. Wild life near home . e in June, and whenWhitefoot moved in I do not know. But alongin the winter I noticed that the nest looked sus-piciously round and full, as if it were roofedover. Perhaps the falling leaves had lodged init, though this was hardly likely. So I went upto the sapling and tapped. My suspicions werecorrect. After some thumps, a sleepy, fright-ened face appeared through the side of the nest,and looked cautiously down at me. Ko onecould mistake that pointed nose, those big ears,and the round pop-eyes so nearly dropping outwith blinking. It was Whitefoot. I had dis-turbed his d
. Wild life near home . e in June, and whenWhitefoot moved in I do not know. But alongin the winter I noticed that the nest looked sus-piciously round and full, as if it were roofedover. Perhaps the falling leaves had lodged init, though this was hardly likely. So I went upto the sapling and tapped. My suspicions werecorrect. After some thumps, a sleepy, fright-ened face appeared through the side of the nest,and looked cautiously down at me. Ko onecould mistake that pointed nose, those big ears,and the round pop-eyes so nearly dropping outwith blinking. It was Whitefoot. I had dis-turbed his dreams, and he had hardly got hiswits together yet, for he had never been awak-ened thus before. And what could wake him?The black-snakes are asleep, and there is not acoon or cat living that could climb this spindlingmaple. Pree from these foes, Whitefoot hasonly the owls to fear, and I doubt if even thelittle screech-owl could flip through these inter-laced branches and catch the nimble-footed ten-ant of the nest. [59]. It ^YUS Whitefoot. In spite of the exposure this must be a warmbed. The walls are thick and well plastered withmud, and are packed inside with fine, shreddedbark which the mouse himself has pulled fromthe dead chestnut limbs, or, more likely, hastaken from a deserted crows nest. The wholeis thatched with a roof of shredded bark, soneatly laid that it sheds water perfectly. Theentrance is on the side, just over the edge ofthe original structure, but so shielded by theextending roof that the rain and snow never beatin. The thrushes did their work well; the nestis securely mortised into the forking branches ;and Whitefoot can sleep without a tremorthrough the wildest winter gale. Wheneverthe snow falls lightly a high white tower risesover the nest; and then the little haycock,lodged in the slender limbs so far above ourheads, is a very castle indeed. High over the nest of the white-footed mouse,in the stiffened top of a tall red oak that standson the brow of the h
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1901
