Wild Creatures in Winter 3

CHAPTER 7 

ONE cold day in late fall a new visitor came to the Old Homestead. He was very small, and he wore a jaunty red cap on his head. His name was Timid the Kinglet. Almost the first thing he said was, "Old Man Winter is coming.

Every one on the Old Homestead knew that already, for Jack Frost had said so; but Timid the Kinglet knew it even better than the others. The reason was, he had been living in the Chilly Northland, and so he knew it just as soon as Old Man Winter started south. Timid knew that soon it would be too stormy for him to stay in the Chilly Northland, and he had come to the Old Homestead to live during the Cold-Cold Days.

But Timid was not the only Feathered Friend that lived in the Chilly Northland and visited the Old Homestead in winter. There was Loxia the Crossbill and Snowy the Bunting and Junco the Snowbird and Bohemian the Waxwing and Butcher the Shrike and others. When the weather was too cold in the Land of Cold Breezes, they came to the Old Homestead to live until Jolly Spring came and drove Old Man Winter back to his own land.

Timid the Kinglet liked the Old Homestead so well that sometimes he visited there during the summer. But you never would have known he was around, because he was so timid. He hid among the Shady Trees where he would not be seen.

Over by the Duck Pond, while Timid was hunting for Crawly Bugs to eat, he met Killdeer the Plover.

"Old Man Winter is coming," said Timid, but Killdeer did not seem to be much interested.

"Killdeer, killdeer," was all he said, which was his way of saying that he was not in any hurry to start for the Sunny Southland.

Sometimes it was the middle of winter before Killdeer really made up his mind to go; and even then he was just as likely to stay as to go if the weather was not too cold.

"I wonder if there are any Crawly Bugs in the Black Forest," thought Timid; and away he flew to see if he could find some.

Now it happened that Dandy the Chickadee was also looking for Crawly Bugs and Tree Borers; and when Timid arrived at the Black Forest, there was Dandy hanging from the bottom side of a limb to see if there was anything hiding there. Of course, Timid did not think that was anything unusual, for he could do that himself.

"Old Man Winter is coming," said Timid.

"Yes, I know he is," said Dandy; "but that makes no difference to me. I expect to stay right here on the Old Homestead all winter."

"I should think it would be lonesome here when so many of the Feathered Friends have gone to the Sunny Southland," said Timid.

"Oh no," replied Dandy; "for Downy the Woodpecker and Tattler the Jay and Judge Flicker and Redhead the Woodpecker and Whitebreast the Nuthatch and Browny Creeper are all here. And there are Jim Crow and Pesty the Magpie and others. So you see I am not alone."

"And then I suppose you sometimes see Loxia the Crossbill and others who come down from the Chilly Northland," said Timid.

"Yes, I do. And sometimes Butcher the Shrike comes here, and then I have to watch out for him. He is almost as bad as Sharpshin the Hawk. Of course, I do not see Paddletail the Beaver or Danny Muskrat very often after the Glassy Ice covers the Wildwood Pond, but I can visit with Snowshoe the Hare, and Jimmy the Swamp Rabbit and Drummer the Grouse. And if I want to, I can fly over to the Little Jungle Thicket and see Peter and Molly Cottontail. Out in the Hedgerow by the Apple Orchard is where Bobby White lives; and I sometimes see Ringneck the Pheasant and Hungarian the Partridge. So, you see, I have many neighbors even during Wintry Weather."

Dandy the Chickadee was a fortunate bird. He did not have to go to the Sunny Southland as did the Bluebirds and the Robins and others, and he did not have to fill a Pantry with his Favorite Food as did Trader the Pack Rat.

Trader lived in a Rock Shelter Home in the Black Forest. Every fall he gathered Pinon Nuts and Juicy Bulbs and other Goodies and put them in his Pantry so he would have something to eat on Cold-Cold Days. And if Trader could locate some potatoes and such things where he could get them, he would take some of them also.

But then, Trader had a habit of taking things whether he needed them or not. We would hardly call it stealing, because Trader usually left something else in place of what he took. The worst thing about Trader was that he never made an even trade. He was a cheater. If he saw something he wanted, it would be just like him to leave a stone or a stick or a piece of bone in place of it. Whenever Trader the Pack Rat was around, Fearful the Man had to keep his watch and other things where Trader could not find them.

One could tell Trader's home almost as far as he could see it, for there were always piles of trash in his front yard.

Sometimes we see people who are just like that. They do not seem to care whether their homes look neat or not. Whenever Trader saw something that he liked, he carried it to his front yard and dropped it. And so he always had a pile of stones and sticks and bones and such things on his doorstep.

GROWLER the Bear had been having a nice time all summer. He really had nothing to do except to hunt for Tempting Berries and Wild Honey and Mushrooms and other Favorite Food. Sometimes he would turn over rocks all day long looking for Ants and Crawly Bugs to eat. And then again he would dig after Dodger the Gopher and Miner the Mole and other Little Wild Creatures that suited his taste.

It is a pity that the Wild Creatures kill one another; but that is because there is sin in the world. And the very worst killer of all is Terror the Hunter. So, you see, Growler was really not so bad as Terror, who should have known better than to kill God's Wild Creatures.

Sometimes Growler would find a dead cow that a Hot Lightning Flash had killed, or a dead sheep that Sneak the Cougar or Shaggy the Wolf had killed; then he would have a feast. There were some who said that Growler killed them himself, and sometimes he did; but he was not half so bad as he was painted.

You see, sometimes Sneak the Cougar would kill a juicy Calf or something, and after he ate his fill he would leave. Then when he wanted another feast, he would kill something else; for Sneak never cared to eat cold meat. He seldom went back to eat of anything the second time if he could kill another creature. He was a terrible killer, and caught many of Lightfoot the Deer's friends.

After Sneak would leave, along would come Growler the Bear and eat what was left. Of course, whenever people saw his tracks around, they thought that he was the one that had done the killing. So Growler was blamed for many things he did not do.

Growler really was not very bad if he was not bothered. He would run away and hide if anyone came near. He could not see very well; and if one kept still, he would not know but that it was a Black Stump he saw. But Growler had very keen ears and a sharp nose. Whenever an Enemy came near, the Playful Air Whiffs were always sure to carry Warning Odors to Growler's nose. The Playful Air Whiffs were very good friends of Growler's, for they not only told him when Enemies were near but they also led him to his Favorite Food.

One of the things that Growler liked to eat more than anything else was Wild Honey. The honey itself was not wild. Oh, no! We call it Wild Honey because it is made by Wild Bees.

You see, sometimes the home of Buzzer the Bee became too crowded. There were so many Bee Children that the White Box Hive would not hold all of them. And so many of the Bee Children would leave the White Box Hive together, and find a new place to live.

If Farmer Smith saw that they were ready to leave, he would give them a new White Box Hive to live in. But sometimes Farmer Smith did not know it. And then they had to find a place for themselves.

When Bees go away by themselves and live in a Hollow Den Tree or in a Jumbled Rock Ledge, we say they are wild. And we call the honey they make Wild Honey.

There was nothing Growler the Bear liked better than Wild Honey. He could eat gallons of it if he could find it. And he did not seem to mind it if Buzzer the Bee stung him.

One day in late fall Growler the Bear was out hunting. He was not hunting for something to eat; that was not it. Growler had eaten much during the Balmy Summer Days and had grown fat and lazy. Of course, if he found something to eat that tasted good, he would eat it, but what he was really looking for was a place to sleep.

"Ho-hum, I am getting so sleepy," said Growler. "I do wish I could find a nice warm place in which to go to bed."

And then he strolled through the Black Forest, looking first one place and then another for a Cozy Bedroom.

First he tried to crawl into a Warm Hollow Log; but it was so small he could not get inside. Next he found a hole under some rocks; but it was too small also, and not one bit comfortable.

Night after night Growler walked through the Black Forest, looking for a Cozy Bedroom. And night after night was growing colder.

"I believe I will just have to dig a Warm Dark Cave some place," said Growler. But after he had dug awhile, he came to a Big Rock, and then he decided he would look around some more.

At last Growler came to a Tired Tree. It was a very large Tired Tree, which the Strong Wind had blown over.

Growler climbed up on the Tired Tree and walked along. It must have been lying down a long time, for there was a row of Dense Bushes on each side. And at the foot of the Tired Tree Growler found a regular little jungle Thicket.

Now it happened that when the Tired Tree had fallen over, it had torn out a Deep Hole with its roots. And there it was, partly under the big Tired Tree and partly covered with jungle Thicket.

"Aha, this is just the place I am looking for," said Growler. "I can make just the kind of Warm Dark Cave I want under this Tired Tree's roots."

And Growler set to work digging out the dirt and stones that were in his way so that he would have a Cozy Bedroom when he was ready to take his all-winter sleep.

WE SIMPLY must find another Hidden Den before Old Man Winter gets here," said Mephitis the Skunk one evening. It was just the time when Mephitis and his family were starting out on their evening stroll.

"Yes, we surely must," said Mrs. Skunk.

Every evening about the time when the Laughing Yellow Sun was winking good night in the Golden West, Mephitis and his family left their Hidden Den and went out in search of Hardshell the Beetle and Jumpy Grasshoppers and other Favorite Food to eat.

Sometimes Mephitis went alone, and Mrs. Skunk went with the Slow Little Skunks. Mephitis was alone the time that Carcajou the Glutton tried to make a meal of him in the Black Forest. Mephitis seldom went to the Black Forest, because he preferred to hunt in the Wide-Wide Pasture and the Green Meadow and the Woodlot. There were more Crawly Bugs and Jumpy Grasshoppers to be found there.

"Yes, sir, we must look for another Hidden Den," repeated Mephitis, after all the Slow Little Skunks had come outside.

You see, there were two or three reasons why Mephitis thought he needed to find a new Hidden Den. Mephitis had a large family. It was a very large family indeed. There were ten striped backs besides Mrs. Skunk's. It was all right while those ten Young Skunks were little, but now they were almost as large as Mephitis and Mrs. Skunk. You should have seen how crowded that old Hidden Den was! There was scarcely room to turn around when they were all in it. If that Hidden Den had been in any other place, Mephitis could have made it larger. But there it was between some Big Rocks where he could not dig.

Another thing that Mephitis did not like about the old Hidden Den was that it was lousy. Yes, sir, you never saw the like of how many Crawly Lice there were in that Hidden Den. Every time the Skunks came home, those Crawly Lice began to bite them; and many of them even stayed right on them everywhere they went.

Now if that had been a dusty Hidden Den, the Crawly Lice would not have liked it so well. Have you ever seen Old Cluck fluttering in the dust to get the Crawly Lice off her? Of course, you have. But Mephitis could not do that because there were so many Big Rocks in his Hidden Den. And so he thought it would be a good idea to move away and leave those Crawly Lice.

"Now where shall we go to look for a new Hidden Den?" asked Mrs. Skunk.

"Oh, let's go down into the Green Meadow and catch some Jumpy Grasshoppers," said Skunky Stripe.

"I would rather look for Fat Grubs in the Woodlot," said Skunky Wunky.

"And I want to look for Tiny the Meadow Mouse down in the Rustling Cornfield," said Skunky Black.

"No, we must find a Hidden Den first," said Mephitis. "It is almost time for Old Man Winter to arrive, and it would never do for us not to be ready when he comes."

"Let us go over in the Wide-Wide Pasture," said Mrs. Skunk; "perhaps we can find something to eat there while we are looking for a Hidden Den."

Down through the Tall Grass went Mephitis and Mrs. Skunk, and behind them followed the ten Slow Little Skunks.

Now it happened that just as the Skunks reached the Wide-Wide Pasture, Ranger the Coyote was out looking for his breakfast. You see, Ranger never worried about filling a Pantry or fixing a Warm Home for the Wintry Weather. When Old Man Winter came, Ranger just slept in Tall Weed Patches or in Tan Straw Stacks or in any other place that was the same color that he was so that he would be well hidden. Then all Ranger had to do was to hunt for something to eat whenever he was hungry.

Ranger saw Skunky Stripe poking along behind the others, and he thought that Skunky Stripe certainly would taste good. But when Ranger made a jump for Skunky Stripe, he saw all the other skunks. Then you should have seen him get away from there.

At last Mrs. Skunk spied a Hidden Den. It was on a High Knoll where the Deep Water would not run into it when the Fleecy Snow melted. Digger the Badger had made it when he was digging after Dodger the Gopher.

Of course, the Hidden Den was too small to hold all of Mephitis' family. So all of them had to get busy and dig it larger. Soon they had a large bedroom dug, and the next thing was to make the bed. But it was not much work to make the bed, for there was plenty of Dry Grass near by. All the Skunks had to do was to rake it with their Long Toenails and drag it inside.

Now Mephitis and his family did not sleep all winter as did Johnny Chuck and Tawny Chipmunk and Growler the Bear. And neither did they run around all winter like Snoop the Weasel and Ranger the Coyote and Shadow the Lynx and many others.

When the Cold-Cold Days came, Mephitis and his family crawled into their bedroom and went to sleep; that is, they were quite asleep unless something disturbed them, and then they could awaken. But Tawny Chipmunk and Dodger the Gopher just could not wake up even though some one were to dig into their Friendly Burrow, at least not until they were good and warm.

When Mephitis and his family were ready to go to sleep, they crawled into bed in a circle with their noses all pointing toward the center. But sometimes, when the nights were not too cold, they came out again and ran around for a while. That was the way Worker the Gray Squirrel and Billy Coon did too.

NOT far from the Big Jungle Thicket in the Black Forest lived Sticker the Porcupine. At least that was where he lived when he was at home. Perhaps it would be better just to say that he lived in the Black Forest and let it go at that, for Sticker did not seem to know exactly where his home was, and he did not care either.

From the time Sticker was half grown he had wandered through the Wildwoods alone. Evidently he had decided that he was quite able to take care of himself; not that Sticker was a great fighter, or that he could run fast, for he could neither fight nor run. He was entirely too slow to run. He was quite the most dull-witted and sleepy headed animal in the Black Forest. But what Sticker the Porcupine lacked in speed and fighting ability he made up in another way.

You see, instead of fur, Sticker had many, many Sharp Little Spears covering his back and tail. We call them quills. So there really was no need for him either to fight or to run.

When an Enemy came near to Sticker, he simply tucked his head under his stomach, bowed his back, and waited, with the Sharp Little Spears sticking out in every direction. Then if Sneak the Cougar or Shadow the Lynx or some other Enemy was so foolish as to try to pounce on him, Sticker swung his tail around and filled the Enemy's face with Sharp Little Spears.

Sticker the Porcupine was not at all sociable. He liked to live alone; that was why he left home when he was half grown. Sometimes Sticker lived in a hole under a rock, but more often he just climbed into a tree, and there he stayed until he had eaten all the Spicy Bark from it that he wanted. Then he would hunt another tree that suited his taste.

Now although Sticker was rather grouchy and liked to live alone, at least he did not bother anyone else. All he asked was to be let alone. If only he had not killed trees by chewing off their bark, he would not have been half bad. But Sticker had to eat something, and chewing the bark off trees was better than killing Little Wild Creatures to eat.

Sticker the Porcupine climbed slowly down from the tree where he had been living. That was the only way he could climb, for he always moved slowly whenever he did anything. On the ground he walked with short, slow steps, as if he had all the time he wanted and no place in particular to go.

Far back in the Wildwood Sticker came to an old cabin. Some one had been camping there not long before. Sticker thought he would look around and see if he could find some salt. If there was one thing that Sticker liked more than another, it was salt. He would eat an entire board if it were covered with a little salty grease.

The first thing Sticker found was an old leather glove. Some one had perspired while wearing it, and it tasted salty. Sticker ate it with relish, and then went around back of the cabin. There he found where the cook had emptied out a dish of beans that he had salted too much, and Sticker cleaned them up.

By that time he was feeling quite satisfied. He decided it was time to get ready for Old Man Winter. Overhead there were many Gray Cloud Ships sailing across the sky, and it looked very much as if the Fleecy Snow would come dancing down before very long.

Now where do you suppose Sticker spends the Wintry Weather? Why, high up in a tree where he sits in the freezing breath of Old Man Winter. Can you imagine anyone's choosing such an uncomfortable place as that?

But that suited Sticker, and so he started out to find a tree that was just the kind he liked.

At last he found one he thought would do. It was a Young Pine Tree, and Sticker thought the bark would be good.

Just as Sticker was ready to climb slowly up the tree, he heard a noise. He did not wait to see who made it, but raised his back and tucked his nose under his stomach.

Sticker did it just in time too, for no sooner had he ruffed up his Sharp Little Spears than Fisher the Bold grabbed him by the throat. Sticker swung his tail and struck a strong blow against his Enemy. Twice he drove in the Sharp Little Spears before Fisher the Bold would let go of Sticker the Porcupine's throat.

Fisher the Bold was a fierce fighter. He showed his White Fangs and hissed. He would not think anything of killing and eating his cousin Killer the Marten if he had a chance.

But Fisher the Bold decided he had had enough for one day. He had taken the slow-moving Sticker for an easy mark, but it did not take long for him to see that he had been mistaken.

And so while Fisher the Bold limped painfully on his way, Sticker the Porcupine climbed his tree, where he would stay during the Cold-Cold Days, or at least he would stay there until he needed more Spicy Bark to eat.

No doubt the next time Fisher the Bold met Sticker, he gave him plenty of room; he had had one lesson he would not forget right away.

Perhaps one reason why Sticker chose to stay in a tree and let Old Man Winter blow his icy breath on him was that he felt safer from his Enemies. But that was surely a queer place to live.

DID you ever awaken some morning in the fall and see the Merry Little Snowflakes coming softly down for the first time that year? Of course you have. And that is just what Bud and Mary Smith did on the Old Homestead.

For two days the Gray Cloud Ships had been sailing over with their loads of Fleecy Snow, and at last they had decided to empty some out. And there it was sifting down as quietly as anything when Bud and Mary looked out one morning. Already the Soft White Blanket was up to their shoe tops.

"Oh, what fun we shall have at school to-day!" exclaimed Mary, when they were ready to start. "We can play Fox and Geese and make Snow Angels and build Snow Men and everything."

"Yes, and when we get home we can go coasting on the Long Hill," said Bud.

"Let us play Follow the Leader on the way to school this morning," suggested Mary; "you go first, and I will follow."

And away they went down the road toward school, with Bud breaking a path.

But Bud and Mary and the other children were not the only ones who were having a fine time in the Fleecy Snow. No, sir. There were Junco the Snowbird and Snowy the Bunting. It was just the kind of day they both liked, and they were having heaps of fun flying across the field with their friends and alighting on the Fleecy Snow.

You see, both Junco the Snowbird and Snowy the Bunting like company, and they always have ten or twenty friends with them. Perhaps you will wonder where they could find anything to eat when the Fleecy Snow was so deep; but it was no trick at all for them. They could always find Tall Weed Stalks sticking up through the Fleecy Snow on which they could alight and make a good meal of the Tiny Seeds.

Junco the Snowbird lived on the Old Homestead part of the time, but sometimes he went for a visit farther south if the Wintry Weather became too cold. But Snowy the Bunting was entirely different; he never saw the Old Homestead except in Wintry Weather, and some years he did not visit it at all. Snowy the Bunting's real home was in the Far-Far North in the Land of Ice, where Arctic the White Fox and Ovibos the Musk Ox lived. That was where Snowy the Bunting lived much of the time. But sometimes, while many of the Feathered Friends from the Old Homestead were playing in the Sunny Southland, Snowy would come down to the Old Homestead for a visit. He liked a change, you know.

It must have seemed to Snowy almost like going to the Sunny Southland to visit the Old Homestead after living in the Land of Ice. And so Snowy the Bunting always had a fine time.

"We must be going to have a hard winter," said Mr. Smith to Mrs. Smith; "because Snowy the Bunting is with us already."

And no doubt that is just what the Furry Friends thought. My, but how they did hurry around when the Merry Little Snowflakes began to fall)

Growler the Bear had finished his Warm Dark Cave under the roots of the Tired Tree and was in the Big Jungle Thicket looking for some Dried Berries to eat when the Fleecy Snow started to fall in the night.

"I believe I will just go home and go to bed," he said to himself.

And away went Growler through the Blackberry Brambles and Twining Vines toward his Warm Dark Cave. Soon he was curled up as comfortable as anything. For a while Growler could not seem to go to sleep. He was restless and took only little naps, and growled as if he were having a bad dream. But after a few days, if you had looked into Growler's Warm Dark Cave, you would have seen him sound asleep. The Merry Little Snowflakes covered Growler's doorway with a Soft White Blanket, and there he slept until Jolly Spring came back and awakened him.

But Growler the Bear was not the only one who had gone to bed when the Merry Little Snowflakes came dancing down. Tawny Chipmunk and Johnny Chuck were already snoring in their Snug

Beds, and so was Dodger the Gopher. Billy Coon was looking for something to eat down along Little River. He didn't find very much, so he went home to his Hollow Den Tree, which stood near the bridge that crossed Little River. He thought he would sleep at least awhile, until the storm was over.

Digger the Badger had made a Deep Burrow, and in it he went to sleep just as Growler the Bear had done. Digger's legs were very short, and he did not like to plod through deep Fleecy White Snow because his stomach had to drag in it.

Virginia Opossum went into her Warm Hollow Log in the Woodlot and curled up for a nap. And, of course, Mephitis and his large family were sound asleep with their noses almost touching in the middle of their new Hidden Den. Even Forktongue the Snake and the Wiggly Earth Worms had crawled deep into the Soft Warm Earth and gone to sleep.

There surely were a lot of sleepyheads on the Old Homestead, but there were also many Wild Creatures that were wide-awake. Downy the Woodpecker and his cousin Redhead were just as busy as usual looking for Tree Borers, and so was their large cousin Judge Flicker. Dandy the Chickadee and his cousin Whitebreast the Nuthatch were running a race to see who could find the greater number of Tree Grubs; and Timid the Kinglet flitted about, saying, "I told you Old Man Winter was coming."

And then there was Shadow the Lynx, who was trying to catch Snowshoe the Hare in the Fleecy, Snow; and there were Molly and Peter Cottontail, who were hopping around in the shelter of their Little Jungle Thicket. Pesty the Magpie and his undesirable cousins Tattler the Jay and Jim Crow were out looking to see what mischief they could find to get into. Wasn't it strange how Old Man Winter could put some of the Wild Creatures to sleep and make others work harder than ever?

YOU will remember that when the Wintry Weather came, Snowshoe the Hare put on a nice white coat. That is exactly what Snoop the Weasel did also. During the Balmy Summer Days Snoop wore a brown coat, but when the Cold-Cold Days came, he changed it for white.

You see, if Snoop wore a brown coat during Wintry Weather, every one could see him when he ran about on the Fleecy Snow. His enemies would see him and catch him. And if Snoop were hunting in a brown coat, every one would see him coming and run away.

Snoop had been wearing his new white coat just a little while when the first Fleecy Snow came. His brown one had gradually dropped off, and the white one had grown in its place.

So Snoop was glad to see the Fleecy Snow, for then his-coat matched it. Before the Fleecy Snow came, he had been running around among the Dead Grass and Brown Leaflets in his white coat, and that was almost as bad as running around in a brown coat on the Fleecy Snow.

"I believe I will go a-hunting," said Snoop the Weasel, when he came out of his Friendly Burrow and saw all that Fleecy Snow falling.

Snoop hunted in the daytime as well as at night, although he really would rather hunt at night. This time when Snoop made up his mind to go a-hunting it was morning. Snoop thought that if he went a-hunting in the morning, he would find more of the Little Wild Creatures at home, and then he could pounce upon them. And he also thought that Great Horn the Owl and some of his own Enemies would be hiding and would not catch him. So Snoop started out in the Fleecy Snow. First he went to the Rustling Cornfield. He thought he might be lucky enough to find Tiny the Meadow Mouse eating the Tempting Kernels away from the shelter of a Friendly Burrow.

"Sniff, sniff," went Snoop the Weasel; "I smell Tiny hiding in this Rustling Corn Shock."

Now it happened that Tiny was sitting just out of sight eating Tempting Kernels when Snoop stopped by that Rustling Corn Shock.

"I must run and hide," thought Tiny, and away he ran to his Soft Little Bed in his Friendly Burrow under the Rustling Corn Shock. And so when Snoop slipped into the Rustling Corn Shock, Tiny was nowhere to be seen.

"Sniff, sniff," went Snoop, and soon he had found Tiny's Friendly Burrow. "I don't believe Tiny is worth digging after," said he, and he went to look for something else.

Snoop really was not much of a digger anyway, for his little feet were covered with hair and his toenails were not large enough to dig well.

From the Rustling Cornfield Snoop went to the Woodlot. He thought he might find Hungarian the Partridge hiding under one of the Stubby Little Bushes. But Hungarian the Partridge was over in the Fence Row picking the Tempting Kernels from Wild Sunflowers.

"Now I wonder where I should go next," thought Snoop. "I believe I will visit the Hedgerow, and perhaps I can catch one of Bobby White's family."

Over by the Hedgerow Bobby White and his family were wondering where they could find something to eat themselves.

"Let us fly over to the Rustling Cornfield and pick some Tempting Kernels from the Rustling Corn Shocks," said Bobby.

You see, the Soft White Blanket had covered almost everything that Bobby could eat at the Hedgerow. And so away they flew to the Rustling Cornfield just before Snoop the Weasel came looking for Tiny the Meadow Mouse.

"Well, well, I see that Bobby and his family have gone," said Snoop, for he could see Scratchy Little Tracks in the Fleecy Snow where Bobby had been. "Now I wonder if Molly Cottontail is in her Friendly Burrow in the Little Jungle Thicket. I'll just go over there and catch her before she can get out of her Friendly Burrow."

Down along the Hedgerow went Snoop the Weasel, sniffing into every hole and under every Stubby Little Bush that he passed. Snoop wanted to go over to Farmer Smith's Chicken House, but he was afraid that Nero the Hound might see him. How good those chickens smelled! And there was the Granary, where Whiskers the Mouse and his friends liked to play when Spot the Skunk left them alone.

Spot the Skunk was a small cousin of Mephitis the Skunk's, and he lived under the Granary most of the time. In fact, he was asleep under the Granary right then; but Snoop did not know it.

"I do hope that Molly is at home," said Snoop the Weasel.

When Snoop arrived at the Little Jungle Thicket, there was Nero digging in Molly's Friendly Burrow as hard as he could. It was not a very nice thing for Nero the Hound to do, but all of us do things that are not very nice sometimes.

Of course, Nero could never dig deep enough to catch Molly, for he would have to make too large a hole before he could crawl in. But Nero liked to dig, anyway. Perhaps that was his way of getting warm.

"I'll just run right along to my own Friendly Burrow before Nero sees me," said Snoop the Weasel to himself. And away he hopped, leaving a Crooked Little Trail in the Fleecy Snow.

Dynamic Drive.