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THE BURGESS ANIMAL BOOK
FOR CHILDREN
BOOKS BY
THORNTON W. BURGESS
i.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18
19.
20.
BEDTIME STORY-BOOKS
THE ADVENTURES or REDDY Fox
THE ADVENTURES OP JOHNNY CHUCK
THE ADVENTURES OF PETER COTTONTAIL
THE ADVENTURES OF UNC' BILLY POSSUM
THE ADVENTURES OF MR. MOCKER
THE ADVENTURES OF JERRY MUSKRAT
THE ADVENTURES OF DANNY MEADOW MOUSE
THE ADVENTURES OF GRANDFATHER FROG
THE ADVENTURES OF CHATTERER, THE RED
SQUIRREL
THE ADVENTURES OF SAMMY JAY
THE ADVENTURES OF BUSTER BEAR
THE ADVENTURES OF OLD MR. TOAD
THE ADVENTURES OF PRICKLY PORKY
THE ADVENTURES OF OLD MAN COYOTE
THE ADVENTURES OF PAEDY THE BEAVER
THE ADVENTURES OF POOR MRS. QUACK
THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY COON
THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY SKUNK
THE ADVENTURES OF BOB WHITE
THE ADVENTURES OF OL' MISTAH BUZZARD
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
1.
2.
3.
4.
MOTHER WEST WIND SERIES
OLD MOTHER WEST WIND
MOTHER WEST WIND'S CHILDREN
MOTHER WEST WIND'S ANIMAL FRIENDS
MOTHER WEST WIND'S NEIGHBORS
MOTHER WEST WIND "WHY" STORIES
MOTHER WEST WIND "How" STORIES
MOTHER WEST WIND "WHEN" STORIES
MOTHER WEST WIND "WHERE" STORIES
GREEN MEADOW SERIES
HAPPY JACK
MRS. PETER RABBIT
BOWSER THE HOUND
OLD GRANNY Fox
THE
BURGESS BIRD BOOK
FOR CHILDREN
THE BURGESS ANIMAL BOOK
FOR CHILDREN
I
THUNDERFOOT THE BISON. He is commonly called Buffalo. His race
has been reduced from millions to a few hundreds.
THE
BURGESS ANIMAL BOOK
FOR CHILDREN
BY
THORNTON W. BURGESS
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY
LOUIS AGASSIZ FUERTES
NON-REFERT
EOSTOiT
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY
1920
PUBLIC LIBRARY
TiLDEN FOUNDATJC
Copyright, 1930,
BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.
All rights reserved
Published November, 1920
< c c c
Norfoooti
Set up and electrotyped by J. S. Gushing Co.
Norwood, Mass., U. S. A.
r
TO THE CAUSE OF WILD LIFE IN AMERICA,
ESPECIALLY THE MAMMALS
MANY OF WHICH ARE SERIOUSLY
THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION,
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED.
I
I
PREFACE
THE cordial reception given the Burgess Bird
Book for Children, together with numerous let-
ters to the author asking for information on the
habits and characteristics of many of the mammals
of America, led to the preparation of this volume.
It is offered merely as an introduction to the four-
footed friends, little and big, which form so impor-
tant a part of the wild life of the United States
and Canada.
There has been no attempt to describe or classify
sub-species. That is for the scientist and student
with specific interests. The purpose of this book
is to acquaint the reader with the larger groups
- orders, families, and divisions of the latter,
so that typical representatives may readily be
recognized and their habits understood.
Instead of the word mammal the word animal
has been used throughout as having a better
defined meaning to the average child. A conscien-
tious effort to avoid technical terms and descrip-
tions has been made that there may be nothing
[vii]
Preface
to confuse the young mind. Clarity and simplic-
ity have been the objects kept constantly in view.
At the same time the utmost care to be accurate
in the smallest details has been exercised. To
this end the works of leading authorities on Amer-
ican mammals have been carefully consulted and
compared. No statements which are not con-
firmed by two or more naturalists of recognized
standing have been made.
In this research work the writings of Audubon
and Bacliman, Dr. E. W. Neson, Dr. C. Hart
Merriam, Dr. W. T. Hornaday, Ernest Thompson
Seton and others, together with the bulletins of
the Biological Survey of the Department of Agri-
culture at Washington, have been of the greatest
value. I herewith acknowledge my debt to these.
Whatever the text may lack in clearness of
description will be amply compensated for by
the wonderful drawings in color and black-and-
white by Mr. Louis Agassiz Fuertes, the artist-
naturalist, whose hearty cooperation has been a
source of great help to me. These drawings
were made especially for this book and add in no
small degree to such value as it may possess.
If the reading of these pages shall lead even a
few to an active interest in our wild animals,
stimulating a desire to preserve and protect a
priceless heritage from the past which a heedless
[...-.
vm]
Preface
present threatens through wanton and reckless
waste to deny the future, the labor will have been
well worth while.
Only through intimate acquaintance may un-
derstanding of the animals in their relations to
each other and to man be attained. To serve
as a medium for this purpose this book has been
written. As such I offer it to the children of
America, conscious of its shortcomings yet hopeful
that it will prove of some value in acquainting
them with their friends and mine - the animals
of field and wood, of mountain and desert, in the
truest sense the first citizens of America.
THORNTON W. BURGESS
[ix]
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
PREFACE ......... vii
I JENNY WREN GIVES PETER RABBIT AN IDEA . . 1
Peter arranges to go to school to Old Mother
Nature.
n PETER AND JUMPER Go TO SCHOOL ... 9
The Cottontail Rabbit, Northern Hare and Marsh
Rabbit.
in MORE OF PETER'S LONG-LEGGED COUSINS . . 18
The Swamp Hare, Arctic Hare, Prairie Hare,
Antelope Jack and common Jack Rabbit.
IV CHATTERER AND HAPPY JACK JOIN . . . 27
The Squirrel family and order of Rodents.
V THE SQUIRRELS OF THE TREES .... 36
The Red, Gray, Fox, Kaibab and Abert Squirrels.
VI STRIPED CHIPMUNK AND His COUSINS . . .46
The Chipmunk, Spermophiles and Flying Squirrel.
VII JOHNNY CHUCK JOINS THE CLASS . . .56
The Woodchuck and his ways.
VEU WHISTLER AND YAP YAP 65
The Whistling or Hoary Marmot and Prairie Dogs.
IX Two QUEER LITTLE HAYMAKERS .... 73
The Pika or Cony and the Mountain Beaver or
Sewellel.
X PRICKLY PORKY AND GRUBBY GOPHER ... 82
Introducing the Porcupine and Pocket Gopher.
[xi]
Contents
CHAPTER PAGE
XI A FELLOW WITH A THOUSAND SPEAKS . . 90
More about the Porcupine.
XII A LUMBERMAN AND ENGINEER .... 99
The Beaver and his works.
XHI A WORKER AND A ROBBER . . . .
The Muskrat and the Brown or Norway Rat.
XIV A TRADER AND A HANDSOME FELLOW . .120
The Cotton Rat, Wood or Pack Rat and the
Kangaroo Rat.
XV Two UNLIKE LITTLE COUSINS . . . .129
Whitefoot the Wood or Deer Mouse and Danny
Meadow Mouse, also called Field Mouse.
XVI DANNY'S NORTHERN COUSINS AND NIMBLEHEELS 141
The Banded and Brown Lemmings and the Jump-
ing Mouse.
XVII THREE LITTLE REDCOATS AND SOME OTHERS . 150
The Pine Mouse, Red-backed Mouse, Rufous Tree
Mouse, Rock Mouse and Beach Mouse.
XVIII MICE WITH POCKETS, AND OTHERS . . . 158
The Silky and Spiny Pocket Mice, Grasshopper
Mouse, Harvest Mouse and House Mouse.
XIX TEENY WEENY AND His COUSIN . . .166
The Common or Long-tailed Shrew or Shrew
Mouse, Short-tailed Shrew or Mole Shrew
and Marsh or Water Shrew.
XX FOUR BUSY LITTLE MINERS .... 173
The Common Mole, Brewer's or Hairy-tailed Mole,
Oregon Mole and Star-nosed Mole.
XXI FLITTER THE BAT AND His FAMILY . . . 183
The Red Bat, Little Brown or Cave Bat, Big
Brown or House Bat, Silvery Bat, Hoary Bat
and Big-eared Bat.
[xiil
Contents
CHAPTER
PAGE
XXII
xxin
xxv
XXVI
xxvn
xxvni
AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY . . . . .193
The Common Skunk, Hog-nosed or Badger
Skunk and Little Spotted Skunk.
DIGGER AND His COUSIN GLUTTON .
The Badger and Wolverine or Carcajou.
203
XXIV SHADOW AND His FAMILY
The Common or Bonaparte Weasel or Ermine,
New York Weasel, Long-tailed or Yellow-
bellied Weasel, Least Weasel and Black-
footed Ferret.
XXIX
XXX
XXXI
BOBBY COON ARRIVES
The Raccoon and the Civet or Ring-tailed Cat,
also called Coon Cat and Bassaris.
[ xiii ]
211
218
Two FAMOUS SWIMMERS .
Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter.
SPITE THE MARTEN AND PEKAN THE FISHER . 229
The Pine Marten or American Sable and the
Fisher or Pennant Marten.
REDDY Fox JOINS THE SCHOOL . . . 235
The Red, Black and Silver Foxes, Gray Fox,
Kit Fox or Swift, Desert Fox, Arctic and
Blue Foxes.
OLD MAN COYOTE AND HOWLER THE WOLF . 248
The Prairie Wolf or Coyote and the Timber or
Gray Wolf.
YOWLER AND HlS COUSIN TUFTY . 255
The Bay Lynx or Bob Cat and the Canada
Lynx or Lucivee.
SOME BIG AND LITTLE CAT COUSINS . 263
Puma the Panther, also called Cougar and
Mountain Lion, the Jaguar, the Ocelot
and the Jaguarundi Cat or Eyra.
268
Contents
CHAPTER PAGE
XXXII BUSTER BEAR NEARLY BREAKS UP SCHOOL . 277
The Black Bear and his habits.
XXXm BUSTER BEAR'S BIG COUSINS .... 287
Silvertip, the Grizzly Bear, the Alaska or Great
Brown Bear and the Polar Bear.
XXXIV UNC' BILLY AND OLD MRS. POSSUM . . 294
The Virginia Opossum, which is the only Ameri-
can Marsupial.
XXXV LIGHTFOOT, BLACKTAIL AND FORKHORN . . 302
The White-tailed or Virginia Deer, Black-tailed
Deer and Mule Deer.
XXXVI BUGLER, FLATHORNS AND WANDERHOOF . . 314
The Elk or Wapiti, Moose and Caribou.
XXXVII THUNDERFOOT, FLEETFOOT AND LONGCOAT . 323
The Buffalo or Bison, Antelope and Musk Ox.
XXXVUI Two WONDERFUL MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS . .331
The Rocky Mountain Sheep or Bighorn and the
Rocky Mountain Goat.
XXXIX PIGGY AND HARDSHELL 338
The Peccary or Wild Pig and the Armadillo.
XL THE MAMMALS OF THE SEA .... 346
The Sea Otter, Walrus, Sea Lions, Seals and
Manatee or Sea Cow.
INDEX 355
[xiv]
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Thunderfoot the Bison . . . . Frontispiece
PAGE
Peter Rabbit ........ 6
Jumper the Hare ........ 6
The Marsh Rabbit 14
Snow White the Arctic Hare 22
Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel 30
Rusty the Fox Squirrel ...... 30
Jack Rabbit 38
The California Ground Squirrel ..... 38
Tiramy the Flying Squirrel ...... 46
Chatterer the Red Squirrel 46
Striped Chipmunk . 54
Seek Seek the Spermophile . . . .' . .54
Johnny Chuck . . . . . . .62
Whistler the Hoary Marmot 62
Yap Yap the Prairie Dog . . . . . .70
Grubby the Pocket Gopher . . . . 70
Little Chief the Pika . 78
Stubtail the Mountain Beaver . . . . .78
Prickly Porky the Porcupine ..... 86
Paddy the Beaver 94
Jerry Muskrat 102
Whitefoot the Wood Mouse . . . . .110
Trader the Wood Rat 110
The Brown Lemming . . . . . . .118
Nimbleheels the Jumping Mouse . . 126
[XV]
List of Illustrations
PAGE
Danny j.ii.eadow Mouse 126
Nibbler the House Mouse 134
Robber the Brown Rat 134
Longfoot the Kangaroo Rat . . ~ . . . .142
Digger the Badger .' 142
Teeny Weeny the Shrew . . . . ,\ .150
The Short- tailed Shrew 150
Miner the Mole 158
The Star-nosed Mole 158
Flitter the Bat 166
The Little Brown Bat 166
The Little Spotted Skunk . . . . .174
Jimmy Skunk 174
Billy Mink 182
Shadow the Weasel 182
The Black-footed Ferret 190
Glutton the Wolverine . . .C . . .198
Pekan the Fisher . . . ' . . . 198
Spite the Marten 206
Little Joe Otter . 206
Reddy Fox . . . . . . . . . 214
The Gray Fox . .214
The Arctic Fox . . 222
The Blue Fox 222
Howler the Wolf 230
Old Man Coyote . .230
Tufty the Lynx . 238
Yowler the Bob Cat 238
Puma the Panther 246
The Jaguar 254
The Ring-tailed or Civet Cat . . . . .262
Bobby Coon . . . \ 270
Unc' Billy Possum 270
Buster Bear the Black Bear 278
[xvi]
List of Illustrations
PAGE
Silvertip the Grizzly Bear ...... 286
Bigfoot the Alaskan Brown Bear 294
Snow King the Polar Bear .302
Lightfoot the Deer . . . . . . .310
Forkhorn the Mule Deer 310
Bugler the Elk .318
Flathorns the Moose 326
Wanderhoof the Caribou ...... 330
Fleetfoot the Antelope ....... 334
Longcoat the Musk Ox 338
Bighorn the Mountain Sheep 342
Billy the Mountain Goat 342
Piggy the Collared Peccary ...... 346
Hardshell the Armadillo . 350
[ xvii ]
THE BURGESS ANIMAL
BOOK FOR CHILDREN
CHAPTER I
JENNY WREN GIVES PETER RABBIT AN IDEA
"As sure as you 're alive now, Peter Rabbit,
some day I will catch you," snarled Reddy Fox,
as he poked his black nose in the hole between the
roots of the Big Hickory-tree which grows close to
the Smiling Pool. 'It is lucky for you that you
were not one jump farther away from this hole."
Peter, safe inside that hole, did n't have a word
to say, or, if he did, he did n't have breath enough
to say it. It was quite true that if he had been one
jump farther from that hole, Reddy Fox would
have caught him. As it was, the hairs on Peter's
funny white tail actually had tickled Reddy's
black nose as Peter plunged frantically through
the root-bound entrance to that hole. It had
been the narrowest escape Peter had had for a
long, long time. You see, Reddy Fox had sur-
prised Peter nibbling sweet clover on the bank
of the Smiling Pool, and it had been a lucky thing
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
for Peter that that hole, dug long ago by Johnny
Chuck's grandfather, had been right where it
was. Also, it was a lucky thing that old Mr.
Chuck had been wise enough to make the entrance
between the roots of that tree in such a way that
it could not be dug any larger.
Reddy % Fox was too shrewd to waste any time
trying to dig it larger. He knew there was n't
room enough for him to get between those roots.
So, after trying to make Peter as uncomfortable
as possible by telling him what he, Reddy, would
do to him when he did catch him, Reddy trotted off
across the Green Meadows. Peter remained where
he was for a long time. When he was quite sure
that it was safe to do so, he crept out and hurried,
lipperty-lipperty-lip, up to the Old Orchard. He
felt that that would be the safest place for him,
because there were ever so many hiding places in
the old stone wall along the edge of it.
When Peter reached the Old Orchard, who
should he see but Jenny Wren. Jenny had ar-
rived that very morning from the Sunny South
where she had spent the winter. 'Tut, tut, tut,
tut, tut!' exclaimed Jenny, as soon as she saw
Peter. ' If here is n't Peter Rabbit himself !
How ever did you manage to keep out of the
clutches of Reddy Fox all the long winter ? '
Peter chuckled. "I did n't have much trouble
[2]
Jenny Wren Gives Peter Rabbit an Idea
with Reddy during the winter," said he, "but this
very morning he so nearly caught me that it is a
wonder that my hair is not snow white from fright."
Then he told Jenny all about his narrow escape.
"Had it not been for that handy hole of Grand-
father Chuck, I could n't possibly have escaped,"
concluded Peter.
Jenny Wren cocked her pert little head on one
side, and her sharp little eyes snapped. 'Why
don't you learn to swim, Peter, like your cousin
down in the Sunny South?' she demanded. 'If
he had been in your place, he would simply have
plunged into the Smiling Pool and laughed at
Reddy Fox."
Peter sat bolt upright with his eyes very wide
open. In them was a funny look of surprise as he
stared up at Jenny Wren. 'What are you talking
about, Jenny Wren ? ' he demanded. ' Don't you
know that none of the Rabbit family swim unless
it is to cross the Laughing Brook when there is no
other way of getting to the other side, or when
actually driven into the water by an enemy from
whom there is no other escape ? I can swim a
little if I have to, but you don't catch me in the
water when I can stay on land. What is more, you
won't find any other members of my family doing
such a thing."
"Tut, tut, tut, tut, Peter!' exclaimed Jenny
[3]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Wren in her sharp, scolding voice. "Tut, tut,
tut, tut ! For a fellow who has been so curious
about the ways of his feathered neighbors, you
know very little about your own family. If I were
in your place I would learn about my own relatives
before I became curious about my neighbors. How
many relatives have you, Peter ? '
"One," replied Peter promptly, "my big cousin,
Jumper the Hare."
Jenny Wren threw back her head and laughed
and laughed and laughed. It was a most irritat-
ing and provoking laugh. Finally Peter began
to lose patience. 'What are you laughing at?'
he demanded crossly. You know very well that
Jumper the Hare is the only cousin I have."
Jenny Wren laughed harder than ever.
'Peter!' she gasped. 'Peter, you will be the
death of me. Why, down in the Sunny South,
where I spent the winter, you have a cousin who
is more closely related to you than Jumper the
Hare. And what is more, he is almost as fond
of the water as Jerry Muskrat. He is called the
Marsh Rabbit or Marsh Hare, and many a time
I have watched him swimming about by the hour.' :
I don't believe it!' declared Peter angrily.
I don't believe a word of it. You are simply
trying to fool me, Jenny Wren. There never was a
Rabbit and there never will be a Rabbit who would
[4]
tt
(t
Jenny Wren Gives Peter Rabbit an Idea
go swimming for the fun of it. I belong to the
Cottontail branch of the Hare family, and it is a
fine family if I do say so. My cousin Jumper is a
true Hare, and the only difference between us is
that he is bigger, has longer legs and ears, changes
the color of his coat in winter, and seldom, if ever,
goes into holes in the ground. The idea of trying
to tell me I don't know about my own relatives."
Jenny Wren suddenly became sober. 'Peter,"
said she very earnestly, 'take my advice and go
to school to Old Mother Nature for a while.
What I have told you is true, every word of it.
You have a cousin down in the Sunny South who
spends half his time in the water. What is more,
I suspect that you and Jumper have other relatives
of whom you Ve never heard. Such ignorance
would be laughable if it were not to be pitied.
This is what comes of never having traveled. Go
to school to Old Mother Nature for 'a while, Peter.
It will pay you." With this, Jenny Wren flew
away to hunt for Mr. Wren that they might de-
cide where to make their home for the summer.
Peter tried to believe that what Jenny Wren
had told him was nothing but a story, but do what
he would, he could n't rid himself of a little doubt.
He tried to interest himself in the affairs of the
other little people of the Old Orchard, but it was
useless. That little doubt kept growing and grow-
[5]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
ing. Could it be possible that Jenny Wren had
spoken the truth? Could it be that he really
did n't know what relatives he had or anything
about them ? Of course Old Mother Nature could
tell him all he wanted to know. And he knew
that whatever she might tell him would be true.
Finally that growing doubt, together with the
curiosity which has led Peter to do so many queer
things, proved too much for him and he started
for the Green Forest to look for Old Mother
Nature. It did n't take long to find her. She
was very busy, for there is no time in all the year
when Old Mother Nature has quite so much to do
as in the spring.
'If you please, Old Mother Nature," said Peter
timidly but very politely, 'I 've some questions
I want to ask you."
Old Mother Nature's eyes twinkled in a kindly
way. 'All right, Peter," she replied. 'I guess
I can talk and work at the same time. What is it
you want to know ? '
'I want to know if it is true that there are any
other members of the Rabbit and the Hare family
besides my big cousin, Jumper, who lives here in
the Green Forest, and myself."
Old Mother Nature's eyes twinkled more than
ever. "Why, of course, Peter," she replied.
'There are several other members. You ought
[6]
PETER RABBIT. The familiar Cottontail Rabbit whom everybody knows and
loves.
JUMPER THE HARE. The Northern or Varying Hare in summer and winter
coat.
Jenny Wren Gives Peter Rabbit an Idea
to know that. But then, I suppose you don't
because you never have traveled. It is surprising
how little some folks know about the very things
they ought to know most about."
Peter looked very humble and as if he felt a little
bit foolish. "Is - - is - is it true that way down
in the Sunny South I have a cousin who loves to
spend his time in the water?" stammered Peter.
"It certainly is, Peter," replied Old Mother
Nature. 'He is called the Marsh Rabbit, and he
is more nearly your size, and looks more like you,
than any of your other cousins."
Peter gulped as if he were swallowing something
that went down hard. That is what Jenny
Wren said, but I did n't believe her," replied
Peter meekly. 'She said she had often watched
him swimming about like Jerry Muskrat."
Old Mother Nature nodded. 'Quite true.
Quite true," said she. 'He is quite as much at
home in the water as on land, if anything a little
more so. He is one member of the family who
takes to the water, and he certainly does love it.
Is there anything else you want to know, Peter?'
Peter shifted about uneasily and hesitated.
"What is it, Peter?" asked Old Mother Nature
kindly. There is nothing in the Great World
equal to knowledge, and if I can add to your
store of it I will be very glad to."
[7]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Peter took heart. 'If if you please, Mother
Nature, I would like to learn all about my family.
May I come to school to you every day ? '
Old Mother Nature laughed right out. "Cer-
tainly you may come to school to me, old Mr.
Curiosity," said she. ' It is a good idea; a very
good idea. I 'm very busy, as you can see, but
I 'm never too busy to teach those who really want
to learn. We '11 have a lesson over here every
morning just at sun-up. I can't be bothered
any more to-day, because it is late. Run along
home to the dear Old Briar-patch and think up
some questions to ask me to-morrow morning.
And, by the way, Peter, I will ask you some ques-
tions. For one thing I shall ask you to tell me all
you know about your own family. Now scamper
along and be here to-morrow morning at sun-up."
'May I bring my cousin, Jumper the Hare, if
he wants to come?' asked Peter, as he prepared
to obey Old Mother Nature.
"Bring him along and any one else who wants
to learn," replied Old Mother Nature kindly.
Peter bade her good-by in his most polite manner
and then scampered as fast as he could go, lipperty-
lipperty-lip, to the dear Old Briar-patch. There
he spent the remainder of the day thinking up
questions and also trying to find out how much
he really did know about his own family.
[8]
C<
ff
CHAPTER II
PETER AND JUMPER GO TO SCHOOL
HARDLY had jolly, round, red Mr. Sun thrown
off his rosy blankets and begun his daily climb
up in the blue, blue sky when Peter Rabbit and
his cousin, Jumper the Hare, arrived at the place
in the Green Forest where Peter had found Old
Mother Nature the day before. She was waiting
for them, ready to begin the first lesson.
I am glad you are so prompt," said she.
Promptness is one of the most important things
in life. Now I am very, very busy these days,
as you know, so we will begin school at once.
Before either of you ask any questions^ I am going
to ask some myself. Peter, what do you look like ?
Where do you live? What do you eat? I want
to find out just how much you really known about
yourself."
Peter scratched one ear with a long hind foot
and hesitated as if he did n't know just how to
begin. Old Mother Nature waited patiently.
Finally Peter began rather timidly.
[9]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
4 Of course," said he, "the only way I know how
I look is by the way the other members of my
family look, for I 've never seen myself. I sup-
pose in a way I look like all the rest of the Rabbit
family. I have long hind legs and short front
ones. I suppose this is so I can make long jumps
when I am in a hurry. "
Old Mother Nature nodded, and Peter, taking
courage, continued. 'My hind legs are stout
and strong, but my front ones are rather weak.
I guess this is because I do not have a great deal
of use for them, except for running. My coat is
a sort of mixture of brown and gray, more brown
in summer and more gray in winter. My ears are
longer for my size than are those of most animals,
but really not very long after all, not nearly as
long for my size as my cousin Jumper's are for
his size. My tail does n't amount to much be-
cause it is so short that it is hardly worth calling
a tail. It is so short I carry it straight up. It is
white like a little bunch of cotton, and I suppose
that that is why I am called a Cottontail Rabbit,
though I have heard that some folks call me a
Gray Rabbit and others a Bush Rabbit. I guess
I 'm called Bush Rabbit because I like bushy
country in which to live.
"I live in the dear Old Briar-patch and just
love it. It is a mass of bushes and bramble-
[10]
Peter and Jumper Go to School
tangles, and is the safest place I know of. I have
cut little paths all through it just big enough for
Mrs. Peter and myself. None of our enemies can
w
get at us there, excepting Shadow the Weasel
or Billy Mink. I have a sort of nest there where
I spend my time when I am not running about.
It is called a form and I sit in it a great deal.
'In summer I eat clover, grass and other green
things, and I just love to get over into Farmer
Brown's garden. In winter I have to take what
I can get, and this is mostly bark from young
trees, buds and tender twigs of bushes, and any
green plants I can find under the snow. I can
run fast for a short distance, but only for a short
distance. That is why I like thick brush and
bramble-tangles. There I can dodge. I don't
know any one who can beat me at dodging. If
Reddy Fox or Bowser the Hound surprises me
away from the dear Old Briar-patch I run for the
nearest hollow log or hole in the ground. Some-
times in summer I dig a hole for myself, but not
often. It is much easier to use a hole somebody
else has dug. When I want to signal my friends
I thump the ground with my hind feet. Jumper
does the same thing. I forgot to say I don't
like water."
Old Mother Nature smiled. You are think-
ing of that cousin of yours, the Marsh Rabbit
mi
The Burgess Animal Boole for Children
who lives way down in the Sunny South," said
she.
Peter looked a wee bit foolish and admitted that
he was. Jumper the Hare was all interest at
once. You see, he had never heard of this cousin.
'That was a very good account of yourself,
Peter," said Old Mother Nature. "Now take a
look at your cousin, Jumper the Hare, and tell
me how he differs from you."
Peter took a long look at Jumper, and then, as
before, scratched one ear with a long hind foot.
'In the first place," said he, 'Jumper is con-
siderably bigger than I. He has very long hind
legs and his ears are very long. In summer he
wears a brown coat, but in winter he is all white
but the tips of those long ears, and those are black.
Because his coat changes so, he is called the
Varying Hare. He likes the Green Forest where
the trees grow close together, especially those
places where there are a great many young trees.
He 's the biggest member of our family. I guess
that 's all I know about Cousin Jumper."
: That is very good, Peter, as far as it goes,"
said Old Mother Nature. You have made only
one mistake. Jumper is not the biggest of his
family."
Both Peter and Jumper opened their eyes very
wide with surprise. "Also," continued Old
.[12]
Peter and Jumper Go to School
Mother Nature, "you forgot to mention the fact
that Jumper never hides in hollow logs and holes
in the ground as you do. Why don't you,
Jumper ? '
\ "I wouldn't feel safe there," replied Jumper
rather timidly. "I depend on my long legs for
safety, and the way I can dodge around trees and
bushes. I suppose Reddy Fox may be fast enough
to catch me in the open, but he can't do it where
I can dodge around trees and bushes. That is
why I stick to the Green Forest. If you please,
Mother Nature, what is this about a cousin who
likes to swim ? '
Old Mother Nature's eyes twinkled. "We'll
get to that later on," said she. 'Now, each of
you hold up a hind foot and tell me what differ-
ence you see."
Peter and Jumper each held up a hind foot and
each looked first at his own and then at the other's.
"They look to me very much alike, only Jumper's
is a lot longer and bigger than mine," said Peter.
Jumper nodded as if he agreed.
"What's the matter with your eyes?' de-
manded Old Mother Nature. "Don't you see
that Jumper's foot is a great deal broader than
yours, Peter, and that his toes are spread apart,
while yours are close together ? '
Peter and Jumper looked sheepish, for it was
[13]
cc
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
just as Old Mother Nature had said. Jumper's
foot really was quite different from that of Peter.
Peter's was narrow and slim.
: That is a very important difference," de-
clared Old Mother Nature. 'Can you guess
why I gave you those big feet, Jumper?'
Jumper slowly shook hisihead. 'Not unless
it was to make me different," Said he.
I 'm surprised," said Old Mother Nature.
Yes, indeed, I 'm surprised. You ought to
know by this time that I never give anybody
anything without a purpose. What happens to
those big feet of yours in the winter, Jumper?'
'Nothing that I know of, excepting that the
hair grows out long between my toes," Jumper
replied.
"Exactly," snapped Old Mother Nature. "And
when the hair does this you can travel over light
snow without sinking in. It is just as if you had
snowshoes. That is why you are often called a
Snowshoe Rabbit. I gave you those big feet and
make the hair grow out every winter because I
know that you depend on your legs to get away
from your enemies. You can run over the deep
snow where your enemies break through. Peter,
though he is smaller and lighter than you are,
cannot go where you can. But Peter does n't
need to depend always on his legs to save his life.
. [14]
THE MARSH RABBIT. This cousin of Peter Rabbit is a famous swimmer.
Peter and Jumper Go to School
There is one thing more that I want you both to
notice, and that is that you both have quite a
lot of short hairs on the soles of your feet. That
is where you differ from that cousin of yours down
in the Sunny South. He has only a very few
hairs on his feet. That is so he can swim better.' 1
'If you please, Mother Nature, why is that
cousin of ours so fond of the water?' piped
up Peter.
"Because," replied Old Mother Nature, "he
lives in marshy country where there is a great deal
of water. He is very nearly the same size as you,
Peter, and looks very much like you. But his
legs are not quite so long, his ears are a little
smaller, and his tail is brownish instead of white.
He is a poor runner and so in time of danger he
takes to the water. For that matter, he goes
swimming for pleasure. The water is warm down
there, and he dearly loves to paddle about in it.
If a Fox chases him he simply plunges into the
water and hides among the water plants with only
his eyes and his nose out of water.' 1
'Does he make his home in the water like Jerry
Muskrat?' asked Peter innocently.
Mother Nature smiled and shook her head.
'Certainly not," she replied. 'His home is on
the ground. His babies are born in a nest made
just as Mrs. Peter makes her nest for your babies,
[ 15 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
and Mrs. Jumper makes a nest for Jumper's
babies. It is made of grass and lined with soft
fur which Mrs. Rabbit pulls from her own breast,
and it is very carefully hidden. By the way,
Peter, how do your babies differ from the babies
of your Cousin Jumper ? '
Peter shook his head. 'I don't know," said
he. "My babies don't have their eyes open when
they are born, and they have n't any hair."
Jumper pricked up his long ears. 'What 's
that?' said he. 'Why, my babies have their
eyes open and have the dearest little fur coats !'
Old Mother Nature chuckled. "That 's the
difference," said she. 'I guess both of you have
learned something."
: You said a little while ago that Jumper is n't
the biggest of our family," said Peter. 'If you
please, who is ?'
'There are several bigger than Jumper," re-
plied Old Mother Nature, and smiled as she saw
the funny look of surprise on the faces of Peter
and Jumper. "There is oneway up in the Frozen
North and there are two cousins way out in the
Great West. They are as much bigger than
Jumper as Jumper is bigger than you, Peter.
But I have n't time to tell you about them now.
If you really want to learn about them, be here
promptly at sun-up to-morrow morning. Hello !
[16]
Peter and Jumper Go to School
Here comes Reddy Fox, and he looks to me as
if a good breakfast would not come amiss. Let
me see what you have learned about taking care
of yourselves."
Peter and Jumper gave one startled look in the
direction Mother Nature was pointing. Sure
enough, there was Reddy Fox. Not far away was
a hollow log. Peter wasted no time in getting
to it. In fact, he left in such a hurrv that he
* t/
forgot to say good-by to Old Mother Nature.
But she did n't mind, for she quite understood
Peter's feelings, and she laughed when she saw
his funny little white tail disappear inside the
hollow log. As for Jumper, he promptly took
to his long legs and disappeared with great bounds,
Reddy Fox racing after him.
[17]
CHAPTER III
MORE OF PETER'S LONG-LEGGED COUSINS
AT sun-up the next morning Peter Rabbit and
Jumper the Hare were on hand promptly for their
next lesson. Old Mother Nature smiled as she
saw the eager curiosity shining in their eyes. She
didn't wait for them to ask questions. Yester-
day," said she, 'I told you about your water-
loving cousin, the Marsh Rabbit. You have
another relative down there in the Sunny South
who is almost as fond of the water. Some folks
call him the Swamp Rabbit. Others call him the
Swamp Hare. The latter is really the best name
for him, because he is a true Hare. He lives in
swamps instead of marshes, but he is a splendid
swimmer and fond of the water. When he is
chased by an enemy he makes for the nearest pond
or stream.' 1
" How big is he ? ' asked Jumper.
"Just about your size, Jumper," replied Old
Mother Nature. "If anything, he is a little bit
heavier. But because his hair lies much smoother
[18]
More of Peter's Long-Legged Cousins
than yours, you probably would look a little bit
bigger if you were sitting beside him. As with
his cousin, the Marsh Rabbit, the hair on his feet
is thin. His toes are rather long and he can
spread them widely, which is a great help in
swimming. He does n't have to take to the water
as his little cousin does, for he is a very good
runner. But he does take to it as the easiest way
of getting rid of those who are chasing him. The
Marsh Rabbit and the Swamp Hare are the only
members of your family in aH the Great World
who are fond of the water and who are at home
in it. Now, who shall I tell you about ? '
'Our biggest cousins," cried Peter and Jumper
together. 'The ones you told us yesterday are
bigger than Jumper," added Peter. 'It is hard
to believe that there can be any much bigger than
he."
Old Mother Nature's eyes twinkled. 'It is
often hard to believe things you know nothing
about," said she. 'Compared with these other
relatives, Jumper really is n't big at all. He
seems big to you, Peter, but if he should meet
his cousin, Snow White the Arctic Hare, who
lives way up in the Frozen North, I am quite sure
Jumper would feel small. Snow White looks very
much like Jumper in his winter coat, for he is all
white save the tips of his ears, which are black."
[19]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
6 Does he wear a white coat all year round ? '
asked Peter eagerly.
'When he lives so far north that there is snow
and ice for most of the year, he does," replied Old
Mother Nature. 'But when he lives far enough
south for the snow to disappear for a little while
in the summer, he changes his white coat for one
of gray."
* But how can he live so far north that the snow
and ice seldom melt?' asked Peter, looking very
much puzzled. 'What can he find to eat ?'
' Even way up there there is moss growing under
the snow. And in the short summer other plants
grow. During the long winter Snow White digs
down through the snow to get these. He also
eats the bark and twigs of little stunted trees.
But big as he is, you have a cousin who is still
bigger, the biggest of all the family."
Who is he ?*' Jumper and Peter cried together.
He is called White-tailed Jack," replied Old
Mother Nature. "And he lives chiefly on the
great plains of the Northwest, though sometimes
he is found in the mountains and forests. He is
sometimes called the Prairie Hare. In winter
his coat is white, but in summer it is a light brown.
Summer or winter his tail is white, wherein he is
much like you, Peter. It is because of this that
he is called White-tailed Jack."
[20]
6t
((
More of Peter's Long-Legged Cousins
'Is his tail as short as mine?' asked Peter
eagerly.
Old Mother Nature laughed right out. "No,
Peter," he replied. 'It wouldn't be called a
long tail by any other animal, but for a member
of your family it really is long, and when White-
tailed Jack is running he switches it from side
to side. His hind legs are very long and powerful,
and he can make a single jump of twenty feet with-
out half trying. Not even Old Man Coyote can
catch him in a straightaway race. You think
Jumper's ears are long, Peter, but they are short
compared to the ears of White-tailed Jack. Not
only are his ears long, but they are very big.
When he squats in his form and lays his ears back
they reach way over his shoulders. Like the
other members of the Hare family he does n't
use holes in the ground or hollow logs. He trusts
to his long legs and to his wonderful speed to es-
cape from his enemies. Among the latter are
Howler the Wolf, Old Man Coyote, Eagles, Hawks
and Owls. He is so big that he would make
five or six of you, Peter.'
Peter drew a long breath. 'It is dreadfully
hard to believe that I can have a cousin as big as
that," he exclaimed. 'But of course if you say
it is so, it is so," he hastened to add. 'Have I
any other cousins anywhere near as big?'
[21]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Old Mother Nature nodded. 'There are some
others very like White-tailed Jack, only not quite
as big," said she. : They have just such long
hind legs, and just such great ears, but their coats
are different, and they live on the great plains
farther south. Some of them live so far south
that it is warm all the year round. One of these
latter is Antelope Jack, whose home is in the
Southwest.' 1
"Tell us about him," begged Peter.
"To begin with," replied Old Mother Nature,
'he is a member of the big Jack Rabbit or Jack
Hare branch of your family. None of this branch
should be called a Rabbit. All the members are
first cousins to Jumper and are true Hares. All
have big ears, long, rather thin necks, and long
legs. Even their front legs are comparatively
long. Antelope Jack is probably next in size
to White-tailed Jack. Strange to say, although
he lives where it is warm for most of the year, his
coat is very largely white. His back is a yellowish-
brown and so is his throat. But his sides are
white. The surprising thing about him is that
he has the power of making himself seem almost
wholly white. He can make the white hair spread
out at will by means of some special little muscles
which I have given him, so that the white of his
sides at times almost seems to meet on his back.
n
SNOW WHITE THE ARCTIC HARE. Here he is at home with his
friends in the far North.
M ore of Peter's Long-Legged Cousins
When he does this in the sun it makes flashes
of white which can be seen a long way. By means
of this Antelope Jack and his friends can keep
track of each other when they are a long distance
apart. There is only one other animal who can
flash signals in this way, and that is the Antelope
of whom I will tell you some other time. It is be-
cause Jack flashes signals in this way that he is
called Antelope Jack. In his habits he is other-
wise much like the other members of his family.
He trusts to his long legs and his wonderful
powers of jumping to keep him out of danger.
He is not as well known as his commoner cousin,
plain Jack Rabbit. Everybody knows Jack
Rabbit."
Peter shook his head. 'I don't," said he very
meekly.
'Then it is time you did," replied Old Mother
Nature. 'If you had ever been in the Far West
you would know him. Everybody out there knows
him. He is n't quite as big as Antelope Jack but
still he is a big fellow. He wears a brownish coat
much like Jumper's, and the tips of his long ears
are black. His tail is longer than Jumper's, and
when he runs he carries it down."
'I don't carry mine down," Peter piped up.
Old Mother Nature laughed right out. "True
enough, Peter, true enough," said she. "You
[ 23 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
could n't if you wanted to. It is n't long enough
to carry any way but up. Jack has more of a tail
than you have, just as he has longer legs. My,
how he can run ! He goes with great bounds and
about every tenth bound he jumps very high.
This is so that he can get a good look around to
watch out for enemies."
' Who are his enemies ? ' asked Peter.
'Foxes, Coyotes, Hawks, Eagles, Owls, Weasels,
and men," replied Old Mother Nature. "In fact,
he has about as many enemies as you have."
'I suppose when you say men, you mean
hunters," said Peter.
Old Mother Nature nodded. Yes," said she,
'I mean those who hunt him for fun and those
who hunt him to get rid of him."
Peter pricked up his ears. 'What do they
want to get rid of him for ? What harm does he
do?' he asked.
'When he lives far away from the homes of
men he does no harm," replied Old Mother Nature.
'But when he lives near the homes of men he
gets into mischief, just as you do when you visit
Farmer Brown's garden." Old Mother Nature
looked very severe when she said this and Peter
hung his head.
'I know I ought to keep away from that gar-
den," said Peter very meekly, "but you have no
[24]
More of Peter's Long-Legged Cousins
idea what a temptation it is. The things in that
garden do taste so good."
Old Mother Nature turned her head to hide the
twinkle in her eyes. When she turned toward
Peter again her face was severe as before. ' That is
no excuse, Peter Rabbit," said she. " You should be
sufficiently strong-minded not to yield to tempta-
tion. Yielding to temptation is the cause of most
of the trouble in this world. It has made man an
enemy to Jack Rabbit. Jack just cannot keep
away from the crops planted by men. His family
is very large, and when a lot of them get together
in a field of clover or young wheat, or in a young
orchard where the bark on the trees is tender and
sweet, they do so much damage that the owner
is hardly to be blamed for becoming angry and
seeking to kill them. Yes, I am sorry to say,
Jack Rabbit becomes a terrible nuisance wiien he
goes where he has no business. Now I guess you
have learned sufficient about your long-legged
cousins. I 've a great deal to do, so skip along
home, both of you."
'If you please, Mother Nature, may we come
again to-morrow ? ' asked Peter.
"What for?" demanded Old Mother Nature.
' Have n't you learned enough about your family ? '
Yes," replied Peter, 'but there are lots and
lots of things I would like to know about other
[25]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
people. If you please, I would like to coine to
school to you every day. You see, the more I
learn about my. neighbors, the better able I will
be to take care of myself."
"All right, Mr. Curiosity," replied Old Mother
Nature good-naturedly, 'come again to-morrow
morning. I would n't for the world deny any one
who is really seeking for knowledge."
So Peter and Jumper politely bade her good-by
and started for their homes.
[26]
CHAPTER IV
CHATTERER AND HAPPY JACK JOIN
PETER RABBIT, on his way to school to Old
Mother Nature, was trying to make up his mind
about which of his neighbors he would ask. He
had learned so many surprising things about his
own family that he shrewdly suspected many
equally surprising things were to be learned about
his neighbors. But there were so many neighbors
he could n't decide which one to ask about first.
But that matter was settled for him and in a
funny way. Hardly had he reached the edge of
the Green Forest when he was hailed by a sharp
voice. 'Hello, Peter Rabbit!' said this sharp
voice. 'Where are you bound at this hour of the
morning? You ought to be heading for home in
the dear Old Briar-patch. >:
Peter knew that voice the instant he heard it.
It was the voice of Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel.
Happy Jack was seated on the top of an old stump,
eating a nut. 'I 'm going to school," replied
Peter with a great deal of dignity.
[27]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
' Going to school ! Ho, ho, ho ! Going to
school!' exclaimed Happy Jack. 'Pray tell me
to whom you are going to school, and what for?'
"I 'm going to school to Old Mother Nature,"
retorted Peter. ' I ' ve been going for several days,
and so has my cousin, Jumper the Hare. We 've
learned a lot about our own family and now we
are going to learn about the other little people
of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows."
"Pooh!' exclaimed Happy Jack. 'Pooh! I
know all about my own family, and I guess there
is n't much worth knowing about my neighbors
that I don't know."
"Is that so, Mr. Know-it-all," retorted Peter.
'I don't believe you even know all your own
cousins. I thought I knew all mine, but I found
I did n't."
"What are you fellows talking about?' asked
another voice, a sharp scolding voice, and Chatterer
the Red Squirrel jumped from one tree to another
just above Peter's head.
'Peter is trying to make me believe that I
don't know as much as I might about our own
family," snapped Happy Jack indignantly. 'He
is on his way to school to Old Mother Nature
and has advised me to join him. Is n't that a
joke?"
"Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't," retorted
[28]
Chatterer and Happy Jack Join
Chatterer, who is n't the best of friends with his
cousin, Happy Jack. "If I don't know as much
about the Squirrel family as you do, may I never
find another nut as long as I live. But at that,
I 'm not sure I know all there is to know. I think
it would be fun to go to school for a while. What
do you say, Peter, if I go along with you ? '
Peter said that he thought it would be a very fine
thing and that Chatterer never would regret it.
Chatterer winked at his cousin, Happy Jack, and
followed Peter, only, of course, Chatterer kept
in the trees while Peter was on the ground.
Happy Jack hesitated a minute and then, curiosity
becoming too much for him, he hastened after
the others.
"Hello!" exclaimed Old Mother Nature, as
Happy Jack and Chatterer appeared with Peter
Rabbit. 'What are you frisky folks doing over
here ? '
Happy Jack and Chatterer appeared to have
lost their tongues, something very unusual for
them, especially for Chatterer. The fact is, in
the presence of Old Mother Nature they felt
bashful. Peter replied for them. : They 've de-
cided to come to school, too," said he. 'Happy
Jack says he knows all about his own family, but
he has come along to find out if he really does."
'It won't take us long to find out," said Old
[29]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Mother Nature softly and her eyes twinkled with
amusement. 'How many cousins have you,
Happy Jack ? '
Happy Jack thought for a moment. "Three,"
he replied, but he did n't say it in a very positive
way. Peter chuckled to himself, for he knew
that already doubt was beginning to grow in
Happy Jack's mind.
'Name them," commanded Old Mother Nature
promptly.
' Chatterer the Red Squirrel, Timmy the Flying
Squirrel, and Striped Chipmunk," replied Happy
Jack.
'He's forgotten Rusty the Fox Squirrel,"
shouted Chatterer, dancing about gleefully.
Happy Jack looked crestfallen and gave Chat-
terer an angry look.
"That's right, Chatterer," said Old Mother
Nature. 'Rusty is a very important member of
the Squirrel family. Now suppose you name the
others.' 3
' Wha wha what others ? ' stammered
Chatterer. 'I don't know of any others."
Peter Rabbit hugged himself with glee as he
watched the faces of Happy Jack and Chatterer.
"They don't know any more about their family
than we did about ours," he whispered in one of
the long ears of Jumper the Hare.
[30]
HAPPY JACK THE GRAY SQUIRREL. No one knows better than he the
value of thrift.
RUSTY THE FOX SQUIRREL. His coat varies from red to gray.
Chatterer and Happy Jack Join
As for Old Mother Nature, she smiled in-
dulgently. " Put on your thinking-caps, you two,"
said she. You have n't named half of them.
You are not wholly to blame for that, for some of
them you never have seen, but there is one member
of the Squirrel family whom both of you know
very well, yet whom neither of you named. Put
on your thinking-caps."
Chatterer looked at Happy Jack, and Happy
Jack looked at Chatterer, and each scratched his
head. Each wanted to be the first to think of
that other cousin, for each was jealous of the other.
But though they scratched and scratched their
heads, they could n't think who that other cousin
could be. Old Mother Nature waited a few
minutes before she told them. Then, seeing that
either they could n't remember or did n't know,
she said, "You did n't mention Johnny Chuck."
"Johnny Chuck!' exclaimed Chatterer and
Happy Jack together, and the look of surprise
on their faces was funny to see. For that matter,
the looks on the faces of Peter Rabbit and Jumper
the Hare were equally funny.
Old Mother Nature nodded. "Johnny Chuck,"
she repeated. "He is a member of the Squirrel
family. He belongs to the Marmot branch, but
he is a Squirrel just the same. He is one of your
cousins. 3
[31]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
4 He 's a mighty funny looking Squirrel," said
Chatterer, jerking his tail as only he can.
'That just shows your ignorance, Chatterer,"
replied Old Mother Nature rather sharply. 'I 'm
surprised at. the ignorance of you two." She
looked first at Chatterer, then at Happy Jack.
'It is high time you came to school to me for a
while. You 've got a lot to learn. For that
matter, so have Peter and Jumper. Now which
of you can tell me what order you all belong to ? '
Happy Jack looked at Chatterer, Chatterer
looked at Peter Rabbit, and Peter looked at Jumper
the Hare. On the face of each was such a funny,
puzzled expression that Old Mother Nature almost
laughed right out. Finally Peter Rabbit found
his tongue. 'If you please," said he, 'I guess
we don't know what you mean by an order."
I thought as much," said Old Mother Nature.
I thought as much. In the first place, the
animals of the Great World are divided into big
groups or divisions, and then these groups are
divided into smaller groups, and these in turn into
still smaller groups. Happy Jack and Chatterer
belong to a group called the Squirrel family, and
Peter and Jumper to a group called the Hare family.
Both of these families and several other families
belong to a bigger group called an order, and this
order is the order of Gnawers, or Rodents."
[ 32 ]
ft
(t
ft
it
Chatterer and Happy Jack Join
Peter Rabbit fairly jumped up in the air, he
was so excited. ; Then Jumper and I must be
related to Happy Jack and Chatterer," he cried.
In a way you are," replied Old Mother Nature.
It is n't a very close relationship, still you are
related. All of you are Rodents. So are all the
*/
members of the Rat and Mouse family, the Beaver
family, the Porcupine family, the Pocket Gopher
family, the Pika family, and the Sewellel family.' 1
By this time Peter's eyes looked as if they
would pop right out of his head. 'This is the
first time I 've ever heard of some of those families,"
said he. ' My, what a lot we have to learn ! Is
it because all the members of all those families
have teeth for gnawing that they are all sort of
related ? '
Old Mother Nature looked pleased. 'Peter,"
said she, 'I think you ought to go to the head of
the class. That is just why. All the members of
all the families I have named belong to the same
order, the order of Rodents. All the members
have big, cutting, front teeth. Animals without
such teeth cannot gnaw. Now, as you and
Jumper have learned about your family, it is the
turn of Happy Jack and Chatterer to learn about
their family. Theirs is rather a large family,
and it is divided into three groups, the first of which
consists of the true Squirrels, to which group both
[33]"
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Happy Jack and Chatterer belong. The second
group consists of the Marmots, and Johnny Chuck
belongs to this. The third group Timmy the
Flying Squirrel has all to himself.' 3
"Where does Striped Chipmunk come in?'
asked Chatterer.
"I 'm coming to that," replied Old Mother
Nature. "The true Squirrels are divided into the
Tree Squirrels, Rock Squirrels, and Ground Squir-
rels. Of course Chatterer and Happy Jack are
Tree Squirrels."
"And Striped Chipmunk is a Ground Squirrel,"
interrupted Peter, looking as if he felt very much
pleased with his own smartness.
Old Mother Nature shook her head. "You
are wrong this time, Peter," said she, and Peter
looked as foolish as he felt. 'Striped Chipmunk
is a Rock Squirrel. Seek Seek the Spermophile,
who lives on the plains of the West and is often
called Gopher Squirrel, is the true Ground Squirrel.
Now I can't spend any more time with you little
folks this morning, because I Ve too much to do.
To-morrow morning I shall expect Chatterer to
tell me all about Happy Jack, and Happy Jack to
tell me all about Chatterer. Now scamper along,
all of you, and think over what you have learned
this morning."
So Peter and Jumper and Chatterer and Happy
[34]
Chatterer and Happy Jack Join
Jack thanked Old Mother Nature for what she
had told them and scampered away. Peter headed
straight for the far corner of the Old Orchard
where he was sure he would find Johnny Chuck.
He could n't get there fast enough, for he wanted
to be the first to tell Johnny Chuck that he was
a Squirrel. You see he did n't believe that
Johnny knew it.
[35]
CHAPTER V
THE SQUIRRELS OF THE TREES
PETER RABBIT found Johnny Chuck sitting on
his doorstep, sunning himself. Peter was quite
out of breath because he had hurried so. "Do
you know that you are a Squirrel, Johnny Chuck ?'
he panted.
Johnny slowly turned his head and looked at
Peter as if he thought Peter had suddenly gone
crazy. 'What are you talking about, Peter
Rabbit ? I 'm not a Squirrel ; I 'm a Wood-
chuck," he replied.
''Just the same, you are a Squirrel," retorted
Peter. : The Woodchucks belong to the Squirrel
family. Old Mother Nature says so, and if she
says so, it is so. You 'd better join our school,
Johnny Chuck, and learn a little about your own
4
relatives."
Johnny Chuck blinked his eyes and for a minute
or two could n't find a word to say. He knew that
if Peter were telling the truth as to what Old
Mother Nature had said, it must be true that he
[36]
The Squirrels of the Trees
was a member of the Squirrel family. But it was
hard to believe. "What is this school? 5 he
finally asked.
Peter hastened to tell him. He told Johnny
all about what he and Jumper the Hare had
learned about their family, and all the surprising
things Old Mother Nature had told them about
the Squirrel family, and he ended by again urging
Johnny Chuck to join the school and promised to
call for Johnny the next morning.
But Johnny Chuck is lazy and does not like to
go far from his own doorstep, so when Peter called
the next morning Johnny refused to go, despite
all Peter could say. Peter did n't waste much
time arguing for he was afraid he would be late
and miss something. When he reached the Green
Forest he found his cousin, Jumper the Hare, and
Chatterer the Red Squirrel, and Happy Jack
the Gray Squirrel, already there. As soon as
Peter arrived Old Mother Nature began the morn-
ing lesson.
"Happy Jack," said she, "y u may tell us all
you know about your cousin, Chatterer."
"To begin with, he is the smallest of the Tree
Squirrels," said Happy Jack. 'He isn't so very
much bigger than Striped Chipmunk, and that
means that he is less than half as big as myself.
His coat is red and his waistcoat white; his tail
[37]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
is about two thirds as long as his body and flat
but not very broad. Personally, I don't think it
is much of a tail."
At once Chatterer's quick temper flared up
and he began to scold. But Old Mother Nature
silenced him and told Happy Jack to go on. " He
spends more of his time in the trees than I do,"
continued Happy Jack, 'and is especially fond
of pine trees and other cone-bearing trees. He
likes the deeper parts of the Green Forest better
than I do, though he seems to feel just as much at
home on the edge of the Green Forest, especially
if it is near a farm where he can steal corn."
Chatterer started to scold again but was si-
lenced once more by Old Mother Nature. "I
have to admit that Chatterer is thrifty," con-
tinued Happy Jack, quite as if he had n't been
interrupted. 'He is very fond of the seeds of
cone-bearing trees. He cuts the cones from the
trees just before they are ripe. Then they ripen
and open on the ground, where he can get at the
seeds easily. He often has a number of store-
houses and stores up cone seeds, acorns, nuts, and
corn when he can get it. He builds a nest of
leaves and strips of bark, sometimes in a hollow
tree and sometimes high up in the branches of
an evergreen tree. He is a good jumper and
jumps from tree to tree. He is a busybody and
[38]
JACK RABBIT. His long legs and long ears show him to be a Hare, not a
Rabbit.
THE CALIFORNIA GROUND SQUIRREL. He looks much like the Gray
Squirrel but is a true Spermophile.
The Squirrels of the Trees
always poking his nose in where he has no business.
He steals my stores whenever he can find them."
"You do the same thing to me when you have
the chance, which is n't often," sputtered Chat-
terer.
Happy Jack turned his back to Chatterer and
continued. "He doesn't seem to mind cold
weather at all, as long as the sun shines. His
noisy tongue is to be heard on the coldest days of
winter. He is the sauciest, most impudent fellow
of the Green Forest, and never so happy as when
he is making trouble for others. He sauces and
scolds everybody he meets, and every time he
opens his mouth he jerks his tail. He 's quarrel-
some. Worse than that, in the spring when the
birds are nesting, he turns robber. He goes hunt-
ing for nests and steals the eggs, and what is even
more dreadful, he kills and eats the baby birds.
All the birds hate him, and I don't blame them."
Chatterer could contain himself no longer.
His tongue fairly flew and he jerked his tail so
hard and so fast that Peter Rabbit almost ex-
pected to see him break it right off. He called
Happy Jack names, all the bad names he could
think of, and worked himself up into such a rage
that it was some time before Old Mother Nature
could quiet him.
When at last he stopped from sheer lack of
[ 39 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
breath, Old Mother Nature spoke, and her voice
was very severe. 'I 'm ashamed of you, Chat-
terer," said she. 'Unfortunately, what Happy
Jack has said about you is true. In many ways
you are a disgrace to the Green Forest. Still I
don't know how the Green Forest could get along
without you. Happy Jack forgot to mention
that you eat some insects at times. He also for-
got to mention that sometimes you have a store-
house down in the ground. Now tell us what you
know about your cousin, Happy Jack."
For a few minutes Chatterer sulked, but he
did not dare disobey Old Mother Nature. 'I
don't know much good about him," he mumbled.
'And you don't know much bad about me
either," retorted Happy Jack sharply.
Old Mother Nature held up a warning hand.
That will do," said she. 'Now, Chatterer, go
on."
'Happy Jack is more than twice as big as I,
but at that, I 'm not afraid of him," said Chatterer
and glared at Happy Jack. 'He is gray all over,
except underneath, where he is white. He has a
tremendously big tail and is so proud of it he shows
it off whenever he has a chance. When he sits
up he has a way of folding his hands on his breast.
I don't know what he does it for unless it is to keep
them warm in cold weather. He builds a nest
[40]
The Squirrels of the Trees
very much like mine. Sometimes it is in a hollow
tree, but quite as often it is in the branches of a
tree. He is a good traveler in the tree-tops, but
he spends a good deal of his time on the ground.
He likes open woodland best, especially where there
are many nut trees. He has a storehouse where
he stores up nuts for winter, but he buries in the
ground and under the leaves more than he puts
in his storehouse. In winter, when he is hungry,
he hunts for those buried nuts, and somehow he
manages to find them even when they are covered
with snow. When he comes to stealing he is no
better than I am. I have seen him steal birds'
eggs, and I would n't trust him unwatched around
one of my storehouses."
It was Happy Jack's turn to become indignant.
' I may have taken a few eggs when I accidentally
ran across them," said he, "but I never go looking
for them, and I don't take them unless I am very
hungry and can't find anything else. I don't
make a business of robbing birds the way you do,
and you know it. If I find one of your store-
houses and help myself, I am only getting back
what you have stolen from me. Everybody loves
me and that is more than you can say."
"That 's enough," declared Old Mother Nature,
and her voice was very sharp. You two cousins
never have agreed and I am afraid never will.
[41]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
As long as you are neighbors, I suspect you will
quarrel. Have you told us all you know about
Happy Jack, Chatterer?'
Chatterer nodded. He was still mumbling to
himself angrily and was n't polite enough to make
a reply. Old Mother Nature took no notice of
this. 'What you have told us is good as far as it
goes," said she. You said that Happy Jack is
all gray excepting underneath. Usually the Gray
Squirrel is just as Chatterer has described him,
but sometimes a Gray Squirrel is n't gray at all,
but all black."
Peter Rabbit's ears stood straight up with as-
tonishment. 'How can a Gray Squirrel be
black?' he demanded.
Old Mother Nature smiled. 'That is a fair
question, Peter," said she. 'Gray Squirrel is
simply the name of Happy Jack's family. Some-
times some of the babies are born with black
coats instead of gray coats. Of course they are
just the same kind of Squirrel, only they look
different. In some parts of the country there
are numbers of these black-coated Squirrels and
many think they are a different kind of Squirrel.
They are not. They are simply black-coated
members of Happy Jack's family. Just remember
this. It is the same way in the family of Rusty
the Fox Squirrel. Some members are rusty red,
[42]
The Squirrels of the Trees
some are a mixture of red and gray, and some are
as gray as Happy Jack himself. Way down in the
Sunny South Fox Squirrels always have white noses
and ears. In the North they never have white
noses and ears. Rusty the Fox Squirrel is just
a little bigger than Happy Jack and has just such
a handsome tail. He is the strongest and
heaviest of the Tree Squirrels and not nearly as
quick and graceful as Happy Jack. Sometimes
Rusty has two nests in the same tree, one in a
hollow in a tree for bad weather and the other
made of sticks and leaves outside in the branches
for use in good weather. Rusty's habits are very
much the same as those of Happy Jack the Gray
Squirrel, and therefore he likes the same kind of
surroundings. Like his cousin, Happy Jack, Rusty
is a great help to me."
Seeing how surprised everybody looked, Mother
Nature explained. ' Both Happy Jack and Rusty
bury a great many more nuts than they ever
need," said she. 'And those they do not dig up
sprout in the spring and grow. In that way they
plant ever so many trees without knowing it.
Just remember that, Chatterer, the next time
you are tempted to quarrel with your cousin,
Happy Jack. Very likely Happy Jack's great-
great-ever-so-great grandfather planted the very
tree you get your fattest and best hickory nuts
[43]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
from. Way out in the mountains of the Far
West you have a cousin called the Douglas Squirrel,
who is really a true Red Squirrel and whose habits
are very much like your own. Some folks call
him the Pine Squirrel. By the way, Chatterer,
Happy Jack forgot to say that you are a good
swimmer. Perhaps he did n't know it."
By the expression of Happy Jack's face it was
quite clear that he did n't know it. ( Certainly I
can swim," said Chatterer. 'I don't mind the
water at all. I can swim a long distance if I
have to."
This was quite as much news to Peter Rabbit
as had been the fact that a cousin of his own was
a good swimmer, and he began to feel something
very like respect for Chatterer.
'Are there any other Tree Squirrels?' asked
Jumper the Hare.
"Yes," replied Old Mother Nature, "there are
two, - the handsomest of all the family. They
live out in the Southwest, in one of the most
wonderful places in all this great land, a place
called the Grand Canyon. One is called the
Abert Squirrel and the other the Kaibab Squirrel.
They are about the size of Happy Jack and Rusty
but have broader, handsomer tails and their ears
have long tufts of hair. The Abert Squirrel has
black ears, a brown back, gray sides and white
[ 44 ]
The Squirrels of the Trees
underneath. The Kaibab has brown ears with
black tips, and his tail is mostly white. Both are
very lovely, but their families are small and so
they are little known."
With this, Old Mother Nature dismissed school
for the day.
[45]
CHAPTER VI
STRIPED CHIPMUNK AND HIS COUSINS
OF course there could n't be a school in the
Green Forest without news of it spreading very
fast. News travels quickly through the Green
Forest and over the Green Meadows, for the little
people who live there are great gossips. So it
was not surprising that Striped Chipmunk heard
all about Old Mother Nature's school. The next
morning, just as the daily lesson was beginning,
Striped Chipmunk came hurrying up, quite out
of breath.
"Well, well ! See who 's here !' exclaimed Old
Mother Nature. 'What have you come for,
Striped Chipmunk?'
" I 've come to try to learn. Will you let me
stay, Mother Nature ? ' replied Striped Chip-
munk.
"Of course I '11 let you stay," cried Old Mother
Nature heartily. 'I am glad you have come,
especially glad you have come to-day, because
to-day's lesson is to be about you and your cousins.
Now, Peter Rabbit, what are the differences be-
[46]
*
TIMMY THE FLYING SQUIRREL. He does not actually fly for he has no
wings.
CHATTERER THE RED SQUIRREL. The little rollicking mischief-maker of
the Green Forest.
Striped Chipmunk and His Cousins
tween Striped Chipmunk and his cousins, the
Tree Squirrels ? '
Peter looked very hard at Striped Chipmunk as
if he had never really seen him before. 'He is
smaller than they are," began Peter. 'In fact,
he is the smallest Squirrel I know." Peter paused.
Old Mother Nature nodded encouragingly. ' Go
on," said she.
'He wears a striped coat," continued Peter.
The stripes are black and yellowish-white and run
along his sides, a black stripe running down the
middle of his back. The rest of his coat is reddish-
brown above and light underneath. His tail is
rather thin and flat. I never see him in the trees,
so I guess he can't climb."
'Oh, yes, I can," interrupted Striped Chip-
munk. 'I can climb if I want to, and I do some-
times, but I prefer the ground."
" Go on, Peter," said Old Mother Nature.
'He seems to like old stone walls and rock
piles," continued Peter, 'and he is one of the
brightest, liveliest, merriest and most lovable of
all my friends."
Thank you, Peter," said Striped Chipmunk
softly.
'I never have been able to find his home,"
continued Peter. 'That is one of his secrets.
But I know it is in the ground. I guess this is all
- [47]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
I know about him. I should say the chief differ-
ence between Striped Chipmunk and the Tree
Squirrels is that he spends all his time on the
ground while the others live largely in the trees."
"Very good, Peter," said Old Mother Nature.
'But there are two very important differences
which you have not mentioned. Striped Chip-
munk has a big pocket on the inside of each cheek,
while his cousins of the trees have no pockets at
all."
'Of course," cried Peter. 'I don't see how
I came to forget that. I 've laughed many times
at Striped Chipmunk with those pockets stuffed
with nuts or seeds until his head looked three times
bigger than it does now. Those pockets must be
very handy."
They are," replied Striped Chipmunk. 'I
could n't get along without them. They save me a
lot of running back and forth, I can tell you."
'And the other great difference," said Old
Mother Nature, "is that Striped Chipmunk sleeps
nearly all winter, just waking up occasionally to
pop his head out on a bright day to see how the
weather is. A great many folks call Striped Chip-
munk a Ground Squirrel, but more properly he is a
Rock Squirrel because he likes stony places best.
Supposing, Striped Chipmunk, you tell us where
and how you make your home."
[48]
Striped Chipmunk and His Cousins
"I make rny home down in the ground," replied
Striped Chipmunk. 'I dig a tunnel just big
enough to run along comfortably. Down deep
enough to be out of reach of Jack Frost I make
a nice little bedroom with a bed of grass and
leaves, and I make another little room for a store-
room in which to keep my supply of seeds and
nuts. Sometimes I have more than one store-
room. Also I have some little side tunnels.''
"But why is it I never have been able to find
the entrance to your tunnel ? ' asked Peter, as
full of curiosity as ever.
"Because I have it hidden underneath the
stone wall on the edge of the Old Orchard," replied
Striped Chipmunk.
'But even then, I should think that all the
sand you must have taken out would give your
secret away," cried Peter.
Striped Chipmunk chuckled happily. It was a
throaty little chuckle, pleasant to hear. 'I
looked out for that," said he. 'There isn't a
grain of that sand around my doorway. I took
it all out through another hole some distance away,
a sort of back door, and then closed it up solidly.
If you please, Mother Nature, if I am not a Ground
Squirrel, who is?'
Your cousin, Seek Seek the Spermophile, some-
times called Gopher Squirrel, who lives on the
[49] ^
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
open plains of the West where there are no rocks
or stones. He likes best the flat, open country.
He is called Spermophile because that means
seed-eater, and he lives largely on seeds, especially
on grain. Because of this he does a great deal of
damage and is much disliked by farmers.
'Seek Seek's family are the true Ground
Squirrels. Please remember that they never
should be called Gophers, for they are not Gophers.
One of the smallest members of the family is just
about your size, Striped Chipmunk, and he also
wears stripes, only he has more of them than you
have, and they are broken up into little dots.
He is called the Thirteen-lined Spermophile. He
has pockets in his cheeks just as you have, and he
makes a home down in the ground very similar
to yours. All the family do this, and all of them
sleep through the winter. While they are great
seed-eaters they also eat a great many insects and
worms, and some of them even are guilty of killing
and eating the babies of birds that nest on the
ground, and also young mice.
'Some members of the family are almost as
big as Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel and have
gray coats. They are called Gray Ground
Squirrels and sometimes Gray Gophers. One of
the largest of these is the California Ground
Squirrel. He has a big, bushy tail, very like
[50]
Striped Chipmunk and His Cousins
Happy Jack's. He gets into so much mischief in
the grain fields and in the orchards that he is
quite as much disliked as is Jack Rabbit. This
particular member of the family is quite as much
at home among rocks and tree roots as in open
ground. He climbs low trees for fruit and nuts,
but prefers to stay on the ground. Now just re-
member that the Chipmunks are Rock Squirrels
and their cousins, the Spermophiles, are Ground
Squirrels. Now who of you has seen Timmy the
Flying Squirrel lately ? '
I have n't," said Peter Rabbit.
I have n't," said Striped Chipmunk.
I have n't," said Happy Jack.
I have n't," said Chatterer.
I have," spoke up Jumper the Hare. 'I saw
him last evening just after jolly, round, red Mr.
Sun went to bed behind the Purple Hills and the
Black Shadows came creeping through the Green
Forest. My, I wish I could fly the way he can !'
Old Mother Nature shook her head disap-
provingly. "Jumper," said she, 'what is wrong
with your eyes ? When did you ever see Timmy
fly?"
"Last night," insisted Jumper stubbornly.
"Oh, no, you didn't," retorted Old Mother
Nature. "You didn't see him fly, for the very
good reason that he cannot fly any more than
[51]
66
66
it
(6
66
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
you can. You saw him simply jump. Just re-
member that the only animals in this great land
who can fly are the Bats. Timmy the Flying
Squirrel simply jumps from the top of a tree and
slides down on the air to the foot of another tree.
If you had used your eyes you would have noticed
that when he is in the air he never moves his legs
or arms, and he is always coming down, never
going up, excepting for a little at the end of his
jump, as would be the case if he could really fly.
He has n't any wings.''
'When he 's flying, I mean jumping, he looks as
if he had wings," insisted Jumper stubbornly.
; That is simply because I have given him a fold
of skin between the front and hind leg on each
side," explained Old Mother Nature. "When he
jumps he stretches his legs out flat, and that
stretches out those two folds of skin until they
look almost like wings. This is the reason he can
sail so far when he jumps from a high place.
You Ve seen a bird, after flapping its wings to
get going, sail along with them outstretched and
motionless. Timmy does the same thing, only
he gets going by jumping. You may have noticed
that he usually goes to the top of a tree before
jumping; then he can sail down a wonderfully
long distance. His tail helps him to keep his
balance. If there is anything in the way, he can
[52]
Striped Chipmunk and His Cousins
steer himself around it. When he reaches the
tree he is jumping for he shoots up a little way and
lands on the trunk not far above the ground.
Then he scampers up that tree to do it all over
again."
' But why don't we ever see him ? ' inquired
Striped Chipmunk.
'Because, when the rest of you Squirrels are
out and about, he is curled up in a little ball in
his nest, fast asleep. And when he is out and
about, you are fast asleep. Timmy likes the
night, especially the early evening, and does n't
like the light of day.' :
'How big is he?' asked Happy Jack, and
looked a little sheepish as if he were a wee bit
ashamed of not being acquainted with one of his
own cousins.
cc
He is, if anything, a little smaller than Striped
Chipmunk," replied Old Mother Nature. "Way
out in the Far West he grows a little bigger.
His coat is a soft yellowish-brown above ; beneath
he is all white. His fur is wonderfully soft. He
has very large, dark, soft eyes, especially suited
for seeing at night. Then, he is very lively and
dearly loves to play. By nature he is gentle and
lovable.' 1
' Does he eat nuts like his cousins ? ' asked
Peter Rabbit.
[53]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
'He certainly does," replied Old Mother Nature.
'Also he eats grubs and insects. He dearly loves
a fat beetle. He likes meat when he can get it."
'Where does he make his home?' Peter in-
quired.
'Usually in a hole in a tree," said Old Mother
Nature. 'He is very fond of an old home of a
Woodpecker. He makes a comfortable nest of
bark lining, grass, and moss, or any other soft
material he can find. Occasionally he builds an
outside nest high up in a fork in the branches of
a tree. He likes to get into old buildings."
'Does he have many enemies?' asked Happy
Jack.
; The same enemies the rest of you have," re-
plied Old Mother Nature. 'But the one he has
most reason to fear is Hooty the Owl, and that is
the one you have least reason to fear, because
Hooty seldom hunts by day."
'Does he sleep all winter?' piped up Striped
Chipmunk.
"Not as you do," said Old Mother Nature.
"In very cold weather he sleeps, but if he happens
to be living where the weather does not get very
cold, he is active all the year around. Now I
guess this is enough about the Squirrel family."
"You 've forgotten Johnny Chuck," cried Peter.
Old Mother Nature laughed. "So I have,"
[54]
STRIPED CHIPMUNK. He has pockets \n his cheeks for carrying his food.
SEEK SEEK THE SPERMOPH1LE. The Thirteen-lined Spermophile, a true
Ground Squirrel and not a Gopher.
Striped Chipmunk and His Cousins
said she. ' That will never do, never in the world.
Johnny and his relatives, the Marmots, certainly
cannot be overlooked. We will take them for our
lesson to-morrow. Peter, you tell Johnny Chuck
to come over here to -morrow morning."
[55]
CHAPTER VII
JOHNNY CHUCK JOINS THE CLASS
PETER RABBIT delivered Mother Nature's mes-
sage to Johnny Chuck. Johnny did n't seem at
all pleased. He grumbled and growled to himself.
He did n't want to go to school. He did n't
want to learn anything about his relatives. He
was perfectly satisfied with things as they were.
The truth is, Johnny Chuck was already beginning
to get fat with good living and he is naturally
lazy. As a rule he can find plenty to eat very
near his home, so he seldom goes far from his own
doorstep. Peter left him grumbling and growling,
and chuckled to himself all the way back to the
dear Old Briar-patch. He knew that Johnny
Chuck would not dare disobey Old Mother Nature.
Sure enough, the next morning Johnny Chuck
came waddling through the Green Forest just as
Old Mother Nature was about to open school.
He did n't look at all happy, and he did n't reply
at all to the greetings of the others. But when Old
Mother Nature spoke to him he was very polite.
[56]
(t
ft
Johnny Chuck Joins the Class
'Good morning, Johnny Chuck," said she.
Johnny bobbed his head and said, ' ' Good morn-
ing."
I understand," continued Old Mother Nature,
that you are not at all interested in learning
about your relatives. I am sorry for any one who
does n't want to learn. The more one knows the
better fitted he is to take care of himself and do
his part in the work of the Great World. How-
ever, it was n't for your benefit that I sent word
for you to be here this morning. It was for the
benefit of your friends and neighbors. Now sit
up so that all can get a good look at you."
Johnny Chuck obediently sat up, and of course
all the others stared at him. It made him feel
quite uncomfortable. You remember," said Old
Mother Nature, 'how surprised you little folks
were when I told you that Johnny Chuck is a
member of the Squirrel family. Happy Jack, you
go sit beside Johnny Chuck, and the rest of you
look hard at Happy Jack and Johnny and see if
you do not see a family resemblance.' 1
Seeing Happy Jack and Johnny Chuck sitting
up side by side, Peter Rabbit caught the resem-
blance at once. There was a sort of family look
about them. "Why! Why-ee ! Johnny Chuck
does look like a Squirrel," he exclaimed.
'Of course he looks like a Squirrel, because he
[57]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
is one," said Old Mother Nature. :t Johnny Chuck
is very much bigger and so stout in the body that
he has none of the gracefulness of the true Squirrels.
But you will notice that the shape of his head is
much the same as that of Happy Jack. He has a
Squirrel face when you come to look at him closely.
The Woodchucks, sometimes called Ground Hogs,
though why any one should call them this is more
than I can understand, belong to the Marmot
branch of the Squirrel family, and wherever found
they look much alike.
4 As you will notice, Johnny Chuck's coat is
brownish-yellow, his feet are very dark brown,
almost black. His head is dark brown with light
gray on his cheeks. Beneath he is reddish-orange,
including his throat. His tail is short for a
member of the Squirrel family, and although it
is bushy, it is not very big. He has a number of
whiskers and they are black. Some Woodchucks
are quite gray, and occasionally there is one who
is almost, or wholly black, just as there are black
Gray Squirrels.
'Johnny, here, is not fond of the Green Forest,
but loves the Old Orchard and the Green Meadows.
In some parts of the country there are members
of his family who prefer to live just on the edge of
the Green Forest. You will notice that Johnny
has stout claws. Those are to help him dig, for
[58]
Johnny Chuck Joins the Class
all the Marmot family are great diggers. What
other use do you have for those claws, Johnny ?'
"They help me to climb," replied Johnny
promptly.
" Climb ! " exclaimed Peter Rabbit. " Who ever
heard of a Woodchuck climbing ? '
"I can climb if I have to," retorted Johnny
Chuck indignantly. "I Ve climbed up in bushes
and low trees lots of times, and if I can get a good
run first, I can climb up the straight trunk of a
tree with rough bark to the first branches - - if
they are not too far above ground. You ask
Reddy Fox if I can't; he knows."
"That 's quite true, Johnny," said Old Mother
Nature. "You can climb a little, but as a real
climber you are not much of a success. You are
better as a digger."
"He certainly is all right as a digger," exclaimed
Peter Rabbit. "My, how he can make the sand
fly ! Johnny Chuck certainly is right at home
when it comes* to digging."
"You ought to be thankful that he is," said
Old Mother Nature, "for the holes he has dug
have saved your life more than once. By the way,
Peter, since you are so well acquainted with those
holes, suppose you tell us what kind of a home
Johnny Chuck has."
Peter was delighted to air his knowledge.
[59]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
: The last one I was in," said he, "was a long
tunnel slanting down for quite a distance and then
straightening out. The entrance was quite large
with a big heap of sand out in front of it. Down
a little way the tunnel grew smaller and then re-
mained the same size all the rest of the way.
Way down at the farther end was a nice little
bedroom with some grass in it. There were one
or two other little rooms, and there were two
branch tunnels leading up to the surface of the
ground, making side or back doorways. There
was no sand around either of these, and they were
quite hidden by the long grass hanging over
them. I don't understand how Johnny made
those doorways without leaving any sand on the
doorsteps.' 5
"Huh!" interrupted Johnny Chuck. "That
was easy enough. I pushed all the sand out of
the main doorway so that there would be nothing
to attract the attention of any one passing near
those back doorways. Those back- doorways are
very handy in time of danger."
"Do you always have three doorways?' asked
Happy Jack.
"No," replied Johnny Chuck. "Sometimes I
have only two and once in a while only one. But
that is n't really safe, and I mean always to have
at least two."
[60]
Johnny Chuck Joins the Class
"Do you use the same house year after year?'
piped up Striped Chipmunk.
Johnny shook his head. 'No," said he. 'I
dig a new hole each spring. Mrs. Chuck and I
like a change of scene. Usually my new home
is n't very far from my old one, because I am not
fond of traveling. Sometimes, however, if we
cannot find a place that just suits us, we go quite
a distance.' 5
"Are your babies born down in that little bed-
room in the ground ?' asked Jumper the Hare.
"Of course," replied Johnny Chuck. "Where
else would they be born ? '
"I did n't know but Mrs. Chuck might make a
nest on the ground the way Mrs. Peter and Mrs.
Jumper do," replied Jumper meekly.
"No, siree !' replied Johnny. 'Our babies are
born in that little underground bedroom, and they
stay down in the ground until they are big enough
to hunt for food for themselves."
"How many do you usually have?' inquired
Chatterer the Red Squirrel.
"Six or eight," replied Johnny Chuck. 'Mrs.
Chuck and I believe in large families."
"Do you eat nuts like the rest of our family?'
inquired Striped Chipmunk.
"No," replied Johnny Chuck. "Give me green
food every time. There is nothing so good as
* [61]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
tender sweet clover and young grass, unless it be
some of those fine vegetables Farmer Brown grows
in his garden."
Peter Rabbit nodded his head very emphatically
as if he quite agreed.
'I suppose you are what is called a vegetarian,
then," said Happy Jack, to which Johnny Chuck
replied that he supposed he was. 'And I sup-
pose that is why you sleep all winter," added
Happy Jack.
'If I did n't I would starve," responded Johnny
Chuck promptly. 'When it gets near time for
Jack Frost to arrive, I stuff and stuff and stuff on
the last of the good green things until I 'in so fat
I can hardly waddle. Then I go down to my bed-
room, curl up and go to sleep. Cold weather, snow
and ice don't worry me a bit."
'I know," spoke up Striped Chipmunk. 'I
sleep most of the winter myself. Of course I have
a lot of food stored away down in my house, and
once in a while I wake up and eat a little. Do
you ever wake up in the winter, Johnny Chuck ? '
'No," replied Johnny. "I sleep right through,
thank goodness. Sometimes I wake up very
early in the spring before the snow is all gone,
earlier than I wish I did. That is where my fat
conies in handy. It keeps me warm and keeps me
alive until I can find the first green plants. Per-
[ 62 ]
Y/
JOHNNY CHUCK. The familiar Woodchuck is a true Marmot.
WHISTLER THE HOARY MARMOT. The largest of the Marmots. He
lives high up on the mountains of the West.
Johnny Chuck Joins the Class
haps you have noticed that early in the spring I
am as thin as I was fat in the fall. This is because
I have used up the fat, waiting for the first green
things to appear."
"Do you have many enemies?' asked Peter
Rabbit, who has so many himself that he is con-
stantly thinking of them.
"Not many, but enough," growled Johnny
Chuck. "Reddy Fox, Old Man Coyote, men and
Dogs are the worst. Of course, when I was small
I always had to be watching out for Hawks, and
of course, like all the rest of us little folks, I am
afraid of Shadow the Weasel. Reddy Fox has
tried to dig me out more than once, but I can dig
faster than he can. If he ever gets me cornered,
he '11 find that I can fight. A small Dog surprised
me once before I could get to my hole and I guess
that Dog never will tackle another Woodchuck."
Time is up," interrupted Old Mother Nature.
Johnny Chuck has a big cousin out in the moun-
tains of the Great West named Whistler, and on
the prairies of the Great West he has a smaller
cousin named Yap Yap. They are quite important
members of the Marmot family, and to-morrow
I '11 tell you about them if you want me to. You
need not come to-morrow, Johnny Chuck, unless
you want to," she added.
Johnny Chuck hung his head, for he was a little
[63]
ft
ft
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
ashamed that he had been so unwilling to come
that morning.
'If you please, Mother Nature," said he, "I
think I '11 come. I did n't know I had any close
relatives, and I want to know about them."
So it was agreed that all would be on hand at
sun-up the next morning, and then everybody
started for home to think over the things they had
learned.
[64]
CHAPTER VIII
WHISTLER AND YAP YAP
JOHNNY CHUCK was the first one on hand the
next morning. The fact is, Johnny was quite ex-
cited over the discovery that he had some near
relatives. He always had supposed that the
Woodchucks were a family by themselves. Now
that he knew that he had some close relatives, he
was filled with quite as much curiosity as ever
Peter Rabbit possessed. Just as soon as Old
Mother Nature was ready to begin, Johnny Chuck
was ready with a question. 'If you please," said
he, ' ' who are my nearest relatives ? '
"The Marmots of the Far West," replied Old
Mother Nature. You know, you are a Marmot,
and these cousins of yours out there are a great
deal like you in a general way. The biggest and
handsomest of all is Whistler, who lives in the
mountains of the Northwest. The fact is, he is
the biggest of all the Marmot family."
'Is he much bigger than Johnny Chuck?'
asked Peter Rabbit.
'Considerably bigger," replied Old Mother
[65]
it
(t
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Nature, nodding her head. ' Considerably bigger.
I should think he would weigh twice as much as
Johnny."
Johnny's eyes opened very wide. 'My!' he
exclaimed, tf l should like to see him. Does he
look like me?'
In his shape he does," said Old Mother Nature,
but he has a very much handsomer coat. His
coat is a mixture of dark brown and white hairs
which give him a grayish color. The upper part
of his head, his feet and nails are black, and so are
his ears. A black band runs from behind each
ear down to his neck. His chin is pure white
and there is white on his nose. Underneath he is
a light, rusty color. His fur is thicker and softer
than yours, Johnny; this is because he lives
where it is colder. His tail is larger, somewhat
bushier, and is a blackish-brown."
4 If you please, why is he called Whistler?'
asked Johnny Chuck eagerly.
'Because he has a sharp, clear whistle which
can be heard a very long distance," replied Old
Mother Nature. 'He sits up just as you do. If
he sees danger approaching he whistles, as a warn-
ing to all his relatives within hearing."
'I suppose it is foolish to ask if he lives in a
hole in the ground as Johnny Chuck does," spoke
up Peter Rabbit.
[66]
Whistler and Yap Yap
"He does," replied Old Mother Nature. "All
Marmots live in holes in the ground, but Whistler
lives in entirely different country. He lives up
on the sides of the mountains, often so high that
no trees grow there and the ground is rocky. He
digs his hole down in between the rocks. "
"It must be a nice, safe hole," said Peter. *I
guess he does n't have to worry about being dug
out by Reddy Fox."
"You guessed quite right," laughed Old Mother
Nature. 'Nevertheless, he has reason to fear
being dug out. You see, out where he lives.
Grizzly, the big cousin of Buster Bear, also lives,
and Grizzly is very fond of a Marmot dinner when
he can get one. He is so big and strong and has
such great claws that he can pull the rocks apart
and dig Whistler out. By the way, I forgot to
tell you that Whistler is also called the Gray
Marmot and the Hoary Marmot. He lives on
grass and other green things and, like Johnny
Chuck, gets very fat in the fall and then sleeps
all winter. There are one or two other Marmots
in the Far West who live farther south than does
Whistler, but their habits are much the same as
those of Whistler and Johnny Chuck. None of
them are social. I mean by that you never find
two Marmot homes very close together. In this
they differ from Johnny's smaller cousin, Yap Yap
[67]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
the Prairie Dog. Yap Yap would n't be happy
if he did n't have close neighbors of his own kind.
He has one of the most social natures of all my
little people."
'Tell us about him," begged Happy Jack
Squirrel before Johnny Chuck, who is naturally
slow, could ask for the same thing.
Yap Yap is the smallest of the Marmot family,"
said Old Mother Nature. 'In a way he is about
as closely related to the Ground Squirrels as he is
to the Marmots. Johnny Chuck has only four
claws on each front foot, but Yap Yap has five,
just as the Ground Squirrels have. He looks very
much like a small Chuck dressed in light yellowish-
brown. His tail for the most part is the same color
as his coat, but the end is black, though there is
one member of the family whose tail has a white
tip. In each cheek is a small pouch, that is, a
small pocket, and this is one of the things that
shows how closely related to the Spermophiles he
is.
"As I said before, Yap Yap is very social by
nature. He lives on the great open plains of the
West and Southwest, frequently where it is very
dry and rain seldom falls. When you find his
home you are sure to find the homes of many more
Prairie Dogs very close at hand. Sometimes there
are hundreds and hundreds of homes, making a
[68]
Whistler and Yap Yap
regular town. This is because the Prairie Dogs
dearly love the company of their own kind."
" Does Yap Yap dig the same kind of a hole that
I do?' asked Johnny Chuck.
"In a way it is like yours," replied Old Mother
Nature, 'but at the same time it is different. In
the first place, it goes almost straight down for a
long distance. In the second place there is no
mound of sand in front of Yap Yap's doorway.
Instead of that the doorway is right in the very
middle of the mound of sand. One reason for
this is that when it does rain out where Yap Yap
lives it rains very hard indeed, so that the water
stands on the ground for a short time. The
ground being flat, a lot of water would run down
into Yap Yap's home and make him most un-
comfortable if he did not do something to keep it
out. So he brings the sand out and piles it all
the way around his doorway and presses it down
with his nose. In that way he builds up a firm
mound which he uses for two purposes; one is
to keep the water from running down the hole,
and the other is as a sort of watch tower. He
sits on the top of his mound to watch for his
enemies. His cousin with the white tail digs a
hole more like yours.
Yap Yap loves to visit his neighbors and to
have them visit him. They are lively little people
[69]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
and do a great deal of talking among themselves.
The instant one of them sees an enemy he gives a
signal. Then every Prairie Dog scampers for
his own hole and dives in head first. Almost at
once he pops his head out again to see what the
danger may be."
'How can he do that without going clear to the
bottom to turn around ?' demanded Peter.
'I wondered if any of you would think of that
question," chuckled Old Mother Nature. "Just
a little way down from the entrance Yap Yap digs a
little room at one side of his tunnel. All he has
to do is to scramble into that, turn around and
then pop his head out. As I said before, his
tunnel goes down very deep ; then it turns and
goes almost equally far underground. Down there
he has a nice little bedroom. Sometimes he has
more than one."
'If it is so dry out where he lives, how does he
get water to drink ? ' asked Happy Jack.
'He does n't have to drink," replied Old Mother
Nature. 'Some folks think that he digs down
until he finds water way down underneath, but
this is n't so. He does n't have to have water.
He gets all the moisture he needs from the green
things he eats."
'I suppose, like the rest of us, he has lots of
enemies ? ' said Peter.
[70]
YAP YAP THE PRAIRIE DOG. A social little Marmot who lives on the
prairies of the West.
J?
^
GRUBBY THE POCKET GOPHER. The true Gopher and a great pest to
farmers.
Whistler and Yap Yap
Old Mother Nature nodded. 'Of course," said
she. 'Old Man Coyote and Reddy Fox are very
fond of Prairie Dog. So are members of the
Hawk family. Then in some places there is a
cousin of Shadow the Weasel called the Black-
footed Ferret. He is to be feared most of all be-
cause he can follow Yap Yap down into his hole.
There is a cousin of Hooty the Owl called the
Burrowing Owl because it builds its home in a
hole in the ground. You are likely to find many
Burrowing Owls living in Prairie Dog villages.
Also you are apt to find Buzztail the Rattlesnake
there.
'A lot of people believe that Yap Yap, Buzz-
tail and the little Burrowing Owl are the best of
friends and often live together in the same hole.
This is n't so at all. Buzztail is very fond of
young Prairie Dog and so is the Burrowing Owl.
Rather than dig a hole for himself the Owl will
sometimes take possession of one of Yap Yap's
deserted holes. If he should make a mistake and
enter a hole in which Yap Yap was at home, the
chances are that Yap Yap would kill the Owl,
for he knows that the Owl is an enemy. Buzztail
the Rattlesnake also makes use of Prairie Dog
holes, but it is safe to say that if there are any
Prairie Dog babies down there they never live
to see what the outside world is like. So Buzztail
[71]
\
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
and the Burrowing Owl are really enemies instead
of friends of Yap Yap, the Prairie Dog."
"Why is he called a Dog?' asked Peter.
Old Mother Nature laughed right out. " Good-
ness knows," said she. 'He doesn't look like a
Dog and he does n't act like a Dog, so why people
should call him a Dog I don't know, unless it is
because of his habit of barking, and even his bark
is n't at all like a Dog's, - - not nearly so much
so as the bark of Reddy Fox. Now I guess this
will do for to-day. Have n't you little folks had
enough of school ?'
c No," cried Peter Rabbit and Jumper the
Hare and Happy Jack and Chatterer the Red
Squirrel and Striped Chipmunk and Johnny Chuck.
'We want to know about the rest of the members
of the order of Rodents or Gnawers," added Peter.
'Of course in a way they are sort of related to us
and we want to know about them."
Old Mother Nature laughed good-naturedly.
"All right," said she, "come again to-morrow
morning and we '11 see what more we can learn."
[72]
CHAPTER IX
TWO QUEER LITTLE HAYMAKERS
THERE is nothing like a little knowledge to make
one want more. Johnny Chuck, who had gone
to school only because Old Mother Nature had
sent for him, had become as full of curiosity as
Peter Rabbit. The discovery that he had a big,
handsome cousin, Whistler the Marmot, living
in the mountains of the Far West, had given
Johnny something to think about. It seemed to
Johnny such a queer place for a member of his
family to live that he wanted to know more about
it. So Johnny had a question all ready when Old
Mother Nature called school to order the next
morning.
'If you please, Mother Nature," said he,
'does my cousin, Whistler, have any neighbors up
among those rocks where he lives ? '
'He certainly does," replied Old Mother Nature,
nodding her head. 'He has for a near neighbor
one of the quaintest and most interesting little
members of the big order to which you all belong.
And that order is what?' she asked abruptly.
[73]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
'The order of Rodents," replied Peter Rabbit
promptly.
"Right, Peter," replied Old Mother Nature,
smiling at Peter. 'I asked that just to see if you
really are learning. I wanted to make sure that
I am not wasting my time with you little folks.
Now this little neighbor of Whistler is Little
Chief Hare."
Instantly Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare
pricked up their long ears and became more in-
terested than ever, if that were possible. 'I
thought you had told us all about our family," cried
Jumper, "but you did n't mention Little Chief."
"No," said Old Mother Nature, "I did n't, and
the reason I did n't was because Little Chief
is n't a member of your family. He is called
Little Chief Hare, but he is n't a Hare at all,
although he looks much like a small Rabbit with
short hind legs and rounded ears. He has a
family all to himself and should be called a Pika.
Some folks do call him that, but more call him
a Cony, and some call him the Crying Hare.
This is because he uses his voice a great deal,
which is something no member of the Hare family
does. In size he is just about as big as one of
your half-grown babies, Peter, so, you see, he
really is a very little fellow. His coat is grayish-
brown. His ears are of good size, but instead of
[74]
Two Queer Little Haymakers
being long, are round. He has small bright eyes.
His legs are short, his hind legs being very little
longer than his front ones. He has hair on the
soles of his feet just like the members of the Hare
family."
'What about his tail ?' piped up Peter Rabbit.
You know Peter is very much interested in tails.
Old Mother Nature smiled. 'He is worse off
than you, Peter," said she, 'for he has n't any
at all. That is, he has n't any that can be seen.
He lives way up among the rocks of the great
mountains above where the trees grow and often
is a very near neighbor to Whistler."
'I suppose that means that he makes his home
down in under rocks, the same as Whistler does,"
spoke up Johnny Chuck.
"Right," replied Old Mother Nature. "He is
such a little fellow that he can get through very
narrow places, and he has his home and barns
way down in among the rocks."
'Barns! 5 exclaimed Happy Jack Squirrel.
'Barns ! What do you mean by barns ?'
Old Mother Nature laughed. 'I just call them
barns," said she, "because they are the places
where he stores away his hay, just as Farmer
Brown stores away his hay in his barn. I suppose
you would call them storehouses."
At the mention of hay, Peter Rabbit sat bolt
[75]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
upright and his eyes were wide open with as-
tonishment. 'Did you say hay?' he exclaimed.
'Where under the sun does he get hay way up
there, and what does he want of it ?'
There was a twinkle in Old Mother Nature's
eyes as she replied, 'He makes that hay just as
you see Farmer Brown make hay every summer.
It is what he lives on in the winter and in bad
weather. Little Chief knows just as much about
the proper way of making hay as Farmer Brown
does. Even way up among the rocks there are
places where grass and pea-vines and other green
things grow. Little Chief lives on these in summer.
But he is as wise and thrifty as any Squirrel,
another way in which he differs from the Hare
family. He cuts them when they are ready for
cutting and spreads them out on the rocks to dry
in the sun. He knows that if he should take
them down into his barns while they are fresh
and green they would sour and spoil ; so he never
stores them away until they are thoroughly dry.
Then, of course, they are hay, for hay is nothing
but sun-dried grass cut before it has begun to die.
When his hay is just as dry as it should be, he
takes it down and stores it away in his barns, which
are nothing but little caves down in among the
rocks. There he has it for use in winter when
there is no green food.
[76]
Two Queer Little Haymakers
"Little Chief is so nearly the color of the rocks
that it takes sharp eyes to see him when he is
sitting still. He has a funny little squeaking
voice, and he uses it a great deal. It is a funny
voice because it is hard to tell just where it comes
from. It seems to come from nowhere in par-
ticular. Sometimes he can be heard squeaking
way down in his home under the rocks. Like
Johnny Chuck, he prefers to sleep at night and
be abroad during the day. Because he is so
small he must always be on the lookout for enemies.
At the first hint of danger he scampers to safety
in among the rocks, and there he scolds whoever
has frightened him. There is no more lovable
little person in all my great family than this little
haymaker of the mountains of the Great West."
"That haymaking is a pretty good idea of Little
Chief's," remarked Peter Rabbit, scratching a
long ear with a long hind foot. 'I Ve a great
mind to try it myself."
Everybody laughed right out, for everybody
knew just how easy-going and thriftless Peter
was. Peter himself grinned. He could n't help
it.
"That would be a very good idea, Peter," said
Old Mother Nature. "By the way, there is
another haymaker out in those same great moun-
tains of the Far West."
[77]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
'Who?' demanded Peter and Johnny Chuck
and Happy Jack Squirrel, all in the same breath.
'Stubtail the Mountain Beaver," replied Old
Mother Nature promptly.
'I know Paddy the Beaver," declared Peter
promptly. 'I suppose Stubtail is his cousin."
Old Mother Nature shook her head. "No,"
said she. 'No. Stubtail and Paddy are no more
closely related than the rest of you. Stubtail
is n't a Beaver at all. His proper name is Sewellel.
Sometimes he is called Showt'l and sometimes the
Boomer, and sometimes the Chehalis, but most
folks call him the Mountain Beaver."
' Is it because he looks like Paddy the Beaver ? '
Striped Chipmunk asked.
"No," replied Old Mother Nature. "He looks
more like Jerry Muskrat than he does like Paddy.
He is about Jerry's size and looks very much as
Jerry would if he had no tail."
'Has n't he any tail at all ?' asked Peter.
Yes, he has a little tail, a little stub of a tail,
but it is so small that to look at him you would
think he had n't any," replied Old Mother Nature.
'He is found out in the same mountains of the
Far West where Whistler and Little Chief live,
but instead of living way up high among the rocks
he is at home down in the valleys where the
ground is soft and the trees grow thickly. Stub-
[78]
LITTLE CHIEF THE P1KA. Also called Cony and Little Chief Hare.
STUBTAIL THE MOUNTAIN BEAVER. He is not a Beaver at all but a
Sewellel.
Two Queer Little Haymakers
tail has no use for rocks. He wants soft, wet
ground where he can tunnel and tunnel to his
heart's content. In one thing Stubtail is very
like Yap Yap the Prairie Dog."
"What is that ?' asked Johnny Chuck quickly,
for, you know, Yap Yap is Johnny's cousin.
"In his social habits," replied Old Mother
Nature. " Stubtail is n't fond of living alone.
He wants company of his own kind. So wherever
you find Stubtail you are likely to find many of
his family. They like to go visiting back and
forth. They make little paths between their
homes and all about through the thick ferns, and
they keep these little paths free and clear, so
that they may run along them easily. Some of
these little paths lead into long tunnels. These
are made for safety. Usually the ground is so
wet that there will be water running in the bottoms
of these little tunnels."
"What kind of a house does Stubtail have?'
inquired Johnny Chuck interestedly.
"A hole in the ground, of course," replied Old
Mother Nature. "It is dug where the ground is
drier than where the runways are made. Mrs.
Stubtail makes a nest of dried ferns and close by
they build two or three storehouses, for Stubtail
and Mrs. Stubtail are thrifty people."
"I suppose he fills them with hay, for you said
[79]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
he is a haymaker," remarked Happy Jack Squirrel,
who is always interested in storehouses.
"Yes," replied Old Mother Nature, "he puts
hay in them. He cuts grasses, ferns, pea- vines
and other green plants and carries them in little
bundles to the entrance to his tunnel. There he
piles them on sticks so as to keep them off the
damp ground and so that the air can help dry
them out. When they are dry, he takes them in-
side and stores them away. He also stores other
things. He likes the roots of ferns. He cuts
tender, young twigs from bushes and stores away
some of these. He is fond of bark. In winter
he is quite as active as in summer and tunnels
about under the snow. Then he sometimes has
Peter Rabbit's bad habit of killing trees by
gnawing bark all around as high up as he can
reach."
'Can he climb trees?' asked Chatterer the
Red Squirrel.
;< Just about as much as Johnny Chuck can,"
replied Old Mother Nature. "Sometimes he
climbs up in low bushes or in small, low-branch-
ing trees to cut off tender shoots, but he does n't
do much of this sort of thing. His home is the
ground. He is most active at night, but where
undisturbed, is out more or less during the day.
When he wants to cut off a twig he sits up like a
[80]
Two Queer Little Haymakers
Squirrel and holds the twig in his hands while he
bites it off with his sharp teeth."
You didn't tell us what color his coat is,"
said Peter Rabbit.
'I told you he looked very much like Jerry
Muskrat," replied Old Mother Nature. "His
coat is brown, much the color of Jerry's, but his
fur is not nearly so soft and fine."
'I suppose he has enemies just as the rest of us
little people have," said Peter.
"Of course," replied Old Mother Nature. "All
little people have enemies, and most big ones too,
for that matter. King Eagle is one and Yowler
the Bob Cat is another. They are always watch-
ing for Stubtail. That is why he digs so many
tunnels. He can travel under the ground then.
My goodness, how time flies ! Scamper home, all
of you, for I have too much to do to talk any more
to-day."
[81]
\
CHAPTER X
PRICKLY PORKY AND GRUBBY GOPHER
ALL the way to school the next morning Peter
Rabbit wondered who they would learn about
that day. He was so busy wondering that he
was heedless. Peter is apt to be heedless at times.
The result was that as he hopped out of a bramble-
tangle just within the edge of the Green Forest,
he all but landed in something worse than the
worst brambles that ever grew. It was only by
a wild side jump that he saved himself. Peter
had almost landed among the thousand little
spears of Prickly Porky the Porcupine.
"Gracious! 5 exclaimed Peter.
"Why don't you look where you are going,"
grunted Prickly Porky. Plainly he was rather
peevish. " It would n't be my fault if you had a
few of my little spears sticking in you this very
minute, and it would serve you right.' 3 He
waddled along a few steps, then began talking
again. "I don't see why Old Mother Nature
sent for me this morning," he grumbled. 'I
hate a long walk."
[82]
Prickly Porky and Grubby Gopher
Peter pricked up his long ears. 'I know !' : he
cried. You 're going to school, Prickly Porky.
You 're a Rodent, and we are going to learn all
about you this morning."
"I'm not a Rodent; I 'm a Porcupine,"
grunted Prickly Porky indignantly.
You 're a Rodent just the same. You 've got
big gnawing teeth, and any one with that kind of
teeth is a Rodent," retorted Peter. Then at a
sudden thought a funny look passed over his face.
'Why, that means that you and I are related in
a way," he added.
'Don't believe it," grunted Prickly Porky, still
shuffling along. 'Don't believe it. Don't want
to be related to anybody as heedless as you. What
is this school, anyway ? Don't want to go to
school. Know all I want to know. Know how
to get all I want to eat and how to make every-
body get out of my way and leave me alone, and
that 's enough to know." He rattled the thousand
little spears hidden in his coat, and Peter shivered
at the sound. It was a most unpleasant sound.
'Well, some folks do like to be stupid," snapped
Peter and hurried on, lipperty-lipperty-lip, while
Prickly Porky slowly shuffled and rattled along
behind.
All the others were there when Peter arrived.
Prickly Porky was n't even in sight. Old Mother
[83]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Nature wasted no time. She has too much to
do ever to waste time. She called the school to
order at once.
: Yesterday," she began, 'I told you about
two little haymakers of the high mountains of
the Far West. Who were they, Peter Rabbit ?'
'Little Chief Hare, called the Pika or Cony,
and Stubtail the Mountain Beaver or Sewellel,"
replied Peter with great promptness.
"Right," said Old Mother Nature. "Now I
am going to tell you of one of^my little plowmen
who also lives in the Far West but prefers the
great plains to the high mountains, though he is
sometimes found in the latter. He is Grubby the
Gopher, a member of the same order the rest of
you belong to, but of a family quite his own. He
is properly called the Pocket Gopher, and way
down in the Southeast, where he is also found, he
is called a Salamander, though what for I have n't
the least idea."
' Does he have pockets in his cheeks like mine ? '
asked Striped Chipmunk eagerly.
'He has pockets in his cheeks, and that is why
he is called Pocket Gopher," replied Old Mother
Nature ; " but they are not at all like yours,
Striped Chipmunk. Yours are on the inside of
your cheeks, but his are on the outside."
'How funny!' exclaimed Striped Chipmunk.
[84]
Prickly PorJcy and Grubby Gopher
Your pockets are small compared with those
of Grubby," continued Old Mother Nature. "One
of his covers almost the whole side of his head
back to his short neck, and it is lined with fur,
and remember he has two of them. Grubby uses
these for carrying food and never for carrying
out earth when he is digging a tunnel, as some
folks think he does. He stuffs them full with his
front feet and empties them by pressing them from
the back with his feet. The Gopher family is
quite large and the members range in size from
the size of Danny Meadow Mouse to that of Robber
the Rat, only these bigger members are stouter
and heavier than Robber. Some are reddish-
brown and some are gray. But whatever his size
and wherever he is found, Grubby's habits are
the same."
All this time Peter Rabbit had been fidgeting
about. It was quite clear that Peter had some-
thing on his mind. Now as Old Mother Nature
paused, Peter found the chance he had been
waiting for. 'If you please, why did you call
him a plowman ? ' he asked eagerly.
'I 'm coining to that all in due time," replied
Old Mother Nature, smiling at Peter's eagerness.
* Grubby Gopher spends most of his life under-
ground, very much like Miner the Mole, whom
you all know. He can dig tunnels just about as
[ 85 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
fast. His legs are short, and his front legs and
feet are very stout and strong. They are armed
with very long, strong claws and it is with these
and the help of his big cutting teeth that Grubby
digs. He throws the earth under him and then
kicks it behind him with his hind feet. When he
has quite a pile behind him he turns around, and
with his front feet and head pushes it along to a
little side tunnel and then up to the surface of the
ground. As soon as he has it all out he plugs up
the opening and goes back to digging. The loose
earth he has pushed out makes little mounds, and
he makes one of these mounds every few feet.
'Grubby is a great worker. He is very in-
dustrious. Since he is underground, it does n't
make much difference to him whether it be night
or day. In summer, during the hottest part of
the day, he rests. His eyes are small and weak
because he has little use for them, coming out on
the surface very seldom and then usually in the
dusk. He has a funny little tail without any
hair on it; this is very sensitive and serves him
as a sort of guide when he runs backward along
his tunnel, which he can do quite fast. A funny
thing about those long claws on his front feet is
that he folds them under when he is walking or
running. Do any of you know why Farmer
Brown plows his garden?'
186]
PRICKLY PORKY THE PORCUPINE. An independent fellow with a
thousand little spears in his coat.
Prickly Porky and Grubby Gopher
As she asked this, Old Mother Nature looked
from one to another, and each in turn shook his
head. 'It is to mix the dead vegetable matter
thoroughly with the earth so that the roots of
the plants may get it easily," explained Old Mother
Nature. 'By making those tunnels in every
direction and bringing up the earth below to the
surface, Grubby Gopher does the same thing.
That is why I call him my little plowman. He
loosens up the hard, packed earth and mixes the
vegetable matter with it and so makes it easy for
seeds to sprout and plants to grow."
'Then he must be one of the farmer's best
friends," spoke up Happy Jack Squirrel.
Old Mother Nature shook her head. 'He has
been in the past," said she. 'He has done a
wonderful work in helping make the land fit for
farming. But where land is being farmed he is a
dreadful pest, I am sorry to say. You see he
eats the crops the farmer tries to raise, and the
new mounds he is all the time throwing up bury
a lot of the young plants, and in the meadows make
it very hard to use a mowing machine for cutting
hay. Then Grubby gets into young orchards
and cuts off all the tender roots of young trees.
This kills them. You see he is fond of tender
roots, seeds, stems of grass and grain, and is never
happier than when he can find a field of potatoes.
[87]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
'Being such a worker, he has to have a great
deal to eat. Then, too, he stores away a great
deal for winter, for he does n't sleep in winter as
Johnny Chuck does. He even tunnels about under
the snow. Sometimes he fills these little snow
tunnels with the earth he brings up from below,
and when the snow melts it leaves queer little
earth ridges to show where the tunnels were.
'Grubby is very neat in his habits and keeps
his home and himself very clean. During the
day he leaves one of his mounds open for a little
while to let in fresh air. But it is only for a little
while. Then he closes it again. He does n't dare
leave it open very long, for fear Shadow the
Weasel or a certain big Snake called the Gopher
Snake will find it and come in after him. Digger
the Badger is the only one of his enemies who can
dig fast enough to dig him out, but at night, when
he likes to come out for a little air or to cut grain
and grass, he must always watch for Hooty the
Owl. Old Man Coyote and members of the Hawk
family are always looking for him by day, so you
see he has plenty of enemies, like the rest of you.
4 He got the name Gopher because that conies
from a word meaning honeycomb, and Grubby's
tunnels go in every direction until the ground is
like honeycomb. He is n't a bit social and has
rather a mean disposition. He is always ready
[88]
Prickly Porky and Grubby Gopher
*.-t.
to fight. On the plains he has done a great deal
to make the soil fine and rich, as I have already
told you, but on hillsides he does a great deal of
harm. The water runs down his tunnels and
washes away the soil. Because of this and the
damage he does to crops, man is his greatest
enemy. But man has furnished him with new
and splendid foods easy to get, and so Grubby's
family increases faster than it used to, in spite of
traps and poison. Hello ! See who 's here ! It is
about time."
There was a shuffling and rattling and grunting,
and Prickly Porky climbed up on an old stump,
looking very peevish and much out of sorts. He
had come to school much against his will.
[891
CHAPTER XI
A FELLOW WITH A THOUSAND SPEARS
"THERE," said Old Mother Nature, pointing
to Prickly Porky the Porcupine, 'is next to the
largest member of your order, which is ?'
'Order of Rodents," piped up Striped Chip-
munk.
'He is not only next to the largest, but is the
stupidest," continued Old Mother Nature. 'At
least that is what people say of him, though I
suspect he is n't as stupid as he sometimes seems.
Anyway, he manages to keep well fed and escape
his enemies, which is more than can be said for
some others who are supposed to have quick wits."
'Escaping his enemies is no credit to him.
They are only too glad to keep out of his way ; he
does n't have to fear anybody," said Chatterer
the Red Squirrel to his cousin, Happy Jack.
His remark did n't escape the keen ears of Old
Mother Nature. 'Are you sure about that?'
she demanded. ' Now there 's Pekan the
Fisher "
[90]
A Felloio with a Thousand Spears
She was interrupted by a great rattling on the
old stump. Everybody turned to look. There
was Prickly Porky backing down as fast as he
could, which was n't fast at all, aiid rattling his
thousand little spears as he did so. It was really
very funny. Everybody had to laugh, even Old
Mother Nature. You see, it was plain that he
was in a great hurry, yet every movement was
slow and clumsy.
"Well, Prickly Porky, what does this mean?
Where are you going?' demanded Old Mother
Nature.
Prickly Porky turned his dull-looking eyes
towards her, and in them was a troubled, worried
look. "Where's Pekan the Fisher?' he asked,
and his voice shook a little with something very
much like fear.
Old Mother Nature understood instantly. When
she had said, "Now there's Pekan the Fisher,"
Prickly Porky had waited to hear no more. He
had instantly thought that she meant that Pekan
was right there somewhere. 'It's all right,
Prickly Porky," said she. 'Pekan isn't any-
where around here, so climb back on that stump
and don't worry. Had you waited for me to
finish, you would have saved yourself a fright.
Chatterer had just said that you did n't have
to fear anybody and I was starting to explain
[91]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
that he was wrong, that despite your thousand
little spears you have reason to fear Pekan the
Fisher."
Prickly Porky shivered and \his made the
thousand little spears in his coat rattle. It was
such a surprising thing to see Prickly Porky
actually afraid that the other little folks almost
doubted their own eyes. 'Are you quite sure
that Pekan is n't anywhere around ? ' asked
Prickly Porky, and his voice still shook.
'Quite sure," replied Old Mother Nature.
'If he were I wouldn't allow him to hurt you.
You ought to know that. Now sit up so that
every one can get a good look at you."
Prickly Porky sat up, and the others gathered
around the foot of the stump to look at him. ' He
certainly is no beauty," murmured Happy Jack
Squirrel.
Happy Jack was quite right. He was any-
thing but handsome. The truth is he was the
homeliest, clumsiest-looking fellow in all the Green
Forest. He was a little bigger than Bobby Coon
and his body was thick and heavy-looking. His
back humped up like an arch. His head was
rather small for the size of his body, short and
rather round. His neck was even shorter. His
eyes were small and very dull. It was plain that
he could n't see far, or clearly unless what he was
[92]
A Fellow with a Thousand Spears
looking at was close at hand. His ears were small
and nearly hidden in hair. His front teeth, the
gnawing teeth which showed him to be a Rodent,
were very large and bright orange. His legs were
short and stout. He had four toes on each front
foot and five on each hind foot, and these were
armed with quite long, stout claws.
But the queerest thing and the most interesting
thing about Prickly Porky was his coat. Not
one among the other little people of the Green
Forest has a coat anything like his. Most of them
have a soft, short under fur protected and more
or less hidden by longer, coarser hair. Prickly
Porky had the long coarse hair and on his back
it was very long and coarse, brownish-black in
color up to the tips, which were white. Under
this long hair was some soft woolly fur, but what
that long hair hid chiefly was an array of wicked-
looking little spears called quills. They were
white to the tips, which were dark and very, very
sharply pointed. All down the sides were tiny
barbs, so small as hardly to be seen, but there just
the same. On his head the quills were about an
inch long, but on his back they were four inches
long, becoming shorter towards the tail. The
latter was rather short, stout, and covered with
short quills.
As he sat there on that old stump some of
[93]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Prickly Porky's little spears could be seen peeping
out from the long hair on his back, but they did n't
look particularly dangerous. Peter Rabbit sud-
denly made a discovery. 'Why !' he exclaimed.
* He has n't any little spears on the under side
of him!"
*I wondered who would be the first to notice
that," said Old Mother Nature. "No, Prickly
Porky has n't any little spears underneath, and
Pekan the Fisher has found that out. He knows
that if he can turn Prickly Porky on his back he
can kill him without much danger from those
little spears, and he has learned how to do that
very thing. That is why Prickly Porky is afraid
of him. Now, Prickly, climb down off that
stump and show these little folks what you do
when an enemy comes near."
Grumbling and growling, Prickly Porky climbed
down to the ground. Then he tucked his head
down between his front paws and suddenly the
thousand little spears appeared all over him,
pointing in every direction until he looked like
a giant chestnut burr. Then he began to thrash
his tail from side to side.
"What is he doing that for?' asked Johnny
Chuck, looking rather puzzled.
" Go near enough to be hit by it, and you '11
understand," said Old Mother Nature dryly.
[94]
.SSlHBBHl^^^v ^P&if^f' ^^^ft "*^T*^llP^PWP
PADDY THE BEAVER. This shows his wonderful dam and his house.
A Fellow with a Thousand Spears
' That is his one weapon. Whoever is hit by that
tail will find himself full of those little spears
and will take care never to go near Prickly Porky
again. Once those little spears have entered
the skin, they keep working in deeper and deeper,
and more than one of his enemies has been killed
by them. On account of those tiny barbs they
are hard to pull out, and pulling them out hurts
dreadfully. Just try one and see."
But no one was anxious to try, so Old Mother
Nature paused only a moment. You will notice
that he moves that tail quickly," she continued.
'It is the only thing about him which is quick.
When he has a chance, in time of danger, he likes
to get his head under a log or rock, instead of
putting it between his paws as he is doing now.
Then he plants his feet firmly and waits for a
chance to use that tail."
'Is it true that he can throw those little spears
at folks ? ' asked Peter.
. Old Mother Nature shook her head. "There
is n't a word of truth in it," she declared. : That
story probably was started by some one who was
hit by his tail, and it was done so quickly that the
victim did n't see the tail move and so thought the
little spears were thrown at him."
'How does he make all those little spears stand
up that way ? ' asked Jumper the Hare.
[95]
(t
tt
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
'He has a special set of muscles for just that
purpose," explained Old Mother Nature.
'When those quills stick into some one they
must pull out of Prickly Porky's own skin; I
should think that would hurt him," spoke up
Striped Chipmunk.
Not at all," replied Old Mother Nature.
They are very loosely fastened in his skin and
come out at the least little pull. New ones grow
to take the place of those he loses. Notice that
he puts his whole foot flat on the ground just as
Buster Bear and Bobby Coon do, and just as those
two-legged creatures called men do. Very few
animals do this, and those that do are said to be
plantigrade. Now, Prickly Porky, tell us what
you eat and where you make your home, and that
will end to-day's lesson."
'I eat bark, twigs and leaves mostly," grunted
Prickly Porky ungraciously. 'I like hemlock best
of all, but also eat poplar, pine and other trees
for a change. Sometimes I stay in a tree for days
until I have stripped it of all its bark and leaves.
I don't see any sense in moving about any more
than is necessary."
"But that must kill the tree !' exclaimed Peter
Rabbit.
"Well, what of it?" demanded Prickly Porky
crossly. 'There are plenty of trees. In summer
[96]
A Fellow with a Thousand Spears
I like lily pads and always get them when I
can.'
'Can you swim ?' asked Peter eagerly.
''Of course," grunted Prickly Porky.
'I never see you out on the Green Meadows,"
said Peter.
'And you never will," retorted Prickly Porky.
"The Green Forest for me every time. Summer
or winter, I'm at home there."
" Don't you sleep through the cold weather the
way Buster Bear and I do ? ' asked Johnny
Chuck.
' What should I sleep for ? ' grumbled Prickly
Porky. ' Cold weather does n't bother me. I
like it. I have the Green Forest pretty much to
myself then. I like to be alone. And as long as
there are trees, there is plenty to eat. I sleep a
great deal in the daytime because I like night
best."
' What about your home ? ' asked Happy Jack.
'Home is wherever I happen to be, most of
the time, but Mrs. Porky has a home in a hollow
log or a cave or under the roots of a tree where
the babies are born. I guess that 's all I 've got
to tell you."
You might add that those babies are big for
the size of their mother and have a full supply
of quills when they are born," said Old Mother
[97]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Nature. 'And you forgot to say how fond of
salt you are, and how often this fondness gets
you into trouble around the camps of men. Your
fear of Pekan the Fisher we all saw. I might
add that Puma the Panther is to be feared at
times, and when he is very hungry Buster Bear
will take a chance on turning you on your back.
By the way, don't any of you call Prickly Porky
a Hedgehog. He is n't anything of the kind.
He is sometimes called a Quill Pig, but his real
name, Porcupine, is best. He has no near rela-
tives. To-morrow morning, instead of meeting
here, we '11 hold school on the shore of the pond
Paddy the Beaver has made. School is dismissed.' 5
[98]
CHAPTER XII
A LUMBERMAN AND ENGINEER
JOHNNY CHUCK and Striped Chipmunk were
the only ones who were not on hand at the pond
of Paddy the Beaver deep in the Green Forest at
sun-up the next morning. Johnny and Striped
Chipmunk were afraid to go so far from home.
To the surprise of everybody, Prickly Porky was
there.
'He must have traveled all night to get here,
he is such a slow-poke," said Peter Rabbit to his
cousin, Jumper the Hare.
Peter was n't far from the truth. But how-
ever he got there, there he was, reaching for lily
pads from an old log which lay half in the water,
and appearing very well satisfied with life. You
know there is nothing like a good meal of things
you like, to make everything seem just as it
should.
Old Mother Nature seated herself on one end
of Paddy's dam and called the school to order.
Just as she did so a brown head popped out of
[99]
((
6(
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
the water close by and a pair of anxious eyes
looked up at Old Mother Nature.
It is quite all right, Paddy," said she softly.
These little folks are trying to gain a little
knowledge of themselves and other folks, and we
are going to have this morning's lesson right Tiere
because it is to be about you."
Paddy the Beaver no longer looked anxious.
There was a sparkle in his eyes. 'May I stay?'
he asked eagerly. 'If there is a chance to learn
anything I don't want to miss it."
Before Old Mother Nature could reply Peter
Rabbit spoke up. 'But the lesson is to be about
you and your family. Do you expect to learn
anything about yourself ? ' he demanded, and
chuckled as if he thought that a great joke.
'It seems to me that some one named Peter
learned a great deal about his own family when he
first came to school to me," said Old Mother
Nature. Peter had grace enough to hang his
head and look ashamed. 'Of course you may
stay, Paddy. In fact, I want you to. There are
some things I shall want you to explain. That is
why we are holding school over here this morning.
Just come up here on your dam where we can all
get a good look at you."
Paddy the Beaver climbed out on his dam. It
was the first time Happy Jack Squirrel ever had
[100] '
A Lumberman and Engineer
seen him out of water, and Happy Jack gave a
little gasp of surprise. 'I had no idea he is so
big ! ' he exclaimed.
"He is the biggest of all the Rodents in this
country, and one of the biggest in all the Great
World. Also he is the smartest member of the
whole order," said Old Mother Nature.
"He doesn't look it," said Chatterer the Red
Squirrel with a saucy jerk of his tail.
"Which means, I suppose, that you haven't
the least doubt that you are quite as smart as
he," said Old Mother Nature quietly, and Chatterer
looked both guilty and a little bit ashamed. 'I '11
admit that you are smart, Chatterer, but often it
is in a wrong way. Paddy is smart in the very best
way. He is a lumberman, builder and engineer.
A lot of my little people are workers, but they are
destructive workers. The busier they are, the
more they destroy. Paddy the Beaver is a con-
structive worker. That means that he is a builder
instead of a destroyer."
"How about all those trees he cuts down? If
that is n't destroying, I don't know what is !" said
Chatterer, and with each word jerked his tail as if
somehow his tongue and tail were connected.
"So it is," replied Old Mother Nature good-
naturedly. 'But just think of the number of
trees you destroy."
[101]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
' "
never have destroyed a tree in my life !
declared Chatterer indignantly.
Yes, you have," retorted Old Mother Nature.
'I never have!' contradicted Chatterer, quite
forgetting to whom he was speaking.
But Old Mother Nature overlooked this. "I
don't suppose you ever ate a chestnut or a fat
hickory nut or a sweet beechnut," said she softly.
4 Of course," retorted Chatterer sharply. ' I 've
eaten ever and ever and ever so many of them.
What of it?"
'In the heart of each one was a little tree,"
explained Old Mother Nature. 'But for you
very many of those little trees would have sprung
up and some day would have made big trees. So
you see for every tree Paddy has destroyed you
probably have destroyed a hundred. You eat
the nuts that you may live. Paddy cuts down the
trees that he may live, for the bark of those trees
is his food. Like Prickly Porky he lives chiefly
on bark. But, unlike Prickly Porky, he does n't
destroy a tree for the bark alone. He wastes
nothing. He makes use of every bit of that tree.
He does something for the Green Forest in return
for the trees he takes."
Chatterer looked at Happy Jack and blinked
in a puzzled way. Happy Jack looked at Peter
Rabbit and blinked. Peter looked at Jumper the
JERRY MUSKRAT. He is the largest of American Rats. Note how his tail is
flattened.
A Lumberman and Engineer
Hare and blinked. Jumper looked at Prickly
Porky and blinked. Then all looked at Paddy
the Beaver and finally at Old Mother Nature,
and all blinked. Old Mother Nature chuckled.
"Don't you think the Green Forest is more
beautiful because of this little pond ? ' she asked.
Everybody nodded. 'Of course," she continued.
"But there wouldn't be any little pond here
were it not for Paddy and the trees he has cut.
He destroyed the trees in order to make the pond.
That is what I meant when I called him a con-
structive worker. Now I want you all to take a
good look at Paddy. Then he will show us just
how as a lumberman he cuts trees, as a builder
he constructs houses and dams, and as an engineer
he digs canals."
As Paddy sat there on his dam, he looked rather
like a giant member of the Rat family, though his
head was more like that of a Squirrel than a Rat.
His body was very thick and heavy, and in color
he was dark brown, lighter underneath than above.
Squatting there on the dam his back was rounded.
All together, he was a very clumsy -looking fellow.
Peter Rabbit appeared to be interested in just
one thing, Paddy's tail. He could n't keep his
eyes off it.
Old Mother Nature noticed this. " Well, Peter,"
said she, "what have you on your mind now?'
[103]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
"That tail," replied Peter. "That 's the queer-
est tail I 've ever seen. I should think it would be
heavy and dreadfully in the way."
Old Mother Nature laughed. ' If you ask him,
Paddy will tell you that that tail is the handiest
tail in the Green Forest," said she. 'There is n't
another like it in all the Great World, and if
you '11 be patient you will see just how handy it
is.'
It was a queer-looking tail. It was broad and
thick and flat, oval in shape, and covered with
scales instead of hair. Just then Jumper the
Hare made a discovery. 'Why!' he exclaimed,
'Paddy has feet like Honker the Goose !'
"Only my hind feet," said Paddy. "They
have webs between the toes just as Honker's
have. That is for swimming. But there are no
webs between my fingers." He held up a hand
for all to see. Sure enough, the fingers were
free.
'Now that everybody has had a good look at
you, Paddy," said Old Mother Nature, 'suppose
you swim over to where you have been cutting
trees. We will join you there, and then you can
show us just how you work."
Paddy slipped into the water, where for a second
or two he floated with just his head above the
surface. Then he quickly raised his broad, heavy
[104]
A Lumberman and Engineer
tail and brought it down on the water with a
slap that sounded like the crack of a terrible gun.
It was so loud and unexpected that every one save
Old Mother Nature and Prickly Porky jumped with
fright. Peter Rabbit happened to be right on
the edge of the dam and, because he jumped before
he had time to think, he jumped right into the
water with a splash. Now Peter does n't like
the water, as you know, and he scrambled out
just as fast as ever he could. How the others did
laugh at him.
"What did he do that for?' demanded Peter
indignantly.
"To show you one use he has for that handy
tail," replied Old Mother Nature. "That is the
way he gives warning to his friends whenever he
discovers danger. Did you notice how he used
his tail to aid him in swimming? He turns it
almost on edge and uses it as a rudder. Those
big, webbed hind feet are the paddles which drive
him through the water. He can stay under
water a long time, - - as much as five minutes.
See, he has just come up now."
Sure enough, Paddy's head had just appeared
clear across the pond almost to the opposite shore,
and he was now swimming on the surface. Old
Mother Nature at once led the way around the
pond to a small grove of poplar trees which stood
[ 105 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
a little way back from the water. Paddy was
already there. 'Now," said Old Mother Nature,
'show us what kind of a lumberman you are."
Paddy picked out a small tree, sat up much as
Happy Jack Squirrel does, but with his big flat
tail on the ground to brace him, seized the trunk
of the tree in both hands, and went to work with
his great orange-colored cutting teeth. He bit
out a big chip. Then another and another.
Gradually he worked around the tree. After a
while the tree began to sway and crack. Paddy
bit out two or three more chips, then suddenly
slapped the ground with his tail as a warning and
scampered back to a safe distance. He was taking
no chances of being caught under that falling
tree.
The tree fell, and at once Paddy returned to
work. The smaller branches he cut off with a
single bite at the base of each. The larger ones
required a number of bites. Then he set to work
to cut the trunk up in short logs. At this point
Old Mother Nature interrupted.
'Now show us," said she, 'what you do with
the logs."
Paddy at once got behind a log, and by pushing
rolled it ahead of him until at last it fell with a
splash in the water of a ditch or canal which led
from near that grove of trees to the pond. Paddy
[ 106 ] '
A Lumberman and Engineer
followed into the water and began to push it ahead
of him towards the pond.
"That will do," spoke up Old Mother Nature.
"Come out and show us how you take the
branches."
Obediently Paddy climbed out and returned to
the fallen tree. There he picked up one of the
long branches in his mouth, grasping it near the
butt, twisted it over his shoulder and started to
drag it to the canal. When he reached the latter
he entered the water and began swimming, still
dragging the branch in the same way. Once more
Old Mother Nature stopped him. You 've shown
us how you cut trees and move them, so now I
want you to answer a few questions," said she.
Paddy climbed out and squatted on the bank.
4 How did this canal happen to be here so
handy?' asked Old Mother Nature.
"Why, I dug it, of course," replied Paddy,
looking surprised. You see, I 'm rather slow
and clumsy on land, and don't like to be far from
water. Those trees are pretty well back from the
pond, so I dug this canal, which brings the water
almost to them. It makes it safer for me if Old
Man Coyote or Buster Bear or Yowler the Bob-
cat happens to be looking for a Beaver dinner.
Also it makes it very much easier to get my logs
and branches to the pond."
[ 107 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Old Mother Nature nodded. "Just so," said
she. 'I want the rest of you to notice how well
this canal has been dug. At the other end it is
carried along the bottom of the pond where the
water is shallow so as to give greater depth.
Now you will understand why I called Paddy an
engineer. What do you do with your logs and
branches, Paddy?'
'Put them in my food-pile, out there where the
water is deep near my house," replied Paddy
promptly. The bark I eat, and the bare sticks
I use to keep my house and dam in repair. In the
late fall I cut enough trees to keep me in food
all winter. When my pond is covered with ice
I have nothing to worry about ; my food supply
is below the ice. When I am hungry I swim out
under the ice, get a stick, take it back into my
house and eat the bark. Then I take the bare
stick outside to use when needed on my dam or
house."
' How did you come to make this fine pond ? '
asked Old Mother Nature.
' Oh, I just happened to come exploring up the
Laughing Brook and found there was plenty of
food here and a good place for a pond," replied
Paddy. 'I thought I would like to live here.
Down where my dam is, the Laughing Brook
was shallow, - - just the place for a dam,"
[ 108 ]
A Lumberman and Engineer
"Tell us why you wanted a pond and how you
built that darn," commanded Old Mother Nature.
"Why, I had to have a pond, if I was to stay
here," replied Paddy, as if every one must under-
stand that. "The Laughing Brook was n't deep
or big enough for me to live here safely. If it
had been, I w T ould have made my home in the
bank and not bothered with a house or dam. But
it was n't, so I had to make a pond. It required a
lot of hard work, but it is worth all it cost.
"First, I cut a lot of brush and young trees and
placed them in the Laughing Brook in that shallow
place, with the butts pointing up-stream. I kept
them in place by piling mud and stones oh them.
Then I kept piling on more sticks and brush and
mud. The water brought down leaves and float-
ing stuff, and this caught in the dam and helped
fill it in. I dug a lot of mud in front of it and
used this to fill in the spaces between the sticks.
This made the w r ater deeper in front of the dam
and at the same time kept it from getting through.
As the water backed up, of course it made a pond.
I kept making my dam longer and higher, and the
longer and higher it became the bigger the pond
grew. When it was big enough and deep enough
to suit me, I stopped work on the dam and built
my house out there."
Everybody turned to look at Paddy's house,
[109]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
the roof of which stood high out of water a little
way from the dam. : Tell us how you built that,"
said Old Mother Nature quietly.
'Oh, I just made a big platform of sticks and
mud out there where it was deep enough for me
to be sure that the water could not freeze clear
to the bottom, even in the coldest weather," re-
plied Paddy, in a matter-of-fact tone. 'I built
it up until it was above water. Then I built the
walls and roof of sticks and mud, just as you see
them there. Inside I have a fine big room with
a comfortable bed of shredded wood. I have two
openings in the floor with a long passage leading
from each down through the foundations and
opening at the bottom of the pond. Of course,
these are filled with water. Some houses have
only one passage, but I like two. These are the
only entrances to my house.
'Every fall I repair my walls and roof, adding
sticks and mud and turf, so that now they are
very thick. Late in the fall I sometimes plaster
the outside with mud. This freezes hard, and no
enemy who may reach my house on the ice can
tear it open. I guess that 's all."
Peter Rabbit drew a long breath. 'What a
dreadful lot of work," said he. 'Do you work all
the time ? '
Paddy chuckled. "No, Peter," said he. "In
[HO]
WHITEFOOT THE WOOD MOUSE. One of the prettiest members of the
Mouse family.
TRADER THE WOOD RAT. This is the Eastern form of this interesting
branch of the Rat family.
A Lumberman and Engineer
the spring and summer I like to play and go on
exploring trips. But when it is time to work, I
work every minute. I believe in working with
all my might when it is time to work, and playing
the same way in play -time."
Old Mother Nature nodded in approval. * Quite
right," said she. 'Quite right. Are there any
more questions ? '
'Do you eat nothing but bark?' It was
Happy Jack Squirrel who spoke.
'Oh, no," replied Paddy. 'In summer I eat
berries, mushrooms, grass and the leaves and
stems of a number of plants. In winter I vary
my fare with lily roots and the roots of alder and
willow. But bark is my principal food."
Old Mother Nature waited a few minutes, but
as there were no more questions she added a few
words. 'Now I hope you understand why I
am so proud of Paddy the Beaver, and why I
told you that he is a lumberman, builder and
engineer," said she. 'For the next lesson we
will take up the Rat family."
[mi
CHAPTER XIII
A WORKER AND A ROBBER
'Now we come to the largest family of the
Rodent order, the Rat family, which of course
includes the Mice," said Old Mother Nature,
after calling school to order at the old meeting-
place. 'And the largest member of the family
reminds me very much of the one we learned about
yesterday."
'I know!' cried Peter Rabbit. : You mean
Jerry Muskrat."
'Go to the head of the class, Peter," said Old
Mother Nature, smiling. 'Jerry is the very one,
the largest member of the Rat family. Sometimes
he is spoken of as a little cousin of Paddy the
Beaver. Probably this is because he looks some-
thing like a small Beaver, builds a house in the
water as Paddy does, and lives in very much the
same way. The truth is, he is no more closely
related to Paddy than he is to the rest of you. He
is a true Rat. He is called Muskrat because he
carries with him a scent called musk. It is not
[112]
i A Worker and a Robber
an unpleasant scent, like that of Jimmy Skunk,
and is n't used for the same purpose. Jerry uses
his to tell his friends where he has been. He leaves
a little of it at the places he visits. Some folks
call him Musquash, but Muskrat is better.
"Jerry is seldom found far from the water and
then only when he is seeking a new home. He is
rather slow and awkward on land; but in the
water he is quite at home, as all of you know who
have visited the Smiling Pool. He can dive and
swim under water a long distance, though not as
far as Paddy the Beaver."
"Has he webbed hind feet like Paddy?' piped
up Jumper the Hare.
"Yes and no," replied Old Mother Nature.
"They are not fully webbed as Paddy's are, but
there is a little webbing between some of the toes,
enough to be of great help in swimming. His
tail is of greater use in swimming than is Paddy's.
It is bare and scaly, but instead of being flat top
and bottom it is flattened on the sides, and he
uses it as a propeller, moving it rapidly from side
to side.
"Like Paddy he has a dark brown outer coat,
lighter underneath than on his back and sides,
and like Paddy he has a very warm soft under
coat, through which the water cannot get and
which keeps him comfortable, no matter how
[113]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
cold the water is. You have all seen his house in
the Smiling Pool. He builds it in much the same
way that Paddy builds his, but instead of sticks
he cuts and uses rushes. Of course it is not nearly
as large as Paddy's house, because Jerry is him-
self so much smaller. It is arranged much the
same, with a comfortable bedroom and one or
more passages down to deep water. In winter
Jerry spends much of his time in this house, going
out only for food. Then he lives chiefly on lily
roots and roots of other water plants, digging
them up and taking them back to his house to
eat. When the ice is clear you can sometimes
see him swimming below."
'I know," spoke up Peter Rabbit. 'Once I
was crossing the Smiling Pool on the ice and saw
him right under me."
'Jerry doesn't build dams, but he sometimes
digs little canals along the bottom where the
water is n't deep enough to suit him," continued
Old Mother Nature. 'Sometimes in the winter
Jerry and Mrs. Jerry share their home with two
or three friends. If there is a good bank Jerry
usually has another home in that. He makes the
entrance under water and then tunnels back
and up for some distance, where he builds a snug
little bedroom just below the surface of the ground
where it is dry. Usually he has more than one
[114]
A Worker and a Robber
tunnel leading to this, and sometimes an opening
from above. This is covered with sticks and
grass to hide it, and provides an entrance for
fresh air.
"Jerry lives mostly on roots and plants, but
is fond of mussels or fresh-water clams, fish, some
insects and, I am sorry to say, young birds when
he can catch them. Jerry could explain where
some of the babies of Mr. and Mrs. Quack the
Ducks have disappeared to. Paddy the Beaver
does n't eat flesh at all.
"Jerry and Mrs. Jerry have several families
in a year, and Jerry is a very good father, doing his
share in caring for the babies. He and Mrs.
Jerry are rather social and enjoy visiting neighbors
of their own kind. Their voices are a sort of
squeak, and you can often hear them talking
among the rushes in the early evening. That is
the hour they like best, though they are abroad
during the day when undisturbed. Man is their
greatest enemy. He hunts and traps them for
their warm coats. But they have to watch out
for Hooty the Owl at night and for Reddy Fox
and Old Man Coyote whenever they are on land.
Billy Mink also is an enemy at times, perhaps the
most to be dreaded because he can follow Jerry
anywhere.
"Jerry makes little landings of mud and rushes
[115]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
along the edge of the shore. On these he delights
to sit to eat his meals. He likes apples and
vegetables and sometimes will travel quite a
distance to get them. Late in the summer he
begins to prepare for winter by starting work on
his house, if he is to have a new one. He is a
good worker. There is n't a lazy bone in him.
All things considered, Jerry is a credit to his family.
'But if Jerry is a credit to his family there is
one of its members who is not and that is who
knows ? '
'Robber the Brown Rat/' replied Happy Jack
Squirrel promptly. ' I have often seen him around
Farmer Brown's barn. Ugh ! He is an ugly-
looking fellow."
'And he is just as ugly as he looks," replied
Old Mother Nature. 'There isn't a good thing
I can say for him, not one. He does n't belong
in this country at all. He was brought here by
man, and now he is found everywhere. He is
sometimes called the Norway Rat and sometimes
the Wharf Rat and House Rat. He is hated by
all animals and by man. He is big, being next
in size to Jerry Muskrat, savage in temper, the
most destructive of any animal I know, and
dirty in his habits. He is an outcast, but he
does n't seem to care.
'He lives chiefly around the homes of men,
[116]
l
/
A Worker and a Robber
and all his food is stolen. That is why he is
named Robber. He eats anything he can find
and is n't the least bit particular what it is or
whether it be clean or unclean. He gnaws into
grain bins and steals the grain. He gets into hen-
houses and sucks the eggs and kills young chickens.
He would like nothing better than to find a nest
of your babies, Peter Rabbit."
Peter shivered. "I 'm glad he sticks to the
homes of men," said he.
"But he does n't," declared Old Mother Nature.
"Often in summer he moves out into the fields,
digging burrows there and doing great damage
to crops and also killing and eating any of the
furred and feathered folk he can catch. But he
is not fond of the light of day. His deeds are
deeds of darkness, and he prefers dark places. He
has very large families, sometimes ten or more
babies at a time, and several families in a year.
That is why his tribe has managed to overrun the
Great World and why they cause such great
damage. Worse than the harm they do with
their teeth is the terrible harm they do to man by
carrying dreadful diseases and spreading them,
diseases which cause people to die in great num-
bers."
"Isn't Robber afraid of any one?' asked
Peter.
[117]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
'He certainly is," replied Old Mother Nature.
'He is in deadly fear of one whom every one of
you fears, - - Shadow the Weasel. One good thing
I can say for Shadow is that he never misses a
chance to kill a Rat. Wherever a Rat can go
he can go, and once he finds a colony he hunts
them until he has killed all or driven them
away.
'When food becomes scarce, Robber and his
family move on to where it is more plentiful.
Often they make long journeys, a great number
of them together, and do not hesitate to swim a
stream that may be in their path."
'I 've never seen Robber," said Peter. 'What
kind of a tail does he have ? '
'I might have known you would ask that,"
laughed Old Mother Nature. 'It is long and
slim and has no hair on it. His fur is very coarse
and harsh and is brown and gray. He has a close
relative called the Black Rat. But the latter, is
smaller and has been largely driven out of the
country by his bigger cousin. Now I guess this
is enough about Robber. He is bad, all bad,
and has n't a single friend in all the Great
World."
' What a dreadful thing, not to have a single
friend," said Happy Jack.
'It is dreadful, very dreadful," replied Old
[1181
THE BROWN LEMMING. A northern cousin of Danny Meadow Mouse.
A Worker and a Robber
Mother Nature. 'But it is wholly his own fault.
It shows what happens when one becomes dis-
honest and bad at heart. The worst of it is
Robber does n't care. To-rnorrow I '11 tell you
about some of his cousins who are not bad."
[119]
CHAPTER XIV .
A TRADER AND A HANDSOME FELLOW
'WAY down in the Sunny South," began Old
Mother Nature, * lives a member of the Rat
family who, though not nearly so bad as Robber,
si none too good and so is n't thought well of at
all. He is Little Robber the Cotton Rat, and
though small for a Rat, being only a trifle larger
than Striped Chipmunk, looks the little savage
that he is. He has short legs and is rather thick-
bodied, and appears much like an overgrown
Meadow Mouse with a long tail. The latter is
not bare like Robber's, but the hair on it is very
short and thin. In color he is yellowish-brown and
whitish underneath. His fur is longer and coarser
than that of other native Rats.
' He lives in old fields, along ditches and hedges,
and in similar places where there is plenty of
cover in which he can hide from his enemies. He
burrows in the ground and usually has his nest of
dry grass there, though often in summer it is on
[ 120 ]
A Trader and a Handsome Fellow
the surface of the ground. He does not live in
and around the homes of men, like the Brown
Rat, but he causes a great deal of damage by
stealing grain in the shock. He eats all kinds of
grain, many seeds, and meat when he can get it.
He is very destructive to eggs and young of
ground-nesting birds. He has a bad temper and
will fight savagely. Mr. and Mrs. Cotton Rat
raise several large families in a year. Foxes, Owls
and Hawks are their chief enemies.
"But there are other members of the Rat family
far more interesting and quite worth knowing.
One of these is Trader the Wood Rat, in some
parts of the Far West called the Pack Rat. Among
the mountains he is called the Mountain Rat.
Wherever found, his habits are much the same
and make him one of the most interesting of all
the little people who wear fur.
' Next to Jerry Muskrat he is the largest native
Rat, that is, of the Rats which belong in this
country. He is about two thirds as big as Robber
the Brown Rat, but though he is of the same
general shape, so that you would know at once
that he is related to Robber, he is in all other
ways wholly unlike that outcast. His fur is thick
and soft, almost as soft as that of a Squirrel. His
fairly long tail is covered with hair. Indeed, some
members of his branch of the family have tails
[121]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
almost as bushy as a Squirrel's. His coat is soft
gray and a yellowish-brown above, and under-
neath pure white or light buff. His feet are white.
He has rounded ears and big black eyes with none
of the ugliness in them that you always see in
the eyes of Robber. And he has long whiskers
and plenty of them."
'But why is he called Trader?' asked Peter
Rabbit a bit impatiently.
'Patience, Peter, patience. I 'm coming to
that," chided Old Mother Nature. "He is called
Trader because his greatest -delight is in trading.
He is a born trader if ever there was one. He
does n't steal as other members of his family do,
but trades. He puts something back in place of
whatever he takes. It may be little sticks or
chips or pebbles or anything else that is handy,
but it is something to replace what he has taken.
You see, he is very honest. If Trader finds some-
thing belonging to some one else that he wants,
he takes it, but he tries to pay for it.
'Next to trading he delights in collecting. His
home is a regular museum. He delights in any-
thing bright and shiny. When he can get into
the camps of men he will take anything he can
move. But being honest, he tries to leave some-
thing in return. All sorts of queer things are
found in his home, - - buckles cut from saddles,
A Trader and a Handsome Fellow
spoons, knives, forks, even money he has taken
from the pockets of sleeping campers. When-
ever any small object is missed from a camp, the
first place visited in search of it isi.the home of
Trader. In the mountains he sometimes makes
piles of little pebbles just for the fun of collecting
them.
"He is found all over the West, from the moun-
tains to the deserts, in thick forests and on sandy
wastes. He is also found in parts of the East and
in the Sunny South. He is a great climber and is
perfectly at home in trees or among rocks. He
eats seeds, grain, many kinds of nuts, leaves and
other parts of plants. In the colder sections he
lays up stores for winter. 55
"What kind of a home does he have?' asked
Happy Jack.
'His home usually is a very remarkable affair,"
replied Old Mother Nature. 'It depends largely
on where he is. When he is living in rocky country,
he]makes it amongst the rocks. In some places he
burrows in the ground. But more often it is on
the surface of the ground, - - a huge pile of sticks
and thorns in the very middle of which is his snug,
soft nest. The sticks and thorns are to protect
it from enemies. When he lives down where
cactus grow, those queer plants with long sharp
spines, he uses these, and there are few enemies
[ 123 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
who will try to pull one of these houses apart to
get at him.
6 When he is alarmed or disturbed, he has a funny
habit of drumming on the ground with his hind
feet in much the same way that Peter Rabbit
and Jumper the Hare thump, only he does it
rapidly. Sometimes he builds his house in a tree.
When he finds a cabin in the woods he at once
takes possession, carrying in a great mass of sticks
and trash. He is chiefly active at night, and a
very busy fellow he is, trading and collecting. He
has none of the mean disposition of Robber the
Brown Rat. Mrs. Trader has two to five babies
at a time and raises several families in a year.
As I said before, Trader is one of the most in-
teresting little people I know of, and he does very,
very funny things.
4 Now we come to the handsomest member of
the family, Longfoot the Kangaroo Rat, so called
because of his long hind legs and tail and the way
in which he sits up and jumps. Really he is not
a member of the Rat branch of the family, but
closely related to the Pocket Mice. You see, he
has pockets in his cheeks."
4 Like mine ? ' asked Striped Chipmunk
quickly.
'No. They are on the outside instead of on
the inside of his cheeks. Yours are inside."
[124]
A Trader and a Handsome Fellow
'I think mine must be a lot handier," asserted
Striped Chipmunk, nodding his head in a very
decided way.
'Longfoot seems to think his are quite satis-
factory," replied Old Mother Nature. "He really
is handsome, but he is n't a bit vain and is very
gentle. He never tries to bite when caught and
taken in a man's hand."
'But you have n't told us how big he is or what
he looks like," protested impatient Peter.
'When he sits up or jumps, he looks like a tiny
Kangaroo. But that does n't mean anything to
you, and you are no wiser than before, for you
never have seen a Kangaroo," replied Old Mother
Nature. 'In the first place he is about the size
of Striped Chipmunk. That is, his body is about
the size of Striped Chipmunk's ; but his tail is
longer than his head and body together."
'My, it must be some tail!' exclaimed Peter
Rabbit admiringly.
Old Mother Nature smiled. "It is," said she.
You would like that tail, Peter. His front legs
are short and the feet small, but his hind legs are
long and the feet big. Of course you have seen
Nimbleheels the Jumping Mouse, Peter."
Peter nodded. "Of course," he replied. "My,
how that fellow can jump !'
'Well, Longfoot is built on the same plan as
[125]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Nimbleheels and for the same purpose, "continued
Old Mother Nature. 'He is a jumper."
'Then I know what that long tail is for," cried
Peter. 'It is to keep him balanced when he is
in the air so that he can jump straight."
"Right again, Peter," laughed Old Mother
Nature. 'That is just what it is for. Without
it, he never would know where he was going to
land when he jumped. As I told you, he is a
handsome little fellow. His fur is very soft and
silky. Above, it is a pretty yellowish-brown,
but underneath it is pure white. His cheeks are
brown, he is white around the ears, and a white
stripe crosses his hips and keeps right on along the
sides of his tail. The upper and under parts of
his tail are almost or quite black, and the tail
ends in a tuft of long hair which is pure white.
His feet are also white. His head is rather large
for his size, and long. He has a long nose. Long-
foot has a number of cousins, some of fc them much
smaller than he, but they all look very much alike."
' Where do they live ? ' asked Johnny Chuck,
for Johnny had been unable to stay away from
school another day.
'In the dry, sandy parts of the Southwest,
places so dry that it seldom rains, and water is
to be found only long distances apart," replied
Old Mother Nature. -
NIMBLEHEELS THE JUMPING MOUSE. Look for this pretty little fellow
in old weedy fields.
DANNY MEADOW MOUSE. He kills young trees by gnawing off the bark
under the snow.
A Trader and a Handsome Fellow
"Then how does Longfoot get water to drink?'
demanded Chatterer the Red Squirrel.
"He gets along without drinking," replied Old
Mother Nature. 'Such moisture as he needs
he gets from his food. He eats seeds, leaves of
certain plants and tender young plants just com-
ing up. He burrows in the ground and throws
up large mounds of earth. These have several
entrances. One of these is the main entrance,
and during the day this is often kept closed with
earth. Under the mound he has little tunnels in
all directions, a snug little bedroom and store-
rooms for food. He is very industrious and dearly
loves to dig.
'Longfoot likes to visit his relatives sometimes,
and where there are several families living near
together, little paths lead from mound to mound.
He comes out mostly at night, probably because
he feels it to be safer then. Then, too, in that
hot country it is cooler at night. The dusk of
early evening is his favorite playtime. If Long-
foot has a quarrel with one of his relatives they
fight, hopping about each other, watching for a
chance to leap and kick with those long, strong
hind feet. Longfoot sometimes drums with his
hind feet after the manner of Trader the Wood
Rat.
'Now I think this will do for this morning.
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The Burgess Animal Book for Children
If any of you should meet Whitefoot the Wood
Mouse, tell him to come to school to-morrow
morning. And you might tell Danny Meadow
Mouse to come also, Peter. That is, of course,
if you little folks want school to continue."
'We do!' cried Peter Rabbit and Jumper
the Hare and Happy Jack Squirrel and Chatterer
the Red Squirrel and Striped Chipmunk and
Johnny Chuck as one.
[128]
CHAPTER XV
TWO UNLIKE LITTLE COUSINS
WHITEFOOT the Wood Mouse is one of the
smallest of the little people who live in the Green
Forest. Being so small he is one of the most
timid. You see, by day and by night sharp eyes
are watching for Whitefoot and he knows it.
Never one single instant, while he is outside where
sharp eyes of hungry enemies may see him, does
he forget that they are watching for him. To
forget even for one little minute might mean, -
well, it might mean the end of little \Vhitefoot,
but a dinner for some one with a liking for tender
Mouse.
So Whitefoot the Wood Mouse rarely ventures
more than a few feet from a hiding place and safety.
At the tiniest sound he starts nervously and often
darts back into hiding without waiting to find out
if there really is any danger. If he waited to
make sure he might wait too long, and it is better
to be safe than sorry. If you and I had as many
real frights in a year, not to mention false frights,
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
as Whitefoot has in a day, we would, I suspect,
lose our minds. Certainly we would be the most
unhappy people in all the Great World.
But Whitefoot is n't unhappy. Not a bit of
it. He is a very happy little fellow. There is a
great deal of wisdom in that pretty little head of
his. There is more real sense in it than in some
very big heads. When some of his neighbors
make fun of him for being so very, very timid he
does n't try to pretend that he is n't afraid. He
does n't get angry. He simply says :
'Of course I 'm timid, very timid indeed. I 'm
afraid of almost everything. I would be foolish
not to be. It is because I am afraid that I am alive
and happy right now. I hope I shall never be
less timid than I am now, for it would mean that
sooner or later I would fail to run in time and
would be gobbled up. It is n't cowardly to be
timid when there is danger all around. Nor is
it bravery to take a foolish and needless risk.
So I seldom go far from home. It is n't safe for
me, and I know it."
This being the way Whitefoot looked at matters,
you can guess how he felt when Chatterer the
Red Squirrel caught sight of him and gave him
Old Mother Nature's message.
"Hi there, Mr. Fraidy!" shouted Chatterer,
as he caught sight of Whitefoot darting under
[ 130 ]
Two Unlike Little Cousins
a log. "Hi there! I've got a message for
you!"
Slowly, cautiously, Whitefoot poked his head
out from beneath the old log and looked up at
Chatterer. "What kind of a message?' he
demanded suspiciously.
'A message you '11 do well to heed. It is from
Old Mother Nature," replied Chatterer.
'A message from Old Mother Nature!' cried
Whitefoot, and came out a bit more from beneath
the old log.
' That 's what I said, a message from Old Mother
Nature, and if you will take my advice you will
heed it," retorted Chatterer. "She says you are
to come to school with the rest of us at sun-up
to-morrow morning."
Then Chatterer explained about the school
and where it was held each morning and what
a lot he and his friends had already learned there.
Whitefoot listened with something very like dis-
may in his heart. That place where school was
held was a long way off. That is, it was a long
way for him, though to Peter Rabbit or Jumper
the Hare it would n't have seemed long at all.
It meant that he would have to leave all his hiding
places and the thought made him shiver.
But Old Mother Nature had sent for him and
not once did he even think of disobeying. 'Did
[131]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
you say that school begins at sun-up ?' he asked,
and when Chatterer nodded Whitefoot sighed.
It was a sigh of relief. "I 'm glad of that," said
he. 'I can travel in the night, which will be
much safer. I '11 be there. That is, I will if I
am not caught on the way."
Meanwhile over on the Green Meadows Peter
Rabbit was looking for Danny Meadow Mouse.
Danny's home was not far from the dear Old
Briar-patch, and he and Peter were and still are
very good friends. So Peter knew just about
where to look for Danny and it did n't take him
long to find him.
' Hello, Peter ! You look as if you have some-
thing very important on your mind," was the
greeting of Danny Meadow Mouse as Peter came
hurrying up.
'I have," said Peter. f li is a message for
you. Old Mother Nature says for you to be on
hand at sun-up to-morrow when school opens over
in the Green Forest. Of course you will be there."
'Of course," replied Danny in the most matter-
of-fact tone. 'Of course. If Old Mother Nature
really sent me that message -
'She really did," interrupted Peter.
: There is n't anything for me to do but obey,"
finished Danny. Then his face became very
sober. 'That is a long way for me to go, Peter,"
[132]
Two Unlike Little Cousins
said he. "I wouldn't take such a long journey
for anything or for anybody else. Old Mother
Nature knows, and if she sent for me she must
be sure I can make the trip safely. What time did
you say I must be there ? '
"At sun-up," replied Peter. 'Shall I call for
you on my way there ? '
Danny shook his head. Then he began to
laugh. " What are you laughing at ?' demanded
Peter.
"At the very idea of me with my short legs
trying to keep up with you," replied Danny. 'I
wish you would sit up and take a good look all
around to make sure that Old Man Coyote and
Reddy Pox and Redtail the Hawk and Black
Pussy, that pesky Cat from Farmer Brown's,
are nowhere about."
Peter obligingly sat up and looked this way and
looked that way and looked the other way. No
one of whom he or Danny Meadow Mouse need
be afraid was to be seen. He said as much, then
asked, "Why did you want to know, Danny?'
'Because I am going to start at once," replied
Danny.
'Start for where?' asked Peter, looking much
puzzled.
'Start for school of course," replied Danny
rather shortly.
[133]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
'But school doesn't begin until sun-up to-
morrow," protested Peter.
"Which is just the reason I am going to start
now," retorted Danny. 'If I should put off
starting until the last minute I might not get
there at all. I would have to hurry, and it is
difficult to hurry and watch for danger at the
same time. I 've noticed that people who put
things off to the last minute and then have to
hurry are quite apt to rush headlong into trouble.
The way is clear now, so I am going to start. I
can take my time and keep a proper watch for
danger. I '11 see you over there in the morning,
Peter."
Danny turned and disappeared in one of his
private little paths through the tall grass. Peter
noticed that he was headed towards the Green
Forest.
When Peter and the others arrived for school
the next morning they found Whitefoot the Wood
Mouse and Danny Meadow Mouse waiting with
Old Mother Nature. Safe in her presence, they
seemed to have lost much of their usual timidity.
Whitefoot was sitting on the end of a log and
Danny was on the ground just beneath him.
"I want all the rest of you to look well at these
two little cousins and notice how unlike two
cousins can be," said Old Mother Nature. " White-
[134]
NIBBLER THE HOUSE MOUSE. ROBBER THE BROWN RAT.
Here are two of the worst pests in the world. Neither is native to America.
Two Unlike Little Cousins
foot, who is quite as often called Deer Mouse as
"Wood Mouse, is one of the prettiest of the entire
Mouse family. I suspect he is called Deer Mouse
because the upper part of his coat is such a beauti-
ful fawn color. Notice that the upper side of his
long slim tail is of the same color, while the under
side is white, as is the whole under part of White-
foot. Also those dainty feet are white, hence his
name. See what big, soft black eyes he has, and
notice that those delicate ears are of good size.
"His tail is covered with short fine hairs, in-
stead of being naked as is the tail of Xibbler the
House Mouse, of whom I will tell you later.
Whitefoot loves the Green Forest, but out in parts
of the Far West where there is no Green Forest
he lives on the brushy plains. He is a good
climber and quite at home in the trees. There
he seems almost like a tiny Squirrel. Tell us,
Whitefoot, where you make your home and what
you eat."
"My home just now," replied Whitefoot, "is
in a certain hollow in a certain dead limb of a
certain tree. I suspect that a member of the
Woodpecker family made that hollow, but no one
was living there when I found it. Mrs. White-
foot and I have made a soft, warm nest there and
would n't trade homes with any one. We have
had our home in a hollow log on the ground, in
[135]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
an old stump, in a hole we dug in the ground under
a rock, and in an old nest of some bird. That was
in a tall bush. We roofed that nest over and made
a little round doorway on the under side. Once
we raised a family in a box in a dark corner of
Farmer Brown's si^gar camp.
'I eat all sorts of things, - - seeds, nuts, insects
and meat when I can get it. I store up food for
winter, as all wise and thrifty people do."
1 1 suppose that means that you do not sleep
as Johnny Chuck does in winter," remarked Peter
Rabbit.
' I should say not !' exclaimed Whitefoot. 'I
like winter. It is fun to run about on the snow.
Have n't you ever seen my tracks, Peter ? '
'I have, lots of times," spoke up Jumper the
Hare. 'Also I Ve seen you skipping about after
dark. I guess you don't care much for sunlight."
'I don't," replied Whitefoot. 'I sleep most of
the time during the day, and work and play at
night. I feel safer then. But on dull days I
often come out. It is the bright sunlight I don't
like. That is one reason I stick to the Green
Forest. I don't see how Cousin Danny stands
it out there on the Green Meadows. Now I guess
it is his turn."
Every one looked at Danny Meadow Mouse.
In appearance he was as unlike Whitefoot as it
[136]
Two Unlike Little Cousins
was possible to be and still be a Mouse. There
was nothing pretty or graceful about Danny.
He was n't dainty at all. His body was rather
stout, looking stouter than it really was because
his fur was quite long. His head was blunt, and
he seemed to have no neck at all, though of course
he did have one. His eyes were small, like little
black beads. His ears were almost hidden in
his hair. His legs were short and his tail was
quite short, as if it had been cut off when half
grown. No, those two cousins did n't look a bit
alike. Danny felt most uncomfortable as the
others compared him with pretty Whitefoot.
He knew he was homely, but never before had he
felt it quite so keenly. Old Mother Nature saw
and understood.
"It isn't how we look, but what we are and
what we do and how we fit into our particular
places in life that count," said she. ' Now, Danny
is a homely little fellow, but I know, and I know
that he knows, that he is just fitted for the life
he lives, and he lives it more successfully for being
just as he is.
"Danny is a lover of the fields and meadows
where there is little else but grass in which to
hide. Everything about him is just suited for
living there. Is n't that so, Danny?'
"Yes'm, I guess so," replied Danny. 'Some-
[137]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
times iny tail does seem dreadfully short to look
well."
Everybody laughed, even Danny himself. Then
he remembered how once Reddy Fox had so nearly
caught him that one of Reddy's black paws had
touched the tip of his tail. Had that tail been
any longer Reddy would have caught him by it.
Danny's face cleared and he hastened to declare,
'After all, my tail suits me just as it is."
"Wisely spoken, Danny," said Old Mother
Nature. "Now it is your turn to tell how you
live and what you eat and anything else of interest
about yourself."
"I guess there isn't much interesting about
me," began Danny modestly. 'I 'm just one of
the plain, common little folks. I guess every-
body knows me so well there is nothing for me to
tell."
"Some of them may know all about you, but
I don't," declared Jumper the Hare. "I never
go out on the Green Meadows where you live.
How do you get about in all that tall grass ? '
"Oh, that's easy enough," replied Danny.
"I cut little paths in all directions."
"Just the way I do in the dear Old Briar-patch,"
interrupted Peter Rabbit.
"I keep those little paths clear and clean so
that there never is anything in my way to trip
[138]
Two Unlike Little Cousins
me up when I have to run for safety," continued
Danny. 'When the grass gets tall those little
paths are almost like little tunnels. The time I
dread most is when Farmer Brown cuts the grass
for hay. I not only have to watch out for that
dreadful mowing machine, but when the hay
has been taken away the grass is so short that it
is hard work for me to keep out of sight.
' I sometimes dig a short burrow and at the end
of it make a nice nest of dry grass. Sometimes in
summer Mrs. Danny and I make our nest on the
surface of the ground in a hollow or in a clump of
tall grass, especially if the ground is low and wet.
We have several good-sized families in a year.
All Meadow Mice believe in large families, and
that is probably why there are more Meadow Mice
than any other Mice in the country. I forgot to
say that I am also called Field Mouse."
'And it is because there are so many of your
family and they require so much to eat that you
do a great deal of damage to grass and other
crops," spoke up Old Mother Nature. " You see,"
she explained to the others, 'Danny eats grass,
clover, bulbs, roots, seeds and garden vegetables.
He also eats some insects. He sometimes puts
away a few seeds for the winter, but depends chiefly
on finding enough to eat, for he is active all winter.
He tunnels about under the snow in search of
[139]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
food. When other food is hard to find he eats
bark, and then he sometimes does great damage
in young orchards. He gnaws the bark from young
fruit trees all the way around as high as he can
reach, and of course this kills the trees. He is
worse than Peter Rabbit.
"Danny didn't mention that he is a good
swimmer and not at all afraid of the water. No
one has more enemies than he, and the fact that
he is alive and here at school this morning is due
to his everlasting watchfulness. This will do for
to-day. To-morrow we will take up others of
the Mouse family."
[140]
CHAPTER XVI
DANNY'S NORTHERN COUSINS AND NIMBLEHEELS
WHITEFOOT the Wood Mouse and Danny
Meadow Mouse had become so interested that
they decided they could n't afford to miss the next
lesson. Neither did either of them feel like mak-
ing the long journey to his home and back again.
So Whitefoot found a hole in a stump near by and
decided to camp out there for a few days. Danny
decided to do the same thing in a comfortable
place under a pile of brush not far away. So the
next morning both were on hand when school
opened.
'I told you yesterday that I would tell you
about some of Danny's cousins," began Old Mother
Nature just as Chatterer the Red Squirrel, who
was late, came hurrying up quite out of breath.
'Way up in the Far North are two of Danny's
cousins more closely related to him than to any
other members of the Mouse family. Yet, strange
to say, they are not called Mice at all, but Lem-
[141]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
mings. However, they belong to the Mouse
family.
"Bandy the Banded Lemming is the most
interesting, because he is the one member of the
entire family who changes the color of his coat.
In summer he wears beautiful shades of reddish-
brown and gray, but in winter his coat is wholly
white. He is also called the Hudson Bay Lem-
ming.
" Danny Meadow Mouse thinks his tail is short,
but he would n't if he should see Bandy's tail.
That is so short it hardly shows beyond his long
fur. He is about Danny's size, but a little stouter
and stockier, and his long fur makes him appear
even thicker-bodied than he really is. He has
very short legs, and his ears are so small that they
are quite hidden in the fur around them, so that
he appears to have no ears at all.
'In that same far northern country is a close
relative called the Brown Lemming. He is very
much like Bandy save that he is all brown and
does not change his coat in winter. Both have
the same general habits, and these are much like
the habits of Danny Meadow Mouse. They make
short burrows in the ground leading to snug,
warm nests of grass and moss. In winter they
make little tunnels in every direction under the
snow, with now and then an opening to the surface.
* .
, ';
^ A*/
Itf/t
LONGFOOT THE KANGAROO RAT. He is not a true Rat but is related to
the Pocket Mice.
DIGGER THE BADGER. Though he doesn't look it he is a member of the
Weasel family.
Danny's Northern Cousins and Nimbleheels
'There are many more Brown Lemmings than
Banded Lemmings, and their little paths run
everywhere through the grass and moss. In
that country there is a great deal of moss. It
covers the ground just as grass does here. But
the most interesting thing about these Lemmings
is the way they migrate. To migrate is to move
from one part of the country to another. You
know most of the birds migrate to the Sunny
South every autumn and back every spring.
'Once in a while it happens that food becomes
very scarce where the Lemmings are. Then very
many of them get together, just as migrating
birds form great flocks, and start on a long journey
in search of a place where there is plenty of food.
They form a great army and push ahead, regard-
less of everything. They swim wide rivers and
even lakes which may lie in their way. Of course,
they eat everything eatable in their path."
'My!' exclaimed Danny Meadow Mouse,
'I 'm glad I don't live in a country where I might
have to make such long journeys. I don't envy
those cousins up there in the Far North a bit.
I 'm perfectly satisfied to live right on the Green
Meadows."
6 Which shows your good common sense," said
Old Mother Nature. "By the way, Danny, I
suppose you are acquainted with Nimbleheels the
[143] .
TJie Burgess Animal Book for Children
Jumping Mouse, who also is rather fond of the
Green Meadows. I ought to have sent word to
him to be here this morning."
Hardly were the words out of Old Mother
Nature's mouth when something landed in the
leaves almost at her feet and right in the middle of
school. Instantly Danny Meadow Mouse scurried
under a pile of dead leaves. Whitefoot the Wood
Mouse darted into a knothole in the log on which
he had been sitting. Jumper the Hare dodged
behind a little hemlock tree. Peter Rabbit bolted
for a hollow log. Striped Chipmunk vanished in
a hole under an old stump. Johnny Chuck
backed up against the trunk of a tree and made
ready to fight. Only Happy Jack the Gray
Squirrel and Chatterer the Red Squirrel and
Prickly Porky the Porcupine, who were sitting
in trees, kept their places. You see they felt
quite safe.
As soon as all those who had run had reached
places of safety, they peeped out to see what had
frightened them so. Just imagine how very,
very foolish they felt when they saw Old Mother
Nature smiling down at a little fellow just about
the size of little Whitefoot, but with a much longer
--
tail. It was Nimbleheels the Jumping Mouse.
"Well, well, well!" exclaimed Old Mother
Nature. "I was just speaking of you and wish-
[ 144 ]
Danny's Northern Cousins and Nimbleheels
ing I had you here. How did you happen to
come? And what do you mean by scaring my
pupils half out of their wits ? ' Her eyes twinkled.
Nimbleheels saw this and knew that she was only
pretending to be severe.
Before he could reply Johnny Chuck began to
chuckle. The chuckle became a laugh, and pres-
ently Johnny was laughing so hard he had to hold
his sides. Now, as you know, laughter is catch-
ing. In a minute or so everybody was laughing,
and no one but Johnny Chuck knew what the
joke was. At last Peter Rabbit stopped laughing
long enough to ask Johnny what he was laughing at.
'At the idea of that little pinch of nothing giv-
ing us all such a fright," replied Johnny Chuck.
Then all laughed some more.
When they were through laughing Nimble-
heels answered Old Mother Nature's questions.
He explained that he had heard about that school,
as by this time almost every one in the Green
Forest and on the Green Meadows had. By chance
he learned that Danny Meadow Mouse was at-
tending. He thought that if it was a good thing
for Danny it would be a good thing for him, so he
had come.
;< Just as I was almost here I heard a twig snap
behind me, or thought I did, and I jumped so as
to get here and be safe. I did n't suppose any
[ 145 ]
J
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
one would be frightened by little me," he ex-
plained.
'It was some jump!' exclaimed Jumper the
Hare admiringly. 'He went right over my head,
and I was sitting up at that !'
'It is n't much of a jump to go over your head,"
replied Nimbleheels. You ought to see me when
I really try to jump. I was n't half trying when
I landed here. I 'm sorry I frightened all of you
so. It gives me a queer feeling just to think that
I should be able to frighten anybody. If you
please, Mother Nature, am I in time for to-day's
lesson?'
"Not for all of it, but you are just in time for
the part I wanted you here for," replied Old Mother
Nature. ' Hop up on that log side of your Cousin
Whitefoot, where all can see you."
Nimbleheels hopped up beside Whitefoot the
Wood Mouse, and as the two little cousins sat
side by side they were not unlike in general ap-
pearance, though of the two Whitefoot was the
prettier. The coat of Nimbleheels was a dull
yellowish, darker on the back than on the sides.
Like Whitefoot he was white underneath. His
ears were much smaller than those of Whitefoot.
But the greatest differences between the two were
in their hind legs and tails.
The hind legs and feet of Nimbleheels were long,
[146]
Danny's Northern Cousins and Nimbleheels
on the same plan as those of Peter Rabbit. From
just a glance at them any one would know that
he was a born jumper and a good one. Whitefoot
possessed a long tail, but the tail of Nimbleheels
was much longer, slim and tapering.
"There," said Old Mother Nature, "is the great-
est jumper for his size among all the animals in
this great country. When I say this, I mean the
greatest ground jumper. Timmy the Flying
Squirrel jumps farther, but Timmy has to climb
to a high place and then coasts down on the air.
I told you what wonderful jumps Jack Rabbit
can make, but if he could jump as high and far
for his size as Nimbleheels can jump for his size,
the longest jump Jack has ever made would seem
nothing more than a hop. By the way, both
Nimbleheels and Whitefoot have small pockets
in their cheeks. Tell us where you live, Nimble-
heels."
4 1 live among the weeds along the edge of the
Green Meadows," replied Nimbleheels, 'though
sometimes I go way out on the Green Meadows.
But I like best to be among the weeds because they
are tall and keep me well hidden, and also because
they furnish me plenty to eat. You see, I live
largely on seeds, though I am also fond of berries
and small nuts, especially beechnuts. Some of
my family prefer the Green Forest, especially if
[147]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
there is a Laughing Brook or pond in it. Person-
ally I prefer, as I said before, the edge of the
Green Meadows."
c Do you make your home under the ground?'
asked Striped Chipmunk.
'For winter, yes," replied Nimbleheels. 'In
summer I sometimes put my nest just a few inches
under ground, but often I hide it under a piece of
bark or in a thick clump of grass, just as Danny
Meadow Mouse often does his. In the fall I dig
a deep burrow, deep enough to be beyond the
reach of Jack Frost, and in a nice little bedroom
down there I sleep the winter away. I have little
storerooms down there too, in which I put seeds,
berries and nuts. Then when I do wake up I
have plenty to eat."
"I might add," said Old Mother Nature, "that
when he goes to sleep for the winter he curls up in
a little ball with his long tail wrapped around him,
and in his bed of soft grass he sleeps very sound
indeed. Like Johnny Chuck he gets very fat
before going to sleep. Now, Nimbleheels, show
us how you can jump."
Nimbleheels hopped down from the log on which
he had been sitting and at once shot into the air
in such a high, long, beautiful jump that every-
body exclaimed. This way and that way he went
in great leaps. It was truly wonderful.
[148]
Danny's Northern Cousins and Nimbleheels
'That long tail is what balances him," ex-
plained Old Mother Nature. 'If he should lose
it he would simply turn over and over and never
know where or how he was going to land. His
jumping is done only in times of danger. When he
is not alarmed he runs about on the ground like the
rest of the Mouse family. This is all for to-day.
To-morrow I will tell you still more about the
Mouse family."
[149]
CHAPTER XVII
THREE LITTLE REDCOATS AND SOME OTHERS
WITH Whitefoot the Wood Mouse, Danny
Meadow Mouse and Nimbleheels the Jumping
Mouse attending school, the Mouse family was
well represented, but when school opened the
morning after Nimbleheels had made his sudden
and startling appearance, there was still another
present. It was Piney the Pine Mouse. White-
foot, who knew him, had hunted him up and
brought him along.
'I thought you would n't mind if Piney came,"
explained Whitefoot.
C I 'm glad he has come," replied Old Mother
Nature. 'It is much better to see a thing than
merely to be told about it, and now you have a
chance to see for yourselves the differences be-
tween two cousins very closely related, Danny
Meadow Mouse and Piney the Pine Mouse. What
difference do you see, Happy Jack Squirrel ? '
'Piney is a little smaller than Danny, though
[150]
TEENY WEENY THE SHREW. This is the common or long-tailed Shrew,
one of the smallest animals in all the Great World.
THE SHORT-TAILED SHREW. He is sometimes called the Mole Shrew and
the Blarina.
Three Little Redcoats and Some Others
he is much the same shape," was the prompt
reply.
"True," said Old Mother Nature. "Now,
Striped Chipmunk, what difference do you see ? '
: The fur of Piney 's coat is shorter, finer and has
more of a shine. Then, too, it is more of a reddish-
brown than Danny's," replied Striped Chipmunk.
'And what do you say, Peter Rabbit?' asked
Old Mother Nature.
'Piney has a shorter tail," declared Peter, and
everybody laughed.
: Trust you to look at his tail first," said Old
Mother Nature. 'These are the chief differences
as far as looks are concerned. Their habits differ
in about the same degree. As you all know,
Danny cuts little paths through the grass. Piney
does n't do this, but makes little tunnels just under
the surface of the ground very much as Miner the
Mole does. He is n't fond of the open Green
Meadows or of damp places as Danny is, but likes
best the edge of the Green Forest and brushy
places. He is very much at home in a poorly
kept orchard where the weeds are allowed to grow
and in young orchards he does a great deal of
damage by cutting off the roots of young trees
and stripping off the bark as high up as he can
reach. Tell us, Piney, how and where you make
your home."
[151]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Piney hesitated a little, for he was bashful.
'I make my home under ground," he ven-
tured finally. 'I dig a nice little bedroom with
several entrances from my tunnels, and in it I
make a fine nest of soft grass. Close by I dig one
or more rooms in which to store my food, and these
usually are bigger than my bedroom. When I
get one filled with food I close it up by filling the
entrance with earth."
'What do you put in your storerooms?' asked
Peter Rabbit.
'Short pieces of grass and pieces of roots of
different kinds,"' replied Piney. 'I am very fond
of tender roots and the bark of trees and bushes."
'And he dearly loves to get in a garden where
he can tunnel along a row of potatoes or other
root crops," added Old Mother Nature. 'Be-
cause of these habits he does a great deal of damage
and is much disliked by man. Striped Chip-
munk mentioned his reddish-brown coat. There is
another cousin with a coat so red that he is called
the Red-backed Mouse. He is about the size of
Danny Meadow Mouse but has larger ears and a
longer tail.
' This little fellow is a lover of the Green Forest,
and he is quite as active by day as by night. He
is pretty, especially when he sits up to eat, hold-
ing his food in his paws as does Happy Jack
[ 152 ]
Three Little Redcoats and Some Others
Squirrel. He makes his home in a burrow, the
entrance to which is under an old stump, a rock
or the root of a tree. His nest is of soft grass
or moss. Sometimes he makes it in a hollow log
or stump instead of digging a bedroom under
ground. He is thrifty and lays up a supply
of food in underground rooms, hollow logs and
similar places. He eats seeds, small fruits, roots
and various plants. Because of his preference
for the Green Forest and the fact that he lives as
a rule far from the homes of men, he does little
real damage.
: There is still another little Redcoat in the
family, and he is especially interesting because
while he is related to Danny Meadow Mouse he
lives almost wholly in trees. He is called the
Rufous Tree Mouse. Rufous means reddish-
brown, and he gets that name because of the color
of his coat. He lives in the great forests of the
Far West, where the trees are so big and tall that
the biggest tree you have ever seen would look
small beside them. And it is in those great trees
that the Rufous Tree Mouse lives.
'Just why he took to living in trees no one
knows, for he belongs to that branch of the family
known as Ground Mice. But live in them he
does, and he is quite as much at home in them as
any Squirrel.' 1
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The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Chatterer the Red Squirrel was interested right
away. 'Does he build a nest in a tree like a
Squirrel?' he asked.
'He certainly does," replied Old Mother Na-
ture, " and often it is a most remarkable nest.
In some sections he places it only in big trees,
sometimes a hundred feet from the ground. In
other sections it is placed in small trees and only a
few feet above the ground. The high nests often
are old deserted nests of Squirrels enlarged and
built over. Some of them are very large indeed
and have been used year after year. Each year
they have been added to.
'One of these big nests will have several bed-
rooms and little passages running all through it.
It appears that Mrs. Rufous usually has one of
these big nests to herself, Rufous having a small
nest of his own out on one of the branches. The
big nest is close up against the trunk of the tree
where several branches meet."
"Does Rufous travel from one tree to another,
or does he live in just one tree ? ' asked Happy
Jack Squirrel.
"Wherever branches of one tree touch those of
another, and you know in a thick forest this is
frequently the case, he travels about freely if he
wants to. But those trees are so big that I sus-
pect he spends most of his time in the one in which
[154]
Three Little Redcoats and Some Others
his home is," replied Old Mother Nature. 'How-
ever, if an enemy appears in his home tree, he
makes his escape by jumping from one tree to
another, just as you would do.' :
'What I want to know is where he gets his
food if he spends all his time up in the trees,"
spoke up Danny Meadow Mouse.
"Old Mother Nature smiled. "Where should
he get it but up where he lives?' she asked.
'Rufous never has to worry about food. It is
all around him. You see, so far as known, he
lives wholly on the thick parts of the needles,
which you know are the leaves, of fir and spruce
trees, and on the bark of tender twigs. So you
see he is more of a tree dweller than any of the
Squirrel family. While Rufous has the general
shape of Danny and his relatives, he has quite a
long tail. Now I guess this will do for the nearest
relatives of Danny Meadow Mouse.' 1
'He certainly has a lot of them," remarked
Whitefoot the Wood Mouse. Then he added a
little wistfully, 'Of course, in a way they are all
cousins of mine, but I wish I had some a little
more closely related."
: You have," replied Old Mother Nature, and
Whitefoot pricked up his big ears. 'One of them
is Bigear the Rock Mouse, who lives out in the
mountains of the Far W T est. He is as fond of the
[ 155 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
rocks as Rufous is of the trees. Sometimes he
lives in brush heaps and in brushy country, but
he prefers rocks, and that is why he is known as the
Rock Mouse.
'He is a pretty little fellow, if anything a trifle
bigger than you, Whitefoot, and he is dressed much
like you with a yellowish-brown coat and white
waistcoat. He has just such a long tail covered
with hair its whole length. But you should see
his ears. He has the largest ears of any member
of the whole family. That is why he is called
Bigear. He likes best to be out at night, but
often comes out on dull days. He eats seeds and
small nuts and is especially fond of juniper seeds.
He always lays up a supply of food for winter.
Often he is found very high up on the mountains.
'Another of your cousins, Whitefoot, lives
along the seashore of the East down in the Sunny
South. He is called the Beach Mouse. In general
appearance he is much like you, having the same
shape, long tail and big ears, but he is a little
smaller and his coat varies. When he lives back
from the shore, in fields where the soil is dark,
his upper coat is dark grayish-brown, but when he
lives on the white sands of the seashore it is very
light. His home is in short burrows in the ground.
'Now don't you little people think you have
learned enough about the Mouse family ? '
[ 156 ]
Three Little Redcoats and Some Others
"You have n't told us about Nibbler the House
Mouse yet, and you said you would," protested
Peter Rabbit.
"And when we were learning about Longfoot
the Kangaroo Rat you said he was most closely
related to the Pocket Mice. What about them ? '
said Johnny Chuck.
Old Mother Nature laughed. 'I see," said she,
"that you want to know all there is to know. Be
on hand to-morrow morning. I guess we can
finish up with the Mouse family then and with
them the order of Rodents to which all of you
belong."
[ 157 ]
CHAPTER XVIII
MICE WITH POCKETS, AND OTHERS
'POCKETS are very handy things for little
people who are thrifty and who live largely on
small seeds. Without pockets in which to carry
the seeds, I am afraid some of them would never
be able to store up enough food for winter," began
Old Mother Nature, as soon as everybody was
on hand the next morning.
' I would n't be without my pockets for any-
thing," spoke up Striped Chipmunk.
Old Mother Nature smiled. You certainly
do make good use of yours," said she. 'But
there are others who have even greater need of
pockets, and among them are the Pocket Mice.
Of course, it is because of their pockets that they
are called Pocket Mice. All of these pretty little
fellows live in the dry parts of the Far West and
Southwest in the same region where Longfoot the
Kangaroo Rat lives. They are close neighbors
and relatives of his.
[ 158 ]
MINER THE MOLE. This shows how he uses his spade-like hands in digging.
THE STAR-NOSED MOLE. His nose is one of the oddest in the world.
Mice with Pockets, and Others
'Midget the Silky Pocket Mouse is one of the
smallest animals in all the Great World, so small
that Whitefoot the Wood Mouse is a giant com-
pared with him. He weighs less than an ounce
and is a dear little fellow. His back and sides are
yellow, and beneath he is white. He has quite
long hind legs and a long tail, and these show at
once that he is a jumper. In each cheek is a
pocket opening from the outside, and these pockets
are lined with hair. He is called Silky Pocket
Mouse because of the fineness and softness of
his coat. He has some larger cousins, one of
them being a little bigger than Nibbler the House
Mouse. Neighbors and close relatives are the
Spiny Pocket Mice.' 1
'Do they have spines like Prickly Porky?'
demanded Peter Rabbit.
Old Mother Nature laughed. 'I don't wonder
you ask," said she. 'I think it is a foolish name
myself, for they have n't any spines at all. Their
fur is n't as fine as that of Midget, and it has all
through it long coarse hairs almost like bristles,
and from these they get their name. The smallest
of the Spiny Pocket Mice is about the size of
Nibbler the House Mouse and the largest is twice .
as big. They are more slender than their Silky
cousins, and their tails are longer in proportion
to their size and have little tufts of hair at the
[159]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
ends. Of course, they have pockets in their
cheeks.
"In habits all the Pocket Mice are much alike.
They make burrows in the ground, often throwing
up a little mound with several entrances which
lead to a central passageway connecting with the
bedroom and storerooms. By day the entrances
are closed with earth from inside, for the Mice
are active only at night. Sometimes the bur-
rows are hidden under bushes, and sometimes they
are right out in the open. Living as they do in a
hot, dry country, the Pocket Mice have learned
to get along without drinking water. Their food
consists mainly of a variety of small seeds.
"Another Mouse of the West looks almost
enough like Whitefoot to be a member of his
branch of the family. He has a beautiful yellow-
ish-brown coat and white waistcoat, and his feet
are white. But his tail is short in comparison with
Whitefoot's and instead of being slim is quite
thick. His fur is like velvet. He is called the
Grasshopper Mouse."
"Is that because he eats Grasshoppers?" asked
Peter Rabbit at once.
"You've guessed it," laughed Old Mother
Nature. 'He is very, very fond of Grasshoppers
and Crickets. He eats many kinds of insects,
Moths, Flies, Cutworms, Beetles, Lizards, Frogs
[ 160 ]
Mice with Pockets, and Others
and Scorpions. Because of his fondness for the
latter he is called the Scorpion Mouse in some sec-
tions. He is fond of meat when he can get it. He
also eats seeds of many kinds. He is found all over
the West from well up in the North to the hot
dry regions of the Southwest. When he cannot
find a convenient deserted burrow of some other
animal, he digs a home for himself and there raises
several families each year. In the early evening
he often utters a fine, shrill, whistling call note._
'Another little member of the Mouse family
found clear across the country is the Harvest
Mouse. He is never bigger than Nibbler the
House Mouse and often is much smaller. In fact,
he is one of the smallest of the entire family. In
appearance he is much like Nibbler, but his coat
is browner and there are fine hairs on his tail.
He loves grassy, weedy or brushy places.
'As a rule he does little harm to man, for his
food is chiefly seeds of weeds, small wild fruits and
parts of wild plants of no value to man. Once
in a while his family becomes so large that they
do some damage in grain fields. But this does
not happen often. The most interesting thing
about this little Mouse is the way he builds his
home. Sometimes he uses a hole in a tree or
post and sometimes a deserted birds' nest, but
more frequently he builds a nest for himself, -
[161]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
a little round ball of grass and other vegetable
matter. This is placed in thick grass or weeds
close to the ground or in bushes or low trees several
feet from the ground.
'They are well-built little houses and have one
or more little doorways on the under side when
they are in bushes or trees. Inside is a warm,
soft bed made of milkweed or cattail down, the
very nicest kind of a bed for the babies. No one
has a neater home than the Harvest Mouse. He
is quite as much at home in bushes and low trees
as Happy Jack Squirrel is in bigger trees. His
long tail comes in very handy then, for he often
wraps it around a twig to make his footing more
secure.
4 Now this is all about the native Mice and
What is it, Peter ?"
"You 've forgotten Nibbler the House Mouse,"
replied Peter.
'How impatient some little folks are and how
fearful that their curiosity will not be satisfied,"
remarked Old Mother Nature. 'As I was say-
ing, this is all about our native Mice ; that is, the
Mice who belong to this country. And now we
come to Nibbler the House Mouse, who, like
Robber the Brown Rat, has no business here at
all, but who has followed man all over the world
and like Robber has become a pest to man."
[ 162 ]
Mice with Pockets, and Others
Peter Rabbit looked rather sheepish when he
discovered that Old Mother Nature had n't for-
gotten, and resolved that in the future he would
hold his tongue.
"Have any of you seen Nibbler?' asked Old
Mother Nature.
*I have," replied Danny Meadow Mouse.
'Once I was carried to Farmer Brown's barn in a
shock of corn and I found Nibbler living in the
barn."
"It is a wonder he wasn't living in Farmer
Brown's house," said Old Mother Nature. 'Prob-
ably other members of his family were. He is
perfectly at home in any building put up by man,
just as is Robber the Rat. Because of his small
size he can go where Robber cannot. He delights
to scamper about between the walls. Being a
true Rodent he is forever gnawing holes in the
corners of rooms and opening on to pantry shelves
so that he may steal food. He eats all sorts of
food, but spoils more for man, by running about
over it, than he eats. In barns and henhouses
he gets into the grain bins and steals a great deal
of grain.
'It is largely because of Robber the Rat and
Nibbler that men keep the Cats you all hate so.
A Cat is Nibbler's worst enemy. Nibbler is
slender and graceful, with a long, hairless tail and
[163]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
ears of good size. He is very timid, ready to
dart into his hole at the least sound. He raises
from four to nine babies at a time and several sets
of them in a year.
'If Mr. and Mrs. Nibbler are living in a house,
their nest is made of scraps of paper, cloth, wool
and other soft things stolen from the people who
live in the house. In getting this material they
often do great damage. If they are living in a
barn, they make their nest of hay and any soft
material they can find.
'While Nibbler prefers to live in or close to the
homes of men, he sometimes is driven out and
then takes to the fields, especially in summer.
There he lives in all sorts of hiding places, and
is n't at all particular what the place is, if it
promises safety and food can be obtained close
by. I 'm sorry Nibbler ever came to this country.
Man brought him here and now he is here to stay
and quite as much at home as if he belonged here
the way the rest of you do.
'This finishes the lessons on the order of
Rodents, the animals related by reason of having
teeth for the purpose of gnawing. I suspect these
are the only ones in whom you take any interest,
and so you will not care to come to school any
more. Am I right?'
'No, marm," answered Happy Jack the Gray
s [ 164 ]
Mice with Pockets, and Others
Squirrel, who, you remember, had laughed at
Peter Rabbit for wanting to go to school. 'No,
marm. There are ever so many other people of
the Green Forest and the Green Meadows we
want to know more about than we now know.
Is n't that so ? ' Happy Jack turned to the others
and every one nodded, even Prickly Porky.
'There is one little fellow living right near here
who looks to me as if he must be a member of
the Mouse family, but he is n't like any of the
Mice you have told us about," continued Happy
Jack. 'He is so small he can hide under a leaf.
I 'm sure he must be a Mouse.' 1
: You mean Teeny Weeny the Shrew," replied
Old Mother Nature, smiling at Happy Jack.
' He is n't a Mouse. He is n't even a Rodent.
I '11 try to have him here to-morrow morning and
we will see what we can find out about him and
his relatives. 3
[165]
CHAPTER XIX
TEENY WEENY AND HIS COUSIN
course Old Mother Nature knows, but
just the same it is hard for me not to believe that
Teeny Weeny is a member of the Mouse family,"
said Happy Jack Squirrel to Peter Rabbit, as they
scampered along to school. 'I never have had
a real good look at him, but I 've had glimpses
of him lots of times and always supposed him a
little Mouse with a short tail. It is hard to be-
lieve that he is n't."
'I hope Old Mother Nature will put him where
we can get a good look at him," replied Peter.
'Perhaps when you really see him he won't look
so much like a Mouse."
When all had arrived Old Mother Nature began
the morning lesson at once. You have learned
about all the families in the order of Rodents,"
said she, 'so now we will take up another and
much smaller order called Insectivora. I wonder
if any of you can guess what that means."
1 166 ]
FLITTER THE BAT. This is the Red Bat, also called Tree Bat.
THE LITTLE BROWN BAT. He is about to catch a fly on the surface of
the water.
Teeny Weeny and His Cousin
"It sounds," said Peter Rabbit, "as if it must
have something to do with insects.' 1
"That is a very good guess, Peter,'" replied Old
Mother Nature, smiling at him. 'It does have
to do with insects. The members of this order
live very largely on insects and worms, and the
name Insectivora means insect-eating. There are
two families in this order, the Shrew family and
the Mole family."
"Then Teeny Weeny and Miner the Mole must
be related," spoke Peter quickly.
"Right again, Peter," was the prompt reply.
"The Shrews and the Moles are related in the same
way that you and Happy Jack Squirrel are related. "
"And is n't Teeny Weeny the Shrew related to
the Mice at all ? ' asked Happy Jack.
"Not at all," said Old Mother Nature. "Many
people think he is and often he is called Shrew
Mouse. But this is a great mistake. It is the
result of ignorance. It seems strange to me that
people so often know so little about their near
neighbors." She looked at Happy Jack Squirrel
as she said this, and Happy Jack looked sheepish.
He felt just as he looked. All this time the eyes
of every one had been searching this way, that way,
every way, for Teeny W T eeny, for Old Mother
Nature had promised to try to have him there
that morning. But Teeny Weeny was not to be
[ 167 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
seen. Now and then a leaf on the ground close by
Old Mother Nature's feet moved, but the Merry
Little Breezes were always stirring up fallen leaves,
and no one paid any attention to these.
Old Mother Nature understood the disappoint-
ment in the faces before her and her eyes began to
twinkle. Yesterday I told you that I would
try to have Teeny Weeny here," said she. A leaf
moved. Stooping quickly she picked it up.
"And here he is," she finished.
Sure enough where a second before the dead
brown leaf had been was a tiny little fellow, -
so tiny that that leaf had covered him com-
pletely, and it was n't a very big leaf. It was
Teeny Weeny the Shrew, also called the Common
Shrew, the Long-tailed Shrew and the Shrew
Mouse, one of the smallest animals in all the
Great World. He started to dart under another
leaf, but Old Mother Nature stopped him. 'Sit
still," she commanded sharply. : You have noth-
ing to fear. I want everybody to have a good
look at you, for it is high time these neighbors
of yours should know you. I know just how
nervous and uncomfortable you are and I '11 keep
you only a few minutes. Now everybody take
a good look at Teeny Weeny."
This command was quite needless, for all were
staring with all their might. What they saw was
[ 168 ]
Teeny Weeny and His Cousin
a mite of a fellow less than four inches long from
the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail, and of this
total length the tail was almost half. He was
slender, had short legs and mouselike feet. His
coat was brownish above and grayish beneath,
and the fur was very fine and soft.
But the oddest thing about Teeny Weeny was
his long, pointed head ending in a long nose. No
Mouse has a head like it. The edges of the ears
could be seen above the fur, but the eyes were
so tiny that Peter Rabbit thought he had n't any
and said so.
Old Mother Nature laughed. : Yes, he has
eyes, Peter," said she. 'Look closely and you
will see them. But they don't amount to much,
little more than to tell daylight from dark-
ness. Teeny Weeny depends on his nose chiefly.
He has a very wonderful little nose, flexible and
very sensitive. Of course, with such poor eyes
he prefers the dark when there are fewer enemies
abroad."
All this time Teeny Weeny had been growing
more and more uneasy. Old Mother Nature saw
and understood. Now she told him that he might
go. Hardly were the words out of her mouth
when he vanished, darting under some dead
leaves. Hidden by them he made his way to an
old log and was seen no more.
[169]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
' Does n't he eat anything but insects and
worms?' asked Striped Chipmunk.
"Yes," replied Old Mother Nature. "He is
very fond of flesh, and if he finds the body of a
bird or animal that has been killed he will tear
it to pieces. He is very hot-tempered, as are all
his family, and will not hesitate to attack a Mouse
much bigger than himself. He is so little and so
active that he has to have a great deal of food
and probably eats his own weight in food every
day. Of course, that means he must do a great
deal of hunting, and he does.
'He makes tiny little paths under the fallen
leaves and in swampy places, - - little tunnels
through the moss. He is especially fond of old
rotted stumps and logs and brush piles, for in
such places he can find grubs and insects. At
the same time he is well hidden. He is active by
day and night, but in the daytime takes pains to
keep out of the light. He prefers damp to dry
places. In winter he tunnels about under the
snow. In summer he uses the tunnels and run-
ways of Meadow Mice and others when he can.
He eats seeds and other vegetable food when he
cannot find insects or flesh. "
4 How about his enemies?' asked Chatterer
the Red Squirrel.
'He has plenty," replied Old Mother Nature,
[170]
Teeny Weeny and His Cousin
"but is not so much hunted as the members of
the Mouse family. This is because he has a
strong, unpleasant scent which makes him a
poor meal for those at all particular about their
food. Some of the Hawks and Owls appear not
to mind this, and these are his worst enemies."
' Has he any near relatives ? ' asked Jumper the
Hare.
"Several," was the prompt response. 'Blarina
the Short-tailed Shrew, also called Mole Shrew, is
the best known. He is found everywhere, in
forests, old pastures and along grassy banks, but
seldom far from water. He prefers moist ground.
He is much larger and thicker than Teeny Weeny
and has a shorter tail. People often mistake him
for Miner the Mole, because of the thick, fine fur
which is much like Miner's and his habit of tunnel-
ing about just beneath the surface, but if they
would look at his fore feet they would never make
that mistake. They are small and like the feet
of the Mouse family, not at all like Miner's big
shovels. Moreover, he is smaller than Miner,
and his tunnels are seldom in the earth but just
under the leaves and grass.
"His food is much the same as that of Teeny
Weeny, - - worms, insects, flesh when he can get
it, and seeds. He is fond of beechnuts. He is
quite equal to killing a Mouse of his own size or
[171]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
bigger and does not hesitate to do so when he
gets the chance. He makes a soft, comfortable
nest under a log or in a stump or in the ground
and has from four to six babies at a time. Teeny
Weeny sometimes has as many as ten. The
senses of smell and hearing are very keen and make
up for the lack of sight. His eyes, like those of
other Shrews, are probably of use only in dis-
tinguishing light from darkness. His coat is dark
brownish-gray.
'Another of the Shrew family is the Marsh
Shrew, also called Water Shrew and Black-and-
white Shrew. He is longer than either of the
others and, as you have guessed, is a lover of
water. He is a good swimmer and gets much of
his food in the water, - - water Beetles and grubs
and perhaps Tadpoles and Minnows. Now who
among you knows Miner the Mole ? '
'I do. That is, I have seen him," replied Peter
Rabbit.
Very well, Peter, to-morrow morning we will
see how much you know about Miner," replied
Old Mother Nature.
CHAPTER XX
FOUR BUSY LITTLE MINERS
SCAMPERING along on his way to school and
thinking of nothing so uninteresting as watching
his steps, Peter Rabbit stubbed his toes. Yes,
sir, Peter stubbed his toes. With a little exclama-
tion of impatience he turned to see what he had
stumbled over. It was a little ridge where the
surface of the ground had been raised a trifle since
Peter had passed that way the day before.
Peter chuckled. "Now isn't that funny?"
he demanded of no one at all, for he was quite
alone. Then he answered himself. "It certainly
is," said he. 'Here I am on my way to learn
something about Miner the Mole, and I trip over
one of the queer little ridges he is forever making.
It was n't here yesterday, so that means that he is
at work right around here now. Hello, I thought
so!"
Peter had been looking along that little ridge
and had discovered that it ended only a short
[173]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
distance from him. Now as he looked at it again,
he saw the flat surface of the ground at the end of
the ridge rise as if being pushed up from beneath,
and that little ridge became just so much longer.
Peter understood perfectly. Out of sight be-
neath the surface Miner the Mole was at work.
He was digging a tunnel, and that ridge was
simply the roof to that tunnel. It was so near
the surface of the ground that Miner simply
pushed up the loose soil as he bored his way
along, and this made the little ridge over which
Peter had stumbled.
Peter watched a few minutes, then turned and
scampered, lipperty-lipperty-lip, for the Green
Forest. He arrived at school quite out of breath,
the last one. Old Mother Nature was about to
chide him for being late, but noticing his excite-
ment, she changed her mind.
' "Well, Peter," said she. "What is it now?
Did you have a narrow escape on your way here ? '
Peter shook his head. "No," he replied. "No,
I did n't have a narrow escape, but I discovered
something."
Happy Jack Squirrel snickered. 'Peter is al-
ways discovering something," said he. 'He is a
great little discoverer. Probably he has just
found out that the only way to get anywhere
on time is to start soon enough."
[ 174 ]
JIMMY SKUNK. The common Skunk is of considerable economic value as well
as a valuable fur-bearer.
THE LITTLE SPOTTED SKUNK. A small cousin of Jimmy Skunk. Note
the curious pattern of his markings.
Four Busy Little Miners
" No such thing ! ' declared Peter indignantly.
"You"
'Never mind him, Peter," interrupted Old
Mother Nature soothingly. 'What was it you
discovered ? '
'That the very one we are to learn about is
only a little way from here this very minute.
Miner the Mole is at work on the Green Meadow T s
close to the edge of the Green Forest," cried Peter
eagerly. 'I thought perhaps you would want
to "
'Have this morning's lesson right there where
we can at least see his works if not himself," in-
terrupted Old Mother Nature again. : That is
fine, Peter. We will go over there at once. It
is always better to see things than to merely hear
about them."
So Peter led the way to where he had stumbled
over that little ridge on his way to school. It was
longer than when he had left it, but even as the
others crowded about to look, the earth was pushed
up and it grew in length. Old Mother Nature
stooped and made a little hole in that ridge. Then
she put her lips close to it and commanded Miner
to come out. She spoke softly, pleasantly, but in
a way that left no doubt that she expected to be
obeyed.
She was. Almost at once a queer, long, sharp
[175]
(t
((
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
nose was poked out of the little hole she had
made, and a squeaky voice asked fretfully, 'Do
I have to come way out ? '
You certainly do," replied Old Mother Nature.
I want some of your friends and neighbors to
get a <good look at you, and they certainly can't
do that with only that sharp nose of yours to be
seen. Now scramble out here. No one will hurt
you. I will keep you only a few minutes. Then
you can go back to your everlasting digging. Out
with you, now !' :
While the others gathered in a little circle close
about that hole there scrambled into view one of
the queerest little fellows in all the Great World.
Few of them had ever seen him close to before.
He was a stout little fellow with the softest, thick-
est, gray coat imaginable. He was about six
inches long and had a funny, short, pinkish-white,
naked tail that at once reminded Peter of an
Angleworm.
His head seemed to be set directly on his shoul-
ders, so that there was no neck worth mentioning.
His nose was long and sharp and extended far
beyond his mouth. Neither ears nor eyes were
to be seen.
Striped Chipmunk at once wanted to know how
Miner could see. 'He doesn't see as you do,"
replied Old Mother Nature. 'He has very small
[176]
Four Busy Little Miners
eyes, tiny things, which you might find if you
should part the fur around them, but they are
of use only to distinguish light from darkness.
Miner has n't the least idea what any of you look
like. You see, he spends his life under ground
and of course has no use for eyes there. They
would be a nuisance, for the dirt would be con-
tinually getting in them if they were any larger
than they are or were not protected as they are.
If you should feel of Miner's nose you would find
it hard. That is because he uses it to bore with
in the earth. Just notice those hands of his."
At once everybody looked at Miner's hands.
No one ever had seen such hands before. The
arms were short but looked very strong. The
hands also were rather short, but what they lacked
in length they made up in width and they were
armed with long, stout claws. But the queer
thing about them was the way he held them. He
held them turned out. His hind feet were not much
different from the hind feet of the Mouse family.
Miner was plainly uncomfortable. He wriggled
about uneasily and it was very clear that he was
there only because Old Mother Nature had com-
manded him to be there, and that the one thing
he wanted most was to get back into his beloved
ground. Old Mother Nature saw this and took
pity on him. She picked him up and placed
1177]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
him on the ground where there was no opening
near.
"Now, Miner," said she, "your friends and
neighbors have had a good look at you, and I
know just how uncomfortable you feel. There is
but one thing more I '11 ask of you. It is that
you will show us how you can dig. Johnny Chuck
thinks he is a pretty good digger. Just show him
what you can do in that line."
Miner did n't wait to be told twice. The instant
Old Mother Nature stopped speaking he began
to push and bore into the earth with his sharp
nose. One of those great, spadelike hands was
slipped up past his face and the claws driven in
beside his nose. Then it was swept back and the
loosened earth with it. The other hand was
used in the same way. It was quite plain to every-
body why they were turned out in the way they
were. There was nothing slow about the way
Miner used that boring nose and those shoveling
hands. Peter Rabbit had hardly time for half a
dozen long breaths before Miner the Mole had
disappeared.
4 Some digging !' exclaimed Peter.
'Never again as long as I live will I boast of
my digging," declared Johnny Chuck admiringly.
From the point where Miner had entered the
ground a little ridge was being pushed up, and
[ 178 ]
Four Busy Little Miners
they watched it grow surprisingly fast as the little
worker under the sod pushed his tunnel along in
the direction of his old tunnels. It was clear that
he was in a hurry to get back where he could work
in peace.
'What a queer life," exclaimed Happy Jack
Squirrel. 'He can't have much fun. I should
think it would be awful living in the dark that
way all the time."
You forget that he cannot see as you can, and
so prefers the dark," replied Old Mother Nature.
'As for fun, he gets that in his work. He is called
Miner because he lives in the ground and is always
tunneling."
'What does he eat; the roots of plants?'
asked Jumper the Hare.
Old Mother Nature shook her head. "A lot of
people think that," said she, 'and often Miner is
charged with destroying growing crops, eating
seed corn, etc. That is because his tunnels are
found running along the rows of plants. The
fact is Miner has simply been hunting for grubs
and worms around the roots of those plants. He
has n't touched the plants at all. I suspect that
Danny Meadow Mouse or one of his cousins could
explain who ate the seed corn and the young
plants. They are rather fond of using Miner's
tunnels when he is n't about."
[ 179 ]
The Burgess Animal Boole for Children
Danny hung his head and looked guilty, but
did n't say anything. ' The only harm Miner
does is sometimes to tunnel so close to garden
plants that he lets air in around the tender roots
and they dry out," continued Old Mother Nature.
'His food consists almost wholly of worms, grubs
and insects, and he has to have a great many to
keep him alive. That is why he is so active.
Those tunnels of his which seem to be without any
plan are made in his search for food. He is es-
pecially fond of Angleworms.
4 As a matter of fact, he is a useful little fellow.
The only time he becomes a nuisance to man is
when he makes his little ridges across smooth
lawns. Even then he pays for the trouble by
destroying the grubs in the grass roots, grubs that
in their turn would destroy the grass. When you
see his ridges you may know that his food is close
to the surface. When in dry or cold weather the
worms go deep in the ground, Miner follows
and then there is no trace of his tunnels on the
surface.
'Night and day are all the same to him. He
works and sleeps when he chooses. In winter he
tunnels below the frost line. You all noticed how
dense his fur is. That is so the sand cannot work
down in it. His home is a snug nest of grass or
leaves in a little chamber under the ground from
[180]
Four Busy Little Miners
which several tunnels offer easy means of escape
in case of sudden danger."
" Has Miner any near relatives ? ' asked Peter
Rabbit.
"Several," replied Old Mother Nature. "All
are much alike in habits. One who lives a little
farther north is called Brewer's Mole or the Hairy-
tailed Mole. His tail is a little longer than Miner's
and is covered with fine hair. The largest and
handsomest member of the family is the Oregon
Mole of the Northwest. His coat is very dark
and his fur extremely fine. His ways are much the
same as those of Miner whom you have just met,
excepting that when he is tunneling deep in the
ground he pushes the earth to the surface after
the manner of Grubby Gopher, and his mounds
become a nuisance to farmers. When he is tunnel-
ing just under the surface he makes ridges exactly
like these of his eastern cousin.
'But the oddest member of the Mole family
is the Star-nosed Mole. He looks much like Miner
with the exception of his nose and tail. His nose
has a fringe of little fleshy points, twenty-two of
them, like a many-pointed star. From this he
gets his name. His tail is a little longer than
Miner's and is hairy. During the late fall and
winter this becomes much enlarged.
'This funny little fellow with the star-like nose
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The Burgess Animal Book for Children
is especially fond of moist places, swamps, damp
meadows, and the banks of streams. He is not
at all afraid of the water and is a good swimmer.
Sometimes he may be seen swimming under the
ice in winter. He is seldom found where the
earth is dry. For that matter, none of the family
are found in those sections where there are long,
dry periods and the earth becomes baked and hard.
The fur of Miner and his cousins will lay in
either direction, which keeps it smooth no matter
whether the wearer is going forward or backward.
Otherwise it would be badly mussed up most of
the time. Altogether these little underground
workers are most interesting little people when
you know them. But that is something few
people have a chance to do.
'Now just remember that the Shrews and the
Moles belong to the order of Insectivora, mean-
ing eaters of insects, and are the only two families
in that order. And don't despise either of them,
for they do a great deal of good in the Great
World, more than some right here whom I might
name, but will not. School is dismissed."
[ 182 ]
BILLY MINK. He is equally at home on land or in the water.
SHADOW THE WEASEL. In his winter coat of white he is called the Ermin&.
CHAPTER XXI
FLITTER THE BAT AND HIS FAMILY
IN the dusk of early evening, as Peter Rabbit
sat trying to make up his mind whether to spend
that night at home in the dear Old Briar-patch
with timid little Mrs. Peter or go over to the
Green Forest in search of adventure, a very fine,
squeaky voice which came right out of the air
i
above him startled him for a moment.
'Better stay at home, Peter Rabbit. Better
stay at home to-night," said the thin, squeaky
voice.
C(
Hello, Flitter ! ' exclaimed Peter, as he
stared up at a little dark form darting this way,
twisting that way, now up, now down, almost
brushing Peter's head and then flying so high he
could hardly be seen. 'Why should I stay at
home?"
'Because I saw Old Man Coyote sneaking along
the edge of the Green Forest, Reddy Fox is hunt-
ing on the Green Meadows, and Hooty the Owl is
['183]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
on watch in the Old Orchard," replied Flitter the
Red Bat. 'Of course it is no business of mine
what you do, Peter Rabbit, but were I in your
place I certainly would stay at home. Gracious !
I 'm glad I can go where I please when I please.
You ought to fly, Peter. You ought to fly.
There is nothing like it."
'I wish I could," sighed Peter.
"Well, don't say I did n't warn you," squeaked
Flitter, and darted away in the direction of Farmer
Brown's house. Peter wisely decided that the
dear Old Briar-patch was the best place for him
that night, so he remained at home, to the joy
of timid little Mrs. Peter, and spent the night
eating, dozing and wondering how it would seem
to be able to fly like Flitter the Bat.
Flitter was still in his mind when he started for
school the next morning, and by the time he got
there he was bubbling over with curiosity and
questions. He could hardly wait for school to
be called to order. Old Mother Nature noticed
how fidgety he was.
'What havg you on your mind, Peter?' she
asked.
' Did n't you tell us that the Shrew family and
the Mole family are the only families in this
country in the order of insect-eaters?' asked
Peter,
[184]
Flitter the Bat and His Family
'I certainly did," was the prompt reply.
'Doesn't Flitter the Bat live on insects?'
asked Peter.
Old Mother Nature nodded. 'He does," said
she. 'In fact he lives altogether on insects."
'Then why is n't he a member of that order?'
demanded Peter.
Old Mother Nature smiled, for she was pleased
that Peter had thought of this. 'That question
does you credit, Peter," said she. 'The reason
is that he and his relatives are so very different
from other animals that they have been placed
in an order of their own. It is called the Chi-
rop-ter-a, which means wing-handed. How many
of you know Flitter the Bat?'
'I Ve often seen him," declared Jumper the
Hare.
'So have I," said Chatterer the Red Squirrel.
Each of the others said the same thing. There
was n't one who had n't watched and envied
Flitter darting about in the air just at dusk of
early evening or as the Black Shadows were steal-
ing away in the early morning. Old Mother
Nature smiled.
'Seeing him isn't knowing him," said she.
'Who is there who knows anything about him
and his ways save that he flies at night and catches
insects in the air?'
1 185 ]
TIw Burgess Animal Book for Children
She waited a minute or two, but no one spoke.
The fact is there was not one who really knew
anything about Flitter. 'It is one of the strange
things of life," said she, 'that people often know
nothing about the neighbors whom they see every
day. But in this case it is not to be wondered
at. I suspect none of you has seen Flitter, ex-
cepting in the air, and then he moves so rapidly
that there is no chance to get a good look at him.
I think this is just the time and place for you to
really make the acquaintance of Flitter the Red
Bat."
She stepped over to a bush and parted the
leaves. Hanging from a twig was what appeared
at first glance to be a rumpled, reddish-brown
dead leaf. She touched it lightly. At once it
came to life, stirring uneasily. A thin, squeaky
voice peevishly demanded to know what was
wanted.
You have some callers, a few of your friends
who want to get really acquainted with you.
Suppose you wake up for a few minutes," ex-
plained Old Mother Nature pleasantly.
Flitter, for that is just who it was, yawned
once or twice sleepily, shook himself, then grinned
down at the wondering faces of his friends crowded
about just under him. 'Hello, folks,"' said he in
that thin, squeaky voice of his.
[186]
Flitter the Bat and His Family
The sunlight fell full on him, but he seemed not
to mind it in the least. In fact, he appeared to
enjoy its warmth. He was hanging by his toes,
head down, his wings folded. He was about four
inches long, and his body was much like that of a
Mouse. His fur was fine and thick, a beautiful
orange-red. For his size his ears were large.
Instead of the long head and sharp nose of the
Mouse family, Flitter had a rather round head
and blunt nose. Almost at once Peter Rabbit
made a discovery. It was that Flitter possessed
a pair of bright, little, snapping eyes and did n't
seem in the least bothered by the bright light.
"Where did that saying 'blind as a Bat' ever
come from ? ' demanded Peter.
Old Mother Nature laughed. 'Goodness
knows; I don't," said she. : There is nothing
blind about Flitter. He sleeps through the day
and does his hunting in the dusk of evening or
early morning, but if he is disturbed and has to
fly during the day, he has no trouble in seeing.
Flitter, stretch out one of your wings so that
everybody can see it.'
Obediently Flitter stretched out one of his
wings. Everybody gasped, for it was the first
time any of them ever had seen one of those wings
near enough to know just what it was like. Flit-
ter's arm was long, especially from his elbow to
[187]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
his hand. But the surprising thing was the
length of his three fingers. Each finger appeared
to be about as long as the whole arm. From his
shoulder a thin, rubbery skin was stretched to
the ends of the long fingers, then across to the
ankle of his hind foot on that side, and from there
across to the tip of his tail. A little short thumb
with a long, curved claw stuck up free from the
edge of the wing.
'Now you can see just why he is called wing-
handed," explained Old Mother Nature, as Flitter
folded the wing. In a minute he began to clean
it. Everybody laughed, for it was funny to
watch him. He would take the skin of the wing
in his mouth and pull and stretch it as if it were
rubber. He washed it with his tiny tongue.
Then he washed his fur. You see, Flitter is very
neat. With the little claw of his thumb he
scratched his head and combed his hair. All the
time he remained hanging head down, clinging to
the twig with his toes.
"Where is Mrs. Flitter?" asked Old Mother
Nature.
'Don't know," replied Flitter, beginning on
the other wing. 'She 's quite equal to looking
after herself, so I don't worry about her."
' Nor about your babies. Flitter, I 'm ashamed
of you. You are a poor kind of a father," de-
[ 188 ]
Flitter the Bat and His Family
clared Old Mother Nature severely. 'If you
don't know where to find your family, I '11 show
you. 5 '
She stepped over to the very next tree, parted
the leaves, and there, sure enough, hung Mrs.
Flitter fast asleep. And clinging to her were
three of the funniest babies in all the Great World !
All were asleep, and Old Mother Nature did n't
awaken them. As for Flitter, he seemed to take
not the slightest interest in his family, but went
right on with his toilet.
" Flitter the Red Bat is one of the best known
of the whole family in this country,' 3 said Old
Mother Nature, as they left Flitter to resume his
nap. He is found from the East to the Far West,
from ocean to ocean. Like the birds, he migrates
when cold weather comes, returning in the early
summer. Although, like all Bats, he sleeps all
day as a rule, he does n't mind the sunlight, as
you have just seen for yourselves. Sometimes
on dull, dark days he does n't wait for evening,
but flies in the afternoon. Usually he is the first
of the Bat family to appear in the evening, often
coming out while it is still light enough to show
the color of his red coat. No other member of
his family has a coat of this color.
'Some people call him the Tree Bat. After
seeing him hanging over there I think you can
[ 189 ]
i
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
guess why. He rarely goes to a cave for his day-
time sleep, as most of his relatives do, but hangs
by his toes from a twig of a tree or bush, fre-
quently not far from the ground, just as he is
right now.
'As all of you who have watched him know,
Flitter is a swift flier. This is because his wings
are long and narrow. They are made for speed.
I want you to know that the Bats are among the
most wonderful of all my little people. Few if
any birds can equal them in the air because of
their wonderful ability to twist and turn. They
are masters of the art of flying. Moreover, they
make no sound with their wings, something
which only the Owls among birds can boast of.
; You all saw the three babies clinging to Mrs.
Flitter. Most Bats have but two babies at a
time, occasionally only one, but the Red Bat and
his larger cousin, the Hoary Bat, have three or
four. Mrs. Flitter carries her babies about with
her until they are quite big. When they are too
large to be carried she leaves them hanging in a
tree while she hunts for her meals.
'Flitter has many cousins. One of these is the
Little Brown Bat, one of the smallest members
of the family and found all over the country.
He is brown all over. He is sometimes called
the Cave Bat, because whenever a cave is to be
[190]
THE BLACK-FOOTED FERRET. Yap Yap the Prairie Dog fears no one
more than this relative of Shadow the Weasel.
Flitter the Bat and His Family
found he sleeps there. Sometimes great numbers
of these little Bats are found crowded together
in a big cave. When there is no cave handy, a
barn or hollow tree is used. Often he will creep
behind the closed blinds of a house to spend the
day.
" Very like this little fellow in color is his cousin
the Big Brown Bat, called the House Bat and the
Carolina Bat. He is especially fond of the homes
of men. He is a little bigger than the Red Bat.
While the latter is one of the first Bats to appear
in the evening, the former is one of the last, com-
ing out only when it is quite dark. He also is
found all over the country.
"The Silvery Bat is of nearly the same size
and in many places is more common than any of
its cousins. The fur is dark brown or black with
white tips, especially in the young. From this
it gets its name. One of the largest and hand-
somest of the Bat cousins, and one of the rarest,
is the Hoary Bat. His fur is a mixture of dark
and light brown tipped with white. He is very
handsome. His wings are very long and narrow,
and he is one of the most wonderful of all fliers.
He is a lover of the Green Forest and does his
hunting high above the tree-tops, making his
appearance late in the evening. Like the Red Bat
he spends the hours of daylight hanging in a tree.
[191] ,
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
'Down in the Southeast is a member of the
family with ears so big that he is called the Big-
eared Bat. He is a little chap, smaller than the
Little Brown Bat, and his ears are half as long as
his head and body together. What do you think
of that? For his size he has the biggest ears of
any animal in all this great country. A close
relative in the Southwest is the Big-eared Desert
Bat.
'All members of the Bat family are great
drinkers and usually the first thing they do when /
they start out at dusk is to seek water. All live
wholly on insects, and for this reason they are
among the very best friends of man. They eat
great numbers of Mosquitoes. They do no harm
whatever, which is more than can be said for
some of the rest of you little folks. Now who
shall we learn about next?"
\
[192]
CHAPTER XXII
AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY
JUST as Old Mother Nature asked who they
should learn about next, Happy Jack Squirrel
spied some one coming down the Lone Little
Path. 'See who 's coming!' cried Happy Jack.
Everybody turned to look down the Lone Little
Path. There, ambling along in the most matter-
of-fact and unconcerned way imaginable, came a
certain small person who was dressed wholly in
black and white.
'Hello, Jimmy Skunk," cried Chatterer the
Red Squirrel. 'What are you doing over here
in the Green Forest?'
Jimmy Skunk looked up and grinned. It was
a slow, good-natured grin. 'Hello, everybody,"
said he, 'I thought I would just amble over here
and see your school. I suppose all you fellows
are getting so wise that pretty soon you will think
you know all there is to know. Have any of you
seen any fat Beetles around here?'
Just then Jimmy noticed Old Mother Nature
[ 193 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
and hastened to bow his head in a funny way.
'Please excuse me, Mother Nature," he said, 4 I
thought school was over. I don't want to inter-
rupt."
Old Mother Nature smiled. The fact is, Old
Mother Nature is rather fond of Jimmy Skunk.
: You aren't interrupting," said she. 'The fact
is, we had just ended the lesson about Flitter the
Bat and his relatives, and were trying to decide
who to study about next. I think you came along
at just the right time. You belong to a large and
rather important order, one that all these little
folks here ought to know about. How many
cousins have you, Jimmy ? '
Jimmy Skunk looked a little surprised at the
question. He scratched his head thoughtfully.
"Let me see," said he, 'I have several close
cousins in the Skunk branch of the family, but I
presume you want to know who my cousins are
outside of the Skunk branch. They are Shadow
the Weasel, Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter.
These are the only ones I can think of now."
"How about Digger the Badger?' asked Old
Mother Nature.
A look of surprise swept over Jimmy Skunk's
face. "Digger the Badger!' he exclaimed.
' Digger the Badger is no cousin of mine ! '
"Tut, tut, tut!" chided Old Mother Nature.
[194]
A n Independent Family
f Tut, tut, tut, Jimrny Skunk ! It is high time
you came to school. Digger the Badger is just
as much a cousin of yours as is Shadow the Weasel.
You are members of the same order and it is a
rather large order. It is called the Car-niv-o-ra,
which means 'flesh-eating.' You are a member
of the Marten or Weasel family, and that family
is called the 'Mus-tel-i-dse.' Digger the Badger
is also a member of that family. That means
that you two are cousins. You and Digger and
Glutton the W T olverine belong to the stout-bodied
branch of the family. Billy Mink, Little Joe
Otter, Shadow the W'easel, Pekan the Fisher and
Spite the Marten belong to its slim-bodied branch.
But all are members of the same family despite
the difference in looks, and thus, of course, are
cousins. Seeing that you are here, Jimmy, I
think we will find out just how much these little
folks know about you.
'Peter Rabbit, tell us what you know about
Jimmy Skunk. "
'I know one thing about him," declared Peter,
'and that 's that he is the most independent
fellow in the world. He is n't afraid of anybody.
I saw Buster Bear actually step out of his way the
other day.' !
Jimmy Skunk grinned. 'Buster always treats
me very politely," said Jimmy.
[195]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
'I have noticed that everybody does, even
Farmer Brown's boy," spoke up Happy Jack
Squirrel.
4 It is easy enough to be independent when
everybody is afraid of you," sputtered Chatterer
the Red Squirrel.
:<r Just why is everybody afraid of Jimmy
Skunk?" asked Old Mother Nature.
'They are afraid of that little scent gun he
carries," spoke up Peter Rabbit; 'I wish I had
"one just like it."
Old Mother Nature shook her head. "It
would n't do, Peter, to trust you with a gun like
Jimmy Skunk's," said she. : You are altogether
too heedless and careless. If you had a scent gun
like Jimmy's, I am afraid there would be trouble
in the Green Forest and on the Green Meadow
all the time. I suspect that you would drive
everybody else away. Jimmy is never heedless
or careless. He never uses that little scent gun
unless he is in real danger or thinks he is. Usually
he is pretty sure that he is before he uses it. I '11
venture to say that not one of you has seen Jimmy
use that little scent gun."
Peter looked at Jumper the Hare. Jumper
looked at Chatterer. Chatterer looked at Happy
Jack. Happy Jack looked at Danny Meadow
Mouse. Danny looked at Striped Chipmunk.
[ 196 ]
An Independent Family
Striped looked at Johnny Chuck. Johnny looked
at Whitefoot the Wood Mouse. Then all looked
at Old Mother Nature and shook their heads.
'I thought as much," said she. "Jimmy is
wonderfully well armed, but for defense only.
He never makes the mistake of mis-using that
little scent gun. But everybody knows he has it,
so nobody interferes with him. Now, Peter,
what more do you know about Jimmy?'
'He 's lazy," replied Peter.
'I 'm not lazy," retorted Jimmy Skunk. "I 'm
no more lazy than you are. You call me lazy
just because I don't hurry. I don't have to
hurry, and I never can see any good in hurrying
when one does n't have to."
"That will do," interposed Old Mother Nature.
' Go on, Peter, with what you know about Jimmy."
'He is good-natured," said Peter, and grinned
at Jimmy.
Jimmy grinned back. "Thank you, Peter,"
said he.
'He is one of the best-natured people I know,"
continued Peter. 'I guess it is a lucky thing for
the rest of us that he is. I have noticed that fat
people are usually good-natured, and Jimmy is
nearly always fat. In fact, I don't think I have
seen him what you would call really thin excepting
very early in the spring. He eats Beetles and
[197]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
grubs and Grasshoppers and Crickets and insects
of all sorts. I am told that he steals eggs when
he can find them."
Yes, and he catches members of my family
when he can," spoke up Danny Meadow Mouse.
'I never feel safe with Jimmy Skunk very near."
Jimmy did n't look at all put out. 'I might
as well confess that tender Mouse is rather to my
liking," said he, 'and I might add that I also
enjoy a Frog now and then, or a Lizard or a
fish."
;< Also you might mention that young birds
don't come amiss when you can get them," spoke
up Chatterer the Red Squirrel maliciously.
Jimmy looked up at Chatterer. 'That 's a
case of the pot calling the kettle black," said he,
and Chatterer made a face at him. But Chatterer
said nothing more, for he knew that all the others
knew that what Jimmy said was true: Chatterer
had robbed many a nest of young birds.
'Is that all you know about Jimmy?' asked
Old Mother Nature of Peter.
'I guess it is," replied Peter, 'excepting that
he lives in a hole in the ground, and I seldom see
him out in winter. I rather think he sleeps all
winter, the same as Johnny Chuck does."
'You 've got another think coming, Peter,"
said Jimmy; 'I sleep a lot during the winter,
[198]
GLUTTON THE WOLVERINE. He is the largest member of the Weasel
family.
PEKAN THE FISHER. One of the valuable fur-bearing animals.
An Independent Family
but I don't go into winter quarters until well
after snow comes, and I don't sleep the way
Johnny Chuck does. Sometimes I go out in
winter and hunt around a little."
"Do you dig your house?' asked Old Mother
Nature.
Jimmy shook his head. 'Not when I can
help myself,' said he; 'it is too much work.
If I have to I do, but I would much rather use
one of Johnny Chuck's old houses. His houses
suit me first rate."
"I want you all to look at Jimmy very closely,"
said Old Mother Nature. ; You will notice that
he is about the size of Black Pussy, the cat from
Farmer Brown's, and that his coat is black with
broad white stripes. But not all Skunks are
marked alike. I dare say that no two of Jimmy's
children would be exactly alike. I suspect that
one or more might be all black, with perhaps a
little bit of white on the tail. Notice that Jimmy's
front feet have long, sharp claws. He uses these
to dig out grubs and insects in the ground, and
for pulling over sticks and stones in his search
for beetles. Also notice that he places his feet
on the ground very much as does Buster Bear.
That big, bushy tail of his is for the purpose of
warning folks. Jimmy never shoots that little
scent gun without first giving warning. When
[199]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
that tail of his begins to go up in the air, wise
people watch out.
'A lot of people make the mistake of thinking
that Jimmy Skunk and his family do a great deal
of harm. The truth is, they do a great deal of
good to man. Once in a while they will make the
mistake of stealing Chickens or eggs, but it is only
once in a while. They make up for all they take
in this way by the pests they destroy. Jimmy
and Mrs. Skunk have a large family each year,
usually from six to ten. Mrs. Skunk usually is
living by herself when the babies are born, but
when they are big enough to walk their father
rejoins the family, and you may see them almost
any pleasant evening starting out together to
hunt for Grasshoppers, Beetles and other things.
Often the whole family remains together the whole
winter, not breaking up until spring. Jimmy is
one of the neatest of all my little people and takes
the best of care of his handsome coat. He is n't
afraid of water and can swim if it is necessary.
He does most of his hunting at night, sleeping
during the day* He is one of the few little
wild people who have n't been driven away by
man, and often makes his home close to man's
home.
'Jimmy has own cousins in nearly all parts of
this great country. Way down in the Southwest
[200]
An Independent Family
is one called the Hog-nosed Skunk, one of the
largest of the family. He gets his name because
of the shape of his nose and the fact that he roots
in the ground the same as a hog. He is also
called the Badger Skunk because of the big claws
on his front feet and the fact that he is a great
digger. His fur is not so fine as that of Jimmy
Skunk, but is rather coarse and harsh. He is
even more of an insect eater than is Jimmy.
'The smallest of Jimmy's own cousins is the
Little Spotted Skunk. He is only about half as
big as Jimmy, and his coat, instead of being
striped with white like Jimmy's, is covered with
irregular white lines and spots, making it appear
very handsome. He lives in the southern half
of the country and in habits is much like Jimmy,
but he is much livelier. Occasionally he climbs
low trees. Like Jimmy he eats almost anything he
can find. And it goes without saying that, like
Jimmy, he carries a little scent gun. By the way,
Jimmy, what do you do when you are angry?
Show us.' :
Jimmy began to growl, a queer-sounding little
growl, and at the same time to stamp the ground
with his front feet. Old Mother Nature laughed.
"When you see Jimmy do that," said she, 'it is
best to pretend you don't see him and keep out of
his way."
[ 201 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
'Hasn't Jimmy any enemies at all?' asked
Peter Rabbit.
: That depends on how hungry some folks get,"
replied Old Mother Nature. "Hooty the Owl
does n't seem to mind Jimmy's little scent gun,
but this is the only one I can think of who does n't.
Some of the bigger animals might take him if they
were starving, but even then I think they would
think twice. Who knows where Digger the
Badger is living?'
'I do," replied Peter Rabbit. 'He is living
out on the Green Meadows over near the Old
Pasture."
"All right, Peter," replied Old Mother Nature,
'suppose you run over and pay him a visit and
to-morrow morning you can tell us about it."
[202]
CHAPTER XXIII
DIGGER AND HIS COUSIN GLUTTON
: WELL, Peter," said Old Mother Nature, 'did
you visit Digger the Badger yesterday?'
Yes 'm," replied Peter, 'I visited him, but I
did n't find out much. He 's a regular old grouch.
He is n't the least bit neighborly. It took me a
long time to find him. He has more holes than
anybody I ever knew, and I could n't tell which
one is his home. When I did find him, he gave
me a terrible scare. I did n't see him until I was
right on top of him, and if I had n't jumped, and
jumped quickly, I guess I would n't be here this
morning. He was lying flat down in the grass
and he was so very flat that I just did n't see him.
When I told him that I wanted to know all about
him and his ways, he replied that it was none of
my business how he lived or what he did, and that
was all I could get out of him.
4 1 sat around awhile and watched him, but he
did n't do much except take a sun bath. He
[ 203 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
certainly is a queer-looking fellow to be a member
of the Weasel family. There 's nothing about
him that looks like a Weasel, that I could see.
Of course, he is n't as broad as he is long, but he
looks almost that when he is lying flat down and
that long hair of his is spread out on both sides.
He really has a handsome coat when you come to
look at it. It is silvery gray and silky looking.
It seems to be parted right down the middle of
his back. His tail is rather short, but stout and
hairy. His head and face are really handsome.
His cheeks, chin and a broad stripe from his nose
right straight back over his head are white. On
each cheek is a bar of black. The back part of
each ear is black, and so are his feet. He has
rather a sharp nose. Somehow when he is walking
he makes me think of a little, flattened-out Bear
with very short legs. And such claws as he has
on his front feet ! I don't know any one with
such big strong claws for his size. I guess that
must be because he is such a digger."
'That 's a very good guess, Peter," said Old
Mother Nature. 'Has any one here ever seen
him dig?'
*I did once," replied Peter. 'I happened to
be over near where he lives when Farmer Brown's
boy came along and surprised Digger some dis-
tance from one of his holes. Digger did n't try
[ 204 ] .
Digger and His Cousin Glutton
to get to one of those holes ; he simply began to
dig. My gracious, how the sand did fly ! He
was out of sight in the ground before Fanner
Brown's boy could get to him. Johnny Chuck is
pretty good at digging, but he simply is n't in the
same class with Digger the Badger. No one is
that I know of, unless it is Miner the Mole. I
guess this is all I know about him, excepting that
he is a great fighter. Once I saw him whip a dog
almost twice his size. I never heard such hissing
and snarling and growling. He would n't tell me
anything about how he lives.' 1
'Very good, Peter, very good," replied Old
Mother Nature ; ' that 's as much as I expected
you would be able to find out. Digger is a queer
fellow. His home is on the great plains and in the
flat, open country of the Middle West and Far
West, where Gophers and Ground Squirrels and
Prairie Dogs live. They furnish him with the
greater part of his food. All of them are good
diggers, but they don't stand any chance when
he sets out to dig them out.
' Digger spends most of his time under ground
during daylight, seldom coming out except for a
sun bath. But as soon as jolly, round, red Mr.
Sun goes to bed for the night, Digger appears and
travels about in search of a dinner. His legs are
so short and he is so stout and heavy that he is
[ 205 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
slow and rather clumsy, butr he makes up for that
by his ability to dig. He does n't expect to catch
any one on the surface, unless he happens to sur-
prise a Meadow Mouse within jumping distance.
He goes hunting for the holes of Ground Squirrels
and other burrowers, and when he finds one
promptly digs. He eats Grasshoppers, Beetles and
small Snakes, as well as such small animals as he
catches. It was well for you, Peter, that you
jumped when you did, for I suspect that Digger
would have enjoyed a Rabbit dinner.
'Very little is known of Digger's family life,
but he is a good husband. In winter he sleeps
as Johnny Chuck does, coming out soon after the
snow disappears in the spring. Of all my little
people, none has greater courage. When he is
cornered he will fight as long as there is a breath
of life in him. His skin is very tough and he is
further protected by his long hair. His teeth are
sharp and strong and he can always give a good
account of himself in a fight. He is afraid of no
one of his own size.
'Man hunts him for his fur, but man is very
stupid in many things and this is an example.
You see, Digger is worth a great deal more alive
than dead, because of the great number of de-
structive Rodents he kills. The only thing that
can be brought against him is the number of
[ 206 ]
SPITE THE MARTEN. He is found only in the great forests of the North.
LITTLE JOE OTTER. A famous fisherman and swimmer.
Digger and His Cousin Glutton
holes he digs. Mr. and Mrs. Digger have two to
five babies late in the spring or early in the summer.
They are born under ground in a nest of grass.
As you may guess just by looking at Digger,
he is very strong. If he once gets well into the
ground, a strong man pulling on his tail cannot
budge him. As Peter has pointed out, he is n't
at all sociable. Mr. and Mrs. Digger are quite
satisfied to live by themselves and be left alone.
So he is rarely seen in daytime, but probably is
out oftener than is supposed. Peter has told
how he nearly stepped on Digger before seeing
him ; it is Digger's wise habit to lie perfectly
still until he is sure he has been seen, so people
often pass him without seeing him at all, or if they
see him they take him for a stone.
' While Digger the Badger is a lover of the open
country and does n't like the Green Forest at all,
he has a cousin who is found only in the Green
Forest and usually very deep in the Green Forest
at that. This is Glutton the Wolverine, the
largest and ugliest member of the family. None
of you have seen him, because he lives almost
wholly in the great forests of the North. He
has n't a single friend that I know of, but that
does n't trouble him in the least.
'Glutton has several names. He is called
'Carcajou' in the Far North, and out in the Far
[ 207 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
West is often called 'Skunkbear. ' The latter
name probably is given him because in shape and
color he looks a good deal as though he might be
half Skunk and half Bear. He is about three
feet long with a tail six inches long, and is thickset
and heavy. His legs are short and very stout.
His hair, including that on the tail, is long and
shaggy. It is blackish-brown, becoming grayish
on the upper part of his head and cheeks. His
feet are black. When he walks he puts his feet
flat on the ground as a Bear does.
'Being so short of leg and heavy of body, he is
slow in his movements. But what he lacks in
this respect he makes up in strength and cunning.
You think Reddy Fox and Old Man Coyote are
smart, but neither begins to be as smart as Glutton
the W T olverine. He is a great traveler, and in the
Far North where the greater part of the fur of the
world is trapped, he is a pest to the trappers.
He will follow a trapper all day long, keeping
just out of sight. No matter how carefully a
trapper hides a trap, Glutton will find it and steal
the bait without getting caught. Sometimes he
even tears up the traps and takes them off and
hides them in the woods. If he comes on a trap
in which some other animal has been caught, he
will eat the animal. His strength is so great that
often he will tear his way into the cabins of hunters
* [ 208 ]
Digger and His Cousin Glutton
while they are absent and then eat or destroy all
their food. His appetite is tremendous, and it is
because of this that he is called Glutton. What
he cannot eat or take away, he covers with filth
so that no other animal will touch it. He is of
ugly disposition and is hated alike by the animals
and by man. His fur is of considerable value,
but he is hunted more for the purpose of getting
rid of him than for his fur. Sometimes when
caught in a trap he will pick it up and carry it
for miles.
'Mrs. Glutton has two or three babies in the
spring. They live in a cave, but if a cave cannot
be found, they use a hole in the ground which Mrs.
Glutton digs. It is usually well hidden and
seldom has been found by man. Glutton will
eat any kind of flesh and seems not to care whether
it be freshly killed or so old that it is decayed.
The only way that hunters can protect their
supplies is by covering them with great logs.
Even then Glutton will often tear the logs apart to
get at the supplies. Because of his great cunning,
the Indians think he is possessed of an evil spirit.
"I think this will do for to-day. To-morrow
we will take up another branch of the family,
some members of which all of you know,
wonder if it would n't be a good plan to have
Shadow the Weasel here.' :
[ 209 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Such a look of dismay as swept over the faces
of all those little people, with the exception of
Jimmy Skunk and Prickly Porky ! 'If - - if
if you please, I don't think I '11 come to-morrow
morning," said Danny Meadow Mouse.
'I - - 1 I think I shall be too busy at home
and will have to miss that lesson," said Striped
Chipmunk.
Old Mother Nature smiled. 'Don't worry,
little folks," said she. You ought to know that
if I had Shadow here I would n't let him hurt one
of you. But I am afraid if he were here you
would pay no attention to me, so I promise you
that Shadow will not be anywhere near."
[210]
CHAPTER XXIV
SHADOW AND HIS FAMILY
EVERY one was on hand when school opened
the next morning, despite the fear that the mere
mention of Shadow the Weasel had aroused in all
save Jimmy Skunk and Prickly Porky. You see,
all felt they must be there so that they might learn
all they possibly could about one they so feared.
It might help them to escape should they discover
Shadow hunting them sometime.
"Striped Chipmunk," said Old Mother Nature,
'you know something about Shadow the Weasel;
tell us what you know.''
' I know I hate him ! ' declared Striped Chip-
munk, and all the others nodded their heads in
agreement. ( I don't know a single good thing
about him," he continued, 'but I know plenty
of bad things. He is the one enemy I fear more
than any other because he is the one who can go
wherever I can. Any hole I can get into he can.
I 've seen him just twice in my life, and I hope I
may never see him again.''
[211]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
"What did he look like?" asked Old Mother
Nature.
'Like a snake on legs," declared Striped Chip-
munk. ''Anyway, that is what he made me think
of, because his body was so long and slim and he
twisted and turned so easily. He was about as
long as Chatterer the Red Squirrel but looked
longer because of his slim body and long neck.
He was brown above and white below. His
front feet were white, and his hind feet rather
whitish, but not clear white. His short, round
tail was black at the end. Somehow his small
head and sharp face made me think of a Snake.
Ugh ! I don't like to think about him ! '
'I saw him once, and he was n't brown at all.
Striped Chipmunk is all wrong, excepting about
the end of his tail," interrupted Jumper the Hare.
'He was all white, every bit of him but the end
of his tail ; that was black."
'Striped Chipmunk is quite right and so are
you," declared Old Mother Nature. 'Striped
Chipmunk saw him in summer and you saw him
in winter. He changes his coat according to
season, just as you do yourself, Jumper. In
winter he is trapped for his fur and he is n't called
Weasel then at all, but Ermine."
'Oh," said Juniper and looked as if he felt a
wee bit foolish.
Shadow and His Family
'What was he doing when you saw him?'
asked Old Mother Nature, turning to Striped
Chipmunk.
'Hunting," replied Striped Chipmunk, and
shivered. 'He was hunting me. He had found
my tracks where I had been gathering beechnuts,
and he was following them with his nose just the
way Bowser the Hound follows Reddy Fox. I
nearly died of fright when I saw him."
You are lucky to be alive," declared Chatterer
the Red Squirrel.
'I know it," replied Striped Chipmunk and
shivered again. 'I know it. I guess I would n't
be if Reddy Fox had n't happened along just then
and frightened Shadow away. I 've had a kindlier
feeling for Reddy Fox ever since."
'I never ran harder in my life than the time I
saw him," spoke up Jumper the Hare. 'He was
hunting me just the same way, running with his
nose in the snow and following every twist and
turn I had made. But for that black-tipped tail
I would n't have seen him until too late."
'Pooh!' exclaimed Jimmy Skunk. 'The idea
of a big fellow like you running from such a little
fellow as my Cousin Shadow!'
'I 'm not ashamed of running," declared
Jumper. 'I may be ever so much bigger, but he
is so quick I would n't stand the least chance in
[213]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
the world. When I suspect Shadow is about, I go
somewhere else, - - the farther the better. If I
could climb a tree like Chatterer, it would be
different."
'No, it wouldn't!' interrupted Chatterer.
' No, it would n't. That fellow can climb almost
as well as I can. The only thing that saved me from
him once was the fact that I could make a long
jump from one tree to another and he could n't.
He had found a hole in a certain tree where I was
living, and it was just luck that I was n't at home
when he called. I was just returning when he
popped out. I ran for my life."
'He is the most awful fellow in all the Great
World," declared Whitefoot the Wood Mouse.
Jimmy Skunk chuckled right out. 'A lot you
know about the Great World," he said. 'Why,
you are farther from home now than you 've ever
been in your life before, yet I could walk to it in
a few minutes. How do you know Shadow is the
most awful fellow in the Great World ? '
'I just know, that's all," retorted Whitefoot
in a very positive though squeaky voice. 'He
hunts and kills just for the love of it, and no one,
no matter how big he is, can do anything more
awful than that. I have a lot of enemies. Some-
times it seems as if almost every one of my neigh-
bors is looking for a Mouse dinner. But all but
1 ' [214]
'
REDDY FOX. The familiar Red Fox who holds his own against man.
THE GRAY FOX. In some places he is called the Tree Fox.
Shadow and His Family
Shadow the Weasel hunt me when they are hungry
and need food. I can forgive them for that.
Every one must eat to live. But Shadow hunts me
even when his stomach is so full he cannot eat
another mouthful. That fellow just loves to kill.
He takes pleasure in it. That is what makes him
so awful.' 1
"Whitefoot is right," declared Old Mother
Nature, and she spoke sadly. 'If Shadow were
as big as Buster Bear or Puma the Panther or
even Tufty the Lynx, hejwould be the most ter-
rible creature in all the Great World because of
this awful desire to kill which fills him. He is
hot-blooded, quick-tempered and fearless. Even
when cornered by an enemy against whom he has
no chance he will fight to the last gasp. I am
sorry to say that there is no kindness or gentleness
in him towards any save his own family. Outside
of that he has n't a friend in the world, not one.''
"Has n't he any enemies ?" asked Peter Rabbit.
" Oh, yes," replied Old Mother Nature. " Reddy
Fox, Old Man Coyote, Hooty the Owl and various
members of the Hawk family have to be watched
for by him. But they do not worry him much.
You see he moves so quickly, dodging out of
sight in a flash, that whoever catches him must
be quick indeed. Then, too, he is almost always
close to good cover. He delights in old stone
[215]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
walls, stone piles, brush-grown fences, piles of
rubbish and barns and old buildings, the places
that Mice delight in. In such places there is
always a hole to dart into in time of danger. He
hunts whenever he feels like it, be it day or night,
and often covers considerable ground, though
nothing to compare with his big, brown, water-
loving cousin, Billy Mink. It is because of his
wonderful ability to disappear in an instant that
he is called Shadow.
'Shadow is known as the Common Weasel,
Short-tailed Weasel, Brown Weasel, Bonaparte
Weasel and Ermine, and is found all over the
forested parts of the northern part of the country.
A little farther south in the East is a cousin very
much like him called the New York Weasel. On
the Great Plains of the West is a larger cousin with
a longer tail called the Long-tailed Weasel, Large
Ermine, or Yellow-bellied Weasel. His smallest
cousin is the Least Weasel. The latter is not
much longer than a Mouse. In winter he is all
white, even the tip of his tail. In summer he is a
purer white underneath than his larger cousins.
All of the Weasels are alike in habits. When
running they bound over the ground much as
Peter Rabbit does.
"In that part of the West where Yap Yap the
Prairie Dog lives is a relative called the Black-
[216]
Shadow and His Family
footed Ferret who looks like a large Weasel. He
is about the size of Billy Mink, but instead of the
rich dark brown of Billy's coat his coat is a cream-
yellow. His feet are black and so is the tip of his
tail. His face is whitish with a dark band across
the eyes. He is most frequently found in Prairie-
dog towns and lives largely on Yap Yap and his
friends. His ways are those of Shadow and his
cousins. There is no one Yap Yap fears quite
as much.
'The one good thing Shadow the Weasel does
is to kill Robber the Rat whenever they meet.
Robber, as you know, is big and savage and always
ready for a fight when cornered. But all the
fight goes out of him when Shadow appears.
Perhaps it is because he knows how hopeless it is.
When Shadow finds a barn overrun with Rats he
will sometimes stay until he has killed or driven
out the last one. Then perhaps he spoils it all
by killing a dozen Chickens in a night.
'It is a sad thing not to be able to speak well
of any one, but Shadow the Weasel, like Robber
the Rat, has by his ways made himself hated by
all the little people of the Green Forest and the
Green Meadows and by man. There is not one to
say a good word for him. Now to-morrow we
will meet on the bank of the Smiling Pool instead
of here."
[217]
CHAPTER XXV
TWO FAMOUS SWIMMERS
THE bank of the Smiling Pool was a lovely place
to hold school at that hour of the day, which you
know was just after sun-up. Everybody who could
get there was on hand, and there were several
who had not been to school before. One of these
was Grandfather Frog, who was sitting on his big,
green, lily pad. Another was Jerry Muskrat,
whose house was out in the Smiling Pool. Spotty
the Turtle was also there, not to mention Longlegs
the Heron. You see, they had n't come to school
but the school had come to them, for that is where
they live or spend most of their time.
'Good morning, Jerry Muskrat," said Old
Mother Nature pleasantly, as Jerry's brown head
appeared in the Smiling Pool ; ' have you seen
anything of Billy Mink or Little Joe Otter?"
'Little Joe went down to the Big River last
night," replied Jerry Muskrat. 'I don't know
when he is coming back, but I would n't be sur-
[218]
Two Famous Swimmers
prised to see him any minute. Billy Mink was
here last evening and said he was going up the
Laughing Brook fishing. He is likely to be back
any time. One never can tell when that fellow
will appear. He comes and goes continually.
I don't believe he can keep still five minutes."
' Who is that can't keep still five minutes ? '
demanded a new voice, and there was Billy Mink
himself just climbing out on the Big Rock.
'Jerry was speaking of you," replied Old Mother
Nature. : This will be a good chance for you to
show him that he is mistaken. I want you to
stay here for a while and to stay right on the Big
Rock. I may want to ask you a few questions."
Just then Billy Mink dived into the Smiling
Pool, and a second later his brown head popped
out of the water and in his mouth was a fat fish.
He scrambled back on the Big Rock and looked
at Old Mother Nature a bit fearfully as he laid
the fish down.
'I - I did n't mean to disobey," he mumbled ;
'I saw that fish and dived for him before I thought.
I hope you will forgive me, Mother Nature. I
won't do it again."
'Acting before thinking gets people into trouble
sometimes," replied Old Mother Nature. 'How-
ever, I will forgive you this time. The fact is,
you have just shown your friends here something
[219]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
I wanted them to see. Now, go ahead and eat
that fish and be ready to answer questions."
As Billy Mink sat there on the Big Rock every
one had a good look at him. One glance would
tell any one that he was a cousin of Shadow the
Weasel. He was much larger than Shadow, but
of the same general shape, being long and slender.
His coat was a beautiful dark brown, darkest on
the back. His chin was white. His tail was
round, covered with fairly long hair which was so
dark as to be almost black. His face was like that
of Shadow the Weasel. His legs were rather
short. As he sat eating that fish, his back was
arched.
Old Mother Nature waited until he had finished
his feast. 'Now then, Billy," said she, 'I want
you to answer a few questions. W 7 hich do you
like best, night or day?'
' It does n't make any particular difference to
me," replied Billy; 'I just sleep when I feel like
it, whether it be night or day, and then when I
wake up I can hunt. It all depends on how I feel."
'When you go hunting, what do you hunt?'
asked Old Mother Nature.
Billy grinned. 'Anything that promises a good
meal," said he. 'I'm not very particular. A
fat Mouse, a tender young Rabbit, a Chipmunk, a
Frog, Tadpoles, Chickens, eggs, birds, fish ; what-
[220]
Two Famous Swimmers
ever happens to be easiest to get suits me. I am
rather fond of fish, and that 's one reason that I
live along the Laughing Brook and around the
Smiling Pool. But I like a change of fare, and so
often I go hunting in the Green Forest. Some-
times I go up to Farmer Brown's for a Chicken.
In the spring I hunt for nests of birds on the
ground. In winter, if Peter Rabbit should happen
along here when I was hungry, I might be tempted
to sample Peter." Billy snapped his bright eyes
wickedly and Peter shivered.
"If Jerry Muskrat were not my friend, I am
afraid I might be tempted to sample him," con-
tinued Billy Mink.
"Pooh!" exclaimed Peter Rabbit. "You
would n't dare tackle Jerry Muskrat."
"Would n't I ?" replied Billy. "Just ask Jerry
how he feels about it."
One look at Jerry's face showed everybody that
Jerry, big as he was, was afraid of Billy Mink.
'How do you hunt when you are on land?'
asked Old Mother Nature.
"The way every good hunter should hunt, -
with eyes, nose and ears," replied Billy. There
may be folks with better ears than I 've got, but
I don't know who they are. I would n't swap
noses with anybody. As for my eyes, well, they
are plenty good enough for me."
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
'In other words, you hunt very much as does
your cousin, Shadow the Weasel," said Old
Mother Nature.
Billy nodded. 'I suppose I do," said he, "but
there 's one thing he does which I don't do and
that 's hunt just for the love of killing. Once
in a while I may kill more than I can eat, but I
don't mean to. I hunt for food, while he hunts
just for the love of killing."
" You all saw how Billy catches fish," said Old
Mother Nature ; " now, Billy, I want you to
swim over to the farther bank and show us how
you run."
Billy obeyed. He slipped into the water, dived,
swam under water for a distance, then swam
with just his head out. When he reached the
bank he climbed out and started along it. He
went by a series of bounds, his back arched sharply
between each leap. Then he disappeared before
their very eyes, only to reappear as suddenly as he
had gone. So quick were his movements that it
was impossible for one of the little people watch-
ing to keep their eyes on him. It seemed some-
times as though he must have vanished into the
air. Of course he did n't. He was simply show-
ing them his wonderful ability to take advantage
of every little stick, stone and bush.
"Billy is a great traveler," said Old Mother
THE ARCTIC FOX. His coat is all white in the winter months.
.
THE BLUE FOX. This is really a color phase of the Arctic Fox.
Two Famous Swimmers
Nature. 'He dearly loves to travel up and down
the Laughing Brook, even for long distances.
Wherever there is plenty of driftwood and rub-
bish, Billy is quite at home, being so slender he
can slip under all kinds of places and into all sorts
of holes. Quick as he is on land, he is not so quick
as his Cousin Shadow ; and good swimmer as he
is, he is n't so good as his bigger cousin, Little
Joe Otter. But being equally at home on land
and in water, he has an advantage over his cousins.
Billy is much hunted for his fur, and being hunted
so much has made him very keen-witted. Mrs.
Billy makes her home nest in a hole in the bank or
under an old stump or under a pile of driftwood,
and you may be sure it is well hidden. There the
babies are born, and they stay with their mother
all summer. Incidentally, Billy can climb readily.
Billy is found all over this great country of ours.
When he lives in the Far North his fur is finer
and thicker than when he lives in the South. I
wish Little Joe Otter were here. I hoped he would
be."
'Here he comes now," cried Jerry Muskrat.
4 1 rather expected he would be back." Jerry
pointed towards where the Laughing Brook left
the Smiling Pool on its way to the Big River.
A brown head was moving rapidly towards them.
There was no mistaking that head. It could
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
belong to no one but Little Joe Otter. Straight
on to the Big Rock he came, and climbed up.
He was big, being one of the largest members of
his family. He was more than three feet long.
But no one looking at him could mistake him for
any one but a member of the Weasel family.
His legs were short, very short for the length of
his body. His tail was fairly long and broad.
His coat was a rich brown all over, a little lighter
underneath than on the back.
'What's going on here?' asked Little Joe
Otter, his eyes bright with interest.
'We are holding a session of school here to-
day," explained Old Mother Nature. 'And we
were just hoping that you would appear. Hold
up one of your feet and spread the toes, Little Joe.' !
Little Joe Otter obeyed, though there was a
funny, puzzled look on his face. ' Whyee ! '
exclaimed Peter Rabbit. 'His toes are webbed
like those of Paddy the Beaver ! '
4 Of course they're webbed," said Little Joe;
'I never could swim the way I do if they were n't
webbed."
' Can you swim better than Paddy the Beaver ? '
asked Peter.
"I should say I can. If I could n't, I guess I
would go hungry most of the time," replied Little
Joe.
Two Famous Swimmers
'Why should you go hungry? Paddy
does n't," retorted Peter.
'Paddy doesn't live on fish," replied Little
Joe. C I do and that 's the difference. I can
catch a fish in a tail-end race, and that 's going
some.'
You might show us how you can swim,"
suggested Old Mother Nature.
Little Joe slipped into the water. The Smil-
ing Pool was very still and the little people sitting
on the bank could look right down and see nearly
to the bottom. They saw Little Joe as he entered
the water and then saw little more than a brown
streak. A second later his head popped out on
the other side of the Smiling Pool.
4 Phew, I 'm glad I 'm not a fish ! ' exclaimed
Peter, and everybody laughed.
You may well be glad," said Old Mother
Nature. You wouldn't stand much chance
with Little Joe around. Like Billy Mink, Little
Joe is a great traveler, especially up and down
the Laughing Brook and the Big River. Some-
times he travels over land, but he is so heavy
and his legs are so short that traveling on land
is slow work. When he does cross from one
stream or pond to another, he always picks out
the smoothest going. Sometimes in winter he
travels quite a bit. Then when he comes to a
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
smooth hill, he slides down it on his stomach.
By the way, Little Joe, have n't you a slippery
slide somewhere around here?'
Little Joe nodded. 'I 've got one down the
Laughing Brook where the bank is steep," said
he. "Mrs. Otter and I and our children slide
every day."
'What do you mean by a slippery slide?'
asked Happy Jack Squirrel, who was sitting in the
Big Hickory- tree which grew on the bank of the
Smiling Pool.
Old Mother Nature smiled. "Little Joe Otter
and his family are quite as fond of play as any of
my children," said she. 'They get a lot of fun
out of life. One of their ways of playing is to
make a slippery slide where the bank is steep and
the water deep. In winter it is made of snow,
but in summer it is made of mud. There they
slide down, splash into the water, then climb up
the bank and do it all over again. In winter
they make their slippery slide where the water
does n't freeze, and they get just as much fun in
winter as they do in summer."
'I suppose that means that Little Joe does n't
sleep in winter as Johnny Chuck does," said
Peter.
'I should say not," exclaimed Little Joe. 'I
like the winter, too. I have such a warm coat
[ 226 ]
Two Famous Swimmers
that I never get cold. There are always places
where the water does n't freeze. I can swim for
long distances under ice and so I can always get
plenty of food."
"Do you eat anything but fish?' asked Peter
Rabbit.
"Oh, sometimes," replied Little Joe. 'Once
in a while I like a little fresh meat for a change,
and sometimes when fish are scarce I eat Frogs,
but I prefer fish, especially Salmon and Trout."
"How many babies do you have at a time?'
asked Happy Jack Squirrel.
"Usually one to three," replied Little Joe, "and
only one family a year. They are born in my
comfortable house, which is a burrow in the bank.
There Mrs. Otter makes a large, soft nest of
leaves and grass. Now, if you don't mind, I
think I will go on up the Laughing Brook. Mrs.
Otter is waiting for me up there."
Old Mother Nature told Little Joe to go ahead.
As he disappeared, she sighed. 'I 'm very fond
of Little Joe Otter," said she, "and it distresses
me greatly that he is hunted by man as he is.
That fur coat of his is valuable, and man is for-
ever hunting him for it. The Otters were once
numerous all over this great country, but now
they are very scarce, and I am afraid that the day
is n't far away when there will be no Little Joe
[227]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Otter. I think this will do for to-day. There
are two other members of the Weasel family and
these, like Little Joe and Billy Mink, are con-
tinually being hunted for their fur coats. I will
tell you about them to-morrow."
CHAPTER XXVI
SPITE THE MARTEN AND PEKAN THE FISHER
two remaining members of the Weasel
family none of you have ever seen," began Old
Mother Nature, when she opened school at the
old meeting place in the Green Forest the morn-
ing after their visit to the Smiling Pool. You
have never seen them because they live in the deep
forests of the Far North. But were you living
up there, you would know them, and the dread
of them would seldom be out of your mind. One
is called Spite the Marten and the other Pekan
the Fisher.
"Spite the Marten is also called the Pine Mar-
ten and the American Sable, and he is one of the
handsomest members of the Weasel family.
Shadow the Weasel can climb, but he spends most
of his time on the ground. Jimmy Skunk and
Digger the Badger are not climbers at all. Little
Joe Otter spends most of his time in the water.
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
But Spite the Marten is a lover of the tree tops,
and is quite as much at home there as Chatterer
the Red Squirrel.
'When he is moving about in the trees, he
looks much like a very large Squirrel, while on
the ground he might be mistaken for a young
Fox. His coat is a rich, dark, yellowish-brown,
becoming almost black on the tail and legs. His
throat usually is yellow, though sometimes it is
almost white. The sides of his face are grayish,
and his good-sized ears are grayish-white on the
inside. His tail is about half as long as his body
and is covered with long hair, but is n't bushy
like a Squirrel's. While his general shape is that
of Shadow the Weasel, his body is much heavier
in proportion to his size.
' Chatterer, you and your Cousin Happy Jack
may well be thankful that Spite the Marten
does n't live about here, for he is very fond of
Squirrels and delights to hunt them. He can
leap from tree to tree quite as easily as either of
you, and the only possible means of escape for a
Squirrel he is hunting is a hole too small for Spite
to get into. No Squirrel is more graceful in the
trees than is Spite.
1 But he by no means confines himself to the
trees. He is quite at home on the ground, and
there he moves with much of the quickness of
[230]
HOWLER THE WOLF. The Timber or Gray Wolf, so long dreaded by man.
OLD MAN COYOTE. The Praitie Wolf who is as clever as Reddy Fox.
Spite the Marten and Pekan the Fisher
Shadow the Weasel. He delights to hunt Rabbits
and he covers great distances, being even more
of a traveler than Billy Mink. He does n't kill
for the love of killing, but merely for food. If he
kills more than he can eat at a meal he buries it,
and when he is hungry again he returns to it.
Like all the other members of his family, he is a
great hunter of Mice. Also he catches many
birds, especially those birds which nest on the
ground. Birds, eggs, Frogs, Toads, some insects
and fish vary his bill of fare. But unlike his
smaller cousins, he eats some other things be-
sides flesh, including certain nuts, berries and
honey.
c He is n't in the least social with his own kind,
but prefers to live alone and is always ready to
fight if he meets another Marten. Being so
great a traveler he has several dens. Mrs. Spite
makes her nest of grass and moss in a hollow
tree as a rule, occasionally in a hole in the ground.
She has from one to five babies in the spring.
Spite is not a good father, for he has nothing to
do with his family.
'As I told you in the beginning he is found
only in the great forests of the North. The darker
and deeper they are, the better it suits him.
His own cousin, Pekan the Fisher, and Tufty the
Lynx, are probably the only natural enemies he
[ 231 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
has much cause to fear. His one great enemy is
man. His coat is one of the most highly prized
of all furs and he is persistently hunted and
trapped. In fact, his coat is one of the chief
prizes of the fur trappers.
'In this same deep, dark forest clear across the
northern part of the country lives Pekan the
Fisher, also called the Pennant Marten and
Blackcat. He is larger and heavier than Spite
the Marten and his coat is a brownish-black,
light on the sides, and browner below. His nose,
ears, feet and tail are black. He gets his name
of Blackcat from his resemblance to a Cat with a
bushy tail, though on the ground he looks more
like a black Fox. Like his cousin, Spite the
Marten, he lives in the pine and spruce forests
and prefers to be near swamps. He is a splendid
climber but spends quite as much time on the
ground. However, he is even livelier in the
trees than is Spite the Marten. Spite can catch
a Squirrel in the tree tops, but Pekan can catch
Spite, and often does. He is n't afraid of leaping
to the ground from high up in a tree, and often
when coming down a tree he comes down head-
first. He is very fond of hunting the cousins of
Jumper the Hare and is so tireless that he can
run them down. He is very clever and, like his
cousin, Glutton the Wolverine, makes no end of
1 [ 232 1
Spite the Marten and Pekan the Fisher
trouble for trappers by stealing the baits from
their traps.
You all remember how frightened Prickly
Porky was when I merely mentioned Pekan the
Fisher. It was because Pekan is almost the
only one Prickly Porky has reason to fear. If
Pekan is hungry he does n't hesitate to dine on
Porcupine. He has learned how to turn a Porcu-
pine on his back, and, as you have already found
out, the under part of the Porcupine is unpro-
tected.
: 'Just why Pekan should be called Fisher, I
don't know. True, he eats fish when he can get
them, but he is n't a water animal and does n't
go fishing as do Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter.
His food is much the same as that of Spite the
Marten. He is especially fond of Rabbit and
Hare. He is so strong and savage that he can
kill a Fox and often does. Bobby Coon is a good
fighter and much bigger and heavier than Pekan,
but he is no match for Pekan.
'Probably all of you have guessed that being
a true Marten, Pekan's coat is highly prized by
the fur trappers. He hates the presence of man
and with good cause.
'Now this ends the Weasel family, but that 's
only one family of the order of Garni vora, or
flesh eaters. There is one family you all know so
[ 233 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
well that I think we will take that up next. It
is the family to which Reddy Fox and Old Man
Coyote belong, and it is called the Dog family.
"To-morrow morning when you get here, I
may have a surprise for you."
[2341
CHAPTER XXVII
REDDY FOX JOINS THE SCHOOL
WHEN school was called to order the following
morning not one was missing. You see, with the
exception of Jimmy Skunk and Prickly Porky,
there was not one in whose life Reddy Fox did not
have a most important part. Even Happy Jack
the Gray Squirrel and Chatterer the Red Squirrel,
tree folk though they were, had many times nar-
rowly missed furnishing Reddy with a dinner.
As for Johnny Chuck and Peter Rabbit and
Jumper the Hare and Striped Chipmunk and
Danny Meadow Mouse and Whitefoot the Wood
Mouse, there were few hours of day or night
when they did not have Reddy in mind, knowing
that to forget him even for a few minutes might
mean the end of them.
Just imagine the feelings of these little people
when, just as they had comfortably seated them-
selves for the morning lesson, Reddy himself
stepped out from behind a tree. Never before
was a school so quickly broken up. In the wink-
[ 235 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
ing of an eye Old Mother Nature was alone, save
for Reddy Fox, Jimmy Skunk, and in the trees
Prickly Porky the Porcupine and Happy Jack
and Chatterer.
Reddy Fox looked as if he felt uncomfortable.
"I did n't mean to break up your school," said
he to Old Mother Nature. "I wouldn't have
thought of coining if you had n't sent for me."
Old Mother Nature smiled. "I didn't tell
any one that I was going to send for you, Reddy,"
said she, "for I was afraid that if I did no one would
come this morning. I promised them a surprise,
but it is clear that no one guessed what that sur-
prise was to be. Go over by that old stump near
the Lone Little Path and sit there, Reddy."
Then Old Mother Nature called each of the
little people by name, commanding each to re-
turn at once. She spoke sternly, very sternly
indeed. One by one they appeared from all sorts
of hiding places, glancing fearfully towards Reddy
Fox, yet not daring to disobey Old Mother Nature.
When at last all were crowded about her as
closely as they could get, Old Mother Nature
spoke and this time her voice was soft. 'lam
ashamed of you," said she. : Truly I am ashamed
of you. How could you think that I would allow
any harm to come to you? Reddy Fox is here
because I sent for him, but he is going to sit
[236]
Reddy Fox Joins the School
right where he is until I tell him he can go, and
not one of you will be harmed by him. To begin
with, I am going to tell you one or two facts about
Reddy, and then I am going to find out just how
much you have learned about him yourselves.
'It may seem queer to you that Reddy Fox
belongs to the same family as Bowser the Hound,
but it is true. Both are members of the Dog
family and thus are quite closely related. Howler
the Wolf and Old Man Coyote are also members
of the family, so all are cousins. Look closely
at Reddy and you will see at once that he looks
very much like a small Dog with a beautiful red
coat, white waistcoat, black feet and bushy tail.
Now, Peter, you probably know as much about
Reddy as any one here. At least you should.
Tell us what you have learned in your efforts to
keep out of his clutches.' 1
Peter scratched a long ear thoughtfully and
glanced sideways at Reddy Fox. 'I certainly
ought to know something about him," he began.
'He was the very first person my mother warned
me to watch for, because she said he was espe-
cially fond of young Rabbits and was the sliest,
smartest and most to be feared of all my enemies.
Since then I have found out that she knew just
what she was talking about."
Johnny Chuck, Danny Meadow Mouse and
[ 237 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Whitefoot the Wood Mouse nodded as if they
quite agreed. Then Peter continued, " Reddy lives
chiefly by hunting, and in his turn he is hunted,
so he needs to have sharp wits. When he is n't
hunting me he is hunting Danny Meadow Mouse
or Whitefoot or Striped Chipmunk or Mrs. Grouse
or Bob White, or is trying to steal one of Farmer
Brown's Chickens, or is catching Frogs along the
edge of the Smiling Pool, or grasshoppers out in
the Green Meadows. So far as I can make out,
anything Reddy can catch furnishes him with
food. I guess he does n't eat anything but such
things as these."
"Your guess is wrong, Peter," spoke up Reddy
Fox, who had been listening with a grin on his
crafty face. 'I am rather fond of certain kinds
of fruits. You did n't know that, did you, Peter ?"
"No, I didn't," replied Peter; "I'm glad to
know it. I think it is dreadful to live entirely
by killing others."
: You might add," remarked Reddy, "that I
like a meal of fish occasionally, and eggs are
always welcome. I am not particular what I
eat so long as I can get my stomach full."
'Reddy Fox hunts with ears, eyes and nose,"
continued Peter. 'Many a time I Ve watched
him listening for the squeak of Danny Meadow
Mouse or watching for the grass to move and
[238]
TUFTY THE LYNX. This is the Canada Lynx, also called Lucivee.
YOWLER THE BOB CAT. The Bay Lynx or common Wild Cat.
Reddy Fox Joins the School
show where Danny was hiding; and many a
time he has found my scent with his wonderful
nose and followed me just as Bowser the Hound
follows him. I guess there is n't much going on
that Reddy's eyes, ears and nose don't tell him.
But it is Reddy's quick wits that the rest of us
fear most. We never know what new trick he
will try. Lots of enemies are easy to fool, but
Reddy is n't one of them. Sometimes I think
he knows more about me than I know about my-
self. I guess it is just pure luck that he has n't
caught me with some of those smart tricks of his.
'Reddy hunts both day and night, but I think
he prefers night. I guess it all depends on how
hungry he is. More than once I 've seen him
bringing home a Chicken, but I am told that he is
smart enough not to steal Chickens near his home,
but always to go some distance to get them.
Also I 've been told that he is too clever to go to
the same Chicken yard two nights in succession.
So far as I know, he is n't afraid of any one except
a hunter with a terrible gun. He does n't seem
to mind being chased by Bowser the Hound at all."
'I don't," spoke up Reddy; 'I rather enjoy
it. It gives me good exercise. Any time I can't
fool Bowser by breaking my trail so he can't
find it again, I deserve to be caught. I am not
even so terribly afraid of a hunter with a gun.
[239]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
You see, usually I can guess what a hunter will do
better than he can what I will do."
Old Mother Nature* nodded. "That sounds
like boasting," said she, 'but it isn't. Reddy
Fox is one of the few animals who has succeeded
in holding his own against man, and he has done
it simply by using his wits. There is no other
animal as large as Reddy Fox who has succeeded
as he has in living close to the homes of men.
It is simply because he has made the most of the
senses I have given him. He has learned to use
his eyes, ears and nose at all times and to under-
stand and make the most of the information they
bring him. Reddy has always been hunted by
man, and it is this very thing which has so sharp-
ened his wits. It is seldom that he is guilty of
making the same mistake twice. All of you
little people fear Reddy, and I suspect some of
you hate him. But always remember that he
never kills for the love of killing, and only when
he must have food. There would be something
sadly missing in the Green Forest and on the Green
Meadows were there no Reddy Fox. Reddy,
where do you and Mrs. Reddy make your home?
And how do you raise your babies ? '
'This year our home is up in the Old Pasture,"
replied Reddy. 'We have the nicest kind of a
house dug in the ground underneath a big rock.
[ 240 ]
Reddy Fox Joins the School
It has only one entrance, but this is because there
is no need of any other. No one could possibly
dig us out there. Last year our home was on the
Green Meadows and there were three doorways
to that. The year before we dug our house in a
gravelly bank just within the edge of the Green
Forest. The babies are born in a comfortable
bedroom deep underground. Sometimes we have
a storeroom in addition to the bedroom ; there
Mrs. Reddy and I can keep food when there is
more than can be eaten at one meal. When the
babies are first born in the spring and Mrs. Reddy
cannot leave them, I take food to her. When
the youngsters are big enough to use their sharp
little teeth, we take turns hunting food for them.
Usually we hunt separately, but sometimes we
hunt together. You know often two can do what
one cannot. If Bowser the Hound happens to
find the trail of Mrs. Reddy when there are
babies at home, she leads him far away from our
home. Then I join her, and take her place so
that she can slip away and go back to the babies.
Bowser never knows the difference.
'Our children are well trained if I do say it.
W T e teach them how to hunt, how to fool their
enemies, and all the tricks we have learned. No
one has a better training than a young Fox."
'Here is a conundrum for you little folks,"
(t
e<
tt
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
said Old Mother Nature. "When is a Red Fox
not a Red Fox ? ' Everybody blinked. Most of
them looked as if they thought Old Mother
Nature must be joking. But suddenly Chatterer
the Red Squirrel, whose wits are naturally quick,
remembered how Old Mother Nature had told
them that there were black Gray Squirrels.
When he is some other color," cried Chatterer.
That 's the answer," said Old Mother Nature.
Once in a while a pair of Red Foxes will have a
baby who has n't a red hair on him. He will be
all black, with perhaps just the tip of his tail
white. Or his fur will be all black just tipped
with white. Then he is called a Black Fox or
Silver Fox. He is still a Red Fox, yet there is
nothing red about him. Sometimes the fur is
only partly marked with black and then he is
called a Cross Fox. A great many people have
supposed that the Black or Silver Fox and the
Cross Fox were distinct kinds. They are not.
They are simply Red Foxes with different coats.
The fur of the Silver Fox is considered by man to
be one of the choicest of all furs and tremendous
prices are paid for it. This means, of course,
that a young Fox whose coat is black will need
to be very smart indeed if he would live to old
age, for once he has been seen by man he will be
hunted unceasingly."
Reddy Fox Joins the School
Reddy Fox had been listening intently and now
Mother Nature noticed a worried look on his face.
"What is it, Reddy?" said she. "You look
anxious."
"I am anxious," said he. 'What you have
just said has worried me. You see, one of my cubs
at home is all black. Now that I have learned
that his fur is so valuable, Mrs. Reddy and I will
have to take special pains to teach him all we know."
"I want you all to know that Reddy Fox and
Mrs. Reddy mate for life," said Old Mother
Nature. "Reddy is the best of fathers and the
best of mates."
"There 's one thing I do envy Reddy," spoke
up Peter Rabbit, 'and that is that big tail of his.
It is a wonderful tail. I wish I had one like it."
How everybody laughed as they tried to pic-
ture Peter Rabbit with a big tail like that of
Reddy Fox. 'I am afraid you wouldn't get
far if you had to carry that around," said Old
Mother Nature. 'Even Reddy finds it rather
a burden in wet weather when it becomes heavy
with water. That is one reason you do not find
him abroad much when it is raining or in winter
when the snow is soft and wet. Reddy Fox is at
home all over the northern half of this country,
and everywhere he is the same sly, clever fellow
whom you all know so well.
[243]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
"In the South and some parts of the East and
West, Reddy has a cousin of about his own size
whose coat is gray with red on the sides of his
neck, ears and across his breast. The under part
of his body is reddish, his throat and the middle
of his breast are white. He is called the Gray
Fox. He prefers the Green Forest to the open
country, for he is not nearly as smart as his Cousin
Reddy. He is, if anything, a better runner, but
his wits are slower and he cannot so well hold
his own against man. Instead of making his
home in a hole in the ground, he usually chooses
a hollow tree-trunk or hollow log. The babies
are born in a nest of leaves in the bottom of a
hollow tree. In some parts of the West this Fox
is called the Tree Fox, because often he climbs
up in low trees.
'The Gray Fox of the South is not the only
cousin of Reddy 's," continued Old Mother Nature.
c In certain parts of the Great West, on the plains,
lives one of the smallest of Reddy's cousins, called
the Kit Fox or Swift. He is no larger than
Black Pussy, Farmer Brown's Cat, and gets his
name of Swift from his great speed in running.
He is a prairie animal and lives in burrows in the
/ ground as most prairie animals do. His back is
of a grayish color, while his sides are yellowish-
red. Beneath he is white. The upper side of his
[ 244 ]
Reddy Fox Joins the School
tail is yellowish-gray, below it is yellowish, and
the tip is black. In general appearance he is
more like the Gray Fox than Reddy. He lacks
the quick wit of Reddy Fox and is easily trapped.
c ln the hot, dry regions of the Southwest,
where the Kangaroo Rats and Pocket Mice live,
is another cousin, closely related to the Kit Fox.
This is called the Desert Fox. Like most of the
little people who live on the desert, he is seldom
seen by day. He is very swift of foot. He digs
a burrow with several entrances and his food
consists largely of Pocket Mice, Kangaroo Rats,
Ground squirrels and such other small animals as
are found in that part of the country. Like his
cousin, the Kit Fox, he is not especially quick-
witted. Neither the Kit Fox nor the Desert Fox
are considered very valuable for their coats, and
so are not hunted and trapped as much as are
Reddy Fox and his two cousins of the Great
North, the Arctic Fox and the Blue Fox.
4 The Arctic, or White Fox, lives in the Far
North, in the land of snow and ice. He is a little
fellow, bigger than the Kit Fox, but only about
two thirds the size of Reddy Fox, and very beau-
tiful. Way up in the Far North his entire coat is
snowy white the year round. The fur is long, very
thick and soft. His tail is very large and hand-
some. When he lives a little farther south, he
[245]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
changes his coat in the summer to one of a bluish-
brown. But just as soon as winter approaches,
he resumes his white coat. The young are born
in a burrow in the ground, if the parents happen
to be living far enough south for the ground to
be free of snow. In the Far North, their home is
a burrow in a snow bank, and there the babies
are born. The white coats of the Arctic Foxes,
who live in a world of white, are of great help to
them when hunting, or when trying to escape
from enemies. It is difficult to see them against
their white surroundings. In summer their food
consists very largely of ducks and other wild fowl
which nest in great numbers in the Far North.
In the winter they hunt for Lemmings, Arctic
Hares and a cousin of Mrs. Grouse called the
Ptarmigan, who lives up there. They pick the
bones left by Polar Bears and Wolves. Getting
a living in winter is not easy, and so the Arctic
Fox is a great traveler.
The Blue Fox is really only a colored White
Fox, just as the Black Fox is a black Red Fox,
and his habits are, of course, just the same as the
habits of the White Fox. There are some islands
in the Far North, called the Pribilof Islands, and
on them live many Blue Foxes. Both the White
and the Blue Foxes are much hunted for their coats,
which are considered very valuable by man. Cer-
[ 246 ]
PUMA THE PANTHER. This is the Mountain Lion or Cougar, next to the
largest of the Cat family in America.
Reddy Fox Joins the School
tainly they are very beautiful. While these cousins
of Reddy's are clever hunters they do not begin
to be as quick-witted as Reddy, and so are much
more easily trapped.
'Now I think this will do for Reddy Fox and
his relatives. Reddy is going to stay right here
with me, until the rest of you have had a chance to
get home. After that you will have to watch
out for yourselves as usual. Just remember that
Reddy has become the quick-witted person he is
because he has been so much hunted. If you are
as smart as Reddy, you will understand that the
more he hunts you, the quicker-witted you also
will become. To-morrow we will take up Reddy's
big cousins, the Wolves. "
[247]
CHAPTER XXVIII
OLD MAN COYOTE AND HOWLER THE WOLF
'Or course, you all know to what branch of
the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs," said
Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at
the circle of little folks gathered around her.
No one answered. 'Well, well, well!" exclaimed
Old Mother Nature, "I am surprised. I am very
much surprised. I supposed that all of you
knew that Old Man Coyote is a member of the
Wolf branch of the family."
'Do you mean that he is really a true Wolf?'
asked Striped Chipmunk timidly.
"Of course," replied Old Mother Nature. "He
is all Wolf and nothing but Wolf. He is the
Prairie Wolf, so called because he is a lover of
the great open plains and not of the deep forests
like his big cousin, Howler the Timber Wolf.
Reddy Fox is smart, but sometimes I believe
Old Man Coyote is smarter. You have got to
[248]
Old Man Coyote and Howler the Wolf
get up very early indeed to get ahead of Old Man
Coyote.
'Old Man Coyote varies in size from not so
very much bigger than Reddy Fox to almost
the size of his big cousin, Howler the Timber
Wolf. Also he varies in color from a general
brownish-gray to a yellowish-brown, being whitish
underneath. His face is rather longer than that
of Reddy Fox. He has a brushy tail, but it is not
as thick as Reddy's.
'In his habits, Old Man Coyote is much like
Reddy, but being larger and stronger he is able
to kill larger animals, and has won the hate of man
by killing young Pigs, Lambs, newly born Calves
and poultry. Because of this, he has been and is
continually hunted and trapped. But like Reddy
Fox the more he is hunted the smarter he becomes,
and he is quite capable of taking care of himself.
He is one of the swiftest of all runners. Many
people think him cowardly because he is always
ready to run away at the least hint of danger.
He is n't cowardly, however ; he is simply smart,
- too smart to run any unnecessary risk. Old
Man Coyote believes absolutely in safety first, a
very wise rule for everybody. The result is that
he is seldom led into the mistake of simply think-
ing a thing is all right. He makes sure that it
is all right. Because of this he is very hard to
[ 249 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
trap. No matter how hungry he may be, he
will turn his back on a baited trap, even when
the trap is so cunningly hidden that he cannot
see it.
"Old Man Coyote is a good father and hus-
band and a good provider for his family. He
and Mrs. Coyote have a large family every year,
sometimes as many as ten babies. Their home
is in the ground and is very similar to that of
Reddy Fox. They eat almost everything eatable,
including such animals and birds as they can
catch, Frogs, Toads, Snakes and insects, dead
bodies they may find, and even some fruits.
Mr. and Mrs. Coyote often hunt together. Some-
times, when the children are full-grown, they all
hunt together. When they do this they can pull
down Lightfoot the Deer.
'Old Man Coyote has one of the strangest
voices to be heard anywhere, and he delights to
use it, especially at night. It is like many voices
shouting together, and one who hears it for the
first time cannot believe that all that sound
comes from one throat.
'His big cousin, Howler the Gray Wolf,
sometimes called Timber Wolf, - is found now
only in the forests of the North and the mountains
of the Great West. Once he roamed over the
greater part of this great country. Howler is as
[ 250 ]
Old Man Coyote and Howler the Wolf
keen-witted as, and perhaps keener-witted than,
Reddy Fox or Old Man Coyote, and added to this
he has great strength and courage. He is one
of the most feared of all the people of the Green
Forest. In summer when food is plentiful, Howler
and Mrs. Wolf devote themselves to the bringing
up of their family and are careful not to be over-
bold. But when winter comes, Howler and his
friends get together and hunt in packs. With
their wonderful noses they can follow Lightfoot
the Deer and run him down. They kill Sheep and
young Cattle. The harder the winter the bolder
they become, and they have been known to
attack man himself. In the Far North they grow
especially large, and because of the scarcity of
food there in winter, they become exceedingly
fierce. They can go an astonishingly long time
without food and still retain their strength. But
hunger makes them merciless. They will not
attack each other, but if one in the pack becomes
injured, the others will turn upon him, and kill
and eat him at once.
'Howler and Mrs. Wolf mate for life, and each
is at all times loyal to the other. They are the
best of parents, and the little Wolves are care-
fully trained in all that a Wolf should know.
Always the hand of man has been against them,
and this fact has developed their wits and cunning
[ 251 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
to a wonderful degree. Man in his effort to
destroy them has used poison, cleverly hiding it
in pieces of meat left where Howler and his friends
could find them. Howler soon found out that
there was something wrong with pieces of meat
left about, and now it is seldom that any of his
family come to harm in that way. He is equally
cunning in discovering traps, even traps buried
in one of his trails. Sometimes he will dig them
up and spring them without being caught.
" When Wolves hunt in packs they have a leader,
usually the strongest or the smartest among them,
and this leader they obey. In all the great forests
there is no more dreadful sound than the howling
of a pack of Wolves. There is something in it
that strikes terror to the hearts of all who hear it.
'The color of Howler's coat usually is brown-
ish-gray and that is why he is called the Gray
Wolf; but sometimes it is almost black, and
in the Far North it becomes snowy white.
Howler is very closely related to the Dogs which
men keep as pets. They are really first cousins.
Few Dogs dare meet Howler in battle.
"My!" exclaimed Peter Rabbit, "I am glad
Howler does n't live around here."
: You well may be," said Old Mother Nature.
'He would make just about one bite of you,
Peter."
Old Man Coyote and Howler the Wolf
Peter shivered. "Are Old Man Coyote and
Howler friends ? ' asked Peter.
"I would n't call them exactly friends," replied
Old Mother Nature. "Old Man Coyote takes
pains to keep out of Howler's way, but he is
clever enough to know that when Howler has
made a good kill there may be some left after
Howler has filled his own stomach. So when
Howler is hunting in Old Man Coyote's neighbor-
hood, the latter keeps an eye and ear open to
what is going on. In the long-ago days, when
Thunderfoot the Bison was lord of the prairies,
Howler's family lived on the prairies as well
as in the forests, but now Howler sticks pretty
closely to the forests and mountains, leav-
ing the prairies and brushy plains to Old Man
Coyote.
"All branches of the Dog family are alike in
one thing : they walk on their toes. They never
put the whole foot down flat as does Buster Bear.
And, as you have already discovered, all branches
of the Dog family are very smart. They are
intelligent. Hello, there is Black Pussy, the cat
from Farmer Brown's, coming down the Lone
Little Path ! I suspect it will be well for some of
you smallest ones to get out of sight before she
arrives. She does n't belong over here in the
Green Forest, but she has a cousin who does,
[253]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Yowler the Bob Cat. Shall I tell you about
Yowler and his cousins to-morrow?'
"We 'd love to have you!' cried Happy Jack,
speaking for all. Then, as Black Pussy was
drawing near, they separated and went their
several ways.
[254]
THE JAGUAR. The largest and handsomest of the cats of America.
CHAPTER XXIX
YOWLER AND HIS COUSIN TUFTY
JUMPER the Hare arrived at school a little late
and quite out of breath from hurrying. His big
soft eyes were shining with excitement. "You
look as though you had had an adventure,
Jumper," said Old Mother Nature.
'I have," replied Juniper. 'It is a wonder I
am here at all ; I came so near furnishing Yowler
the Bob Cat a breakfast that it makes me shiver
just to think of it. I guess if I had n't been
thinking about him, he would have caught me."
'Tell us all about it," demanded Old Mother
Nature.
'Seeing Black Pussy over here yesterday, and
knowing that to-day's lesson was to be about
Yowler, I could n't get cats out of my mind all
day yesterday," began Jumper. 'Black Pussy
does n't worry me, but I must confess that if
there is any one I fear, it is Yowler the Bob Cat.
Just thinking about him made me nervous. The
[ 255 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
more I tried not to think about him, the more I
did think about him, and the more I thought
about him, the more nervous I got. Then just
before dark, on the bank of the Laughing Brook,
I found some tracks in the mud. Those tracks
were almost round, and that fact was enough to
tell me who had made them. They were Yowler 's
footprints, and they had n't been made very long.
"Of course, seeing those footprints made me
more nervous than ever, and every time I saw a
leaf move I jumped inside. My heart felt as if
it were up in my throat most of the time. I had
a feeling that Yowler was n't far away. I hate
that Cat ! I hate the way he hunts ! He goes
sneaking about, without making a sound, or else
he lies in wait, ready to spring without warning
on the first one who happens along. A fellow
never knows where to watch out for Yowler.
' I spent nearly all night sitting under a little
hemlock tree with branches very close to the
ground. I sat there because I did n't dare do
anything else. As long as I stayed there I felt
reasonably safe, because Yowler would have to
find me, and to do that he would have to cross
an open place where I could see him. I knew
that if I went roaming about I might walk right
into his clutches.
'It was lucky I had sense enough to stay there.
[256]
Yowler and His Cousin Tufty
You know the moon was very bright last night.
It made that open place in front of where I was
hiding almost as light as day. Once I closed my
eyes for just a minute. When I opened them,
there was Yowler sneaking across that open
place. Where he had come from, I don't know.
He had n't made a sound. Not a leaf rustled
under his big feet. Right in the middle of that
open place, where the moonlight was brightest,
he stopped to listen, and I simply held my breath."
"Tell us how he looked," prompted Old Mother
Nature.
"He looked just like what he is, a big Cat
with a short tail," replied Jumper. 'Just to
look at him any one would know he was own
cousin to Black Pussy. He had a round head,
rather long legs, and was about twice as big as
Black Pussy. His feet looked big, even for him.
On the tips of his ears were a few long black hairs.
His coat was yellowish to reddish-brown, with
dark spots on it. His chin and throat were white,
and underneath he was white spotted with black.
There were spots all down his legs. He did n't
have enough of a tail to call it a tail. It was
whitish on the under side and had black stripes
on the upper side, and all the time he kept twitch-
ing it just the way Black Pussy twitches her tail
when she is out hunting. All of a sudden he
[ 257 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
opened his mouth and gave such a yell that it
is a wonder I did n't jump out of my skin. It
frightened me so that I could n't have moved
if I had wanted to, which was a lucky thing for
me. The instant he yelled he cocked his head on
one side and listened. That yell must have
wakened somebody and caused them to move,
for Yowler turned suddenly and crept swiftly
and without a sound out of sight. A minute
later I heard a jump, and then I heard a fluttering.
I think he caught one of the Grouse family.''
Yelling that way is one of Yowler's tricks,"
explained Old Mother Nature. 'He does it for
the same reason Hooty the Owl hoots. He hopes
that it will startle some sleeper so that they will
move. If they do, his keen ears are sure to hear
it. Was that all of your adventure, Jumper?'
' No," replied Jumper ; ' I remained right where
I was for the rest of the night. Just as daylight
was beginning to steal through the Green Forest,
I decided that it was safe to leave my hiding
place and come over here. Half-way here I
stopped for a few minutes in a thick clump of
ferns. I was just about to start on again when
I caught sight of something moving just back of
an old stump. It was that foolish looking tail of
Yowler's. Had he kept it still I would n't have
seen him at all ; but he was twitching it back
[ 258 ]
y owler and His Cousin Tufty
and forth. He was crouched down close to the
ground with all four feet drawn close together
under him. There he crouched, and there I sat
for the longest time. I did n't move, and he
did n't move, save that foolish looking tail of his.
I had begun to think that I would have to stay
in that clump of ferns all day when suddenly
Yowler sprang like a flash. There was a little
squeak, and then I saw Yowler trot away with a
Mouse in his mouth. I guess he must have seen
that Mouse go in a hole and knew that if he
waited long enough it would come out again.
As soon as Yowler disappeared I hurried over
here. That 's all."
6 That was a splendid account of Yowler and his
way of hunting," said Old Mother Nature. "He
does most of his hunting in just that way, sneak-
ing about on the chance of surprising a Rabbit,
Bird or Mouse, or else patiently watching and
waiting beside a hole in which he knows some
one has taken refuge. He hunts in the Green
Forest exactly as Black Pussy, Farmer Brown's
Cat, hunts Mice in the barn or Birds in the Old
Orchard. In the spring Yowler destroys many
eggs and young birds, not only those found in
nests on the ground, but also those in nests in
trees, for he is a splendid climber.
Yowler is found in nearly all of the swampy,
[ 259 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
brushy and wooded parts of the whole country,
excepting in the great forests of the Far North,
where his cousin Tufty the Lynx lives. Yowler
is himself a Lynx, the Bay Lynx. In some places
he is called simply Wild Cat. In others he is
called the Catamount. He is not so fond of the
thick forests as he is of swamps, brush-grown
hillsides, old pastures and places where there
are great masses of briars. Rocky ledges where
there are caves in which to hide and plenty of
brush also suit him. He is a coward, but when
cornered will fight, though he will run from a
little Dog half his size and take to a tree. In
the South he is quite common and there often
steals Chickens and Turkeys, even young Pigs.
He prefers to hunt at night, but sometimes is seen
in broad daylight. Mrs. Yowler's kittens are
born in a cave or in a hollow tree. Despite the
fact that he is an expert climber, Yowler spends
most of his time on the ground and is one of the
worst enemies of Rabbits, Mice, Squirrels and
ground Birds.
'In the great forests of the Far North lives
Yowler's cousin, Tufty the Canada Lynx, also
called Loup Cervier and Lucivee. He is nearly
a third larger than Yowler. From the tip of each
ear long tufts of black hair stand up. On each
side of his face is a ruff of long hair. His tail is
[260]
Yowler and His Cousin Tufty
even shorter than Yowler's, and the tip of it is
always wholly black. His general color is gray,
mottled with brown. His face ruff is white
with black border. Yowler's feet are large, but
Tufty 's are immense for his size. This is be-
cause Tufty lives where the snow lies deep for
many months, and these big, broad feet enable
him to travel about on the snow without break-
ing through. He can travel with ease where
Reddy Fox, not half his size and weight, would
break through at every step. Tufty's ways are
much like those of his cousin, Yowler, save that
he is a dweller in the deep woods. Anything he
can catch is food for Tufty, but his principal
food is the Northern Hare. The color of his
coat blends with the shadows so that he seems
like a living shadow himself. In summer food
is plentiful, and Tufty lives well, but in winter
Tufty has hard work to get enough. Rarely
does he know what a full stomach means then.
Like Howler he can -go a surprising length of
time without food and still retain his strength.
At that time of year he is a great traveler. He
has to be, in order to live.
'There is no fiercer looking animal in all the
Green Forest than Tufty the Lynx, but despite
this he is, like most Cats, cowardly. Only when
cornered will he fight. He is possessed of a
[ 261 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
lively curiosity, and often he will stealthily follow
a hunter or trapper for miles. The fur of his
coat is very long and handsome, and he is hunted
and trapped for this. As he lives for the most
part far from the homes of men, he does less dam-
age to man than does his cousin, Yowler the Bob
Cat. Tufty must depend wholly for his living
on the little people of the Green Forest. Some-
times he will attack a Fox. The pretty little
spotted babies of Lightfoot the Deer are victims
whenever he can find them.
'The darker and deeper the Green Forest,
the better Tufty likes it. He makes his den
under great tangles of fallen trees or similar
places. Mr. and Mrs. Tufty often hunt together,
and in early winter the whole family often join
in the hunt.
; Yowler and Tufty are the only members of
the Cat family now found in the eastern part
of the country. Formerly, their big cousin, Puma
the Panther, lived in the East, but he has been
so hunted by man that now he is found only in
the mountains of the Far West and in a few of
the wildest places in the South. I will tell you
about him to-morrow. ''
THE RING-TAILED OR CIVET CAT. He is neither a Cat nor a Civet but
a Bassaris.
CHAPTER XXX
SOME BIG AND LITTLE CAT COUSINS
"PuMA the Panther," began Old Mother Na-
ture, 'is the largest member of the Cat family
in this country, with the exception of one which
is found only in the extreme Southwest. Puma
is also called Mountain Lion, Cougar and Painter.
You all know how Black Pussy looks. If Black
Pussy could grow to be over eight feet long and
be given a yellowish-brown coat, whitish under-
neath, she would look very much like Puma the
Panther. Unlike Yowler the Bob Cat and Tufty
the Lynx, Puma has a long tail, - - just such a
round tail as Black Pussy has. Being so large,
Puma is of great strength, and he has all the
grace and quickness in movement of a true Cat.
As I told you yesterday, there was a time when
Puma lived in the East. In fact, he was once
in nearly all parts of this great country where there
were forests. But as the country became settled
by man, Puma was driven out, and now his
[ 263 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
home is chiefly in the great mountains of the
Far West.
'Being so big, he must have much food. In-
stead of depending for his living on small animals
and birds, Puma hunts the large animals. He is
so big and so strong that he can kill Lightfoot
the Deer without trouble, and there is no one
Lightfoot dreads more than Puma. He is espe-
cially fond of Horse flesh, and in certain sections
where herds of Horses are pastured, he has killed
so many young Horses that he has won the undy-
ing hate of man.
'Big as he is, he is a coward and will run from a
barking Dog. When desperate with hunger, he
has been known to attack man, but such oc-
casions have been very, very rare. The fact is,
he fears man and will slink away at his approach.
Like the true Cat that he is, he is wonderfully
soft-footed and, despite his great size, moves
silently. He makes his home among the ledges
high up in the mountains. At night he goes
forth to hunt. Once in a while he is seen hunting
in daytime, but not often. Sometimes he may
be seen basking in the sun, high up on the ledges.
He is a good climber, like most Cats. He never
shows himself boldly, but slinks about through
the forest and among the rocks, the picture of
stealth. This habit has won for him another
[ 264 ]
Some Big and Little Cat Cousins
name, that of Sneak Cat. Sometimes he
sneaks up on his prey to within jumping distance.
Again he lies in wait beside a path which certain
animals are in the habit of using. He is capable
of leaping a long distance, and when he strikes
his prey his great weight, added to the force of
his spring, is almost certain to knock it down,
even though it be much bigger than Puma himself.
* Men hunt him with Dogs, for as I have already
told you he will run from a barking Dog. Usually
he does n't run far before taking to a tree. The
hunters follow and shoot him there. Were it
not that he can be hunted in this way with Dogs,
he would have little to fear from man, for he is
so keen of sight and hearing and can move so
swiftly and silently, that it is rarely man can
surprise him. Sometimes he will follow a man
just as Tufty the Lynx does, but usually for
the same reason, - - curiosity. Despite the fact
that he is a sneak and coward, he is so big and
fierce-looking that he is feared by most men.
Only those who really know him do not fear
him.
'There is one other member of the Cat family
in all this great land larger than Puma, and this
is Jaguar, also called El Tigre. He is found
only in a small part of the extreme Southwest,
for he really belongs in the hot country to the
[ 265 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
south of this. Not only is he the largest, but he is
the handsomest of all the Cat family. His coat
is a beautiful deep yellow, covered with spots
and rosettes of black. Beneath he is white with
large black spots. He also has a fairly long tail.
He is thick and heavy, and is not as long as
Puma, but is stouter and heavier. He can kill
Horses, Mules and Cattle with ease, but of course
the principal part of his food consists of the wild
animals about him. He is so savage in appear-
ance that the mere sight of him always awakens
fear. His method of hunting is much the same as
that of the other members of the Cat family.
Most of his hunting is done at night. While
Puma the Panther sometimes screams, Jaguar
roars, and it is a very terrifying sound. All the
little people and most of the big ones within hear-
ing shiver when they hear it. Jaguar's head is large,
and he is tremendously strong in the jaws. Occa-
sionally Jaguar is all black instead of being yellow
and spotted.
4 In this same part of the great Southwest
lives a smaller cousin named Ocelot, often called
Tiger Cat. Ocelot is only a little bigger than
Black Pussy, whom you all know, and in shape
is very like her. He also has a lovely coat. It
is yellow, not a deep, rich yellow like Jaguar's,
but a light yellow, thickly covered with black
[266]
Some Big and Little Cat Cousins
spots. On his cheeks and the back of his neck
are black lines, and his tail is ringed with black.
He likes best country where the brush is very
thick and thorny, for there he can hunt in safety,
with little fear of being hunted bv man. Be-
* * t/
cause of his smaller size, he lives chiefly on small
animals, birds and reptiles. He sometimes kills
and eats big Snakes. When he happens to live
near man, he robs the Hen roosts just as Yowler
does. In all his ways he is like the other mem-
bers of the Cat family.
'A neighbor of his in that same country is the
queerest looking member of the Cat family.
He is called the Jaguarundi Cat or Eyra. Some-
times he is dressed in dull gray and sometimes in
rusty red. His body is shaped more like that of
Little Joe Otter than of any one else, and he has
short legs and a long tail. He is a little larger
than Little Joe, and his head is rather small and
somewhat flattened, not so round as the heads of
most of the other members of the Cat family. He
likes to be in the vicinity of water and is a good
swimmer. Not very much is known by man
about his habits, but he is a true Cat, and the
habits of all Cats are much the same.
[267]
CHAPTER XXXI
BOBBY COON ARRIVES
OLD MOTHER NATURE was just about to open
school when a slight noise up the Lone Little
Path drew all eyes in that direction. There,
shuffling down the Lone Little Path, was a queer-
looking fellow. No one needed more than one
look at that funny, sharp, black and white face
of his to recognize him.
" Bobby Coon ! " shouted Peter Rabbit. " Are
you coming to join our school, Bobby?'
Bobby shuffled along a little nearer, then sat
up and blinked at them sleepily. No one needed
to be told that Bobby had been out all night.
He rubbed his eyes and yawned. " Hello, every-
body," said he ; "I wish I felt as bright and lively
as all of you look. I 'd like to join your school,
but I 'in afraid if I did I would go to sleep right in
the middle of the lesson. I ought to have been
home an hour ago. So I guess I '11 have to be
excused."
[ 268 ]
Bobby Coon Arrives
Old Mother Nature pointed an accusing finger
at Bobby Coon. " Bobby," said she, " You 've
been getting in mischief. Now own up ; you Ve
been stealing some of that sweet, milky corn from
Farmer Brown's cornfield."
Bobby Coon hung his head. "I - - 1 I don't
think it was stealing," he mumbled. "That corn
just grows, and I don't see why I should n't have
my share of it. I help myself to other things, so
why should n't I help myself to that?'
"I '11 tell you why," replied Old Mother Nature.
"Farmer Brown planted that corn and took care
of it. If he had n't planted it, there would n't
have been any corn there. That makes it his
corn. If it grew wild, you would have a perfect
right to it. As it is, you have n't any right to it
at all. Now take my advice, Bobby, and keep
away from that cornfield. If you don't, you will
get in trouble. One of these fine nights Bowser
the Hound will find you there and you will have
to run for your life. Keep away from temptation."
" But that corn is so good," sighed Bobby Coon,
smacking his lips. " There is nothing I like better
than sweet, milky corn, and if I don't get it from
Farmer Brown's cornfield, I can't get it at all, for
it does n't grow wild. He '11 never miss the little
I take."
Old Mother Nature shook her head and looked
[ 269 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
very grave. " Bobby," said she, " that is no ex-
cuse at all. Mark what I say : If you keep on
you certainly will get in trouble. If you w T ould
be satisfied to take just an ear or two, I don't
believe Farmer Brown would care, but you know
very well that you spoil many times what you eat.
You sample one ear, then think that probably the
next ear will be better and sweeter and you try
that. By the time you get through you have
spoiled a lot, and eaten only a little. I think I '11
punish you a little myself by keeping you here a
while. If you think you can't keep awake, just
go over and sit down there by Prickly Porky ;
he '11 keep you awake."
"I - - 1 think I can keep awake," stammered
Bobby and opened his eyes very wide as if he
were trying to stretch his eyelids so as to make
them stay open.
"I '11 help you by asking you a few questions,"
replied Old Mother Nature. "Who is it that
people sometimes call you the little cousin of ? '
Bobby grinned. " Buster Bear," said he.
"That's right," replied Old Mother Nature.
" Of course, being a Raccoon, you are not a Bear,
but you are related to the Bear family. I want
you all to notice Bobby's footprints over yonder.
You will see that the print of his hind foot shows
the whole foot, heels and toes, and is a lot like
[270]
BOBBY COON. The Raccoon has the neat habit of washing his food.
UNC BILLY POSSUM. The Opossum is the only Marsupial in North America.
Bobby Coon Arrives
Buster Bear's foot print on a small scale. Bobby
shuffles along in much the same way that Buster
walks. No one ever mistakes Bobby Coon for
any one else. There is no danger that any one
ever will as long as he carries that big, bushy tail
with its broad black and gray rings. There is
only one other in all this great country with a
tail so marked, and that is a relative of Bobby's
of whom I will tell you later. And there is no
other face like Bobby's with its black cheeks.
You will notice that Bobby is rather small around
the shoulders, but is big and heavy around the
hips. That gives him a clumsy look, but he is
anything but clumsy. Despite the fact that his
legs are not very long Bobby is a very good runner.
However, he does n't do any running unless he
has to. Bobby, where were you before you went
over to Farmer Brown's cornfield ? '
Once more Bobby hung his head. It was quite
clear that Bobby did n't want to answer that
question. But Old Mother Nature insisted, and
finally Bobby blurted it out. " I was up to
Farmer Brown's hen house," said he.
" What for ? " asked Old Mother Nature.
" Oh, just to look around," replied Bobby.
" To look around for what ? ' insisted Old
Mother Nature.
" Well," said Bobby, " I thought one of those
[271]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Hens up there might have dropped an egg that
she did n't really care about."
"Bobby," said Old Mother Nature sternly,
" why don't you own up that you went over there
to try to steal eggs ? Or did you think you might
catch a tender young Chicken ? Where were you
night before last ? '
"Over at the Laughing Brook and the Smiling
Pool," replied Bobby promptly, evidently glad
the subject had been changed.
" Well, you did n't find sweet corn or eggs or
Chickens over there, did you ? ' said Old Mother
Nature.
" No, but I caught three of the sweetest tasting
little fish in a little pool in the Laughing Brook,
and I got some of the tenderest Clams I 've ever
eaten," replied Bobby, smacking his lips. " I
raked them out of the mud and opened them.
Down at the Smiling Pool I had a lot of fun catch-
ing young Frogs. I certainly do like Frogs. It is
great sport to catch them, and they are fine eat-
ing."
" I suppose you have had an eye on the beech
trees and the wild grape-vines," said Old Mother
Nature slyly.
Bobby's face brightened. " Indeed I have," said
he. " There will be splendid crops of beechnuts and
grapes this fall. My, but they will taste good ! '
[ 272 ]
Bobby Coon Arrives
Old Mother Nature laughed. "There is small
danger that you will go hungry," said she. "When
you can't find enough to eat times must be very
hard indeed. For the benefit of the others you
might add that in addition to the things men-
tioned you eat other fruits, including berries,
insects of various kinds, birds when you can catch
them, Mice, Turtles, in fact almost anything that
can be eaten. You are not at all fussy about
the kind of food. But you have one habit in
regard to your food which it would be well if some
of these other little folks followed. Do you know
what it is ? '
Bobby shook his head. " No," said he, " not
unless you mean the habit I have of washing my
food. If there is any water near, I always like
to take what I am going to eat over to it and wash
it; somehow it tastes better."
" Just so," replied Old Mother Nature. " More
than once I Ve seen you in the moonlight beside
the Laughing Brook washing your food, and it
has always pleased me, for there is nothing like
cleanliness and neatness. Did you raise a family
this year, Bobby ? '
" Mrs. Coon did. We had four of the finest
youngsters you have ever seen over in a certain
big hollow tree. They are getting big and lively
now, and go out with their mother every night.
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The Burgess Animal Book for Children
I do hope the hunters will leave them alone this
fall. I hate to think of anything happening to
them. If they can just get through the hunting
season safely, I '11 enjoy my winter sleep better,
and I know Mrs. Coon will."
At this Johnny Chuck pricked up his ears.
" Do you sleep all winter, Bobby ? ' he asked
eagerly.
" Not all winter, but a good part of it," replied
Bobby. "I don't turn in until the weather gets
pretty cold, and it is hard to find anything to eat.
But after the first snow I 'm usually ready to
sleep. Then I curl up in a warm bed of leaves in a
certain big hollow tree, and don't care how cold
or stormy the weather is. Sometimes I wake up
once or twice, when the weather is mild, and take a
little walk around for exercise. But I don't go
far and soon return to sleep."
" What do you do when Bowser the Hound gets
after you ? ' asked Peter Rabbit.
" Run till I get out of breath," replied Bobby.
" And if by that time I have n't been able to fool
him so that he loses my trail, I take to a tree.
Thank goodness, he can't climb a tree. Some-
times I climb from the top of one tree into the
top of another, and sometimes ink) a third and
then a fourth, when they are near enough together.
That fools the hunters, if they follow Bowser."
[ 274 ]
Bobby Coan Arrives
" Have you any relatives, Bobby ? ' asked Old
Mother Nature.
" I did n't know I had until you mentioned that
fellow w r ith the ringed tail you said you would
tell us about. I did n't know there was anybody
with a tail like mine, and I would like to know
about it," replied Bobby.
" He is n't exactly a Raccoon, but he is more
nearly related to you than any one else," replied
Old Mother Nature. " His tail shows that. Aside
from this, he is nothing like you at all. He is
called the Ring-tailed Cat. But he does n't look
any more like a cat than he does like you, and he
is n't related to the Cat family at all. He has
several names. He is called the Bassaris, the
Civet Cat, Ring-tailed Cat, Coon Cat and Caco-
mixtle. Instead of being thick and clumsy-look-
ing, as is Bobby here, he is long and rather slender,
with a yellowish-brown coat, somewhat grayish
on the back and whitish underneath. His head
is rather small, long and beautifully shaped. His
ears are of good size and very pretty. In some
ways he looks like Reddy Fox. But the really
beautiful thing about him is his tail. It is nearly
as long as his body, thick and beautifully marked
with black and white bands.
" He is quick and graceful in his movements,
and, like Bobby, prefers to be abroad at night.
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The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Also, like Bobby, he eats about everything that
he can find, flesh, reptiles, fruit, nuts and
insects. He lives in the Far Southwest, and also
in some of the mountains of the Far West. Why
he should be called Civet Cat is more than I can
guess, for he is neither a Civet nor a Cat. He is
very clever at catching Mice, and sometimes he is
kept as a pet, just as Farmer Brown keeps Black
Pussy, to catch the Mice about the homes of men.
" Now, Bobby, you can trot along home, and
I hope all that green corn you have eaten will not
give you the stomach ache. To-morrow we will
see what we can find out about Buster Bear.'
[276]
CHAPTER XXXII
BUSTER BEAR NEARLY BREAKS UP SCHOOL
"HAS Buster Bear a tail?" asked Old Mother
Nature, and her eyes twinkled.
"No," declared Whitefoot the Wood Mouse
promptly.
" Yes," contradicted Chatterer the Red Squirrel.
"What do you say, Prickly Porky?" Old
Mother Nature asked.
" I don't think he has any ; if he has, I Ve never
seen it," said Prickly Porky.
" That 's because you 've got poor eyes," spoke
up Juniper the Hare. " He certainly has a tail.
It is n't much of a one, but it is a tail. I know
because I Ve seen it many times. ' !
" Woof, woof," said a deep, rumbly, grumbly
voice. " What 's going on here ? Who is it
has n't any tail ? '
At the sound of that deep, rumbly, grumbly
voice it looked for a few minutes as if school would
be broken up for that day. There was the same
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The Burgess Animal Book for Children
mad scrambling to get away that there had been
the morning Reddy Fox unexpectedly appeared.
However, there was this difference : When Reddy
appeared, most of the little people sought safe
hiding places, but now they merely ran to safe
distances, and there turned to stare with awe
and great respect at the owner of that deep, nimbly,
grumbly voice. It was great, big Buster Bear
himself.
Buster stood up on his hind legs, like a man,
and his small eyes, for they are small for his size,
twinkled with fun as he looked around that awe-
filled circle. " Don't let me interrupt," said he ;
" I heard about this school and I thought I would
just pay a friendly visit. There is nothing for
you to fear. I have just had my breakfast and
I could n't eat another mouthful to save me, not
even such a tender morsel as Whitefoot the Wood
Mouse."
Whitefoot hurriedly ran a little farther away,
and Buster Bear chuckled. Then he looked over
at Old Mother Nature. " Won't you tell them
that I 'm the best-natured and most harmless
fellow in all the Great World ? ' he asked.
Old Mother Nature smiled. "That depends on
the condition of your stomach," said she. "If it
is as full as you say it is, and I know you would n't
tell me an untruth, not even timid Whitefoot has
[ 78 ]
BUSTER BEAR THE BLACK BEAR. This is the most familiar of our
American Bears. He is not always black, sometimes being light brown or
cinnamon.
Buster Bear Nearly Breaks Up School
anything to fear from you." Then she told all
the little people to put aside their fears and re-
turn.
Buster, seeing that some of the more timid were
still fearful, backed off a short distance and sat
down on his haunches. "What was that about a
tail I overheard as I came up ? " he asked.
"It was a little discussion as to whether or not
you have a tail," replied Old Mother Nature.
" Some say you have, and some say you have n't.
Whitef oot thinks you have n't."
Once more Buster Bear chuckled way down deep
in his throat. " Whitef oot never in his life looked
at me long enough to know whether I 've got a
tail or not," said he. " I never yet have seen him,
until now, when he was n't running away as fast
as his legs could take him. So with me always
behind him, how could he tell whether or not I
have a tail ? '
" Well, have you ? ' demanded Peter Rabbit
bluntly.
" What do you think ? ' ' asked Buster.
"I think you have," said Peter. "But if you
have you are sitting down on it and I can't tell.
It can't be much of a one, anyhow."
Again Buster chuckled. " Quite right, Peter ;
quite right," said he. " I Ve got a tail, but hardly
enough of a one to really call it a tail."
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The Burgess Animal Book for Children
As Buster sat there, every one had a splendid
chance to see just how he looked. His coat was
all black ; in fact he was black all over, with the
exception of his nose, which was brown. His fur
was long and rather shaggy. His ears were round.
His paws were big and armed with strong, wicked-
looking claws.
" You all see what a black coat Buster has,"
said Old Mother Nature. " Now I 'in going to
tell you something which may surprise you. Just
as there are Red Foxes that are black, so there
are Black Bears that are brown. "
"What's that?" grunted Buster, with the
funniest look of surprise on his face.
" It 's a fact, Buster," said Old Mother Nature.
" A great many of your family live out in the moun-
tains of the Far West, and there quite often there
will be one who is all brown. People used to
think that these brown Bears were a different kind
of Bear, and called them Cinnamon Bears. It
was a long, long time before it was found out that
those brown Bears are really black Bears. Some-
times one of the twin babies will be all black
and the other all brown. Sometimes one of
Buster's family will have a white spot on his
breast. Buster's branch of the family is found
in nearly all of the wooded parts of the entire
country. In the Sunny South they live in
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Buster Bear Nearly Breaks Up School
the swamps and do not grow as big as in the
North. Buster, there is a soft spot on the ground ;
I want you to walk across it so that these little
folks can see your footprints."
Good-naturedly Buster dropped on all fours and
walked across the soft spot. Right away every one
understood why Old Mother Nature had asked
Buster to do this. The prints of his hind feet were
very like the prints of Farmer Brown's boy when
barefooted, only of course very much larger. You
see, they showed the print of the heel as well as
the rest of the foot.
"You see," said Old Mother Nature, "Buster
puts his whole foot on the ground, while all
members of the Dog and Cat families walk wholly
on their toes. Animals that put the whole foot
down are called plantigrade. How big do you
think Buster was when he was born ? '
" Of course I 'm only guessing," said Chatterer
the Red Squirrel, "but he is such a big fellow
that I think he must have been a bouncing big
baby."
Old Mother Nature smiled. " I don't wonder
you think so," said she. " The fact is, however,
Buster was a very tiny and very helpless little
chap. He was just about the size of one of Prickly
Porky's babies. He was no bigger than a Rat.
He was born in the middle of winter, and he
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
did n't get his eyes open for forty days. It was
two months before he poked his head outside the
den in which he was born, to find out what the
Great World was like. At that time he was n't
much bigger than Peter Rabbit, and he and his
twin sister were as lively a pair of youngsters and
as full of mischief as any Bears the Green Forest
has ever seen. You might tell us, Buster, what
you live on.' :
Buster's eyes snapped. " I live on anything I
can eat, and I can eat most everything. I sup-
pose a lot of people think I live almost wholly on
the little people who are my neighbors, but that
is a mistake. I do catch Mice when I am lucky
enough to find them where I can dig them out,
and they certainly are good eating."
At this Whitefoot the Wood Mouse and Danny
Meadow Mouse hastily scurried farther away,
and Buster's eyes twinkled with mischief. " Of
course I don't mind a Rabbit either, if I am lucky
enough to catch one," said he, and Peter Rabbit
quickly backed off a few steps. " In fact I like
meat of any kind," continued Buster. " But the
greater part of my food is n't meat at all. In
the spring I dig up roots of different kinds, and
eat tender grass shoots and some bark and twigs
from young trees. When the insects appear they
help out wonderfully. I am very fond of Ants.
Buster Bear Nearly Breaks Up School
I pull over all the old logs and tear to pieces all
the old stumps I can find, and lick up the Ants
and their eggs that I am almost sure to find there.
Almost any kind of insect tastes good to me if
there are enough of them. I love to find and
dig open the nests of Wasps that make their homes
in the ground, and of course I suppose you all
know that there is nothing in the world I like
better than honey. If I can find a Bee nest I am
utterly happy. For the sake of the honey, I am
perfectly willing to stand all the stinging the Bees
can give me. I like fish and I love to hunt Frogs.
When the berry season begins, I just feast. In
the fall I get fat on beechnuts and acorns. The
fact is, there is n't much I don't like."
" I 've been told you sleep all winter," said
Johnny Chuck.
" That depends on the winter," replied Buster
Bear. " I don't go to sleep until I have to. I
don't have to as long as I can find enough to eat.
If the winter begins early, with bad weather, I
make a comfortable bed of leaves in a cave or
under a big pile of fallen trees or even in a hollow
log, if I can find one big enough. Then I go to
sleep for the rest of the winter. But if the winter
is mild and open and there is a chance of finding
anything to eat, I sleep only in the really bad
weather."
[283]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
" Do you try to get fat before going to sleep, the
way I do ? ' asked Johnny Chuck.
Buster grinned. " Yes, Johnny, I try," said
he, " and usually I succeed. You see, I need to
be fat in order to keep warm and also to have
something to live on in the spring, just the same
as you do."
" I 've been told that you can climb, but as I
don't live in the Green Forest I have never seen
you climb. I should think it would be slow work
for such a big fellow as you to climb a tree," said
Johnny Chuck.
Buster looked up at Happy Jack Squirrel and
winked. Then he walked over to the tree in
which Happy Jack was sitting, stood up and
suddenly began to scramble up the tree. There
was nothing slow about the way Buster Bear
went up that tree. Happy Jack squealed with
sudden fright and started for the top of that
tree as only Happy Jack can climb. Then he
made a flying jump to the next tree. Halfway up
Buster stopped. Then he began to come down.
He came dow T n tail first. When he was with-
in ten feet of the ground he simply let go and
dropped.
" I did that just to show you how I get out of a
tree when I am really in a hurry," explained
Buster. " I don't climb trees much now unless
[284]
Buster Bear Nearly Breaks Up School
it is for honey, but when I was a little fellow I used
to love to climb trees."
Suddenly Buster sat up very straight and
pointed his nose up in the wind. An anxious look
crept into his face. He cocked his ears as if
listening with all his might. That is just what
he was doing. Presently he dropped down to all
fours. " Excuse me," said he, " I think I had
better be going. Farmer Brown is coming down
the Lone Little Path."
Buster turned and disappeared at a speed that
was simply astonishing in such a clumsy -looking
fellow. Old Mother Nature laughed. " Buster's
eyes are not very good," said she, "but there is
nothing the matter with his nose or with his ears.
If Buster says that Farmer Brown is coming down
the Lone Little Path, there is no doubt that he is,
although he may be some distance away yet.
Buster has been smart enough to learn that he
has every reason to fear man, and he promptly
takes himself out of the way at the first hint that
man is near. It is a funny thing, but most men
are as afraid of Buster as Buster is of them, and
they have n't the least need of being afraid at all.
Where man is concerned there is n't one of you
little people more timid than Buster Bear. The
faintest smell of man will make him run. If he
should be wounded, or cornered, he would fight.
[285]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Mrs. Bear would fight to protect her babies, but
these are the only conditions under which a Black
Bear will face a man. You think Buster is big,
and he is, but Buster has relatives very much
bigger than he. He has one beside whom he
would look actually small. I '11 tell you a little
about these cousins of Buster.'
SILVERTIP THE GRIZZLY BEAR. Famous for his strength and fierceness h
has been hunted until now he must be protected to preserve the species.
CHAPTER XXXIII
BUSTER BEAR'S BIG COUSINS
BUSTER BEAR had been right about the coming
of Farmer Brown. It was only a few minutes
after Buster's disappearance that Farmer Brown's
footsteps were heard coming down the Lone Little
Path, and of course that ended school for that
morning. But the next morning all were on hand
again at sun-up, for every one wanted to hear
about Buster Bear's big cousins.
" Way out in the mountains of the Far West,
where Whistler the Marmot and Little Chief the
Pika live, is a big cousin of Buster Bear," began
Old Mother Nature. "He is Silvertip the Grizzly
Bear, and in the past no animal in all this great
country was so feared by man, as he. But times
have changed, and Silvertip has been so hunted
with terrible guns that he has learned to fear man
quite as much as Buster does.
" He is larger than Buster and possessed of
tremendous strength. Instead of a black coat,
[ 287 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
he has a coat which varies from yellowish-brown
to almost black. The tips of the hairs usually
are lighter, giving him a frosted appearance, and
this is what has given him his name. His claws
are longer and more curved than those of Buster ;
in fact those claws are so big that they look very
terrible. Because they are so long, Silvertip
cannot climb trees. But if they prevent him
climbing trees they are the finest kind of tools for
digging out Marmots and ground Squirrels. Even
when Whistler the Marmot makes his home down
in among the rocks, he is not safe. Silvertip 's
strength is so great that he can pull over and roll
aside great rocks.
" He is a great traveler and covers a wide range
of country in his search for food. Sometimes he
visits the Cattle ranges and kills Cattle. So great
is his strength that he can kill a Cow with ease.
Clumsy looking as he is, he is a very fast runner,
and only a fast Horse can outrun him. Like Buster,
he lives on anything he can find that is eatable.
He has been so hunted by man that he has be-
come very cunning, and in all the great moun-
tains where he lives there is no one with quicker
wits. At certain seasons of the year great num-
bers of a fish called Salmon come up the rivers in
that country, and then Silvertip lives high. He
watches beside a pool until a Salmon swims within
[ 288 ]
Buster Bear's Big Cousins
reach ; then, with a swift movement of one paw,
he scoops the fish on to the bank. Or he finds a
place where the water is so shallow that the fish
have difficulty in getting across, and there he
seizes them as they struggle up the river. In
winter he sleeps just as Buster does, usually in a
well-hidden cave.
" Mrs. Silvertip is a splendid mother. Usually
the cubs, of which as a rule there are two, remain
with her until they are a year old. Both Buster
Bear and Silvertip have a queer habit of standing
up against a tree and biting it as high up as they
can reach. The next Bear who comes along that
way sees the mark and makes his own on the same
tree. Silvertip knows every inch of that part
of the country in which he lives and always picks
out the best way of getting from one place to an-
other. He is one of the finest animals in this
country, and it is a matter for sadness that his
splendid race will soon come to an end unless man
makes laws to protect him from the hunters. In
very many places where he. used to be found he
lives no longer.
" Silvertip is not so good-natured as Buster, but
all he asks is to be left alone. Of course when he
turns Cattle killer he is getting into the worst
possible kind of mischief, and man cannot be
blamed for hunting him. But it is only now and
[289]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
then that one of Silvertip's family turns Cattle
killer. The others do no harm.
" I told you yesterday that Buster Bear has
one cousin beside whom he would look small.
This is Bigfoot the Alaska or Great Brown Bear,
who lives in the extreme northwest part of the
continent. Even Silvertip would look small be-
side him. He is a giant, the largest flesh-eating
animal in all the great world. His coat is dark
brown. When he stands up on his hind legs, he is
almost half again as tall as a tall man. He stands
very high at the shoulders and his head is very
large. Like the other members of the Bear family,
he eats all sorts of things. He hunts for Mice and
other small animals, digs up roots, stuffs himself
with berries, and at times grazes on a kind of
wild grass, just as Cattle might do. He is a great
fish eater, for fish are very plentiful in the streams
in the country where he lives. Big as he is, he has
learned to fear man just as Silvertip has. Oc-
casionally when surprised he has been known to
attack man and kill him, but as a rule he will
run at the first hint of man's approach.
" The last of the Bear cousins is Snow King the
Polar Bear. Snow King is king of the Frozen
North. He lives in the region of snow and ice,
and his coat is all white. He also is a big Bear,
and of somewhat different shape from his cousins.
[ 290 ]
Blister Bear's Big Cousins
He is longer, and has a much longer neck and a
long head. His ears are rather small and close to
his head. Snow King lives the year round where
it would seem that no animal could live, and he
manages to live well. Though his home is in the
coldest part of the Great World, he does not mind
the cold at all.
" More than any other member of the Bear
family, Snow King is a flesh eater. This is be-
cause only in certain places, and then only for a
few weeks in midsummer, is there any plant life.
He is a great fisherman, and fish furnish him a
great deal of his food. In that far northern
country are great numbers of animals who live
in the ocean, but come ashore to rest and bask
in the sun, and to have their babies there. They
are Seals, Sea Lions and Walruses. I will tell you
about them later. On these Snow King depends
for much of his food. He is himself a wonderful
swimmer, and often swims far out in the icy water.
" Up there there are great fields of floating ice,
and Snow King swims from one to another in
search of Seals, for they often climb out on these
ice fields, just as they do on shore. Sometimes
Mrs. Bear takes her cubs for long swims. When
they become tired, one will climb on her back, and
the other will seize her tail, so she will carry one
and tow the other.
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The Burgess Animal Book for Children
" Snow King's babies are born in a house of
snow. Early in the winter Mrs. Bear finds a
sheltered place where the snow will drift over her.
There she goes to sleep, and the snow drifts and
drifts over her until she is buried deep. You might
think she would be cold, but she is n't, for the
snow keeps her warm. Her breath melts a little
hole up through the snow, so that she always
has air. There the babies are born, and there
they remain, just as Buster Bear's remain in their
home, until they are big enough to follow their
mother about. Then she breaks her way out in
the spring, and leads her cubs forth to teach them
how to take care of themselves. Snow King, him-
self, does not sleep through the winter, but roams
about, just as in the summer.
" Snow King is fearless and has not yet learned
to dread man, as have his cousins. He will not
hesitate to attack man and is terrible to meet
at close quarters. Because he lives in that far,
cold country, he is not hunted as much as other
bears are. Besides the Seals and fish, he some-
times catches an Arctic Hare. In the summer great
numbers of Ducks and other sea birds nest in that
far northern country, and their eggs and young
add to Snow King's bill of fare. His white coat is
so in keeping with his surroundings that it is of
the greatest aid to him in his hunting. It is a very
Buster Bear's Big Cousins
beautiful coat and makes him the most beautiful
of all the Bear family.
" Now this is all about the Bears, and also it is
all about the order of flesh eaters, or Carnivora. I
think that next we will see what we can find out
about a certain little friend of yours, who, though
he eats flesh, is not a member of the flesh-eating
order at all, but belongs to an order of which he is
the only member in this country. I will leave
you to guess who it is.' :
CHAPTER XXXIV
UNC' BILLY AND OLD MRS. POSSUM
ALL the way home from school Peter Rabbit
did his best to think who it could be who ate flesh,
yet was n't a member of the order of flesh eaters.
Every few hops he would stop to think, but all
his stopping and all his thinking were in vain, and
when he started for school the next morning he
was as puzzled as ever. On his way through the
Green Forest he passed a certain tree. He was
just past and no more when a familiar voice hailed
him.
" Morning, Bre'r Rabbit," said the voice.
" What 's yo' hurry ? "
Peter stopped abruptly and looked up in that
tree. There, peering down at him from a hole
high up in the trunk, was a sharp, whitish-gray
face, with a pair of twinkling black eyes.
"Hello, Unc' Billy," cried Peter. "How are
you and OP Mrs. Possum ? '
" Po'ly, Peter, po'ly. We-uns have n't had
[ 294 ]
BIGFOOT THE ALASKAN BROWN BEAR. Not only is he the largest of
all Bears but he is the largest flesh eating mammal in the world.
Unc Billy and Old Mrs. Possum
breakfast yet, so we-uns are feeling poly," re-
plied Unc' Billy with a grin.
A sudden thought popped into Peter's head.
" Unc' Billy," cried Peter excitedly, " are you a
Carnivora ? '
Unc' poked his head a little farther out and put
his hand behind his ear as if he were a little hard of
hearing. " What 's that, Bre'r Rabbit ? Am I a
what ? ' he demanded.
" Are you a Carnivora ? ' ' repeated Peter.
" Ah reckons Ah might be if Ah knew what it
was, but as long as Ah don't, Ah reckons I ain't,"
retorted Unc' Billy. "Ah reckons Ah 'rn just plain
Possum. When Ah wants to be real uppity, Ah
puts on an 'o.' Then Ah am Mister Opossum."
But Peter was n't listening. The fact is, Peter
had started lipperty-lipperty-lip for school, with-
out even being polite enough to say good-by. He
arrived at school quite out of breath. "I know !'
he panted. " I know !'
"What do you know?" asked Old Mother
Nature.
" I know who it is who eats flesh, yet does n't
belong to the order of flesh eaters. It 's Unc'
Billy Possum ! ' ' cried Peter.
;< Right you are," replied Old Mother Nature.
" However did you find it out ? '
" I did n't exactly find it out ; I guessed it,"
[ 295 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
replied Peter. " On my way here I saw Unc' Billy,
and it popped into my head right away that he
was one we have n't heard about, and must be
the one. But if he eats flesh I don't see why he
is n't a member of the order of flesh eaters.' 5
" It is because he belongs to a group which has
something which makes them entirely different
from all other animals, and for this reason they
have been given an order of their own," explained
Old Mother Nature. " They belong to the order
of Marsupials, which means pouched animals. It
is because the mothers have big pockets in which
they carry their babies. Old Mrs. Possum has
just such a pocket.''
" Of course," exclaimed Peter. " I 've seen
those babies poking their heads out of that pocket.
They look too funny for anything."
"The Opossums are the only Marsupials in
this country," continued Old Mother Nature.
" Now have I made it quite clear why, although
they eat flesh, Unc' Billy and OF Mrs. Possum
are not members of the same big order as Buster
Bear and the other flesh eaters ? '
Everybody nodded. Just then Chatterer the
Red Squirrel shouted, " Here comes Unc' Billy,
OF Mrs. Possum and all the little Possums."
Sure enough, down the Lone Little Path came
the Possum family, and a funny looking sight they
[296]
Unc Billy and Old Mrs. Possum
were. Unc' Billy was whitish-gray, his face whiter
than the rest of him. He looked as if he had just
gotten out of bed and forgotten to brush his hair ;
it pointed every which way. His legs were dark,
his feet black and his toes white. His ears were
without any hair at all, and were black for the
lower half, the rest being white. He had a long
whitish tail without any hair on it. Altogether,
with his sharp face and naked tail, he looked a
great deal as though he might be a giant Rat.
But if Unc' Billy was a funny-looking fellow,
OF Mrs. Possum was even more funny-looking.
She seemed to have heads and tails all over her.
You see, she had brought along her family, and
OF Mrs. Possum is one of those who believe in
large families. There were twelve youngsters,
and they were exactly like their parents, only
small. They were clinging all over Ol' Mrs.
Possum. Some were on her back, some were
clinging to her sides, and a couple were in the
big pocket, where they had spent their baby-
hood.
" We-all done thought we 'd come to school,"
explained Unc' Billy with a grin.
" I 'm glad you did," replied Old Mother Nature.
" You see, the rest of your friends here are a little
curious about the Possum family."
Meanwhile OF Mrs. Possum was climbing a
[297]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
tree, and when she had reached a comfortable
crotch the little Possums left her and began to
play about in the tree. It was then that it ap-
peared what handy things those naked little tails
were. When the little Possums crawled out where
the branches were small, they simply wrapped
their tails around the twigs to keep from falling.
" My ! ' exclaimed Peter. " Those certainly are
handy tails."
" Handiest tails ever was," declared Unc' Billy.
" Don't know what Ah ever would do without
mah tail."
''Suppose you climb a tree, Unc' Billy, and show
your friends here how you manage to get the eggs
from a nest that you cannot reach by crawling
along the branch on which it is placed," said Old
Mother Nature.
Unc' Billy grinned, and good-naturedly started
up a tree. He crept out on a branch that over-
hung another branch. Way out where the branch
was small crept Unc' Billy. Then he wrapped the
end of his tail around the branch and swung him-
self off, keeping hold of the branch only with his
tail and one hind foot. Then, stretching down
full length, he could just reach the branch below
him. " You see," he explained, " if there was a
nest on this branch down here, Ah could get those
eggs without any trouble. Ah wish there was a
[298]
Unc 9 Billy and Old Mrs. Possum
nest. Just speaking of eggs makes mah mouth
water." Again Unc' Billy grinned and then
pulled himself back to the other branch.
Old Mother Nature shook her head reprovingly.
" Unc' Billy," said she, " you are a bad old rascal
to steal eggs. What 's more, it does n't matter
to you much whether you find eggs or young birds
in a nest. It is a wonder that between you and
Chatterer the Red Squirrel any of the birds suc-
ceed in raising families around here. Have you
visited Farmer Brown's hen house lately ? '
Unc' Billy shook his head. " Not lately," said
he ; " Ah done get a dreadful scare the last time
Ah was up there, and Ah reckons Ah '11 stay away
from there for a while."
"What else do you eat?" asked Old Mother
Nature.
" Anything," replied Unc' Billy. " Ah reckons
Ah ain't no ways particular,- -insects, roots, Frogs,
Toads, small Snakes, Lizards, berries, fruits, nuts,
young Rats and Mice, corn, any old meat that has
been left lying around. Ah reckon Ah could find a
meal most any time most anywhere."
" Do you always have as big a family as you
have there?' asked Peter Rabbit.
" Not always," replied Unc' Billy. " But some-
times Mrs. Possum has to tote around a still bigger
family. We believe in chillun and lots of them.
[299]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
We reckon on havin' two or three big families every
year."
" Where is your home ? ' asked Johnny Chuck.
" I know," said Peter Rabbit. " It 's up in a
big hollow tree."
Unc' Billy looked down at Peter. " Tis n't at
all necessary to tell anybody where that hollow
tree is, Bre'r Rabbit," said he.
" Are Possums found anywhere except around
here ? ' inquired Happy Jack.
"Yes, indeed," replied Old Mother Nature.
"They are found all down through the Sunny
South, and in the warmer parts of the Middle
West. Unc' Billy and his relatives are not fond
of cold weather. They prefer to be where they
can be reasonably warm all the year round.
" Some folks think Unc' Billy is n't smart, but
those folks don't know Unc' Billy. He learned a
long time ago that he can't run as fast as some
others, so he has learned to depend on his wits in
time of danger. What do you think he does ? '
" I know," cried Peter ; "I saw him do it once.
Farmer Brown's boy surprised Unc' Billy, and
Unc' Billy just fell right over dead."
" Pooh ! That 's a story, Peter Rabbit. How
could Unc' Billy have fallen over dead and be
alive up in that tree this very minute ? ' cried
Happy Jack.
[300]
Unc Billy and Old Mrs. Possum
" I did n't mean he was really dead, but that he
looked as if he were dead," explained Peter.
" And he did, too. He was the deadest looking
thing I ever saw. I thought he was dead myself.
I was watching from a bramble tangle where I
was hiding, and I certainly thought the life had
been scared right out of Unc' Billy. I guess
Farmer Brown's boy thought so too. He picked
Unc' Billy up by the tail, and looked him all over,
and said, 'You poor little thing. I did n't mean
to hurt you/ Unc' Billy did n't so much as wink
an eye. Farmer Brown's boy went off up the
path carrying Unc' Billy by the tail. By and by
he laid Unc' Billy down on an old stump while he
went to look at a nest of Blacky the Crow. When
he came back Unc' Billy was n't there. I never
did see Unc' Billy hurry as he did the minute
Farmer Brown's boy's back was turned. He came
to life as suddenly as he had dropped dead."
" Very good, Peter," said Old Mother Nature.
" Some other smart little people try that trick
sometimes, but none of them can do it as well as
Unc' Billy Possum. Pretending to be dead in
order to remain alive is the cleverest thing Unc'
Billy does. Now how about Lightfoot the Deer
for the next lesson ? '
" Splendid," cried all together and prepared to
start for their homes.
[301]
CHAPTER XXXV
LIGHTFOOT, BLACKTAIL AND FORKHORN
OF all the people who live in the Green Forest
none is more admired than Lightfoot the Deer.
So perhaps you can guess how delighted every
one was when, just as the morning lesson was to
begin, Lightfoot himself stepped daintily out from
a thicket and bowed to Old Mother Nature.
" I heard," said he, " that my little friends here
are to learn something about my family this
morning, and thought you would not mind if I
joined them."
" I should say not ! ' exclaimed Peter Rabbit,
forgetting that Lightfoot had spoken to Old
Mother Nature.
All laughed, even Old Mother Nature. You
see, Peter was so very much in earnest, and at the
same time so excited, that it really was funny.
" Peter has spoken for all of us," said Old Mother
Nature. "You are more than welcome, Light-
[ 302 ]
-
SNOW KING THE POLAR BEAR. He is monarch of the Far North in the
region of perpetual ice and snow.
Lightfoot, Blacktail and Forkhorn
foot. I had intended to send for you, but it
slipped ray mind. I am delighted to have you
here and I know that the others are. I suspect
you will be most comfortable if you lie down, but
before you do this I want everybody to have a good
look at you. Just stand for a few minutes in
that little open space where all can see you."
Lightfoot walked over to the open space where
the sun fell full on him and there he stood, a
picture of grace and beauty with just enough
honest pride in his appearance to give him an
air of noble dignity. There was more than one
little gasp of admiration among his little neighbors.
" There," began Old Mother Nature, " is one of
the most beautiful of all my children, and the
knowledge that he is beautiful does not spoil him.
Lightfoot belongs to the Deer family, as you all
know, and this in turn is in the order called
Ungulata, which means hoofed."
Peter Rabbit abruptly sat up, and his ears stood
up like exclamation points. "Farmer Brown's
cows have those funny feet called hoofs ; are they
related to Lightfoot ? ' he asked eagerly.
" They belong to another family, but it is in the
same order. So they are distant cousins of Light-
foot," replied Old Mother Nature.
" And Farmer Brown's Pigs, what about them ?'
asked Chatterer the Red Squirrel.
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The Burgess Animal Book for Children
"They also belong to that order and so are
related," explained Old Mother Nature.
" Huh ! ' exclaimed Chatterer. " If I were in
Lightf oot's place I never, never would acknowledge
any such homely, stupid creatures as those as
relatives of mine."
" Don't forget that Prickly Porky the Porcupine
and Robber the Rat are members of the same order
to which you belong," retorted Old Mother
Nature softly, and Chatterer hung his head.
" Lightf oot," she continued, " is the White-tailed
or Virginia Deer, and is in some ways the most
beautiful of the Deer family. You have only to
look at him to know that those slim legs of his are
meant for speed. He can go very fast, but not
for long distances without stopping. Like Peter
Rabbit he is a jumper rather than a true runner,
and travels with low bounds with occasional high
ones when alarmed. He can make very long and
high jumps, and this is one reason he prefers to
live in the Green Forest where there are fallen
trees and tangles of old logs. If frightened he can
leap over them, whereas his enemies must crawl
under or climb over or go around them. Ordinary
fences, such as Farmer Brown has built around his
fields, do not bother Lightfoot in the least. He
can leap over them as easily as Peter Rabbit can
jump over that little log he is sitting beside.
[304]
Lightfoot, Blacktail and Forkhorn
"Just now, because it is summer, Lightfoot's
coat is decidedly reddish in color and very hand-
some. But in winter it is wholly different."
" I know," spoke up Chatterer the Red Squirrel.
" It is gray then. I Ve often seen Lightfoot in
winter, and there is n't a red hair on him at that
season/
Si
(t
' Quite right," agreed Old Mother Nature.
His red coat is for summer only. Notice that
Lightfoot has a black nose. That is, the tip of
it is black. Beneath his chin is a black spot. A
band across his nose, the inside of each ear and a
circle around each eye is whitish. His throat is
white and he is white beneath. Now, Peter, you
are so interested in tails, tell me without looking
what color Lightfoot's tail is."
" White, snowy white," replied Peter promptly.
" I suppose that is why he is called the White-
tailed Deer."
" Huh ! ' grunted Johnny Chuck who happened
to be sitting a little back of Lightfoot, " I don't
call it white. It has a white edge, but mostly it is
the color of his coat."
Now while Lightfoot had been standing there
his tail had hung down, and it was as Johnny
Chuck had said. But at Johnny's remark up
flew Lightfoot's tail, showing only the under side,
and that was as Peter had said, - - snowy white.
[305]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
It was like a pointed white flag. With it held
aloft that way, no one behind Lightfoot would sus-
pect that his whole tail was not white.
" Notice how long and fluffy the hair on that
tail is," said Old Mother Nature. " Mrs. Light-
foot's is just like it, and this makes it very easy
for her babies to follow her in the dark. When
Lightfoot is feeding or simply walking about he
carries it down, but when he is frightened and
bounds away, up goes that white flag. Now look
at his horns. They are not true horns. The
latter are hollow, while these are not. Farmer
Brown's cows have horns. Lightfoot has antlers.
Just remember that. The so-called horns of all
the Deer family are antlers and are not hollow.
Notice how Lightfoot's curve forward with the
branches or tines on the back side."
Of course everybody looked at Lightfoot's
crown as he held his head proudly. " What is the
matter with them ? ' asked Whitef oot the Wood
Mouse. " They look to me as if they are covered
with fur. I always supposed them to be hard like
bone."
" So they will be a month from now," explained
Old Mother Nature, smiling down at Whitefoot.
" That which you call fur will come off. He
will rub it off against the trees until his antlers
are polished, and there is not a trace of it left.
[306]
Lightfoot, Blacktail and Forkhorn
You see Lightfoot has just grown that set this
summer.'
" Do you mean those antlers ? ' asked Danny
Meadow Mouse, looking very much puzzled.
" Did n't he have any before ? How could things
like those grow, anyway ? '
" Don't you know that he loses his horns, I
mean antlers, every year ? ' demanded Jumper
the Hare. " I thought every one knew that. His
old ones fell off late last winter. I know, for I
saw him just afterward, and he looked sort of
ashamed. Anyway, he did n't carry his head as
proudly as he does now. He looked a lot like
Mrs. Lightfoot ; you know she hasn't any antlers."
"But how could hard, bony things like those
grow ? ' persisted Danny Meadow Mouse.
" I think I will have to explain," said Old Mother
Nature. " They were not hard and bony when
they were growing. Just as soon as Lightfoot's
old antlers dropped off, the new ones started*
They sprouted out of his head just as plants sprout
out of the ground, and they were soft and very
tender and filled with blood, just as all parts of
your body are. At first they were just two round
knobs. Then these pushed out and grew and
grew. Little knobs sprang out from them and
grew to make the branches you see now. All the
time they were protected by a furry skin which
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The Burgess Animal Book for Children
looks a great deal like what men call velvet.
When Lightfoot's antlers are covered with this,
they are said to be in the velvet state.
" When they had reached their full size they
began to shrink and harden, so that now they are
quite hard, and very soon that velvet will begin
to come off. When they were growing they were
so tender that Lightfoot did n't move about any
more than was necessary and kept quite by him-
self. He was afraid of injuring those antlers.
By the time cool weather comes, Lightfoot will
be quite ready to use those sharp points on any-
body who gets in his way.
" As Jumper has said, Mrs. Lightfoot has no
antlers. Otherwise she looks much like Light-
foot, save that she is not quite as big. Have any
of you ever seen her babies ? '
" I have," declared Jumper, who, as you know,
lives in the Green Forest just as Lightfoot does.
" They are the dearest little things and look like
their mother, only they have the loveliest spotted
coats."
" That is to help them to remain unseen by their
enemies," explained Old Mother Nature. " When
they lie down where the sun breaks through the
trees and spots the ground with light they seem
so much like their surroundings that unless they
move they are not often seen even by the sharpest
[308]
Lightjoot, Blacktail and Forkhorn
eyes that may pass close by. They lie with their
little necks and heads stretched flat on the ground
and do not move so much as a hair. You see,
\
they usually are very obedient, and the first thing
their mother teaches them is to keep perfectly
still when she leaves them.
" When they are a few months old and able to
care for themselves a little, the spots disappear.
As a rule Mrs. Lightfoot has two babies each
spring. Once in a while she has three, but two
is the rule. She is a good mother and always on
the watch for possible danger. While they are
very small she keeps them hidden in the deepest
thickets. By the way, do you know that Light-
foot and Mrs. Lightfoot are fine swimmers ?,"
Happy Jack Squirrel looked the surprise he felt.
" I don't see how under the sun any one with little,
hoofed feet like Lightfoot's can swim," said he.
" Nevertheless, Lightfoot is a good swimmer and
fond of the water," replied Old Mother Nature.
" That is one way he has of escaping his enemies.
When he is hard pressed by Wolves or Dogs he
makes for the nearest water and plunges in. He
does not hesitate to swim across a river or even a
small lake.
"Lightfoot prefers the Green Forest where
there are close thickets with here and there open
places. He likes the edge of the Green Forest
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The Burgess Animal Book for Children
where he can come out in the open fields, yet be
within a short distance of the protecting trees
and bushes. He requires much water and so is
usually found not far from a brook, pond or river.
He has a favorite drinking place and goes to drink
early in the morning and just at dusk. During
the day he usually sleeps hidden away in a thicket
or under a windfall, coming out late in the after-
noon. He feeds mostly in the early evening. He
eats grass and other plants, beechnuts and acorns,
leaves and twigs of certain trees, lily pads in
summer and, I am sorry to say, delights to get
into Farmer Brown's garden, where almost every
green thing tempts him.
"Like so many others he has a hard time in
winter, particularly when the snows are deep.
Then he and Mrs. Lightfoot and their children
live in what is called a yard. Of course it is n't
really a yard such as Farmer Brown has. It is
simply a place where they keep the snow trodden
down in paths which cross and recross, and is
made where there is shelter and food. The food
is chiefly twigs and leaves of evergreen trees.
As the snow gets deeper and deeper they become
prisoners in the yard until spring comes to melt
the snow and set them free.
" Lightfoot depends for safety more on his nose
and ears than on his eyes. His sense of smell is
[310]
L1GHTFOOT THE DEER. The Virginia or White-tailed Deer, known and
loved by everybody.
FORKHORN THE MULE DEER. You may know him by the black tip of his
tail, his mule-like ears and the forked tines of his antlers.
Ligktfoot, Blacktail and Forkhorn
wonderful, and when he is moving about he
usually goes up wind; that is, in the direction
from which the wind is blowing. This is so that
it will bring to him the scent of any enemy that
may be ahead of him. He is very clever and
cunning. Often before lying down to rest he
goes back a short distance to a point where he can
watch his trail, so that if any one is following it
he will have warning.
" His greatest enemy is the hunter with his
terrible gun. How any one can look into those
great soft eyes of Lightfoot and then even think
of trying to kill him is more than I can under-
stand. Dogs are his next worst enemies when he
lives near the homes of men. When he lives
where Wolves, Panthers and Bears are found, he
has to be always on the watch for them. Tufty
the Lynx is ever on the watch for Lightfoot's
babies.
"The White-tailed Deer is the most widely
distributed of all the Deer family. He is found
from the Sunny South to the great forests of the
North, everywhere but in the vast open plains
of the middle of this great country. That is, he
used to be. In many places he has been so
hunted by man that he has disappeared. When
he lives in the Sunny South he never grows to be
as big as when he lives in the North.
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The Burgess Animal Book for Children
" In the great mountains of the Far West lives a
cousin, Blacktail, also called Columbian Black-
tailed Deer, and another cousin, Forkhorn the
Mule Deer. Blacktail is nearly the size of Light-
foot. He is not quite so graceful, his ears are
larger, being much like those of Forkhorn the
Mule Deer, to whom he is closely related, and his
tail is wholly black on the upper surface. It is
from this he gets his name. His antlers vary,
sometimes being much like those of Lightfoot
and again like those of Forkhorn. He is a lover
of dense forests and is not widely distributed.
He is not nearly so smart as Lightfoot in out-
witting hunters.
" Forkhorn the Mule Deer, sometimes called
Jumping Deer, is larger than Lightfoot and much
more heavily built. His big ears, much like those
of a Mule, have won for him the name of Mule
Deer. His face is a dull white with a black patch
on the forehead and a black band under the chin.
His tail is rather short and is not broad at the
base like Lightfoot's. It is white with a black
tip. Because of this he is often called Black-
tailed Deer, but this is wrong because that name
belongs to his cousin, the true Blacktail.
"Forkhorn's antlers are his glory. They are
even finer than Lightfoot's. The prongs, or tines,
are in pairs like the letter Y instead of in a row
[312]
Lightfoot, Blacktail and Forkhorn
as are those of Lightfoot, and usually there are
two pairs on each antler. Forkhorn prefers rough
country and there he is very much at home, his
powers of jumping enabling him to travel with
ease where his enemies find it difficult to follow.
Like Blacktail he is not nearly so clever as Light-
foot the White-tail and so is more easily killed
by hunters.
" All these members of the Deer family belong
to the round-horn branch, and are very much
smaller than the members of the flat-horn branch.
But there is one who in size makes all the others
look small indeed. It is Bugler the Elk, or
Wapiti, of whom I shall tell you to-morrow."
[313]
CHAPTER XXXVI
BUGLER, FLATHORNS AND WANDERHOOF
LIGHTFOOT THE DEER was the first one on hand
the next morning. In fact, he arrived before
sun-up and, lying down in a little thicket close
at hand, made himself very comfortable to wait
for the opening of school. You see, not for any-
thing would he have missed that lesson about his
big cousins. There the others found him when
they arrived.
" The Deer family,'" began Old Mother Nature,
" is divided into two branches, - the round-
horned and the flat-horned. I have told you
about the round-horned Deer with the exception
of the largest and noblest, Bugler the Elk. He is
commonly called Elk, but his right name is
Wapiti.
" Bugler is found only in the great mountains
of the Far West, but once, before hunters with
terrible guns came, Elk were found in nearly all
parts of this country excepting the Far South and
[314]
Bugler, Flathorns and Wanderhoof
the Far North, even on the great plains. Now
Bugler lives only in the forests of the great moun-
tains."
" How big is he ? ' ' asked Lightfoot.
" So big that beside him you would look very
small," replied Old Mother Nature. " Have you
ever seen Farmer Brown's Horse ?"
Lightfoot nodded. " Well, Bugler stands as
high as that Horse," replied Old Mother Nature.
" He is n't as heavy, for his body is of different
shape, not so big around, but at that he weighs
three times as much as you do. In summer his
coat is a light yellowish-brown, becoming very
dark on his neck and underneath. His legs are
dark brown. The hair on his neck is long and
coarse. His tail is very small, and around it is
a large patch so light in color as to be almost
whitish. In winter his coat becomes dark gray.
" Bugler's crowning glory are his antlers. They
are very large and wide-spreading, sweeping back-
ward and upward, the long prongs, or tines, curv-
ing upward from the front instead of from the
back, as in the case of Lightfoot's antlers. Above
each eye is a long sharp prong. So big are these
antlers that Bugler looks almost as if he were
carrying a small, bare tree on his head.
" Big as these antlers are, they are grown in a
few months, for Bugler is like his smaller cousins
[315]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
in that he loses his antlers at the end of every
winter and must grow a new pair. While they are
growing, he hides in the wildest places he can
find, high up on the mountains. Mrs. Bugler is
at that time down in a valley with her baby or
babies. Usually she has one, but sometimes
twins. She has no antlers.
" In the fall, when his antlers have hardened,
Bugler moves down to join his family. The bigger
and stronger he is, the bigger his family is, for he
has a number of wives and they all live together
in a herd or band of which Bugler is lord and
master. He is ready and eager to fight for them,
and terrible battles take place when another dis-
putes his leadership. At this season he has a
habit of stretching his neck out and emitting a
far-reaching trumpet-like sound from which he
gets the name of Bugler. It is a warning that he is
ready to fight.
" When the snows of winter come, many families
get together and form great bands. Then they
move down from the mountains in search of shelter
and food. W 7 hen a winter is very bad, many
starve to death, for man has fenced in and made
into farms much of the land where the elk once
found ample food for winter.
" But big as is Bugler the Elk, there is a cousin
who is bigger, the biggest of all the Deer family.
[316]
Bugler, Flathorns and Wanderhoof
It is Flathorns the Moose. As you must guess
by his name he is a member of the flat-horned
branch of the family. His antlers spread widely
and are flattened instead of being round. From
the edges of the flattened part many sharp points
spring out.
" Flathorns, wearing his crown of great spread-
ing antlers, is a noble appearing animal because
of his great size, but when his antlers have dropped
he is a homely fellow. Mrs. Flathorns, who has
no antlers, is very homely. As I have said,
Flathorns is the biggest member of the Deer
family. He is quite as big as Farmer Brown's
Horse and stands much higher at the shoulders.
Indeed, his shoulders are so high that he has a
decided hump there, for they are well above the
line of his back. His neck is very short, large
and thick, and his head is not at all like the heads
of other members of the Deer family. Instead of
the narrow, pointed face of other members of the
Deer family, he has a broad, long face, rather more
like that of a horse. Towards the nose it humps
up, and the great thick upper lip overhangs the
lower one. His nose is very broad, and for his
size his eyes are small. His ears are large.
" From his throat hangs a hairy fold of skin
called a bell. He has a very short tail, so short
that it is hardly noticeable. His legs are very
[317]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
long and rather large. His hoofs are large and
rounded, more like those of Bossy the Cow than
like those of Lightfoot the Deer. Seen at a little
distance in the woods, he looks to be almost black,
but really is for the most part dark brown. His
legs are gray on the inside.
" Flathorns lives in the great northern forests
clear across the country, and is especially fond of
swampy places. He is fond of the water and is
a good swimmer. In summer he delights to feed
on the pads, stems and roots of water lilies, and
his long legs enable him to wade out to get them.
For the most part his food consists of leaves and
tender twigs of young trees, such as striped maple,
aspen, birch, hemlock, alder and willow. His
great height enables him to reach the upper
branches of young trees. When they are too tall
for this, he straddles them and bends or breaks
them down to get at the upper branches. His
front teeth are big, broad and sharp-edged. With
these he strips the bark from the larger branches.
He also eats grass and moss. Because of his long
legs and short neck he finds it easiest to kneel
when feeding on the ground.
" Big as he is, he can steal through thick growth
without making a sound. He does not jump like
other Deer, but travels at an awkward trot which
takes him over the ground very fast. In the
[318]
BUGLER THE ELK. To speak of him correctly you should call him Wapiti
instead of Elk.
Bugler, Flathorns and Wanderhoof
-
winter when snow is deep, the Moose family lives
in a yard such as I told you Lightfoot makes.
The greatest enemy of Flathorns is the hunter,
and from being much hunted Flathorns has
learned to make the most of his ears, eyes and
nose. He is very smart and not easily surprised.
When wounded he will sometimes attack man,
and occasionally when not wounded. Then he
strikes with his sharp-edged front hoofs, and they
are terrible weapons. Altogether he is a wonder-
ful animal, and it is a matter for sorrow that man
persists in hunting him merely to get his wonderful
head.
" In parts of these same northern forests lives
another big member of the Deer family, Wander-
hoof the Woodland Caribou. He is bigger than
Lightfoot the Deer, but smaller than Bugler the
Elk, rather an awkward-looking fellow. His legs
are quite long but stout. His neck is rather
short, and instead of carrying his head proudly
as does Lightfoot, he carries it stretched out be-
fore him or hanging low. The hair on the lower
part of his neck is long.
" Wanderhoof wears a coat of brown, his neck
being much lighter or almost gray. He has an
undercoat which is very thick and woolly. In
winter his whole coat becomes grayish and his
neck white. Above each hoof is a band of white.
[319]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
His tail is very short, and white on the under side.
His antlers are wonderful, being very long and both
round and flat. That is, parts of them are round
and parts flattened. They have more prongs
than those of any other Deer.
" His hoofs are very large, deeply slit, and cup-
shaped. When he walks they make a snapping
or clicking sound. These big feet were given him
for a purpose. He is very fond of boggy ground,
and because of these big feet and the fact that
the hoofs spread when he steps, he can walk
safely where others would sink in. This is equally
true in snow, when they serve as snowshoes. As
a result he is not forced to live in yards as are
Lightfoot and Fla thorns when the snow is deep,
but goes where he pleases.
" He is very fond of the water and delights to
splash about in it, and is a splendid swimmer. His
hair floats him so that when swimming he is higher
out of water than any other member of the family.
In winter he lives in the thickest parts of the forest
among the hemlocks and spruces, and feeds on
the mosses and lichens which grow on the trees.
In summer he moves to the open, boggy ground
around shallow lakes where moss covers the
ground, and on this he lives.
; He is a great wanderer, hence his name
Wanderhoof. Mrs. Caribou has antlers, wherein
[320]
Bugler, Flathorns and Wanderhoof
she differs from Mrs. Lightfoot, Mrs. Flathorns
and Mrs. Bugler. Wanderhoof is fond of com-
pany and usually is found with many companions
of his own kind. When they are moving from
their summer home to their winter home, or back
again, they often travel in very large bands.
" In the Far North beyond the great forests
Wanderhoof has a' cousin who looks very much
like him, called the Barren Ground Caribou.
The name comes from the fact that way up there
little excepting moss grows, and on this the
Caribou lives. In summer this Caribou is found
almost up to the Arctic Ocean, moving southward
in great herds as the cold weather approaches.
No other animals of to-day get together in such
great numbers. In the extreme North is another
Caribou, called Peary's Caribou, whose coat is
wholly white. The Caribou are close cousins of
the Reindeer and look much like them.
" All male members of the smaller Deer are called
bucks, the female members are called does, and
the young are called fawns. All male members
of the big Deer, such as Bugler the Elk, Flat-
horns the Moose and Wanderhoof the Caribou,
are called bulls. The females are called cows
and the young are called calves. All members
of the Deer family, with the exception of the
Barren Ground Caribou, are forest-loving animals
' [ 321 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
and are seldom seen far from the sheltering
woods.
"This, I think, will do for the Deer family.
To-morrow I shall tell you about Thunderfoot
the Bison, Fleetfoot the Antelope, and Long-
coat the Musk Ox."
CHAPTER XXXVII
THUNDERFOOT, FLEETFOOT AND LONGCOAT
" WHO remembers the name of the order to
which all members of the Deer family belong?'
asked Old Mother Nature.
" I remember what it means, but not the name,"
spoke up Happy Jack Squirrel. " It means
hoofed."
" It is Un Un Ungu " began Peter Rabbit
and then stopped. For the life of him he could n't
think of the rest.
" Ungulata," Old Mother Nature finished for
him. " And Happy Jack has the meaning right.
It is the order to which all hoofed animals belong.
There are several families in the order, one of
which you already have learned about - the Deer
family. Now comes the family of Cattle and Sheep.
It is called the Bovidse family, and the biggest
and most important member is Thunderfoot the
Bison, commonly called Buffalo.
" Thunderfoot is more closely related to Bossy,
[323]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Farmer Brown's Cow, than are the members of
the Deer family, for he has true horns, not antlers.
These are hollow and are not dropped each year,
but are carried through life. Mrs. Thunderfoot
has them also. The horns grow out from the sides
of the forehead and then curve upward and in-
ward, and are smooth and sharp. They are never
branched.
" Thunderfoot is a great, heavy fellow the size
of Farmer Brown's Ox, and has a great hump on
his shoulders. He carries his head low and from
his throat hangs a great beard. His head is
large and is so covered with thick, curly hair that
it appears much larger than it really is. His tail
is rather short and ends in a tassel of hair. The
hair on his body and hind quarters is short and
light brown, but on his shoulders and neck and
his fore legs to the knees it is long and shaggy,
dark brown above and almost black below."
" He must be a queer looking fellow," spoke up
Chatterer the Red Squirrel.
"He is," replied Old Mother Nature. "The
front half of him looks so much bigger than the
rear half that it almost seems as if they did n't
belong together."
" What does he eat ? ' asked Jumper the Hare.
Grass," replied Old Mother Nature promptly.
He grazes just as does Bossy. When the weather
[ 324 ]
(C
Thunderfoot, Fleetfoot and Long coat
becomes hot his thick coat, although much of it
has been shed, becomes most uncomfortable. Also
he is tormented by flies. Then he delights in
rolling in mud until he is plastered with it from
head to feet.
" Many years ago there were more Bison than
any other large animal in this country, and they
were found in nearly all parts of it. Some lived
in the woods and were called Wood Buffaloes, but
the greatest number lived on the great plains and
prairies, where the grass was plentiful. I have
told you about the great herd of Barren Ground
Caribou, but this is nothing to the great herds of
Bison that used to move north or south, according
to the season, across the great prairies. In the
fall they moved south. In the spring they moved
north, following the new grass as it appeared.
When they galloped, the noise of their feet was
like thunder.
"But the hunters with terrible guns came and
killed them for their skins, killed them by hun-
dreds of thousands, and in just a few years those
great herds became only a memory. Thunder-
foot, once Lord of the Prairies, was driven out of all
his great kingdom, and the Bison, from being the
most numerous of all large animals, is to-day
reduced to just a few hundreds, and most of these
are kept in parks by man. Barely in time did
[ 325 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
man make laws to protect Thunderfoot. Without
this protection he would not exist to-day.
" A close neighbor of Thunderfoot's in the
days when he was Lord of the Prairies was Fleet-
foot the Antelope. Fleetfoot is about the size of
a small Deer, and in 'his graceful appearance re-
minds one of Lightfoot, for he has the same trim
body and long slim legs. He is built for speed
and looks it. From just a glance at him you
would know him for a runner just as surely as a
look at Jumper the Hare would tell you that he
must travel in great bounds. The truth is, Fleet-
foot is the fastest runner among all my children
in this country. Not one can keep up with him
in a race.
"Fleetfoot's coat is a light yellowish-brown on
the back and white underneath. His forehead is
brown and the sides of his face white. His throat
and under side of his neck are white, crossed by
two bands of brown. His hoofs, horns and eyes
are black, and there is a black spot under each ear.
Near the end of his nose he is also black, and down
the back of his neck is a black line of stiff longer
hairs. A large white patch surrounds his short tail.
Who remembers what I told you about Antelope
Jack, the big Jack Hare of the Southwest ? '
"I do ! ' cried Peter Rabbit and Jumper the
Hare together.
[ 326 ]
FLATHORNS THE MOOSE. He is the largest member of the Deer family.
Thunderfoot, Fleetfoot and Longcoat
"What was it, Jumper?" asked Old Mother
Nature.
" You said that he has a way of making the
white of his sides seem to grow so that he seems
almost all white, and can signal his friends in this
way," replied Jumper.
. " Quite right," replied Old Mother Nature. " I
am glad to find that you remember so well. Fleet-
foot does the same thing with this white patch
around his tail. The hairs are quite long and he
can make them spread out so that that white
patch becomes much larger, and when he is running
it can be seen flashing in the sun long after he
is so far away that nothing else of him can be seen.
His eyes are wonderfully keen, so by means of
these white patches he and his friends can signal
each other when they are far apart.
" Fleetfoot has true horns, but they are unlike
any other horns in that they are shed every year,
just like the antlers of the Deer family. They
grow straight up just over the eyes, are rather
short, and fork. One branch is much shorter than
the other, and the longer one is turned over at
the end like a hook. From these horns he gets
the name of Pronghorn.
" When running from danger he carries his head
low and makes long leaps. When not frightened
he trots and holds his head high and proudly.
[ 327 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
He prefers flat open country, and there is no more
beautiful sight on all the great plains of the West
than a band of Fleetfoot and his friends. He is
social and likes the company of his own kind.
" The time was when these beautiful creatures
were almost as numerous as the Bison, but like
the latter they have been killed until now there
is real danger that unless man protects them
better than he is doing there will come a day when
the last. Antelope will be killed, and one of the
most beautiful and interesting of all my children
will be but a memory."
There was a note of great sadness in Old Mother
Nature's voice. For a few minutes no one spoke.
All were thinking of the terrible thing that had
happened at the hands of man to the great hosts
of two of the finest animals in all this great land,
the Bison and Antelope, and there was bitterness
in the heart of each one, for there was not one
there who did not himself have cause to fear
man.
Old Mother Nature was the first to break the
silence. " Now/" said she, " I will tell you of the
oddest member of the Cattle and Sheep family.
It is Longcoat the Musk Ox, and he appears to
belong wholly neither to the Cattle nor the Sheep
branch of the family, but to both. He connects
the two branches in appearance, reminding one
[ 328 ]
Thunderfoot, Fleetfoot and Longcoat
somewhat of a small Bison and at the same time
having things about him very like a Sheep.
" Longcoat the Musk Ox lives in the Farthest
North, the land of snow and ice. He has been
found very near the Arctic Ocean, and how he
finds enough to eat in the long winter is a mystery
to those who know that snow-covered land. He
is a heavily built, round-bodied animal with short,
stout legs, shoulders so high that they form a
hump, a low-hung head and sheeplike face, heavy
horns which are flat and broad at the base and
meet at the center of the forehead, sweeping down
on each side of the head and then turning up in
sharp points. His tail is so short that it is hidden
in the long hair which covers him.
" This hair is so long that it hangs down on each
side so that often it touches the snow and hides
his legs nearly down to his feet. In color it is
very dark - - brown, almost black, and on his
sides is straight. But on his shoulders it is curly.
In the middle of the back is a patch of shorter
dull-gray hair.
" Underneath this coat of long hair is another
coat of woolly, fine light-brown hair, so close that
neither cold nor rain can get through it. It is this
warm coat that makes it possible for him to live
in that terribly cold region. He is about twice as
heavy as a big Deer. At times he gives off a musky
[329]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
odor, and it is from this that he gets his name of
Musk Ox.
" Longcoat is seldom found alone, but usually
with a band of his friends. This is partly for
protection from his worst enemies, the Wolves.
When the latter appear, Longcoat and his friends
form a circle with their heads out, and it is only
a desperately hungry Wolf that will try to break
through that line of sharp-pointed horns.
" In rough, rocky country he is as sure-footed as
a Sheep. In the short summer of that region he
finds plenty to eat, but in winter he has to paw
away the snow to get at the moss and other plants
buried beneath it. Practically all other animals
living so far North have white coats, but Long-
coat retains his dark coat the year through.
"My, how time flies! This is all for to-day.
To-morrow I will tell you of two wonderful moun-
tain climbers who go with ease where even man
cannot follow."
[330]
WANDERHOOF THE CARIBOU. This is the Woodland Caribou, a mem-
ber of the Deer family closely related to the Reindeer.
\
CHAPTER XXXVIII
TWO WONDERFUL MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS
" PETER, you have been up in the Old Pasture
many times, so you must have seen the Sheep
there," said Old Mother Nature, turning to Peter
Rabbit.
" Certainly. Of course," replied Peter. " They
seem to me rather stupid creatures. Anyway
they look stupid."
" Then you know the leader of the flock, the
big ram with curling horns," continued Old
Mother Nature.
Peter nodded, and Old Mother Nature went on.
" Just imagine him with a smooth coat of grayish-
brown instead of a white woolly one, and immense
curling horns many times larger than those he
now has. Give him a large whitish or very light-
yellowish patch around a very short tail. Then
you will have a very good idea of one of those
mountain climbers I promised to tell you about,
one of the greatest mountain climbers in all the
[ 331 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Great World - - Bighorn the Mountain Sheep,
also called Rocky Mountain Bighorn and Rocky
Mountain Sheep.
" Bighorn is a true Sheep and lives high up
among the rocks of the highest mountains of the
Far West. Like all members of the order to
which he belongs his feet are hoofed, but they are
hoofs which never slip, and he delights to bound
along the edges of great cliffs and in making his
way up or down them where it looks as if it would
be impossible for even Chatterer the Red Squirrel
to find footing, to say nothing of such a big fellow
as Bighorn.
" The mountains where he makes his home are
so high that the tops of many of them are in the
clouds and covered with snow even in summer.
Above the line where trees can no longer grow
Bighorn spends his summers, coming down to the
lower hills only when the snow becomes so deep
that he cannot paw down through it to get food.
His eyesight is wonderful and from his high look-
out he watches for enemies below, and small chance
have they of approaching him from that direction.
When alarmed he bounds away gracefully as
if there were great springs in his legs, and his great
curled horns are carried as easily as if they were
nothing at all. Down rock slopes, so steep that a
single misstep would mean a fall hundreds of feet,
[ 332 ]
Two Wonderful Mountain Climbers
he bounds as swiftly and easily as Lightfoot the
Deer bounds through the woods, leaping from one
little jutting point of rock to another and landing as
securely as if he were on level ground. He climbs
with equal ease where man would have to crawl
and cling with fingers and toes, or give up alto-
gether.
" Mrs. Bighorn does not have the great curling
horns. Instead she is armed with short, sharp-
pointed horns, like spikes. Her young are born
in the highest, most inaccessible place she can
find, and there they have little to fear save from
one enemy, King Eagle. Only such an enemy,
one with wings, can reach them there. Bighorn
and Mrs. Bighorn, because of their size, have
nothing to dread from these great birds, but the
helpless little lambs are continually in danger of
furnishing King Eagle with the dinner he most
prizes.
" Only when driven to the lower slopes and hills
by storms and snow does Bighorn have cause to
fear four-footed enemies. Then Puma the Panther
must be watched for, and lower down Howler the
Wolf. But Bighorn's greatest enemy, and the
one he fears most, is the same one so many others
have sad cause to fear, - the hunter with his
terrible gun. The terrible gun can kill where
man himself cannot climb, and Bighorn has been
[ 333 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
persistently hunted for his head and wonderful
horns.
" Some people believe that Bighorn leaps from
cliffs and alights on those great horns, but this
is not true. Whenever he leaps he alights oft
those sure feet of his, not on his head.
"Way up in the extreme northwest corner of
this country, in a place called Alaska, is a close
cousin whose coat is all white and whose horns are
yellow and more slender and wider spreading. He
is called the Dall Mountain Sheep. Farther
south, but not as far south as the home of Big-
horn, is another cousin whose coat is so dark that
he is sometimes called the Black Mountain Sheep.
His proper name is Stone's Mountain Sheep. In
the mountains between these two is another cousin
with a white head and dark body called Fannin's
Sheep. All these cousins are closely related and
in their habits are much alike. Of them all,
Bighorn the Rocky Mountain Sheep is the best
known."
" I should think," said Peter Rabbit, " that way
up there on those high mountains Bighorn would
be very lonesome."
Old Mother Nature laughed. " Bighorn does n't
care for neighbors as you do, Peter," said she.
f But even up in those high rocky retreats among
the clouds he has a neighbor as sure-footed as
[ 334 ]
m
FLEETFOOT THE ANTELOPE. Unless rigidly protected this beautiful animal
will soon become extinct.
Two Wonderful Mountain Climbers
himself, one who stays winter as well as summer on
the mountain tops. It is Billy the Rocky Moun-
tain Goat.
" Billy is as awkward-looking as he moves about
as Bighorn is graceful, but he will go where even
Bighorn will hesitate to follow. His hoofs are
small and especially planned for walking in safety
on smooth rock and ice-covered ledges. In weight
he is about equal to Lightfoot the Deer, but he
does n't look in the least like him.
" In the first place he has a hump on his shoulders
much like the humps of Thunderfoot the Bison
and Longcoat the Musk Ox. Of course this means
that he carries his head low. His face is very
long and from beneath his chin hangs a white
beard. From his forehead two rather short, slim,
black horns stand up with a little curve backward.
His coat is white and the hair is long and straight.
Under this long white coat he wears a thick coat
of short, woolly, yellowish-white fur which keeps
him warm in the coldest weather. He seldom
leaves his beloved mountain-tops, even in the
worst weather of winter, as Bighorn sometimes
does, but finds shelter among the rocks. The
result is that he has practically no enemies save
man to fear.
" Often he spends the summer where the snow
remains all the year through and his white coat
[ 335 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
is a protection from the keenest eyes. You see,
when not moving, he looks in the distance for all
the world like a patch of snow on the rocks.
" Not having a handsome head or wonderful
horns he has not been hunted by man quite so
much as has Bighorn, and therefore is not so alert
and wary. Both he and Bighorn are more easily
approached from above than from below, because
they do not expect danger from above and so do
not keep so sharp a watch in that direction. The
young are sometimes taken by King Eagle, but
otherwise Billy Goat's family has little to fear
from enemies, always excepting the hunter with
his terrible gun.
"I have now told you of the members of the
Cattle and Sheep family, what they look like
and where they live and how. There is still one
more member of the order Ungulata and this one
is in a way related to another member of Farmer
Brown's barnyard. I will leave you to guess
which one. What is it, Peter ? '
" If you please, in just what part of the Far
West are the mountains where Billy Goat lives ? '
replied Peter.
" Chiefly in the northern part," replied Old
Mother Nature. " In the Northwest these moun-
tains are very close to the ocean and Billy does
not appear to mind in the least the fogs that roll
[ 336 ]
Two Wonderful Mountain Climbers
in, and seems to enjoy the salt air. Sometimes
there he comes down almost to the shore. Are
there any more questions ? '
There were none, so school was dismissed for
the day. Peter did n't go straight home. In-
stead he went up to the Old Pasture for another
look at the old ram there and tried to picture to
himself just what Bighorn must look like. Es-
pecially he looked at the hoofs of the old ram.
" It is queer," muttered Peter, " how feet like
those can be so safe up on those slippery rocks
Old Mother Nature told us about. Anyway, it
seems queer to me. But it must be so if she says it
is. My, my, my, what a lot of strange people
there are in this world ! And what a lot there is
to learn ! "
[337]
CHAPTER XXXIX
PIGGY AND HARDSHELL
ALL the way to school the next morning Peter
Rabbit did his best to guess who it might be that
they were to learn about that day. " Old Mother
Nature said that he is related to some one who
lives in Farmer Brown's barnyard," said Peter
to himself. " Now who can it be ? '
But try as he would, Peter could n't think of
any one. He asked Juniper the Hare if he had
guessed who it could be. Jumper shook his head.
" I have n't the least idea," said he. " You
know I seldom leave the Green Forest and I
never have been over to that barnyard in my life,
so of course I don't know who lives there."
Danny Meadow Mouse and Whitefoot the Wood
Mouse were no wiser, nor was Johnny Chuck.
But Chatterer the Red Squirrel, it was plain to see,
was quite sure he knew who it was. Chatterer
had been over to Farmer Brown's so often to steal
corn from the corn crib that he knew all about
[338]
LONGCOAT THE MUSK OX. He is related to both cattle and sheep and his
home is in the Arctic regions.
Piggy and Hardshell
that barnyard and who lived there. But though
Peter and the others teased him to tell them he
would n't.
So when Old Mother Nature asked who had
guessed to whom she had referred Chatterer was
the only one to reply. " I think you must have
meant the Pig who is always rooting about and
grunting in that barnyard/' said he.
" Your guess is right, Chatterer," she replied,
smiling at the little red-coated rascal, " and this
morning I will tell you a little about a relative of
his who does n't live in a barnyard, but lives in
the forest, as free and independent as you are.
It is Piggy the Peccary, known as the Collared
Peccary, also called Wild Pig, Muskhog, Texas
Peccary and Javelina.
" He is a true Pig and in shape resembles that
lazy, fat fellow in Farmer Brown's barnyard when
he was little. You would know him for a Pig
right away if you should see him. But in every
other way excepting his habit of rooting up the
ground with his nose, he is a wholly different
fellow. For one thing his legs, though short, are
more slender and he is a fast runner. There is n't
a lazy bone in him, and he is too active to grow
fat.
" His head is large and his nose long, and his
tail is almost no tail at all; it is just a little
[ 339 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
rounded knob, as if he had at one time had a
tail and it had been cut off. His hair is coarse
and stiff, the kind of hair called bristles. From
the back of his head along his back the bristles
are long and stout. They are black at the tips
so that he appears to have a black back. When
Piggy is angry he raises these long bristles so
that they stand straight up and this gives him a
very fierce appearance.
" His color is so dark a gray that at a distance
he appears black. Indeed he is black on many
parts of him. Just back of the neck a whitish
band crosses the shoulders, and this is why he is
called the Collared Peccary. You see he seems
to be wearing a collar. On each jaw are two great
pointed teeth called tusks, the two upper ones so
long that they project beyond the lips. These
tusks are Piggy's weapons, and very good ones
they are.
" The home of Piggy the Peccary is in the hot
southwestern part of this country, where live
Jaguar and Ocelot, the beautiful spotted members
of the Cat family. They are two of his enemies.
He never likes to be alone, but lives with a band
of his friends and they roam about together. He
is found on the plains and among low hills, in
swamps and dense forests, and among the thickets
of cactus and other thorny plants that grow in
[ 340 ]
Piggy and Hardshell
dry regions. Plenty of food and shelter from
the hot sun seem to be the main things with
Piggy." . :
" What does he eat ? ' asked Peter Rabbit.
Old Mother Nature laughed. "It would be
easier, Peter, to tell you what he does n't eat,"
said she. " He eats everything eatable, nuts,
fruits, seeds, roots and plants of various kinds,
insects, Frogs, Lizards, Snakes and any small
animals he can catch. Sometimes he does great
damage to gardens and crops planted by man.
He delights to root in the earth with his nose and
often turns over much ground in this way, search-
ing for roots good to eat.
" On the lower part of his back he carries a
little bag of musky scent, and from this he gets
the name of Muskhog. While as a rule he wisely
runs from danger, he is no coward, and will fight
fiercely when cornered. His friends at once rush
to help him and surround the enemy, who is
usually glad to climb a tree to escape their gnash-
ing tusks. However, he is not the fierce animal
he has been reported to be, ready to attack un-
provoked. He will run away if he can. Mr. and
Mrs. Peccary have two babies at a time.
" This is the last of the hoofed animals and the
last but one of the land animals of this great
country, so you see we are almost to the end of
[341]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
school. This last one is perhaps the queerest of
all. It is Hardshell the Armadillo, and belongs
to the order Edentata, which means toothless."
" Do you mean to say that there are animals with
no teeth at all?' asked Happy Jack Squirrel,
looking as if he could n't believe such a thing.
Old Mother Nature nodded. " That is just
what I mean," said she. " There are animals
without any teeth, though not in this country,
and others with so few teeth that they have been
put in the same order with the wholly toothless
ones. Hardshell the Armadillo is one of these.
He has no teeth at all in the front of his mouth,
and such teeth as he has got do not amount to
much."
"But why do you call him Hardshell?' asked
Peter impatiently.
" Because instead of a coat of fur he wears a
coat of shell," replied Old Mother Nature, and
then laughed right out at the funny expressions
on the faces before her. It was quite clear that
Peter and his friends were having hard work to
believe she was in earnest. They suspected her of
joking.
"Do - - do you mean that he lives in a sort of
house that he carries with him like Spotty the
Turtle ? ' ventured Peter.
" It is a shell, but not like that of Spotty," ex-
[342]
BIGHORN THE MOUNTAIN SHEEP. His sure-footedness is the marvel
of all who have seen him in his mountain home.
BILLY THE MOUNTAIN GOAT. His home is high in the great mountains
of the Pacific coast.
Piggy and Hardshell
plained Old Mother Nature. " Spotty's shell is
all one piece, but the Armadillo's shell is jointed,
so that he can roll up like a ball. Spotty is n't a
mammal, as are all of you and all those we have
been learning about, but is a reptile. Hardshell the
Armadillo, on the other hand, is a true mammal."
" Well, all I can say is that he must be a mighty
queer looking fellow," declared Peter.
" He is," replied Old Mother Nature. " He is
about the size of Unc' Billy Possum, and if you
can imagine a pig of about that size with very
short legs, a long tapering tail, feet with toes and
long claws and a shell covering his whole body,
the front of his face and even his tail, you will
have something of an idea what he looks like.
" He lives down in the hot Southwest where
Piggy the Peccary lives. His coat of shell is
yellowish in color and is divided in the middle of
his body into nine narrow bands or joints. Be-
cause of this he is called the Nine-banded Arma-
dillo. In the countries to the south of this he has
a cousin with three bands and another with six.
" Hardshell' s head is very long and he carries
it pointed straight down. His small eyes are set
far back, and at the top of his head are rather
large upright ears. The shell of his tail is divided
into many jointed rings so that he can move it
at will.
[ 343 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
" His tongue is long and sticky. This is so that
he can run it out for some distance and sweep up
the Ants and insects on which he largely lives.
His eyesight and hearing are not very good, and
having such a heavy, stiff coat he is a poor runner.
But he is a good digger. This means, of course,
that he makes his home in a hole in the ground.
When frightened he makes for this, but if over-
taken by an enemy he rolls up into a ball and is
safe from all save those with big and strong enough
teeth to break through the joints of his shell. He
eats some vegetable matter and is accused of
eating the eggs of ground-nesting birds, and of
dead decayed flesh he may find. However, his
food consists chiefly of Ants, insects of various
kinds, and worms. He is a harmless little fellow
and interesting because he is so queer. He is
sometimes killed and eaten by man and his flesh
is considered very good. He has from four to
eight babies in the early spring. The baby
Armadillo has a soft, tough skin instead of a
shell, and as it grows it hardens until by the time
it is fully grown it has become a shell.
Now this finishes the lessons about the land
animals or mammals. There are other mammals
who live in the ocean, which is the salt water which
surrounds the land, and which, I guess, none of
you have ever seen. Some of these come on
[ 344 ]
Piggy and Hardshell
shore and some never do. To-morrow I will tell
you just a little about them, so that you will
know something about all the animals of this great
country which is called North America. That is,
I will if you want me to."
" We do ! Of course we do ! ' cried Peter
Rabbit, and it is plain that he spoke for all.
[345]
CHAPTER XL
THE MAMMALS OF THE SEA
IT was the last day of Old Mother Nature's
school in the Green Forest, and when jolly, round,
bright Mr. Sun had climbed high enough in the
blue, blue sky to peep down through the trees,
he found not one missing of the little people who
had been learning so much about themselves,
their relatives, neighbors and all the other animals
in every part of this great country. You see, not
for anything in the world would one of them will-
ingly have missed that last lesson.
"I told you yesterday," began Old Mother
Nature, " that the land is surrounded by water,
salt water, sometimes called the ocean and some-
times the sea. In this live the largest animals in
all the Great World and many others, some of
which sometimes come on land, and others which
never do.
" One of those which come on land is first cousin
to Little Joe Otter and is named the Sea Otter.
[ 346 ]
PIGGY THE COLLARED PECCARY. He is called Wild Pig and Muskhog.
TJie Mammals of the Sea
He lives in the cold waters of the western ocean
of the Far North. He much resembles Little
Joe Otter, whom you all know, but has finer,
handsomer fur. In fact, so handsome is his
fur that he has been hunted for it until now he is
among the shyest and rarest of all animals, and
has taken to living in the water practically all
the time, rarely visiting land. He lies on his
back in the water and gets his food from the
bottom of the sea. It is chiefly clams and other
shellfish. He rests on floating masses of sea plants.
He is very playful and delights to toss pieces of
seaweed from paw to paw as he lies floating on his
back. Of course he is a wonderful swimmer and
diver. Otherwise he could n't live in the sea.
" Another who comes on land, but only for a very
short distance from the water, is called the Walrus.
He belongs to an order called Finnipedia, which
means fin-footed. Instead of having legs and feet
for walking, members of this order have limbs
designed for swimming; these are more like
fins or paddles than anything else and are called
flippers. The Walrus is so big that I can give
you no idea how big he is, excepting to say that
he will weigh two thousand pounds. He is simply
a great mass of living flesh covered with a rough,
very thick skin without hair. From his upper
jaw two immense ivory tusks hang straight down,
[347]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
and with these he digs up shellfish at the bottom
of the sea. It is a terrible effort for him to move
on shore, and so he is content to stay within a few
feet of the water. He also lives in the cold waters
of the Far North amidst floating ice. On this
he often climbs out to lie for hours. His voice
is a deep grunt or bellowing roar. The young are
born on land close to the water.
" The Sea Lions belong to this same fin -footed
order. The best known of these are the California
Sea Lion and the Fur Seal, which is not a true
Seal. The California Sea Lion is also called the
Barking Sea Lion because of its habit of barking,
and is the best known of the family. It is fre-
quently seen on the rocks along the shore and on
the islands off the western coast. These Sea
Lions are sleek animals, exceedingly graceful in
the water. They have long necks and carry
their heads high. They are covered with short
coarse hair and have small, sharp-pointed ears.
Their front flippers have neither hair nor claws,
but their hind flippers have webbed toes. They
are able to move about on land surprisingly well for
animals lacking regular legs and feet, and can
climb on and over rocks rapidly. Naturally they
are splendid swimmers.
" The largest member of the family is the S teller
Sea Lion, who sometimes grows to be almost as
[ 348 ]
The Mammals of the Sea
big as a Walrus. He is not sleek and graceful
like his smaller cousin, but has an enormously
thick neck and heavy shoulders. His voice is a
roar rather than a bark. The head of an old Sea
Lion is so much like that of a true Lion that the
name Sea Lion has been given this family.
" The most valuable member of the family, so
far as man is concerned, is the Fur Seal, also called
Sea Bear. It is very nearly the size and form of
the California Sea Lion, but under the coarse outer
hair, which is gray in color, is a wonderful soft,
fine, brown fur and for this the Fur Seal has been
hunted so persistently that there was real danger
that soon the very last one would be killed. Now
wise and needed laws protect the Fur Seals on
their breeding grounds, which are certain islands
in the Far North. The young of all members of
this family are born on shore, but soon take to
the water. The Fur Seal migrates just as the
birds do, but always returns to the place of its
birth. Man and the Polar Bear are its enemies
on land and ice, and the Killer Whale in the water.
Mr. Fur Seal always has many wives and this is
true of the other members of the Sea Lion family
and of the Walrus. The males are three or four
times the size of the females. Among themselves
the males are fierce fighters.
" The true Seals are short-necked, thick-bodied,
[ 349 ]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
and have rather round heads with no visible ears.
The Walrus and Sea Lions can turn their hind
flippers forward to use as feet on land, but this
the true Seals cannot do. Therefore they are
more clumsy out of water. Their front flippers
are covered with hair.
" The one best known is the Harbor or Leopard
Seal. It is found along both coasts, often swimming
far up big rivers. It is one of the smallest members
of the family. Sometimes it is yellowish-gray
spotted with black and sometimes dark brown
with light spots.
" The Ringed Seal is about the same size or a
little smaller than the Harbor Seal and is found
as far north as it can find breathing holes in
the ice. You know all these animals breathe air
just as land animals do. This Seal looks much
like the Harbor Seal, but is a little more slender.
" Another member of the family is the Harp,
Saddle-back or Greenland Seal. He is larger
than the other two and has a black head and gray
body with a large black ring on the back. The
female is not so handsome, being merely spotted.
" The handsomest Seal is the Ribbon Seal. He
is about the size of his cousin the Harbor Seal.
He is also called the Harlequin Seal. Sometimes
his coat is blackish-brown and sometimes yellow-
ish-gray, but always he has a band of yellowish-
[350]
HARDSHELL THE ARMADILLO. This is the nine-banded Armadillo of the
southwest.
The Mammals of the Sea
white, like a broad ribbon, from his throat around
over the top of his head, and another band which
starts on his chest and goes over his shoulder,
curves down and finally goes around his body
not far above the hind flippers. Only the male
is so marked. This Seal is rather rare. Like
most of the others it lives in the cold waters of
the Far North.
" The largest of the Seals is the Elephant Seal,
once numerous, but killed by man until now there
are few members of this branch of the family. He
is a tremendous fellow and has a movable nose
which hangs several inches below his mouth.
" The queerest-looking member of the family is
the Hooded Seal. Mr. Seal of this branch of
the family is rather large, and on top of his nose
he carries a large bag of skin which he can fill with
air until he looks as if he w r ere wearing a queer
hood or bonnet.
" The Seals complete the list of animals which
live mostly in the water but come out on land or
ice at times. Now I will tell you of a true mammal,
w T arm-blooded, just as you are, and air-breathing,
but which never comes on land. This is the
Manatee or Sea Cow. It lives in the warm waters
of the Sunny South, coming up from the sea in the
big rivers. It is a very large animal, sometimes
growing as big as a medium-sized Walrus. The
[351]
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
head is round, somewhat like that of a Seal. The
lips are thick and big, the upper one split in the
middle. The eyes are small. It has but two
flippers, and these are set in at the shoulders. In-
stead of hind flippers, such as the Seals and Sea
Lions have, the Manatee has a broad, flattened
and rounded tail which is used as a propeller,
just as fish use their tails. The neck is short and
large. In the water the Manatee looks black.
The skin is almost hairless.
" This curious animal lives on water plants.
Sometimes it will come close to a river bank and
with head and shoulders out of water feed on the
grasses which hang down from the bank. The
babies are, of course, born in the water, as the
Manatee never comes on shore. Now I think
this will end to-day's lesson and the school."
Peter Rabbit hopped up excitedly. " You said
that the largest animals in the world live in the
sea, and you have n't told us what they are," he
cried.
" True enough, Peter," replied Old Mother
Nature pleasantly. " The largest living animal is
a Whale, a true mammal and not a fish at all,
as some people appear to think. There are several
kinds of Whales, some of them comparatively
small and some the largest animals in the world,
so large that I cannot give you any idea of how
The Mammals of the Sea
big they are. Beside one of these, the biggest
Walrus would look like a baby. But the Whales
do not belong just to this country, so I think we
will not include them.
" Now we will close school. I hope you have
enjoyed learning as much as I have enjoyed teach-
ing, and I hope that what you have learned will
be of use to you as long as you live. The more
knowledge you possess the better fitted for your
part in the work of the Great World you will
be. Don't forget that, and never miss a chance to
learn."
And so ended Old Mother Nature's school in
the Green Forest. One by one her little pupils
thanked her for all she had taught them, and then
started for home. Peter Rabbit was the last.
" I know ever and ever so much more than I
did when I first came to you, but I guess that
after all I know very little of all there is to know,"
said he shyly, which shows that Peter really had
learned a great deal. Then he started for the
dear Old Briar-patch, lipperty-lipperty-lip.
\
[353]
INDEX
Antelope
Pronghorn ; Fleetfoot ; (Antilocapra americana) 326-328
Antelope Jack, 22-23
Armadillo
Nine-banded ; Hardshell ; (Dasypus novemcincta) 342-344
Six-banded, 343
Three-banded, 343
v
Badger
American ; Digger ; (Taxidea taxus) 202-207
Bandy the Banded Lemming, 141-143
Bassaris, 275-276
Bat
Big Brown ; House ; Carolina ; (Eptesicus fuscus) 191
Big-eared; (Corynorhinus macrotis) 192
Big-eared Desert ; (Antrozous pallidus) 192
Hoary; (Nycteris cinereus) 190-191
Little Brown; Cave; (My otis lucifugus) 190-191
Red; Tree; Flitter; (N T ycteris borealis) 183-190
Silvery; (Myotis subulatus) 191
Bear
Alaska Brown ; Great Brown ; Bigfoot ; (Ursus gyas) 290
Black ; Buster ; (Ursus americanus) 277-286
Cinnamon, 280
Grizzly ; Silvertip ; (Ursus horribilis) 287-290
Polar ; Snow King ; (Thalarctos maritimus) 290-293
Beaver
American; Paddy; (Castor canadensis) 99-111
Mountain; Boomer; Chehalis; Sewellel; Showt'l; Stubtail;
(Aplodontia rufa phsea) 77-81
[355]
Index
Bigear the Rock Mouse, 155-156
Bigfoot the Alaska Brown Bear, 290
Bighorn the Mountain Sheep, 331-334
Billy Goat, 335-337
Billy Mink, 218-223
Bison
American ; Buffalo ; Thunderfoot ; (Bison bison) 323-326
Blacktail the Deer, 312
Blarina, 171-172
Bobby Coon, 268-274
Buffalo, 323-326
Bugler the Elk, 314-316
Buster Bear, 277-286
Carcajou, 207-209
Caribou
Barren Ground ; (Rangifer arcticus) 321
Woodland; Wanderhoof; (Rangifer caribou) 319-321
Cat
Bob ; Wild ; Catamount, 255-260
Jaguarundi ; Eyra ; (Felis cacomitli) 267
Ring-tailed ; Civet ; Coon ; Cacomixtle ; Bassaris ; (Bas-
sariscus astutus) 275-276
Sneak, 263
Tiger, 266-267
Chatterer the Red Squirrel, 28-34, 37-44
Chipmunk
Rock Squirrel ; Striped Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) 34, 46-49
Cony, 73-77
Coyote, 248-253
Danny Meadow Mouse, 132-134, 136-140
Deer
Black-tailed ; Blacktail ; (Odocoileus columbianus) 312
Mule; Jumping; Forkhorn; (Odocoileus hemionus) 312-313
White-tailed; Virginia; Lightfoot; (Odocoileus virginianus)
302-311
Digger the Badger, 202-207
[356]
Index
Elk
American; Wapiti; Bugler; (Cervus canadensis) 314-316
Ermine, 211-217
Eyra, 267
Ferret; Black-footed; (Mustela nigripes) 71, 217
Fisher ; Blackcat ; Pennant Marten ; Pekan ; (Mustela pennanti)
91-92, 232-233
Flathorns the Moose, 317-319
Fleetfoot the Antelope, 326-328
Flitter the Bat, 183-190
Forkhorn the Mule Deer, 312-313
Fox
Arctic ; (Alopex lagopus) 245-246
Black, 242
Blue ; (Alopex lagopus pribilofensis) 246
Cross, 242
Desert ; (Vulpes macrotis) 245
Gray ; Tree ; (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) 244
Kit ; (Vulpes velox) 244-245
Red ; Reddy ; (Vulpes fulva) 1-3, 235-243
Silver, 242
Glutton the Wolverine, 207-209
Goat
Rocky Mountain, .Billy ; (Oreamnos montanus) 335-337
Gopher
Pocket ; Salamander ; Grubby ; (Geomys bursarius) 84-87
Ground Hog, 31, 36-37, 56-65
Grubby Gopher, 84-87
Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel, 27-34, 37-44
Hardshell the Armadillo, 342-344
Hare
Arctic; Snow White; (Lepus Arcticus) 19-20
Little Chief, 73-77
Northern ; Varying ; Snowshoe Rabbit ; Jumper (Lepus ameri-
canus) 9-17
[357]
Index
Hare Cont.
Prairie, 20-21
Swamp; Swamp Rabbit; (Lepus aquaticus) 18-19
Howler the Wolf, 250-253
Jack Rabbit, 23-25
Jaguar
El Tigre ; (Felis hernandesi) 265-266
Jerry Muskrat, 112-116
Jimmy Skunk, 193-202
Johnny Chuck, 31, 36-37, 56-65
Jumper the Hare, 9-17
Lemming
Banded ; Bandy ; (Dicrostonyx nelsoni) 141-143
Brown ; (Lemmus alascensis) 141-143
Lightfoot the Deer, 302-311
Lion
Mountain; Cougar; Panther; Painter; Sneak Cat; Puma;
(Felis couguar) 263-265
Little Chief Hare, 73-77
Little Joe Otter, 223-228
Little Robber the Cotton Rat, 120-121
Longcoat the Musk Ox, 328-330
Longfoot the Kangaroo Rat, 124-127
Lynx
Bay ; Bob Cat ; Catamount ; Wild Cat ; Yowler ; (Lynx ruffus)
255-260
Canada; Loup Cervier; Lucivee; Tufty; (Lynx canadensis)
260-262
Manatee
Sea Cow ; (Trichechus latirostris) 351-352
Marmot
American ; Ground Hog ; Woodchuck ; Johnny Chuck ; (Mar-
mota monax) 31, 36-37, 56-65
Gray ; Hoary ; Whistler ; (Marmota caligata) 65-67
Prairie Dog, 67-72
[358]
Index
Marten
Pine ; American Sable ; Spite ; (Martes americana) 229-232
Midget the Silky Pocket Mouse, 159-160
Miner the Mole, 173-180
Mink
American ; Billy ; (Mustela vison) 218-223
Mole
Brewer's; Hairy-tailed; (Parascalops breweri) 181
Common ; Miner ; (Scalops aquajicus) 173-180
Oregon ; (Scapanus townsendi) 181
Star-nosed; (Condylura cristata) 181-182
Moose
American; Flathorns; (Alces americanus) 317-319
Mouse
Beach ; (Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris) 156
Grasshopper; Scorpion; (Onychomys leucogaster) 160-161
Harvest; (Reithrodontomys megalotis) 161-162
House; Nibbler; (Mus musculus) 162-164
Jumping ; Nimbleheels ; (Zapus hudsonius) 143-149
Meadow ; Field ; Danny ; (Microtus pennsylvanicus) 132-134,
136-140
Pine; Piney; (Pitymys pinetorum) 150-152
Red-backed ; (Evotomys gapperi) 152-153
Rock; Bigear; (Peromyscus truei) 155-156
Rufous Tree ; Rufous ; (Phenacomys longicaudus) 153-155
Silky Pocket ; Midget ; (Pyrognathus flavus) 159-160
Spiny Pocket ; (Pyrognathus hispidus) 159-160
Wood; White-footed; Deer; Whitefoot; (Peromyscus leucopus)
129-132, 134-136
Musk Ox
Longcoat ; (Ovibus moschatus) 328-330
Muskrat, 112-116
Nibbler the House Mouse, 162-164
Nimbleheels the Jumping Mouse, 143-149
Ocelot
Tiger Cat ; (Felis pardalis) 266-267
Old Man Coyote, 248-250, 253
[359]
Index
Opossum
Virginia; Possum; Unc' Billy Possum; (Didelphis virginiana)
294-301
Otter
Canadian ; Little Joe ; (Lutra canadensis) 223-228
Sea ; (Latax lutris) 346-347
Paddy the Beaver, 99-111
Panther, 263-265
Peccary
Collared; Texas; Javelina; Muskhog; Wild Pig; Piggy;
(Pecari angulatus) 339-341
Pekan the Fisher, 91-92, 232-233
Peter Rabbit, 1-17
Piggy the Peccary, 339-341
Pika
Cony ; Little Chief Hare ; Little Chief ; (Ochontona princeps)
73-77
Piney the Pine Mouse, 150-152
Porcupine
Quill Pig ; Prickly Porky ; (Erethizon dorsatum) 82-83, 90-98
Prairie Dog
Yap Yap ; (Cynomys ludovicianus) 67-72
Prickly Porky the Porcupine, 82-83, 90-98
Puma the Panther, 263-265
Rabbit
Antelope Jack ; (Lepus alleni) 22-23
Cottontail ; Brush ; Gray ; Peter ; (Sylvilagus floridanus) 1-17
Jack ; (Lepus californicus) 23-25
Marsh ; (Sylvilagus palustris) 4-7, 15-16
Snowshoe, 9-17
White- tailed Jack; (Lepus campestris) 20-21
Raccoon
Bobby Coon; (Procyon lotor), 268-274
Rat
Black; (Mus rattus) 118
Brown; House; Norway; Wharf; Robber; (Rattus norvegicus)
116-119
[360]
Index
s
Rat Cont.
Cotton; Little Robber ; (Sigmodon hispidus) 120-121
Kangaroo; Longfoot; (Dipodomys spectabilis) 124-127
Musk; Musquash; Jerry; (Fiber zibethicus) 112-1 1C
Wood ; Pack ; Trade ; Trader ; (Neotoma albigula) 121-124
Reddy Fox, 1-3, 235-243
Robber the Rat, 116-119
Rufous the Tree Mouse, 153-155
Rusty the Fox Squirrel, 42-43
Salamander, 84
Sea Cow, 351-352
Sea Lion
Barking ; California ; (Zalophus californianus) 348
Fur Seal ; Sea Bear ; (Callorhinus alascanus) 349
Seal
Steller ; (Eumetopias jubata) 348-349
Alaska Fur, 349
Elephant ; (Mirounga angustirostris) 35 1
Hooded; (Cystophora cristata) 351
Leopard ; Harbor ; (Phoca vitulina) 350
Ribbon; Harlequin; (Phoca fasciata) 350-351
Ringed ; (Phoca foetida) 350
Saddle-back ; Greenland ; Harp ; (Phoca groenlandica) 350
Seek Seek the Spermophile, 49-50
Sewellel, 77-81
Shadow the Weasel, 211-217
Sheep
Ball Mountain ; (Ovis dalli) 334
Fannin's Mountain ; (Ovis fannini) 334
Rocky Mountain; Rocky Mountain Bighorn; Bighorn; (Ovis
canadensis) 331-334
Stone's Mountain ; Black Mountain ; (Ovis stonei) 334
Shrew
Common; Long-tailed; Shrew Mouse; Teeny Weeny; (Sorex
personatus) 165-171
Short-tailed ; Mole Shrew ; Blarina ; (Blarina brevicauda) 171-172
Marsh; Water; Black-and-white; (Neosorex palustris) 172
- [361]
Index
Silvertip the Grizzly Bear, 287-290
Skunk
Common ; Jimmy ; (Mephitis mephitis) 1 93-202
Hog-nosed; Badger; (Conepatus mesoleucus) 200-201
Little Spotted ; (Spilogale putorius) 201
Snow King the Polar Bear, 290-293
Snow White the Arctic Hare, 19-20
Spermophile
Gray Ground Squirrel ; Gray Gopher ; California Ground
Squirrel ; (Citellus beecheyi) 5051
Striped Ground Squirrel : Gopher Squirrel ; Thirteen-lined
Spermophile; Seek Seek; (Citellus tridecemlineatus) 49-50
Spite the Marten, 229-232
Squirrel
Abert ; (Sciurus aberti) 44-45
Black, 42
Douglas ; (Sciurus douglasi) 44
Flying; Timmy; (Gla uco my s volans) 51-54
Fox ; Rusty ; (Sciurus niger rufi venter) 42-43
Gray; Happy Jack; (Sciurus carolinensis) 27-34, 37-44
Ground, 49-51
Kaibab ; (Sciurus kaibabensis) 44-45
Red; Chatterer; (Sciurus hudsonicus) 28-34, 37-44
Rock, 34, 46-49
Striped Chipmunk, 34, 46-49
Stubtail the Mountain Beaver, 77-81
Teeny Weeny the Shrew, 165-171
Thunderfoot the Bison, 323-326
Tiger Cat, 266-267
Timmy the Flying Squirrel, 51-54
Trader the Wood Rat, 121-124
Tufty the Lynx, 260-262
Unc' Billy Possum, 294-301
Walrus
Pacific ; (Odobenus obesus) 347-348
[362]
Index
Wanderhoof the Caribou, 319-321
Wapiti, 314-316
Weasel
Common; Brown; Bonaparte; Short-tailed; Ermine; Shadow;
(Putorius cicognanii) 211-217
Least ; (Mustela rixosus) 216
Long-tailed ; (Putorius longicauda) 216
New York ; (Putorius noveboracensis) 216
Whale, 352-353
Whistler the Hoary Marmot, 65-67
Whitefoot the Wood Mouse, 129-132, 134-136
White-tailed Jack, 20-21
Wolf
Prairie; Coyote; Old Man Coyote; (Canis latrans) 248-250,
253
Timber ; Gray ; Howler ; (Canis nubilus) 250-253
Wolverine
Carcajou ; Skunkbear ; Glutton ; (Gulo luscus) 207-209
Woodchuck, 31, 36-37, 56-65
Yap Yap the Prairie Dog, 67-72
Yowler the Bob Cat, 255-260
'
[363]
THE BURGESS BIRD BOOK
FOR CHILDREN
By THORNTON W. BURGESS
With full-color illustrations of 58 birds from drawings by
Louis Agassiz Fuertes
Crown 8vo. Cloth. $3.00 net.
"For a number of years parents have been asking me, 'What
is the best book about birds for little children?' And that ques-
tion has given me much trouble. Now, 'The Burgess Bird Book
for Children' is the answer. In fact, it is the very book that
'Anxious Mother,' the children and the booksellers have been
awaiting, for twenty years or more." Dr. William T. Hornaday,
Director, New York Zoological Society.
A companion volume
THE BURGESS ANIMAL BOOK
FOR CHILDREN
With 32 full-page illustrations in color and 16 full-page illustrations
in black and white by
Louis Agassiz Fuertes
Crown 8vo. Cloth. $3.00 net.
This companion volume to "The Burgess Bird Book for
Children" is written in the same vein, a story book which is at
the same time an authoritative handbook on the land animals of
America, so describing them and their habits that they will be
instantly recognized when seen.
LITTLE, BROWN & CO., PUBLISHERS
34 BEACON STREET, BOSTON
GREEN MEADOW
SERIES
By THORNTON W. BURGESS
With eight illustrations in full color by Harrison Gady
Crown 8 vo. Cloth. 4vols. $1.60 net each
TJie first volume in this new series is
HAPPY JACK
Mr. Burgess is well acquainted with Happy Jack Squirrel's
thrifty habits, and tells all about them in this first book.
The second volume is
MRS. PETER RABBIT
Mr. Burgess tells how Little Miss Fuzzytail became Mrs.
Peter Rabbit, and set up housekeeping in the Old Briar Patch.
The third volume is
BOWSER THE HOUND
In this book Mr. Burgess tells how Bowser the Hound lost
his way while following the trail of Old Man Coyote.
The fourth volume is
OLD GRANNY FOX
In this new book Mr. Burgess tells how Old Granny Fox
shows little Reddy Fox how to obtain food during the long,
cold winter.
LITTLE, BROWN & CO., PUBLISHERS
34 Beacon St., Boston
