. Wild animals I have known : and 200 drawings . d, sharp-nosed, sharp-eyed visagesshowed that each of these innocents was themakings of a crafty old fox. They played about, basking in the sun, orwrestling with each other till a slight soundmade them skurry under ground. But theiralarm was needless, for the cause of it was theirmother; she stepped from the bushes bringinganother hen—number seventeen as I low call from her and the little fellows cametumbling out. Then began a scene that Ithought charming, but which my uncle wouldnot have enjoyed at all. They rushed on the hen, and tu
. Wild animals I have known : and 200 drawings . d, sharp-nosed, sharp-eyed visagesshowed that each of these innocents was themakings of a crafty old fox. They played about, basking in the sun, orwrestling with each other till a slight soundmade them skurry under ground. But theiralarm was needless, for the cause of it was theirmother; she stepped from the bushes bringinganother hen—number seventeen as I low call from her and the little fellows cametumbling out. Then began a scene that Ithought charming, but which my uncle wouldnot have enjoyed at all. They rushed on the hen, and tussled andfought with it, and each other, while the mother,keeping a sharp eye for enemies, looked on withfond delight. The expression on her face wasremarkable. It was first a grinning of delight,but her usual look of wildness and cunning wasthere, nor were cruelty and nervousness lacking,but over all was the unmistakable look of themothers pride and love. The base of my tree was hidden in bushesand much lower than the knoll where the den 197. The Springfield Fox was. So I could come and go at Avill withoutscaring the foxes. For many days I went there and saAv muchof the training of the young ones. They earlylearned to turn to statuettes at any strangesound, and then on hearing it again or findingother cause for fear, run for shelter. Some animals have so much mother-love thatit overflows and benefits outsiders. Not so oldVixen it Avould seem. Her pleasure in the cubsled to most refined cruelty. For she oftenbrought home to them mice and birds alive, andwith diabolic gentleness would avoid doingthem serious hurt so that the cubs might havelarger scope to torment them. There Avas a Avoodchuck that lived over inthe hill orchard. He Avas neither handsomenor interesting, but he kne\v IIOAV to take careof himself. He had digged a den betAveen theroots of an old pine stump, so that the foxescould not follow him by digging. But hardAvork Avas not their way of life ; Avits they be-li
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublishe, booksubjectanimals
