him backwards, heels over head. The two other babies were -rolling a short log by pushing it with their noses. At the sound of -their brother’s surprised squeals they gave the log a last wild poke. -It seemed to make a jump over a bump, and then tumbled into a hole. -There it stayed, though they pushed and pulled and puffed and grunted -in trying to get it out again. - -It happened that the father beaver reached the pond just in time to -help mend the dam with his thick pole. A pointed log had jammed a hole -in the dam. The water was beginning to pour through the hole with a -rush. If the pond should run dry the doors of the tunnels would be left -in plain sight. Then probably a wolf, or some other enemy, would hide -there to catch the beavers on their way from the woods to their houses. - -The old father pushed his pole into the water; then he jumped in, and, -taking hold of it with his teeth, he swam out above the hole. When he -let go the water carried the pole squarely across the break in the dam. -The other beavers cut bushes and floated them down to weave across the -hole. After that they scooped up mud and stones to plaster the dam -till not a drop trickled through the mended places. - -The next work to be done that autumn was to gather food for the winter. -Some of the trees with the juiciest bark grew too far away to be -easily dragged to the pond. All the grown-up beavers set to work to -dig a canal. They dug and scooped and gnawed off roots, and dragged -out stones, till they had made a long canal more than a foot deep. The -water flowed into this from the pond. Then it was easy enough to float -wood from the juicy trees down to the beaver village. - -Even the babies could help in towing the wood down the canal and across -the pond to the different houses. Some of the wood became so heavy -with soaked-up water that it sank to the bottom beside the doors, and -could be packed in a solid pile as easily as on land. Most of the wood, -however, kept light enough to float. Instead of heaping new sticks on -top, the beavers pushed them under the top branches. Then more was -pressed under that, and more under that, till the pile reached to the -bottom. In the winter, of course, the top sticks could not be eaten, -because they would be frozen fast in the ice. - -The autumn days were growing frostier and frostier. After mending the -dam and gathering their woodpiles, the beavers plastered a last coat of -mud all over the outside of their houses. The mud froze hard and made -the little rooms inside as safe as a fort, with walls two feet thick. -The babies carried leaves and grasses for their fresh beds. With a -bundle tucked between his chin and fore-paw, each one hobbled along on -three legs, “working like a beaver,” as the saying is. - -One cloudy night, when the beavers were busy out in the woods, -something soft and cold began to float down through the chilly air. -The biggest baby felt a sting on his nose. When he put out his tongue -to lick it he touched only a speck of water. Bits of white sifted -on his fur and melted in drops. Presently the ground began to look -lighter colored. Something fluttered about his head and settled on his -eyelashes. He winked and sneezed and squeaked to the other babies. They -had never seen a snowstorm before. - -When they jumped into the pond to paddle home something sharp and -brittle cracked and snapped in the icy black water. One of the little -fellows caught a bit in his mouth. It smarted on his tongue and then it -was gone. It was the first time that he had ever tasted ice. - -The next night, when the beavers swam to the top of the pond, they -bumped their heads against something hard. It cracked all around them. -They pushed on, with the water lapping at the jagged edges. After they -reached the shore they found it very tiresome to wade through the snow. -Before the night was quarter past the old father hurried back to the -pond. He was afraid that the ice might freeze too thick for them to -break their way home again. He arched his back and slapped his tail on -the water with an echoing whack to call the babies after him. - -All winter long the beavers lived quietly in their little homes under -the snow. Most of the time they slept, each on his own soft bed in the -dark. Whenever they were hungry they paddled down the tunnel which -led to the woodpile. Gnawing off some sticks they swam back with the -bundles under their chins. They used the middle of the room for a -dining-table. There they nibbled the bark. Then they carried the peeled -sticks back into the pond. They did not like to have rubbish left on -the floor. - -Sometimes the babies grew restless and tired of staying still in the -room. They swam out into the pond and moved about under the ice. They -hunted for roots of the yellow water-lily. It must have been hard to -hold their breaths long enough to dig up the roots and paddle away back -into the house. Once the biggest baby almost had a fight with one of -his playmates over a juicy root. They pulled at it so roughly that it -was torn to pieces. - -So the winter months slipped away. At last spring melted the ice on the -pond. Here and there in the black water little brown heads came popping -up. They went plowing toward shore, leaving v-shaped ripples stretching -out behind. Up the banks scrambled the beavers,—mother beavers and -father beavers, big brother beavers and big sister beavers, and all the -little beavers who had been babies the year before. - -Away roamed the fathers up the brook, to have a good time travelling -all summer long. The grown-up brothers and sisters started out to build -dams and houses of their own. The little fellows wandered into the -woods to find their dinners of tender buds and twigs. The mothers ate -the bark from fresh sticks, and then hurried back to carry milk to the -new baby beavers, asleep on their soft beds at home. - - - - -VI - -THE RABBIT (HARE) - -“THE TIMID ONE” - - - - -THE TIMID ONE - - -THE nest was a small hole scooped out of the turf and lined with bits -of fur from the mother bunny’s breast. The five baby bunnies lay packed -close together. Their long ears were pressed flat on their furry backs, -and their hind-legs were doubled up under their round, little soft -bodies. - -Over them rested a blanket of dry grass and fur matted together. The -sunlight outside shone through tiny holes here and there. Once the -bravest bunny poked up the cover and tried to look out. All he could -see was a little roof of green grasses interlacing above the nest. The -grasses rustled in the summer breeze. - -During the day the babies cuddled down fast asleep. Sometimes a red ant -wandered into the nest. It clambered down from wisp to wisp of dead -grass and scurried across the bunnies’ faces. That tickled so that they -screwed up their pink noses and opened their round bright eyes for a -drowsy minute. Once a big spider crawled upon the edge and stared at -them with all its eyes, till the bravest bunny scared it away with a -flap of his ears. Another time a bird flew down to the nest and pecked -at the blanket till its bill stuck through and almost pricked one of -the babies. - -Toward evening the bunnies began to wake up for the night. They -squirmed about, curling their toes, stretching their long legs, and -cocking their ears to listen for the mother bunny’s step. At last they -heard the soft thump-thump-thump of her furry paws as she came leaping -over the grass from the bushes where she had been dozing. How joyfully -the babies wriggled at sight of her! As soon as she had lifted the -blanket and crept underneath they snuggled close to her. They were -hungry for the warm milk which she had always ready for them to drink. - -As the days passed the little bunnies began to grow too big for the -nest. Their hind-legs felt stronger and stronger for jumping. Indeed, -the bravest bunny had a naughty way of kicking his brothers and -sisters. He set his heels against their soft sides and pushed in hard -jerks, for the fun of making them squirm and squeal. Sometimes they -kicked back, but not very often, because they were afraid to make much -noise. - -Their mother taught them to be as still as they could while she was -absent. The only way for such helpless little creatures to escape being -eaten by their many enemies was to keep out of sight. Snakes would not -notice them if they stayed quiet in the nest. Hungry hawks and owls -could not find out where they were hidden if they did not move. The bit -of a blanket looked like a patch of dead grass. Foxes and wild-cats and -the rest could not smell them so long as they lay still. - -They were timid little things, and their ears seemed to be always -twitching to catch the least sounds. On some warm afternoons they -woke up early, and waited for the mother to bring their supper of -milk. Outside they heard the plop of grasshoppers jumping from stem -to stalk. The flutter of butterflies and the buzzing of bees over the -clover-blossoms sounded loud enough. The shrill whirring of a locust -made them tremble and quake. Perhaps they were afraid that it was -something coming to eat them up. - -When the bunnies were strong enough to leave the nest they went to -live in the brush with their mother. Away they all galloped over the -grass. Their long ears flapped up and down, and the furry soles of -their hind-legs twinkled behind them. They did not stop to look around -till they were safe in the shelter of the bushes. Then every one of -them turned, and sat up on his haunches with his little fore-paws in -the air. With their ears pointed forward, and their round eyes shining, -they looked back at the grassy spot where they had lived in the hidden -cosy nest. - -At that very minute, when they were all so excited and happy, the old -mother caught sight of a fox stealing after them. At a sign from her -the little bunnies sat as still as if they were made of stone. They -were almost the same color as the sticks and dry leaves around them. -Nobody would notice them unless they should move. - -But that sly old fox was not looking for them with his eyes; he was -following their tracks, with his nose close to the ground. He smelled -his way nearer and nearer. The trembling babies could see the sharp -white teeth between his lips. His narrow eyes gleamed hungrily. -Finally he crept so near that he could smell them in the air. They saw -him lift his head and snuff in their direction, one of his fore-paws -raised for the next step. - -Suddenly the mother bunny sprang out before his face and darted off -helter-skelter into the woods. She wanted to lead the fox away from -her little ones. Away she dashed under the bushes and over the logs, -up slopes and down gullies, dodging now this way now that. Once he was -so close that he opened his jaws to seize her. At that she turned like -a flash, and ran right between his legs. Then into a swamp she went -bounding in great leaps. There the fox lost sight of her, and could -not find her scent in the water. She left him nosing hungrily back and -forth, while she hurried back to her babies. They were sitting as still -as stones just where she had told them to stay. - -Almost the first thing the mother bunny did, after gathering her family -in the woods, was to find different holes for hiding-places. One hole -was in a hollow stump, and another was in an old woodchuck-burrow. She -told the little ones that they must not go near the holes, except when -they could not escape in any other way. If they went often they would -make a path, and then their enemies could find out their hiding-places. - -It was pleasant there in the underbrush of the woods. They felt almost -safe with briers above them to keep away their hungry enemies. The -smell of the mossy earth was warm and sweet. The buds and leaves and -bark were spicy and fragrant. The bunnies sniffed hither and thither, -twitching their noses and jerking their ears. - -When they stopped living on milk they learned to feed on grasses and -juicy roots and twigs. The old mother showed them what was good to eat. -Like the beavers and squirrels the bunnies belonged to the _Order of -Gnawers_. Each one had four little nibbling teeth in the front of his -mouth, and grinding teeth in the back. They did not have such strong -teeth as the beavers, who could cut down trees, or the squirrels, who -gnawed hard nuts. - -[Illustration: THE RABBIT. - -“It was pleasant there in the underbrush of the woods.” _Page 84._] - -Though the bunnies could not fight well, because they had no sharp -claws and teeth, they could jump higher and farther and faster than -any of their cousins. They soon found out that the best way to escape -when chased by their enemies was to trust in the nimbleness of their -legs. - -Of course when they saw any hungry animal looking for something to -eat it was best for them to lie perfectly still so as to avoid being -seen. But if the animal caught sight of them they must run and dodge -and double and hide for their lives. It was generally wiser to keep on -running till the other lost the scent rather than to creep into a hole. -If the hungry hunter happened to be a mink or a weasel he could crawl -in after them and kill them. - -The bunnies did not try to dig their own holes. They were really hares, -though they were so much like rabbits, who were true burrowers. Once in -the woods the bravest bunny saw a true rabbit. This rabbit had a family -of little ones in a deep burrow. They had been born blind and naked, -but the little hares had been born with their eyes open and fur on -their bodies. True rabbits were brought to America from across the sea. - -In spite of their dangerous adventures the bunnies enjoyed the long -summer. Every morning at earliest dawn up they hopped from the forms. -The spot of flattened grass where each furry body had been resting was -called a “form.” Away to the clover-field they went leaping, one by -one. There they drank the dewdrops, and ate a breakfast of sweet green -leaves. They took a nibble here and a nibble there. Then they sat up -on their haunches and looked around to spy out a possible enemy. Their -round eyes twinkled this way and that, and their long ears twitched -nervously at every sound. - -The twittering of the birds did not frighten them. They seemed to know -that there was no danger-signal in the rustling of leaves on the trees, -or the splashing of frogs in the pond. Even the crackle of twigs under -the footsteps of a deer did not send them running. They must have known -that grass-eating animals would not harm them. - -But the stealthy wriggling of a snake in the grass sent them scurrying -wildly into the thickest underbrush. When they heard a stick crack -under the trees they seemed to know at once what kind of animal was -creeping near. At the soft tread of a fox or a wild-cat they sat as -still as stones, unless they knew that they had been seen. If that -happened they bounded away in a race for life. - -When the sunshine fell bright on some sandy hillside the bunnies went -there, and stretched out like kittens in the pleasant warmth. They -squirmed and blinked and turned slowly over and over. They lay on -their backs and waved their paws in the air. They had five toes on -each fore-paw and four on each hind-paw. Even then, while twisting and -stretching in enjoyment, they were on the alert. At the sound of a caw -from a neighboring tree, or at the sight of a hawk hovering far above, -they all leapt to their feet, and scampered out of sight in a twinkling. - -Then for hours they sat on their forms in the shade of the bushes -and dozed, half asleep, but ready to bound away at the first hint of -danger. The scream of a blue jay startled every bunny wide awake in -an instant. The jays always saw everything in the woods. The bunnies -waited, without stirring, till they could find out what the trouble -was. Sometimes it was a dog hunting for rabbits; sometimes it was -a snake coiled in the sun, or a baby fox playing with his own tail; -sometimes it was only a red squirrel chattering and scolding at the -blue jay. - -On warm afternoons the winged ticks hovered about, biting the bunnies -on the tips of their ears and sensitive noses. Then the bunnies hid -under skunk cabbages in the marshy spots. The bad smell kept the ticks -away. It was cool and pleasant there. The five babies lay still, -listening to the soft whirring and drowsy buzzing of insects, in the -hot sunshine beyond the marsh. - -After the sun went down the bunnies scattered to find their supper of -tender twigs or grasses or roots. Always, while they nibbled, they kept -twitching their ears forward and back. Every minute or two each one -paused to sit erect, and roll his bright eyes in all directions. All -the time his little jaws were working busily. Then perhaps they dressed -their fur coats, combing their ears with their paws, and biting the -burrs from their vests and socks. - -Off with a hop, skip, and jump for a frolic in an open space in the -woods! What a gay time the five little bunnies had there with their -friends! They went leaping, one after another. Some tore through the -ferns and hopped over the logs, with their long ears flapping. They -sprang straight up into the air, kicking out their hind-legs. They -jumped over each other, and scurried wildly round and round. One -whirled about like a kitten, chasing his own short tail. The bravest -bunny danced on his hind-legs all alone in the moonlight. - -When summer was over the cool days of autumn found the bunnies friskier -than ever. They had half a dozen smaller brothers and sisters by this -time, because the old mother had two or three nestfuls of little -ones in a year. There was plenty for everybody to eat in the woods -and fields. The little creatures feasted on roots and apples and -soft-shelled nuts till they grew round and sleek. The bravest bunny -became so fat and lazy that he hated to run. Whenever he was being -chased by any enemy he slipped into the first hole he saw. He would -certainly have been caught one day if the weasel behind him had not -happened to have a lame foot from his last fight. When he stopped to -untangle it from a strawberry-vine the bunny had time to escape. - -Winter was hard on the bunny family. They could not run so fast through -the soft snow as on the firm ground. Their enemies could see their -footprints, and follow more easily. Often and often, when a little -fellow had gone out to nibble twigs and buds, he heard something move -behind him. And there, not far away, he saw a fox ready to spring on -him. - -The bravest bunny slept under a rotten log. He always slept with his -legs doubled under him, fixed for a great jump away, in case any hungry -animal came nosing around. He did not mind the cold, for his fur was -fine and thick and warm. Even inside his mouth the soft fur grew, as -well as on the soles of his feet. - -When spring came the bunnies were more glad than any of the other small -creatures in the woods. It was a joy to feel the warm breezes blow -their fur. They did not care so much for the warmth as for the tender -buds which it opened on the trees. Green leaves came peeping out of -the ground, and flowers blossomed in sheltered nooks. - -Birds were singing, and frogs began their croaking in the meadows. The -woods were busy with the hurry-skurry of little feet. Now once more -there was plenty for everybody to eat. The bunnies were glad because of -that. But perhaps they were even more glad, because now their hungry -enemies could hunt many other animals besides the timid bunnies. - - - - -VII - -THE SQUIRREL - -“THE ONE WITH THE PRETTIEST TAIL” - - - - -THE ONE WITH THE PRETTIEST TAIL - - -THE four baby squirrels were tired of staying in their soft nest in the -hollow tree. They wanted to find out what was going on in the world -outside. As they cuddled together in the shadowy hole they could hear -the queerest sounds. They cocked their heads curiously at the rustling -and whispering of the wind among the leaves. They heard chirping and -singing and a silvery tinkle, tinkle from the brook. Once a bee flew -buzzing right over their heads, and made them clutch one another in -terror. - -One morning, when the old mother squirrel was away hunting for birds’ -eggs to eat, the smallest baby crept to the mouth of the hole and -peeped out with his round bright eyes. All around and above him there -were wonderful green things flickering and fluttering. Twinkles of -sunlight danced through the leaves and dazzled him. Something soft and -cool blew back the new bristles on his lips and ruffled his satiny red -fur. He was so much interested that he sat there, staring and staring, -till the other little ones began to squeak and scold him for shutting -out the light. - -After he crept down again to the nest the others climbed up, one by -one, and looked out. They winked and blinked at each wonderful sight; -they sniffed the strange odors, and twitched their eager little heads -at every new sound. The scream of a blue jay in the tree-top above sent -them scampering inside again, to cuddle close together in the darkest -corner. It was fun to see something new and exciting, even if it did -make them shiver all over. - -Soon the mother squirrel came springing from branch to branch to reach -the hollow. How the babies squeaked and chattered in welcome! Very -likely they told her about the wonderful sights and sounds and smells -in the strange world outside the hole. The smallest one clasped his -fore-paws around her neck, and coaxed her to let them all go out to -find more interesting things. It was stupid there in the dark nest, -with nothing to watch except the patch of light across the opening -above them. - -The old squirrel knew that the little ones were not strong enough yet -to leave the nest. To be sure, they had grown and changed very much -since the first days. Then they had been ugly little creatures, like -tiny pug-dogs, with big heads, no fur, and their eyes tight shut. Now -they were half as big as she was herself. Their eyes were like jewels, -and their red fur was smooth as satin. - -But their tails, with only fringes of hair along the sides, were not -nearly so fluffy as the mother’s. Her tail was long and plumy. It -curved so gracefully over her back that she seemed to be sitting in its -shadow. One name of the squirrel is “shadow-tail.” - -For a few weeks longer the four babies scrambled about the doorway and -looked longingly out at the wonderful green tree-world. They did not -dare to step out upon the slender branches, for fear of falling off. It -made them feel dizzy to look away down to the ground below. They did -not know how to cling to the limbs with their feet while they balanced -themselves with their tails. - -When the young squirrels were almost strong enough to learn to run and -climb in the tree, the mother began to build an airier home higher up -the trunk. The old nest was growing too warm for comfort, as summer -brought the long sunny hours. The squirrel father was not there to -help his mate. She had driven him away before the babies came. She -thought the tree belonged to her, and that she needed all the room in -the hollow for her little ones. She chased him off to live in the woods -with all the other squirrel fathers till the babies were big enough to -take care of themselves. - -The mother squirrel worked on the new nest in the early morning. She -bit off leafy twigs and carried them to the top of the tree. There, -where two branches forked, she packed the sticks and leaves together -in a loose ball. Then she pushed a doorway through, at one side or -another, just as she happened to be standing. This was not such a neat -home as one in the next tree. That other mother squirrel built her new -nest of strips of bark tied together with ribbons of soft fibre. Over -the doorway she hung a curtain of bark, and lifted it up carefully -whenever she went inside. - -At last the new home was ready. The old mother hurried down to the -hollow and called the babies to come out and follow her. They stepped -out, one after another, just as carefully as they could. The smallest -baby came last. He dug his claws into the bark and hung on. The branch -seemed so narrow that he trembled from fear of falling. The tree swayed -in the wind. The branch bounced up and down, and a leaf blew in his -face. The poor little fellow shut his eyes, because everything seemed -to be whirling round and round. - -When he opened his eyes again he saw the three other little ones -climbing up the trunk above him. They clutched the bark with their -claws and moved forward, one paw at a time. The mother was running on -ahead of them. Every few steps she turned around to coax them on faster. - -Finally they reached a narrow branch which led over to the new nest. -They crawled out on it, lifting one foot and then setting it down -before lifting another. The farther they crept the narrower the branch -grew under them. Their little paws began to slip over the smoother -bark. The one in front tried to turn around, but he was afraid of -losing his balance. So they all three scrambled backwards to the safe -trunk. - -The mother ran back to them, and chattered and scolded. Again and again -they started out over the branch, and then went scrambling back. When -at last the mother had coaxed them across to the nest she looked around -for the smallest baby. There he was away down at the door of the old -nest. The old squirrel was tired out. Her fur was ruffled and her ears -drooped. She ran down to the nest and began to scold the little fellow. -He sat up and put his paws around her neck, as if he were begging her -to let him stay there. But she started him up the trunk and pushed him -along to the branch. Then she took hold of him by the neck and carried -him across to the new home. - -After that the little ones were taken out every morning to practise -climbing. Little by little they learned to balance themselves on the -branches. Their tails were fluffy enough by this time to be of use in -balancing. First to one side, then to the other, each baby tilted his -tail as he crept along, step by step. Every day they could move a -little faster. Finally they were able to chase one another up and down, -from branch to branch. They went running around the trunks, skipping -and leaping from slender twig to twig, and jumping from one tree to -another, even through the air. - -Sometimes one or another missed his footing after a reckless jump. -Often he caught hold of a branch below by a single toe and lifted -himself up to a firmer foothold. Or if there was no branch within -reach, he spread out his fur, and flattened his tail, and went sailing -down to the ground, almost as if he could fly. They never seemed to get -hurt. - -The little squirrels appeared to be always doing something. They turned -summersaults in the grass, or swung by one paw from the tip of a tough -branch. There was always something to do or to see. Now they chattered -at a blue jay, or chased a toad for the fun of watching him hop. Now -they caught beetles to look at, or, safe in a tree, they scolded at -some fox slinking along through the woods. And every day there was the -excitement of finding something to eat. - -The babies lived on milk till they were almost as heavy as their -mother. Then she began to feed them with fruit and buds and grubs, -which she first chewed for them. Like the beavers and the hares and -rabbits each had four chisel teeth in the front of its mouth. They -needed to gnaw hard nuts or bark every day to keep these teeth from -growing too long. - -When the young squirrels were three months old in July they were big -enough to take care of themselves. Away they scampered from the old -home tree and found new homes in stumps and hollows. The smallest one -used to curl up in an old robin’s nest to sleep at night. All day long -they were just as busy as they could be. - -There were cones to be gathered from the evergreens. The little -squirrels ran up the trees in a hurry, and, cutting off the cones -with their sharp teeth, tossed them over their shoulders to the -ground. Every few minutes they scurried down to bury the cones under -the pine-needles for the winter. Sometimes a drop of sticky pitch -from the cut stems was rubbed against their fur. That made them so -uncomfortable that they had to stop and lick it off. - -The squirrels loved to be clean. Ever since they were tiny babies, with -their new red fur, they always helped one another with washing their -faces, and combing their tails with their claws. They were careful to -run along logs over a muddy spot. If one happened to get wet he dried -himself with his fluffy tail. - -When they were tired of eating seeds and twigs they hunted for grubs. -Clinging to the bark of a dead tree they listened till they heard -something gnawing beneath the surface ever so softly. Then, tearing -off the bark in ragged pieces, they pounced upon the flat whitish grub -beneath and ate it up. They were fond of mushrooms, too, and seemed to -know which were poisonous and which were good to eat. - -But the best time of all came in the autumn when nuts were ripe. Then -what fun the little squirrels had! Early every morning out popped -the little heads from the hollow stumps and logs. The big round eyes -twinkled eagerly in every direction. Then, whisk! they were out, with -a bark and a squeak! Scampering to the top of a tree each one took a -flying leap to a branch of the next. Up and down, on and across, they -followed the squirrel-paths through the woods till they reached the -grove, where the nuts were ripening. - -It was a busy place, with little wings fluttering and little feet -pattering, and yellow leaves drifting down in the sunshine. All the -squirrels scurried to and fro, picking one nut here, and another there. -They sat on the branches, with their bushy tails curving over their -backs, and held the nuts in their fore-paws to nibble. The smallest -baby could open the hardest walnut, and clean it out in less than a -minute. In the oddest way he seemed to know exactly where to bore -through the shell so as to strike the broad side of the kernel. - -All the while the blue jays and the thrifty chipmunks were gathering -nuts and corn, and hiding their stores away for the winter. That seemed -so interesting that the squirrels gathered some too. The smallest one -stuffed his cheeks full of nuts and scampered back to his latest home -in a hollow stump. The next mouthful he brought was hidden in a fork -of a tree and covered with leaves. Then he tucked away a few chestnuts -in the cracks of the bark on an oak-tree. By that time he was tired of -working at this, so he scurried around to find out how many nuts the -other young squirrels were saving for the winter. - -Autumn passed away, and the days grew colder. In the woods the leaves -were all fallen and the branches were stripped bare of nuts. Every -morning when the squirrels poked out their heads the air nipped their -noses. Frost sparkled on the dead grass. The chipmunks had crept into -their holes for the winter, and most of the birds had flown away south. - -The squirrels were not quite so gay now as in the autumn days, when -they danced upon the branches and whistled and chuckled over the good -things to eat and the curious sights to see. They slept with their -warm tails wrapped over their noses. They still ran busily through the -tree-tops, except when snow or icy rain kept them shut within their -holes. They ate all the nuts they could find, and dug up the buried -pine-cones. They climbed the hemlock-trees and ate the seeds. Sometimes -they found a delicious frozen apple or some forgotten acorns. Once the -smallest squirrel happened to dig up a heap of chestnuts from between -two stones under the snow. He could not remember whether he had hidden -them himself or not. How he snickered and danced when he saw them! - -Late in the winter the squirrels had eaten all the nuts and cones -within reach. They were so hungry on many a day that they tried to -creep into a chipmunk’s hole and steal his store of food. However he -was smaller than they were, and he had wisely made one bend in his -tunnel too small for them to pass. Then they had to live on buds and -barks and seeds as best they could till spring started the tender green -plants to growing. - -The squirrels gnawed the bark of the maple-trees and drank the sweet -sap that came oozing out. Later there were elm buds to nibble and -birds’ eggs to suck. The woods were once more green with juicy leaves. -All the squirrels went to housekeeping. Soon in almost every tree there -was a new family of wondering little squirrels peeping out of their -hollow with their round, bright eyes. - - - - -VIII - -THE BEAR - -“ONE THAT SLEEPS ALL WINTER” - - - - -ONE THAT SLEEPS ALL WINTER - - -OUT in the woods the snow fell deeper and deeper. It piled higher and -higher around the hollow tree in which the mother bear and her two -little bears were sleeping. The snow had drifted over the opening and -made it all dark inside. - -Once in a while the two babies woke up and whimpered for more milk, as -they tumbled clumsily about on the bed of leaves. Then the old bear -opened her sleepy eyes and licked their glossy little black bodies -while she nursed them. After that they all fell drowsily quiet again, -and slept and slept. - -So the weeks slipped away while the babies sucked milk, or slept, -snuggled close to their big, warm, furry mother. She had been sleeping -all winter. The autumn before she had crept into the hollow tree to -stay until spring. She did not eat a mouthful in all that time. - -Now as the days grew warmer outside the old mother bear began to feel -more wide awake. One morning she pawed a hole through the snow at the -opening of the hollow and crawled out to find something to eat. The two -little bears had their eyes open at last. They lay still on the nest -and blinked at the light that shone dimly in through the hole. - -Now and then they heard the soft plop of a bunch of snow dropping from -the evergreen trees in the woods. The bare branches of the aspens -clicked together in the March wind. They heard the gurgle of water -lapping over melting ice. The tap-tap-tap of a woodpecker on the bark -of their hollow tree sounded like thunder inside. Once a red squirrel -ran squeaking over the snow outside. - -Before very long they heard footsteps thumping softly up to the hole, -and their mother’s big black body came scrambling in. The two cubs -whined for joy, and rubbed against her legs. They were hungry again, -and wanted their dinner. The thin old bear had not found much to eat -herself. It was too early in the year for berries, and the ants were -still in their underground homes. She had caught a frog in the brook, -and found a few blades of grass to munch. - -After that she went out every day, for it seemed as if she grew -hungrier and hungrier. Once she found a frozen deer. After eating all -she could of it she covered the rest with leaves until the next day. -Sometimes she caught a chipmunk under a log. It was only in the early -spring that the old black bear ate much meat, for usually she liked -fruit and roots and nuts better. - -Meanwhile the two little bears stayed safe in the den till their teeth -were cut and the claws grew sharp and strong. Then they played outside -for a little every day. They wrestled together and tumbled about in the -sunshine, like clumsy puppies. They were careful not to creep too far -away from the den. At any strange sound or smell away they scampered -head first into the hole, with their little wrinkled black feet kicking -out behind them. - -At last they were strong enough to set out on their travels with the -old mother. Very likely she gave them each a good washing and combing -before they started. She could use her fore-paws like hands. When the -cubs squealed and tried to bite, while she was brushing them, she -slapped them with her big paw. She could use her paws for digging, and -for carrying food to her mouth. With the sharp claws she could tear -meat or logs to pieces. - -The two little ones must have been delighted to think of leaving the -tiresome den in the hollow tree. Like all bears they loved to travel. -Down the valley they ambled, stepping clumsily on the flat soles of -their feet. Bears do not walk lightly on their toes, as do the graceful -animals who belong to the cat family. - -The old mother moved on with her head held low, while the babies -waddled after her. They did not look around much at the wonderful -mountains, with the dark evergreens and rocks scattered over the yellow -gravel. They did not notice the blue sky above, for their close-set -eyes were rather nearsighted. Though they could not see very well they -sniffed keenly at every strange smell. - -There were many new delicious smells of warm earth and green plants -and furry rabbits and squirrels and birds and strawberry blossoms. The -cubs imitated their mother in everything she did. They stepped in the -same foot-tracks, and jumped over the same logs at the same places. -Whenever she stopped to sniff they rose on their little hind-legs and -twitched their pointed brown noses in the air. - -Once they came to a footprint in the gravel. It was a footprint of a -grizzly bear ever so much bigger than the old black bear. The cubs -looked at their mother to see how she was acting. Then they copied -her. They drew back their lips from their white teeth and growled baby -growls, while their little eyes gleamed, and the hairs on their backs -ruffled up stiffly. Grizzlies sometimes killed black bears. - -Soon they reached the spruce grove where the red ants lived. Scattered -over the gravel there were rounded hills, with tiny red creatures -hurrying in and out of their holes, and around and to and fro. The -little bears looked at the ants and then watched their mother as she -sat down beside a hill and licked up a mouthful. After a minute down -they sat, and scraped their pointed tongues over the ant-hills. - -The ants tasted as sour as vinegar, and made the young ones wrinkle -their noses just at first, because they were used to drinking sweet -milk. More than once a fierce little ant gave a nipping bite to the -red tongues that squirmed over the gravel. That made the babies squeal, -and rub their mouths with their paws. When some ants crawled up on -their fur the bears licked them off without getting any gravel mixed in. - -As the morning sunshine grew warmer the cubs began to feel tired and -sleepy. It had been such an exciting day ever since starting out from -the old den at sunrise! The mother walked off to a shady spot under -thick evergreens, and they all curled down for a nap. The babies -snuggled close together, curling their paws and tucking their noses -into their fur. Closing their eyes, while their fat little sides heaved -in a long sigh of content, they fell fast asleep. Those ants had tasted -so good! - -Very early every morning the two cubs set off with their mother to find -something to eat. In the heat of the day they took a nap. Late in the -afternoon they went out again and feasted till dark, or even later, -when berries were plenty. Sometimes they slept in a hollow log, or in a -cave, or in a sheltered thicket. - -Before lying down the old bear was always careful to walk several -hundred yards in the same direction in which the wind was blowing. If -any enemy happened to follow their trail while they were asleep they -could smell him in the wind and get away in time. One night they really -did smell a wolf coming nearer and nearer. They stole off through the -woods. The old mother showed the cubs how to step softly, setting down -each big padded foot where it broke no stick and rustled no leaf. - -The bears learned to eat all sorts of food. There were the delightfully -sour ants in their hills or hidden under rocks and old logs. The cubs -soon grew strong enough to turn over the rocks and logs for themselves. -Leaning on one fore-leg, each little fellow raised the stone with the -other fore-leg, and gave it a shove backward, so that it would not fall -on his toes. Away rolled the stone, and down went the greedy head to -lick up every ant in sight. Then a sweep of a paw uncovered the beetles -and worms and crickets that had run to hide deeper. Sometimes the old -mother gripped her claws in both sides of a rotten log and tore it -open. The little bears gobbled up the worms and insects inside as fast -as they could. - -All the spring and early summer the three bears hunted for worms and -insects in this way. They dug up wild roots with their noses, just -as pigs do. One day the cubs smelled a delicious smell near a flat -stone. They hurried to push the stone away, and there they found a -heap of nuts. They stuffed their mouths full at once, while the little -chipmunk, to whom the nuts belonged, squeaked angrily at them from -under a heavy rock. - -Later in the summer the berries were ripe. That was the time for little -bears to be happy! First the fragrant red strawberries grew red in the -fields. The berries were so small, and the hungry mouths were so large, -that many a bite was mixed with leaves and grass. However, the cubs did -not object to that, even when a fat white grub or two was pulled up -with the roots of the strawberry plants. - -After the strawberries other berries ripened along the bank of the -river at the edge of the woods. The mother bear knew just where the -biggest ones grew. Many a happy day they spent picking the fruit. -When the weather was cloudy and cool they did not stop for naps. Each -one walked along from bush to bush, raising his head and wrapping his -tongue around a branch. Then with a downward pull he stripped off -leaves and berries and all, and munched and munched. They could stand -on their hind-feet to reach the higher branches. - -The bears had broad grinding teeth in the sides of their jaws, and -so they could chew their food. Animals like the cat and the dog have -only cutting teeth. They tear their food into pieces small enough to -swallow, and then gulp it down without chewing. - -At noon they went down to the river for a drink. First they snuffed -around carefully, and then lapped up the water. If the day was very -warm the cubs waded in and lay down to cool off. Sometimes the old -mother took her nap lying in the water. Once in a while they caught a -frog or a live fish by giving a jump and quick slap before it could -swim away. - -In late summer the wild plums ripened in the woods. The old bear shook -the trees and sent the red fruit hailing down upon the scrambling -cubs. On one specially delightful day they found a hollow tree in which -bees had been storing honey for the winter. - -They saw the bees buzzing around a hole high up on the trunk. One of -the cubs climbed up. Wrapping his hind-legs around the tree he held on -with one fore-paw, while with the other he dipped out the honey and -stuffed it into his mouth. All about him the air was gray with bees. -They stung him on his nose and ears and eyelids. He did not mind that -much, except when one bit his tongue. Then he thrust out his tongue and -mumbled and growled for a moment. He had never before eaten anything so -delicious as honey. - -After the pleasant summer came the frosty autumn with its ripening -nuts. The cubs climbed trees and sat on the branches, with their black -legs dangling. The old bear shook the trees to bring down the nuts. -Once she shook so hard that one of the little bears lost his hold and -fell. He tumbled down in such a limp soft heap that he was not hurt at -all, but bounded up again like a rubber ball. - -At another time the mother saw a big grizzly bear coming through the -woods. When the cubs heard her warning grunt they shot up the tree -like jumping-jacks, and hid in the thick leaves near the top. There -they were safe, for the grizzly was too heavy, and its claws were too -long, for climbing. Grizzly bears are the largest beasts of prey in -the world. Sometimes when very hungry they will eat their cousins, the -black bears. - -The days kept growing colder little by little, and twilight came a few -minutes sooner every evening. The air was frosty at night, and somehow -the three bears felt drowsier and drowsier. Their naps lasted longer -every afternoon. On some cold days they curled up on dry ledges in the -sunshine and slept from morning to night. They were sleek and fat from -their feasts of acorns and nuts. - -All this while the old mother bear was becoming more and more cross. -When the cubs tried to play with her she slapped them, and pushed them -away whimpering. It was time for them to take care of themselves. Very -likely she did not want to be bothered with them all winter long. - -So one day the two little bears walked off by themselves. They roamed -through the woods, looking for some place which would be a warm den. -One of them dug a cosy hole under a big root and curled down for his -winter’s sleep. The other crept between two rocks that almost touched -over his head. - -Outside the snow began to fall. It blew in through the cracks and -powdered down upon the little bear’s thick fur. Very soon it had -stuffed all the cracks and drifted higher over the rocks and logs. It -went whirling from the ledges into the valleys; it fell deeper and -deeper over the three dens and shut out the cold. - -The little bears breathed more and more slowly, with their noses warm -in their furry fore-arms. Their little fat sides rose and fell ever so -faintly. Their hearts beat more softly. They were fast asleep for the -winter, while the snow fell and the icy winds blew on the mountains -without. - - - - -IX - -THE FOX - -“THE WISEST ONE” - - - - -THE WISEST ONE - - -ALMOST the first thing that the smallest baby fox remembered was being -carried in his mother’s mouth from one den to another. His woolly -little red body hung limp between her long white teeth. That was the -safest way; for if he had held stiff or wriggled she might have closed -her jaws tighter and pinched him. - -It was very early in the morning, and the rising sun was just lighting -up the tops of the trees. The birds were singing their gayest May -songs. Here and there dewdrops sparkled, where the level sunbeams -glinted across the leaves. Under a bush a rabbit sat up very still, and -stared with round, frightened eyes at the mother fox. - -The mother fox did not see the rabbit. She stepped along swiftly. Her -slender paws hardly rustled a leaf or snapped a twig. She looked like a -graceful red dog, with pointed ears and yellow eyes and beautiful plumy -tail. This plumy tail seemed to float out in the air behind her, as if -she were blowing lightly before the wind. - -When she reached the new den she did not stop an instant at the front -door. The freshly dug earth was scattered around there in plain sight. -In digging this new burrow she and the father fox had left the dirt -there on purpose, to make their enemies think that this hole was the -real entrance to the den. A few feet underground they had closed the -tunnel with a heap of earth. At the other end they had made a new -opening hidden behind gray rocks in a thicket. - -To this secret door the mother fox carried the baby, and set him down -on his four thick legs. He looked like a little red lamb with yellow -eyes. Into the hole he scrambled, and crept through the tunnel to the -dark den at the end. On the nest of leaves inside he found his four -brothers and sisters snuggling together. The old mother had carried -them there one by one. - -The day before, when a big dog came nosing about the old den, the -father fox led him away through the woods. He could run the faster, -and so he kept on, with the dog chasing him, till the dog was tired -out. Then he and the mother hurried to dig this new den and move the -babies before the dog came back to the old place again. - -In going from one den to the other the old foxes were careful not to -walk in a straight path. If they did that of course the dog could -follow them by smelling their trail. They took a roundabout path every -time. They trotted around a swampy meadow and crossed a brook by -stepping from stone to stone. The wet ground hid the scent of their -paws. - -This journey to the new den was the first time that the young foxes had -been outdoors. As they were carried by the neck they could not twist -their heads around to see very much. But still, they must have enjoyed -the light and the fresh air. They did not want to keep on staying all -the time in the dark den. So early one morning they came scrambling out -after their mother. - -The smallest baby fox crawled out last of all. For a moment he stood -very quiet on all four paws. Then he sat down and cocked his little -head on one side while he looked around. The old father was lying down -in the sunlight just outside the thicket. Two of the babies trotted -over to him and began to play with his tail. Two others climbed upon -the mother’s back and pushed each other off. There they wrestled, -rolling over and over in each other’s paws. - -The smallest baby wanted to make the others pay him some attention. He -lifted his sharp little black nose and opened his mouth and began to -bark—bow-wow-wow, bow-wow-wow—till the others stopped playing. They -came running over to ask what was the matter. He told them something -in the fox language by rubbing his cool wet nose against theirs. Then -they all five trotted about and explored the thicket by smelling of -everything within reach. - -They poked their noses into the grass and against the trees and bushes -and over every stick and stone and leaf on the ground. To their keen -nostrils everything had a different smell. When the smallest baby -smelled a stick he could tell which little brother or sister had been -smelling it just before him. - -As the sun rose higher and the air grew warmer the little fellows sat -down and rested, with their tongues lolling out of their mouths. Like -all foxes and wolves and dogs they perspired through the tongue and the -soles of their feet. After a while the mother gave a low growl to say -that it was time to go back into the den. In they scampered head first, -and curled up for a nap, with their fluffy tails over their noses. - -When the babies cut their teeth the mother stopped feeding them with -milk. After that she and the father fox were kept busy hunting for food -for the hungry young ones. Sometimes they hunted in the daytime as well -as at night. Oftener, however, the old mother stayed near the den to -keep guard when the little foxes came out to play every afternoon. - -Such fun as the five little ones had together! They ran round and -round, chasing their tails. One hid behind a tuft of grass and jumped -out to scare the others. Another climbed upon a rock and then was -afraid to slide down. One went rolling down a small hill while another -capered beside him and pretended to snap at him. - -Once the smallest baby saw a grasshopper whizz past. He saw where it -was hiding under a leaf. He crouched down as low as he could and crept -toward it. Without making a noise he crawled from bush to stone, from -stone to tuft of weeds, till he was near enough to spring and catch it -in his paws. All the others ran to see what he had caught. The mother -came, too, from the place where she had been watching him. She was -proud of him because he was learning to hunt while so young. - -As evening came on and the shadows lengthened under the trees the -mother fox sent the babies into the den and walked away to hunt for a -supper. The smallest fox happened to be the last one in. He turned when -just inside and poked his pointed nose out to watch her as she trotted -away into the woods. - -A few hours later, when they heard her low call at the mouth of the -burrow, out they came tumbling. Sometimes she had a rabbit hanging in -her mouth, with its long legs on one side and its long ears on the -other. Sometimes she had a young turkey thrown over her shoulders, or -a fringe of field-mice hanging by the tails from her lips. Once she -brought a wood-chuck, and at another time a string of little chickens -held by the necks. - -The babies always ran and snatched for a piece. Then each trotted -off alone to eat it. When they were not hungry they played with the -food. They nibbled the bits, first tossing them into the air and then -springing to catch them. They could not use their fore-paws so freely -as animals like the cat. They growled and shook the mice to and fro in -their mouths. Sometimes they snatched from one another and snapped and -snarled crossly. Once the smallest fox had a fight. Every time he flew -at his brother the other whisked his bushy tail in front of his face, -and all the little one got was a mouthful of fur. - -By and by the young foxes were taken out to learn to hunt for -themselves. There was ever so much to learn because every different -animal must be hunted in a different way. The main lesson was to keep -their eyes open and their ears alert and their noses keen for smelling. -They must be quick to jump and wise at all sorts of tricks. - -They learned to catch chickens by hiding near the place where the flock -was feeding. When a chicken strayed near enough quick as a flash out -jumped the fox and caught it by the neck. They chased rabbits and -pounced on busy squirrels. They hunted meadow-mice in the grass, and -stole silently upon careless woodchucks. - -The smallest baby caught a chipmunk in almost the same way as he had -caught the grasshopper. He saw the little brown animal feeding near its -hole. Very slowly and carefully the fox began to walk up to it. Every -few moments the chipmunk sat up and looked around. When he did this the -fox stood still, and so the chipmunk did not notice him. As soon as -the chipmunk dropped down on all four feet and began to nibble again, -the young hunter crept several steps closer. He held his tail pointing -out straight behind. At last, with a rush and a jump, the fox had the -chipmunk between his teeth. - -All summer long there was plenty to eat in the woods. The five young -foxes grew as strong and tall as their parents. They left the old home -and scattered to dig new dens here and there in the woods and fields. -They all knew how to take care of themselves. - -[Illustration: THE FOX. - -“Now and then the fox stopped to listen.” _Page 131._] - -Even as babies they had learned to hold still as a stone at any strange -sound. If they heard it again they ran to the den as fast as they could -scamper. More than once while they lay blinking comfortably in the -sunlight they saw the old father fox spring up with his ears pricked -forward and his eyes gleaming. With his tail erect, his fore-feet -planted in front, and his hind-feet on the spring, he listened to the -sound that had startled him. Perhaps it was the bark of a dog or the -scream of a blue jay over a newcomer in the woods. It was always safer -for grown foxes to run from an enemy than to try to fight, for they -were swift-footed creatures. - -Once the smallest fox was really chased by a dog. The dog smelled his -trail near a flock of chickens. He ran on with his nose to the ground -till he saw the fox sitting under a tree with his tongue hanging out of -his mouth. At the sound of the bark the fox looked back. Then off and -away he ran lightly over the hills and through the fields. His fluffy -tail floated in the wind. - -Now and then the fox stopped to listen to the baying of the dog far -behind him. Two or three times he whirled around, chasing his tail -and capering. He knew that he could run the faster. He picked his way -from stone to stone across a brook because he did not like to wet his -feet. Then he ran up a tree that had fallen in a slant. He jumped from -the end far over to a dead log and scampered across a rocky field. From -the top of a hill he looked back and watched the dog trying to find the -scent over the brook and around the slanting tree. When he was tired he -hid in a hole. - -When autumn came the young foxes gathered on many a frosty night for a -romp before going to their hunting. They galloped to and fro, jumping -over one another and springing from log to log. It was almost the same -as if they were puppies again, frisking before the old burrow. They -wrestled and rolled and whirled around after their tails. Then away to -their silent hunting! - -When the snow fell and the cold winds blew life was harder for the -foxes. Through the day generally they slept in their dens, with their -tails curled over their noses and fore-paws. Out they crept at sundown -to hunt for a rabbit or unwary squirrel, to trap a partridge, or -snatch a squeaking mouse at the edge of a stone. - -Many a night some young fox went home hungry. Often he lay in the snow -hour after hour till his legs were stiff, while he waited for a rabbit -that stayed safe in its hole. More than once he made a dive into the -snow after a partridge, only to see the bird flutter up before his very -nose and fly into a tree. Very likely, as he sat looking hungrily up -to the branches, he wished that he could climb trees. Undoubtedly the -partridges and the squirrels did not wish any such thing. - -Before spring came at last the foxes were hungry enough to eat -anything. Indeed one day in early March, while the smallest one was -roaming through the woods, he happened to spy a garter-snake coiled on -a rock in the sunshine. He jumped for it and gulped it down in a hurry. -The next day he caught a turtle and a frog. The frog was so stiff and -sluggish from its winter’s sleep that it could not hop at all. - -By that time it seemed that spring was really at hand. As the foxes -never ate grass or leaves they did not care about the fresh green -plants and buds through the woods. Nevertheless they knew very well -that rabbits liked roots, and squirrels nibbled twigs, and field-mice -were hungry for the sprouting seeds. When these small animals came out -to eat, the foxes could hunt them more easily than in winter. - -Once more the soft winds blew among the branches and the leaves -flickered in the sunlight. The birds were singing overhead in the -tree-tops. And here and there in the hidden thickets new broods of -little red foxes were frisking together at the mouths of the burrows. - - - - -X - -THE WOLF - -“THE FIERCEST ONE” - - -[Illustration: THE WOLF. - -“It was the father wolf coming in.” _Page 137._] - - - - -THE FIERCEST ONE - - -THE old mother wolf came home from her hunting, licking her black lips. -Her four woolly babies scrambled out of the den among the rocks, and -ran to meet her. They wagged their little tails, and barked joyous baby -barks. They rubbed against her legs, and reached up their little faces -to kiss her on her cool nose. - -After smelling them all over the old wolf lay down beside them in the -den to give them their dinner. The strongest little wolf was getting -tired of milk. When he had nursed for a few minutes he began to play, -climbing up his mother’s shaggy back and rolling down again, with his -legs waving in the air. - -Soon he pricked up his ears at the sound of a footstep outside the den. -Then he sniffed the air. Sure enough! It was the father wolf coming in -with something furry in his mouth. The cubs ran to smell it. Somehow -the smell made the strongest little fellow feel so hungry that he tried -to bite it with his new sharp teeth. He snapped and snarled when the -old wolves dragged it away from him. - -Very likely this reminded the parents that they must now teach the -young ones to eat meat. So on the next evening they left the babies -safe asleep in the den and trotted away together. They looked like two -fierce dogs, with shaggy gray and black hair, pointed ears, and bushy -tails. Their yellow eyes were set more slanting than the eyes of dogs. - -They caught a rabbit by taking turns in chasing it till it was tired -out. Then they trotted home. At the mouth of the den the mother gave -a low call. There was a rustle of woolly bodies over the leaves and -grasses of the nest back in the dark. And out tumbled the cubs, -wriggling with joy. The father wolf, with his big teeth glittering -behind his whiskered lips, tore the rabbit into pieces, and showed the -young ones how to eat. Each snapped at his piece, and ran to one side -alone to gnaw and pull it into bits small enough to swallow. They did -not chew their food, because like other flesh-eating animals, except -bears, they did not have any grinding teeth. - -After the strongest baby had finished his piece he tried with a rush -and a snap and a snarl to snatch from another little fellow. But the -other cub held on tight with his little jaws. Then, growling and -rolling his yellow eyes to watch his greedy brother, he dug a hole with -his nose in one corner and buried the rest of his piece. He did this -without being taught at all. Every wolf that ever lived knew enough to -bury his food when he did not want to eat any more. - -After their dinner the mother led the babies down the valley to lap -water from the brook. It was dark by this time. Stars were twinkling -in the sky. The shadowy trees swayed to and fro in the night wind. One -little cub sat down on his haunches, pointed his nose at the sky, and -howled. The little ones trotted here and there, smelling every stick -and stone. The scream of a far-away panther on the mountain made the -old wolf growl and bristle the hairs on her back. She hurried back to -the den and sent the cubs in to sleep, while she stole off to hunt for -her own supper. - -In the morning the little wolves crept out to play about in the -sunshine. They rolled and tumbled and wrestled in much the same way as -the young foxes. Like the foxes the wolves belonged to the dog family -of flesh-eaters. The little wolves were stronger and larger and fiercer -than the little foxes. They did not have such bushy tails. - -One young wolf found bits of the rabbit’s fur. He tossed and worried -them, and gnawed so hard that the fur flew in his throat and nose and -made him sneeze. Another saw a butterfly, and went plunging after it -on his unsteady little legs. He jumped up at it, and opened his mouth -to snap at it. He did not try to slap at it, as a little panther might -have done, for he could not use his fore-paws like hands so easily as -animals of the cat family. - -All summer long there was plenty to eat. The deer in the mountains were -fattening on the green grass. They could not fight very well then, -because their new antlers were too soft. There were flocks of sheep on -the plain. The old parent wolves prowled about every night, and often -hunted in the daytime. It kept them busy enough to supply the four -hungry cubs. - -The two hunted together. Sometimes one hid beside a deer trail, while -the other chased the deer nearer and nearer. When the deer passed -the spot where the first wolf was hiding he sprang out and caught it -from behind. Sometimes they took turns in chasing a deer till it was -tired out. The deer could run the faster, but it always lost time by -looking around to see how near the wolf was getting. Once in a while -one escaped by running into the middle of a patch of cacti. The wolves -could not follow there without getting their feet full of thorns. But -the deer’s tough hoofs protected its feet. - -Later in the summer the young wolves were taken out to learn to hunt -with their parents. Their legs were so long that they were good -runners, though they could not climb or spring very well. The nails on -their toes were short and blunt from walking, for they could not be -drawn back and so kept sharp, like the claws of animals belonging to -the cat family. - -The cubs wore thick coats with soft under-fur beneath the coarse shaggy -hair. Their yellow eyes were keen, and their sensitive noses were quick -to catch every smell of the wilderness. Their jaws were strong for -snapping, and their many teeth were sharp for biting and tearing. They -could scent the wind and howl when a storm was coming. - -About sunset, one summer day, the little wolves followed the old ones -away from the den. Down the canyon they trotted silently, winding in -and out among the rocks like gray shadows. Far up the mountain-side a -flock of wild sheep went leaping away in terror at sight of the wolves. - -On the plain below rabbits scurried off, bounding from hillock to -hillock. Prairie-dogs dived, squeaking, into their holes. A fox looked -around in fright, and dodged into a clump of underbrush. A small herd -of buffaloes, on their way to the river, ran close together and stood -with their horns outward, while the wolves skulked past. - -Perhaps, just at first, it seemed strange to the cubs to see all other -animals afraid of their parents. At home the two shaggy old wolves were -gentle and warm and soft toward the little ones. They fed them and -watched over them and taught them all they knew. The babies whimpered -when the old wolves left them alone in the den; and they barked and -frisked with joy to see them come home again. - -Out here on the plain it was different. The sight or smell of a wolf -sent all the timid wild creatures flying in a scramble and hurry-skurry -to get safely out of the way. The sound of the hungry howling made them -tremble with fear, for they knew what it meant. It meant something -shaggy and gray, with gleaming eyes, galloping swiftly nearer and -nearer. It meant the glitter of long teeth behind grim black lips. It -meant a spring and a snarl and tearing pain, and then a crunching of -bones. - -The first lesson that the young wolves learned was to take the trail -and run it to earth. The father wolf showed them how to do it. He led -them over the plain toward a cluster of trees along the river. He -lifted his nose and snuffed the air. He smelled something in the wind -that was blowing toward him from the woods. It was not the smell of -trees or grass or flowers or birds or squirrels. It was the smell of -deer. - -The four cubs followed the old one as he galloped under the trees. -They saw him stop and go sniffing here and there with his nose to the -ground. Yes, he could smell the place where the slender hoofs had -been pressing the grass a few minutes before. He ran on, with his nose -to the ground. The others galloped after him, their heads low, their -tongues hanging out, their tails held straight behind. - -Once the father wolf howled. The young ones looked up for an instant. -There, far away in the dusky woods, the deer were bounding lightly -over the dead logs. They turned their pretty heads now and then to -look back, till they vanished from sight. The wolves kept on for a few -miles, learning to pick up the scent on the run. Then they found a -half-eaten buffalo in a hollow, and stopped there for supper. - -Through the late summer and early fall the young wolves hunted with -their parents. During the day they stayed up in the mountains and slept -in sheltered places. Sometimes they were scattered miles apart. At -nightfall they called to one another with piercing howls, till they -finally gathered about the old father wolf. Then they all set out to -hunt together. - -Sometimes they moved single file, stepping in one another’s tracks. -They swam across the river and stole noiselessly through the woods. -The timid sheep were easiest to kill because they could not fight. When -they found a calf or sick old buffalo one sprang at his head while -the others attacked from behind and bit his hind-legs. If the wolves -went too near a herd the old buffaloes tried to hook them. Once a cub -started to catch a young elk, but he was chased away by the old mother -elk. They butted at him with their heads and struck at him with their -sharp hoofs, while he ran with his tail tucked under him. - -Autumn was pleasant enough with its bright days and frosty nights. -The busy little creatures of the woods were gathering in their winter -stores. Buffaloes and deer were fat from their summer’s feeding, -and could not always run fast to get out of the way when chased by -the wolves. Plump rabbits and prairie-hens were everywhere for the -catching. Many a night the cruel wolves killed more than they could eat. - -But soon winter came with its shortening days and gray storms lowering -above the horizon. Snow fell, and icy winds blew across the frozen -land. The deer and elk and antelope gathered in sheltered valleys. -The wolves wandered down from the mountains, and roamed far and wide, -hunting for food. - -So long as the fresh snow lay soft and powdery in the gullies they -could not run fast enough to catch anything, but when the snow packed -hard, and an icy crust formed over the drifts, their spreading feet did -not sink in deeply. Then they could go out and hunt the elk and the -deer, whose small hoofs cut through the crust at every bound. - -The young wolves felt hungry all the time. Sometimes, when a blinding -storm shut them into their den among the rocks, they went without -eating day after day. The fine snow sifted down upon their glossy -winter coats as they lay close together, snuggling their cold noses -into one another’s fur. Many a night they dreamed of eating, and -snapped and swallowed greedily in their short, uneasy sleep. Once, in -nosing about hungrily, the strongest little wolf happened to find a -bone that he had hidden and forgotten weeks before. With a spring and -a snarl he crunched it between his white teeth and gulped it down in a -hurry. - -One winter evening the four cubs, with their parents and five or six -others, were following a herd of buffaloes. On galloped the buffaloes -over the frozen plain. Behind and around them the dark forms of the -wolves seemed to rise from the bushes and follow noiselessly. There was -not a sound of a snap or a snarl. Now on this side, now on that, now -lost in the shadows, the wolves galloped tirelessly on and on. - -Here and there two eyes gleamed in the dim circle of a head, or bared -white teeth glittered for an instant. Then again lost in the dusk, -without the patter of a footfall on the snow, they edged nearer and -nearer. Finally there was a sound of snarling and yelping. The wolves -were fighting together over a dead buffalo. They ate him, and then -broke away over the plain at a full jump, howling as they went. - -Winter was over at last. The wolves were thin and fiercer than ever. -Their grim black lips were always ready to curl back over their teeth -at the smell of food. They felt such a dreadful gnawing emptiness -inside that they were frantic to eat anything. When they began to grow -weaker and weaker from hunger the welcome spring brought them new life. - -Now in the time of pleasant weather and the plentiful food it was no -longer necessary for the pack of wolves to hunt together. They were -strong enough to look out for themselves. So the wolves scattered to -make their summer homes in the loneliest spots among the mountains. - -The weeks passed by, and soon there was many a new family of woolly -little cubs frisking about the rocky dens. The fathers and mothers -watched them lovingly. The black lips seemed almost smiling and the -fierce eyes grew soft. They were gentle and happy there together, -though so cruel and hateful to all the world outside. - - - - -XI - -THE MOLE - -“THE ONE THAT DIGS THE BEST” - - - - -THE ONE THAT DIGS THE BEST - - -DEEP down in their dark room underground the five mole babies lay -fast asleep on a soft bed of leaves and grasses. The bed was not much -bigger than a robin’s nest. The little moles cuddled together, with -their pointed pink snouts resting on one another’s satiny bodies. Their -little hind-feet sprawled behind them, and their big flat hands, with -the pink palms turned outward, were spread close to their necks. - -Presently the fattest little mole opened his black specks of eyes, -though they were not of much use down there in the dark. He wriggled -his pointed snout as he sniffed the air. The faintest of breezes -floated toward him through one of the round openings in the wall. It -was a breeze caused by something running toward the nursery. Tiny feet -came galloping nearer and nearer. There was a light rustle of fur -brushing along the tunnel. It was the mother mole hurrying back from -her hunting. - -All the little moles jumped wide awake in an instant when their -sensitive bodies felt the quiver around them. It seemed to them that -the earth shook under the mother’s pattering feet. Of course they were -not afraid, because they knew from the smell who was coming. And then, -just as soon as they smelled the worm that she was carrying in her -mouth, they began to tumble over one another to snatch at it. - -The greedy young ones shoved and pushed and fought as if they were -starving. They pulled at the worm with their claws, and snipped off -bits with their sharp teeth. Even after it was all eaten they went -nosing around in the dark and squeaked for more. The fattest little -fellow crawled so far into one of the tunnels that he almost slipped -into the tiny well which the parent moles had dug when they made this -underground home. - -The poor old mother lay down to rest for a few minutes. It seemed as -if she did not have time to eat or sleep since the babies had cut -their teeth and learned to eat worms. They were always hungry. As -for herself, though the old father helped her hunt she was really -growing thinner every day. The young moles were six weeks old now, and -it was time that they learned to hunt for themselves. - -[Illustration: THE MOLE. - -“The greedy young ones shoved and pushed and fought as if they were -starving.” _Page 152._] - -The babies were eager enough to learn to dig and hunt. They were tired -of staying in that dark nursery, even if it was so comfortable, with -its domed roof and soft, dry bed. Perhaps they wished to poke their -heads above ground just once and find out what the world was like. They -did not know the difference between day and night yet, for where they -lived it was always dark. - -When at last the five young ones started out to learn to dig they -followed the mother in single file along the main tunnel. This main -tunnel was long and straight. Its walls were pressed smooth by the -bodies of the old moles in their many journeys to and fro. Branching -off in every direction from the main road there were side tracks -zigzagging and curving hither and thither. These side tracks had been -dug by the parents when they were chasing worms or hunting for grubs -and beetles. - -The babies scampered on to the end of the main tunnel. There the ground -happened to be soft enough for their little claws. They crowded against -one another, and squeaked and twitched their short tails impatiently. -Their pink snouts were already bending and twisting in eagerness to be -a-digging. - -The fattest little fellow was in such a hurry to begin that he did not -wait to be told. He nosed along the wall till he found a good place to -start. Then planting his small hind-feet down flat, to brace himself, -he set his tough snout against the dirt and pushed as hard as he could. -At the same time he dug his claws into the wall and shovelled away with -both his big broad hands. - -There they went—the five babies—digging five little tunnels in five -different directions. The dirt flew thick and fast as they shovelled -it out and tossed it aside. But the specks of eyes were safely hidden -under the fur, and the invisible ears and nostrils were kept closely -covered too. When the dirt clung to their satiny gray fur they shook -it off clean with a quick shrug of the skin. The hairs of the fur grew -straight out, and so it made no difference whether it was rubbed one -way or another. It was never bristly or rough. - -It must have been fun to go scrambling through earth almost as birds -fly through air or fishes swim through water. The moles had such tough -snouts and strong arms and powerful hands that they could burrow better -than any of the other mammals. - -One little mole burrowed on till his arms were so tired that he gave -it up. He crept backward down his new tunnel to the spot where the old -mother was waiting. Another kept on digging faster and faster till he -ran his pink snout bump against a stone, and almost made it bleed. A -third pushed on and on till he reached a patch of slimy mud that caved -in over his back and sent his feet slipping and sprawling. The fourth -dug till he came plump upon a fat white grub curled among some roots of -grass. The little mole gave a jump and gobbled it down quick as a wink. - -The fattest baby burrowed farther and farther till he felt the soil -crumbling above him. Something warm was shining on his gray fur. He -lifted his head and poked his long snout up into the sunlight. He -blinked his twinkling, tiny eyes and sniffed the strange fresh air. But -he stayed there only for a minute, because he did not like it the least -bit. The light dazzled him, and the warmth dried his cool, pink hands -and made his head ache and his snout twitch uneasily. So after that one -disagreeable minute he turned and kicked up his little hind-feet as he -dived back into the moist, cool, dark, delightful places underground. - -After this first lesson in digging the five young moles were running -in and out of the nursery every few hours, night and day. It was easy -enough to burrow away in search of the stupid white grubs or the -beetles lying sleepy and still in the soil; but it was harder and much -more exciting to hunt earthworms, because they always tried to wriggle -off as fast as they could go. - -Then how the dirt flew as the little hunter burrowed madly in pursuit! -Now in this direction, now in that, he chased, pushing with his snout -and tearing with his claws. Once in a while he stopped quiet to listen -and feel the ground for the faint quivering caused by the worm in its -squirming hither and thither. - -An hour or so of such lively work was enough to tire even a stout young -mole. After eating what he had caught, sometimes he ran back to take a -nap on the soft bed in the nursery. Sometimes he lay down in the main -tunnel to rest; but that was not so pleasant, for it seemed as if one -or another of his brothers and sisters was forever trying to scramble -over him. - -The busiest time for hunting was at night, or in the early morning, -because then the worms began to move about after lying quiet all day. -In dry weather the worms went deeper into the ground to find moisture. -In wet weather they wriggled toward the surface, swallowing bits of -dirt as they went. The little moles liked rain best because it was much -easier to push through the light soil above than to tunnel through the -hard ground below. - -After the young ones learned to hunt for their own food it was not -long before they had found and eaten every worm and grub and beetle -anywhere near. The old and new tunnels ran in every direction, curving, -zigzagging, and criss-crossing through the ground. There was hardly a -spot of solid earth under all the grass in that meadow. - -Now and then on cool nights the whole hungry family crept outside and -prowled about, looking for lizards, snails, or frogs. Once in a while -one of them found a dead bird or mouse or small snake. He sprang on it -and tore it to pieces in an instant. The moles always ate as if they -were starving. Drawing back their heads and hunching their backs they -stuffed the food into their mouths with their clawed hands. - -As summer passed on the young moles began to grow discontented. They -were tired of staying at home. They were too big to crowd upon the nest -in the nursery. Whenever two met in any of the narrow tunnels one had -to back into a side track to let the other pass. The water was stagnant -in the wells. Food was getting more and more scarce. Many a time there -was a sound of scratching and fighting in the long dark halls of that -underground home. - -Soon each little mole began to think of having a home of his own, -where there would be nobody else to crowd him, or quarrel with him, or -snatch the best of everything to eat. So presently, one by one, they -wandered away to find pleasanter places. One prowled into a garden, and -tunnelled ridges all over the green lawn. One stumbled into a pond, -but he did not drown, for he could swim with his webbed feet. He swam -across to a small island and dug his house under a bank where he could -catch plenty of frogs. - -The three others strolled into a field that had been freshly ploughed. -The soil was not wet nor hard nor stony, but just what they liked best. -Each one chose a corner, and ran his main tunnel from end to end of the -space to be used for his hunting-ground. - -The five new homes were much like the old one. Each had a domed -underground room with a nest of leaves and grasses in it, and several -outlets to allow escape in case of danger. Each had one or more main -tunnels, with smooth-pressed sides and many zigzag side tracks leading -in all directions. Each one had tiny wells of water, and little -storerooms for the winter supply of earthworms. - -When winter came, and the ground was frozen hard above, each little -mole, alone by himself, dived down into his safe deep nest and stayed -there till early spring softened the soil. Then, livelier than ever, -he shovelled his way out to the surface to find a mate. Soon in every -pleasant little home under the ground there was a new family of soft, -round babies, with their specks of eyes deep hidden in their satiny -gray fur. - - - - -CONCLUSION - - - - -CONCLUSION - - -COUNTLESS years have passed since that day, long, long ago, when the -first tiny living creature began to grow in the new world of rocks -and water. All this time things have been moving and changing. The -earth keeps whizzing around the sun, while the sun itself rushes -blazing through space. Brooks are rippling; rivers are flowing; seas -are rolling their waves against the shores. Now the trees toss their -branches in the wind; now the rain sprinkles down from gray clouds, or -snow drifts silently over the prairie. - -In the spring all the wilderness is green with growing leaves and -flowers and grasses. The world is alive with animals. In the water sea -creatures are feeding in their places, or floating and swimming here -and there. On land there are worms and insects, creeping reptiles and -flying birds. - -From inland ponds beavers scramble ashore in the dusk to nibble fresh -twigs for supper. In southern rivers the manatee crawls over the white -sand among the reeds. On island beaches little seals go paddling in -safe pools. Out at sea great whales glide through the waves. - -On the plains buffalo calves kick up their heels near the grazing -herd. Elk, with ears twitching at every strange sound, wander down -from upland meadows. In the woods rabbits hop away under the bushes. -Little shrews dart from leaf to leaf among the shadows. In wilder spots -pointed noses sniff and bright eyes twinkle from the dens of wolves and -foxes. Bears shuffle softly through the underbrush, and panthers steal -out on tiptoe to their hunting. - -In the trees squirrels scamper from branch to branch. Now and then a -mother opossum trots by with her pocket full of young ones. Bats fly -this way and that in hungry pursuit of insects dancing in the twilight -air. Under the ground moles dig busily after worms. - -All these mammals and, many others live wild in the United States, and -there are many others still, more or less like them, in foreign lands. - - - - -TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: - - Text in italics is surrounded with underscores: _italics_. - - Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - - Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Wilderness Babies, by Julia Augusta Schwartz - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WILDERNESS BABIES *** - -***** This file should be named 55704-0.txt or 55704-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/5/7/0/55704/ - -Produced by David E. 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