Wild Creatures in Winter

CHAPTER 18 

"Merry Christmas"

"MERRY CHRISTMAS! Merry Christmas!" shouted Bud, as he opened the door to Mary's room and peeped in. But there was no Mary to be seen. "Now where do you suppose Sis is so early in the morning?"

Bud hurried back into his room and dressed. Then he ran down the Wide Stairway two steps at a time.

"Merry Christmas, sleepyhead ! " laughed Mary; "it is a wonder you didn't sleep all day."

"It isn't late yet, is it?" said Bud.

"Only six o'clock, but that is late enough for Christmas morning," said Mary.

Out in the White Kitchen Mrs. Smith was preparing Christmas breakfast.

"Merry Christmas, Mother!" greeted Bud, and then the two children raced into the Cheery Parlor.

"Oh, what a beautiful Christmas Tree! " exclaimed Bud and Mary together, for right by the Broad Hearth was an Evergreen Tree, with its tinsel and decorations sparkling in the light from the Glowing Fireplace.

"Father and Mother always know how to fix it so pretty," said Mary.

Christmas Day was always a jolly time on the Old Homestead. Not that there were many expensive gifts given or much rich food to be eaten; oh, no, it wasn't that, for those things do not make a jolly Christmas. It was the spirit of the day that made every one happy, and not the gifts they received, -the spirit of peace and good will. The day was surely a merry one.

You see, although the Smiths observed Christmas Day, they did not do so with the thought that it really was Christ's Birthday, for they knew that no one knows just when the Christ-Child was born. What the Smiths did on Christmas Day was to remember that Christ really had been born on some day, and to give praise and thanks to God for the gift of His only Son that all might have eternal life through Him. They thought that the gift of Jesus and of everlasting life was the most Perfect Gift that anyone could receive.

And so as Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Bud and Mary knelt in the Cheery Parlor that morning, as they did every morning, they thanked the Heavenly Father for the many blessings they had received from Him during the past year, and especially for the Perfect Gift.

"What shall we do to-day?" asked Mary, after family worship was over.

"Let us make a Christmas Tree for the Feathered Friends," suggested Bud.

"Oh, that will be so much fun!" said Mary.

In a little while they were plodding through the Fleecy Snow across the Wide-Wide Pasture toward the Woodlot. Nero the Hound had decided it would be interesting to go also, and he was running here and there and making Crooked Little Trails, and sniffing into every Warm Hollow Log and Friendly Burrow they passed.

Bud and Mary soon found an Evergreen Tree that suited them, and it was a short job for Bud to cut it down. Of course, they did not choose the nicest tree they could find, for they knew the Feathered Friends would not be looking at the tree but at what was on it.

Back across the Wide-Wide Pasture they trailed, carrying the Evergreen Tree. And there was Nero the Hound following along as if he were enjoying his part in it. Sometimes he would stop long enough to sniff in a Friendly Burrow just to see if a Furry Friend was sound asleep in it. And then he would trot to catch up, and look up at Bud and Mary as much as to say, "Lazy Creatures, sleeping all winter!"

Bud and Mary carried the Evergreen Tree to the Workshop, and there Bud made a frame to hold it up. Then they took it into the Cheery Parlor, where it was warmer, while they tied on presents for the birds.

"What shall we put on first?" asked Mary, when the Feathered Friends' Christmas Tree was ready to be decorated.

"Well, let's see," said Bud. "We can put on some cores from Flaming Red Apples for Cardinal the Grosbeak, for I know he will like the seeds in them as well as the apple. Next we can tie on some heads of Seedy Millet for Snowy the Bunting and Junco the Snowbird and others. Then we can run a string through some Yellow Pumpkin Seeds and hang them on, and some pieces of Dry Bread Crust."

"We must not forget to take along some pieces of Suet for the Woodpeckers," said Mary.

"And some Mixed Grains for Bobby White and Ringneck the Pheasant and Hungarian the Partridge," added Bud.

And then Bud and Mary tied on some heads of Golden Wheat and Tame Sunflower and an ear of Pearly Corn just for good measure.

"There, I guess every one can find something that he likes on that Christmas Tree," said Bud. "We will take it out and tie it to a corner of the Feeding Place so the Playful Air Whiffs cannot blow it over, and it will help to make a shelter for the Feathered Friends."

Bud and Mary carried the Evergreen Tree to the Feeding Place and fastened it so it would not blow over. Then they hid near by in a patch of Tame Currant Bushes, and watched.

Soon the Feathered Friends began to arrive from their Hiding Places and look for their Favorite Food on the Evergreen Tree.

"Oh, dear; we forgot to bring the Feathered Friends a drink," said Mary. "I must run right back and get some Warm Water for them."

That night Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Bud and Mary sat in front of the Glowing Fireplace. There was a basket of Flaming Red Apples and a dish of Delicious Nuts on a table, and Bud was popping Snowy Corn over the Glowing Fire. Over in the Black Forest, Shaggy the Wolf howled, "Yowoooooo," and awoke the Little Wild Creatures as his voice echoed through the Wildwood Lanes.

"Bowwow," answered Nero the Hound, from the new house that Bud had made for him. "You had better not come near here."

"I think this has been the nicest Christmas that I can remember," said Mary.

"So do I," agreed Bud.

LIFE was rather dull for Jim Crow during the Wintry Weather. He could not find any Tender Corn Shoots to pull up. He could not find any Round Little Nests to rob of their eggs. And he could not even tease Screecher the Owl; Screecher was down in the Sunny Southland. Yes, sir; it certainly was a dull time. All Jim Crow could find to do was to fly across the Broad Fields from morning till night and just "Caw-caw-caw." He did wish there was something interesting to do.

Sometimes Jim Crow went over to the Black Forest for a change, and then again he would visit in the Woodlot. Of course, he always took all his friends with him, for Jim never liked to be alone.

That is usually the way it is with anyone who is always into mischief. The one who is always getting into trouble is never satisfied unless he has some one with him. Perhaps it is because he wants some one to share the blame.

"Caw-caw-caw," said Jim Crow one Cold-Cold Day; "let's fly over to the Rustling Cornfield and eat some Tempting Kernels."

Jim liked to sit on the side of the Rustling Corn Shocks and pick Tempting Kernels from the ears that were sticking out.

Away flew Jim Crow and his friends, cawing and making a big fuss. They acted as if they thought they owned the Old Homestead.

After a while Jim Crow became tired of eating corn. He had eaten all he wanted.

"Caw-caw-caw," he said, "let's go to the Black Forest and see what our cousin Tattler the Jay is doing these Cold-Cold Days."

Now Tattler the Jay found things about as dull during Wintry Weather as Jim Crow did. Neither one was happy unless he was looking for mischief. But neither was their cousin Pesty the Magpie, for that matter. Tattler the Jay and Pesty the Magpie were bad enough, but Jim Crow was worse. He did not have a friend among the Little Wild Creatures. His reputation was just as black as his coat, -and that was pretty black.

When Jim Crow and his friends arrived at the Black Forest, they alighted on a Leafless Tree to look around. Then Jim flew over near a Great Pine Tree to see if Tattler the Jay was there; and whom do you suppose he saw? You never would guess. It was Snowy the Owl.

Snowy the Owl seldom came to the Old Homestead to visit. His home was in the Far-Far North where Snowy the Bunting lived. Sometimes when the Fleecy Snow was very deep and the Playful Air Whiffs were very, very cold, Snowy the Owl came to the Old Homestead in search of Snowshoe the Hare and Drummer the Grouse and Whitetail the Ptarmigan, just as Blue Darter the Goshawk did.

And there he was sound asleep in that Great Pine Tree when Jim Crow saw him. Snowy did his hunting at night and slept during the day. That was because he could see better at night.

Now if there was one thing that Jim Crow liked to do better than another, it was to tease owls. He thought nothing else was quite so much fun. He was not expecting to find an owl to tease just then.

"Caw-caw-caw," he said to his friends; "I have found Snowy the Owl hiding in this Great Pine Tree. What do you think of that?"

"Caw-caw-caw," said one of his friends; "let's play a game of Tease while Scrapper the Kingbird is in the Sunny Southland."

You see, Scrapper the Kingbird was one bird that Jim Crow and his friends were afraid of. Sometimes Scrapper would dart at them and pull out their black feathers; so they had to watch out for him. It seemed as if Scrapper was always sitting on a Lookout Stub where he could see them if they came anywhere near.

But during the Wintry Weather Scrapper lived in the Sunny Southland. And so Jim Crow and his friends thought that would be a fine time to play a game of Tease with Snowy the Owl. They could hardly wait to begin.

"Caw-caw-caw," said one; and "Caw-caw-caw," said another.

Soon they were flying around and around and alighting in the Great Pine Tree near Snowy the Owl until Snowy was quite ruffed up about it. And who wouldn't object to being kept awake by so much noise? Oh, but Snowy was angry!

Now it happened that Terror the Hunter had come to the Black Forest with his Flashing Gun in search of Snowshoe the Hare. It seemed as if no one had so many Enemies as Snowshoe had. There were Great Horn the Owl and Shadow the Lynx and Snowy the Owl and Snoop the Weasel and Killer the Marten and many others besides Terror the Hunter.

But Snowshoe was well protected in his white coat. He was hidden under a Young Pine Tree that was almost covered with Fleecy Snow, and Terror had not found him.

"What do you suppose is the matter with Jim Crow?" said Terror to himself. "He seems to be making a loud noise about something."

And so Terror decided he would go over and see what mischief Jim Crow was up to.

Of course, Jim Crow and his friends thought they were perfectly safe while Scrapper the Kingbird was away. They were not thinking that Terror the Hunter might be in the Black Forest. And so they were having a lot of fun teasing Snowy the Owl. Down through the Dense Timber sneaked Terror until he was quite near to Jim Crow and his friends.

"I believe I will just take a shot and see how many crows I can kill," he said. "Boom," went his gun, and down fell two of Jim's friends.

Away flew Jim Crow and the others; and away flew Snowy the Owl also.

"Oh, I wish I had known Snowy was there!" said Terror, "for I do not get a chance to shoot at him very often."

TRAILER the Mink was having quite a time to find anything to eat. He had hunted around the Duck Pond when Jack Frost first came. But in a little while the Duck Pond was covered with Glassy Ice, where Bud and Mary went skating. Then he had hunted along Little River. At last even Little River was frozen over, and then he had to fish under the ice; that is, if he fished at all.

But Trailer knew a trick that helped him to find something to eat even when the Fleecy Snow was deep on the ground and Little River was covered with Glassy Ice.

You see, right below Trailer's Hidden Den on the bank of Little River was a hole in the Glassy Ice. Trailer had made it himself. Whenever he wanted to go into the Icy Water, he always went in at the same place. Then the Glassy Ice could not freeze thick there.

Trailer would just dive into the hole and break the Thin Little Crust, and then Old Man Winter would have to start all over again to freeze it. And then along would come Trailer and break it again. So Old Man Winter could not freeze any Glassy Ice in that hole while Trailer the Mink was running in and out of it so often.

But one day Trailer made a mistake. He went over around the Duck Pond to hunt Jimmy the Swamp Rabbit and didn't come back that day. While he was away, Old Man Winter froze such a thick door of Glassy Ice over the opening that Trailer could not break through it; so Trailer was having quite a time to find anything to eat.

Trailer started on a trip along Little River. He thought he might catch a Feathered Friend in the Jungle Thicket that grew along its banks. Or he thought he might pounce on a Sleeping Bunny, or find the home of Tiny the Meadow Mouse.

At last he saw a Wide Crack in the Glassy Ice. The Singing Water had grown lower and lower in Little River when the Bubbly Springs began to freeze in the High Mountains. And that left an empty space along the bank under the Glassy Ice.

Trailer the Mink dived into the Wide Crack and ran along under the Glassy Ice. Into the Singing Water he dived and came up with a Scaly Fish, the best feast he had had in quite a while.

After Trailer had eaten his Scaly Fish, he ran along under the Glassy Ice until he came to another Wide Crack. Then he jumped up through it and ran along the bank in the Fleecy Snow.

"I believe I will go over to Paddletail the Beaver's Wildwood Pond and see if I can catch Danny Muskrat," said Trailer the Mink to himself.

Trailer had to run here and there and sniff at every Friendly Burrow and Brush Pile he passed. And every place Trailer went he left a Crooked Little Trail in the Fleecy Snow.

Now it happened that Trailer the Mink was not the only one who had quite a time to find something to eat during Wintry Weather. Far up on the High Mountains was the home of Killer the Marten, and it is a mystery how he could find anything at all to eat up there.

It is true, Whitetail the Ptarmigan stayed there most of the time, and some of Snowshoe the Hare's friends were not far away. And there was Trader the Pack Rat.

One day Killer the Marten decided he would go a-hunting in the Black Forest. He thought he might find Snowshoe the Hare or Drummer the Grouse to feast upon. And so down over the Deep Snowdrifts he went.

At last Killer the Marten reached the Black Forest and found the Bitter Willow Brush where Snowshoe the Hare lived. There were many, many Bunny Tracks and Sheltered Bunny Lanes among the "Bitter Willow Bushes.

"Yum, yum!" thought Killer the Marten; "now I shall soon have a feast."

"Sniff, sniff," he went; "those smell like the tracks of Trailer the Mink. I wonder what he is up to." And then Killer the Marten started to follow Trailer's tracks to find out.

But Killer the Marten did not know that Trailer the Mink had tried to catch Danny Muskrat, and that Danny and Mrs. Muskrat had swum away under the Glassy Ice and escaped. And then Trailer had gone to the Bitter Willow Brush in search of Snowshoe the Hare.

So while Trailer the Mink was looking for Snowshoe the Hare, Killer the Marten was hunting Trailer. Down the Sheltered Bunny Lanes went Trailer's Crooked Little Trail, with Killer the Marten following every place it went.

How frightened Snowshoe would have been if he had known that Trailer the Mink and Killer the Marten were both in his Bitter Willow Brush But there was Snowshoe sitting in his Cozy Form and thinking he was perfectly safe unless Shadow the Lynx came along.

You see, Killer the Marten almost never came down to the Black Forest, because he liked the High Mountains better. And Trailer the Mink did not come there very often because he had so many other places to go. Trailer was a great traveler, and many times he was away from his Hidden Den for two weeks.

But then, Killer the Marten was a traveler also. He was away from home so much that he scarcely knew where his real home was during Wintry Weather. He always went alone, and if he met another Marten, there was almost sure to be a fight. Although Killer the Marten was very fierce, and would murder Trailer the Mink if he found him, he was better than Trailer in one way, - he seldom killed more than he needed to eat. But Trailer the Mink would murder many, many more creatures than he could eat, just for the fun of killing something.

"WELL, well," said Fisher the Bold. "I do believe these are Killer the Marten's tracks, and he is following Trailer the Mink too. Now won't that be fun to go a-trailing after them?"

Fisher the Bold liked to travel as well as Killer the Marten and Trailer the Mink did; but that was not strange, because he was their cousin. But Fisher the Bold was larger and fiercer than either of them. He could have killed Killer the Marten in a fair fight.

Fisher the Bold liked to hunt among the Tree Tops. He could run through the Springy Limbs faster than even Killer the Marten could, and that was very fast. Yes, sir, when Fisher the Bold started out to catch something, he fairly flew through the Tree Tops. And on the ground he could outrun Snowshoe the Hare.

Quite often Fisher the Bold wore Sharp Little Spears in his mouth and face, which Sticker the Porcupine had put there. It seemed as if Fisher the Bold had very poor judgment, for he was always ready to pounce upon Sticker and his friends whenever he saw them. But for that matter, Fisher the Bold was not afraid to pounce upon Furry Friends that were much larger than he.

And so, instead of just Trailer the Mink and Killer the Marten, poor Snowshoe the Hare had Fisher the Bold in his Bitter Willow Bushes too. And there he sat in his Cozy Form. It was a wonder that Shadow the Lynx was not there also, looking for him.

"I must hurry and see if I can catch Killer the Marten," said Fisher the Bold to himself.

"I must hurry and catch Trailer the Mink," thought Killer the Marten.

"I wonder where I can find Snowshoe the Hare," Trailer the Mink was asking himself.

And so while Trailer the Mink ran up and down the Sheltered Bunny Lanes looking for Snowshoe the Hare, Killer the Marten was trying his best to catch up with him. And there was Fisher the Bold hurrying to catch up with Killer the Marten.

Now the reason why every one was in such a hurry was that the Gray Cloud Ships were sailing over and threatening to unload their Fleecy Snow any minute. And that is just what they started to do about the time the Laughing Yellow Sun should have been peeping out of the east.

Down came the Merry Little Snowflakes dancing and whirling into every Sheltered Bunny Lane.

Soon they had found the Crooked Little Trail of Trailer the Mink and had filled every Scratchy Little Track that he had left. Yes, sir, there wasn't a sign that Trailer had gone that way

For a while Killer followed the direction that the Playful Air Whiffs told him Trailer had gone, but it did not take the Merry Little Snowflakes long to cover up the Familiar Scent.

"I guess I shall just have to find a Hiding Place and wait until the Merry Little Snowflakes stop tumbling down," said Killer the Marten to himself. And then he crawled into a Warm Hollow Log and went to sleep.

Of course, the Merry Little Snowflakes also covered Killer the Marten's Scratchy Little Tracks, and Fisher the Bold could no longer follow them.

"I see a Jumbled Rock Pile that will be a safe Hiding Place," said Fisher the Bold. "I shall sleep there until the Merry Little Snowflakes stop falling; then maybe I can find Killer the Marten."

Snowshoe the Hare sat in his Cozy Form and watched the Fleecy Snow grow deeper and deeper around his doorway. In a little while Snowshoe was covered with a Soft White Blanket. You never would have known he was there in his white coat.

After a while Snowshoe the Hare poked his head through the Soft White Blanket and peeped out.

The Gray Cloud Ships had sailed on, leaving Fluffy White Mantles on the trees. The Laughing Yellow Sun was nodding good night behind the Tree Tops, and soon the Weird Darkness would creep out and chase away the Long Shadows.

Snowshoe the Hare hopped out on the Fleecy Snow and looked around. "I believe I'll run over to the Big Jungle Thicket and eat some Wild Cherry Bark," he said.

Now when Trailer the Mink awoke, he did not like the idea of wading in the Fleecy Snow to find Snowshoe the Hare. And so away he went down Little River toward his own Hidden Den. He would rather find a Wide Crack in the Glassy Ice and then hunt under the Glassy Ice as he had done at other times.

Killer the Marten came out of the Warm Hollow Log and tried to find Trailer the Mink's Crooked Little Trail. But sniff as hard as he might he could not find it.

"I suppose I may as well go back to the High Mountains and see if I can find Whitetail the Ptarmigan," he said; "but I do wish I could have found Trailer the Mink." He would have been just as pleased to catch Snowshoe the Hare.

Fisher the Bold was not in very good humor when he came out of his Jumbled Rock Pile and saw that all the Sheltered Bunny Lanes were filled with Fleecy Snow. But it did not take him long to find the Crooked Little Trail that Killer the Marten had left when he started back toward the High Mountains.

"Well, well, I see that Killer the Marten is out already," said Fisher the Bold. "I know it will be easy to catch him in this deep Fleecy Snow."

Away went Fisher the Bold as fast as he could run, leaving another Crooked Little Trail with the one that Killer the Marten had left. Now who do you suppose saw those Crooked Little Trails the next morning?

WELL, sir, it was Trapper Jim who saw those Crooked Little Trails the next day. You see, when he went to bed about the time that Killer the Marten and Fisher the Bold started for the High Mountains, the Gray Cloud Ships had sailed on and the Merry Little Snowflakes were no longer falling.

"To-morrow I shall take my traps and go out to look for Crooked Little Trails," said Trapper Jim to himself.

Trapper Jim knew that during the night the Furry Friends would be out making Crooked Little Trails everywhere in the new Fleecy Snow. He knew that if he could find their Crooked Little Trails, he could set traps for them.

So, bright and early Trapper Jim put on his Webby Snowshoes and started out across the White Fields, carrying a bunch of traps. Just before he came to the Old Homestead, Trapper Jim turned off and went toward the Black Forest.

Farmer Smith did not want anyone to set traps on the Old Homestead unless it was necessary. Of course, if Reddy Fox or Shaggy the Wolf or Snoop the Weasel or some of the other Furbearers became too bold and caught some of Old Cluck's Chicklets, then something had to be done about it; and traps were set.

But Farmer Smith did not think it was right to make the Furbearers suffer, and to take their lives, just to get their Silky Fur to wear. He knew that some of the Furbearers like Spot the Skunk and his cousin Mephitis the Skunk were his friends and helped to keep the Fat Grasshoppers and Plump Grubs and Whiskers the Mouse from destroying his crops.

Trapper Jim knew that Farmer Smith did not allow any trapping on the Old Homestead; that was why he turned toward the Black Forest. It seemed as if many of the Furbearers that lived on the Old Homestead were asleep anyway, such as Digger the Badger and Mephitis the Skunk and Billy Coon.

But most of the Furbearers that lived in the Black Forest, like Killer the Marten and Fisher the Bold and Shadow the Lynx and Shaggy the Wolf, did not mind the Wintry Weather at all. Trapper Jim knew that in the Black Forest was a good place to look for their Crooked Little Trails.

Just before Trapper Jim reached the Black Forest, he turned toward Little River. He thought he might see the Crooked Little Trail of Trailer the Mink, because he knew that Trailer liked to go visiting along Little River.

Sure enough, there was Trailer's Crooked Little Trail as plain as anything; and there was the Wide Crack in the Glassy Ice where he had gone under it.

"Ha-ha," laughed Trapper Jim; "here's just the place to set a trap. Then the next time Trailer comes this way he will jump right into it."

Trapper Jim set one of his traps and placed it right under the Wide Crack where Trailer's foot would strike it if he jumped down in there again. Then Trapper Jim went on his way toward the Black Forest.

"Ha-ha," he laughed, "if here isn't the Crooked Little Trail of Killer the Marten, and I see that Fisher the Bold is following him. I shall just see where they are going."

And so along the Crooked Little Trails went Trapper Jim. Every little way he would stop and set a trap and leave a Tempting Bait beside it. He thought that if Killer the Marten or Fisher the Bold or Shadow the Lynx went by that way, the Playful Air Whiffs would tell them about the Tempting Baits. Then when they came to the Tempting Baits, they would walk right into the traps he had set for them. They would be so hungry they would never think of traps at all.

"Well, I guess I may as well go home," said Trapper Jim, when he had set his last trap. "Tomorrow I shall be sure to have a nice catch of Furbearers."

But that was once when Trapper Jim was mistaken; and it all happened like this:

Killer the Marten and Fisher the Bold had a cousin. His name was Carcajou the Glutton. Carcajou was much larger than either of them, and he was very fierce. He was so fierce that he was sometimes called Wolverine the Terrible. The Indians were the first to call him Carcajou, because that was their way of saying "devil." He was the largest and fiercest in the Weasel family, and Snoop was the smallest.

Now if there was one thing that Carcajou liked to do better than anything else, it was to eat. It seemed as if he was always ready to eat. Sometimes we see people who are just like that, and we call them "gluttons." Carcajou the Glutton was always hungry, and he was always in a ferocious mood. He was always cross.

One day Carcajou the Glutton was walking through the Black Forest. He was looking for something to eat, as usual. Sometimes Sneak the Cougar would kill one of Lightfoot the Deer's friends and eat only a part of it. Then Carcajou would come along and finish it. He would have a feast while Growler the Bear was asleep in his Warm Dark Cave and could not find it first. He was looking for something like that in the Black Forest.

Suddenly Carcajou saw a Snowshoe Trail in the Fleecy Snow. It was the Snowshoe Trail that Trapper Jim had made.

"Now I wonder if Trapper Jim has been setting traps in the Black Forest and has left some Tempting Baits," thought Carcajou the Glutton. And then he went over to find out what that Snowshoe Trail was all about.

"Sniff, sniff," went Carcajou; "yes, sir, it surely was Trapper Jim who made this Snowshoe Trail; I smell the Sweet-Smelling Lure that he dragged behind him to get the Furbearers to follow him to his traps."

Carcajou the Glutton was very wise. He had a keen nose, and he could tell where every trap was set. So he just followed the Snowshoe Trail and ate all the Tempting Baits that Trapper Jim had left, and spoiled the sets as he went. Then he went back to his home in the High Mountains.

Wasn't Trapper Jim angry when he saw what Carcajou had done! for, of course, he could not catch the Furbearers after Carcajou had spoiled the sets.

Dynamic Drive.