The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1900-12-28
IN THE HEDGE BOTTOM
How the Harvest Mice Built
Their Home.
BY MARY ELLIOT.

Little Mrs. HarveSt-Mouse loved q
hedge bottom. She always said it was
more private than the open field, and
also she thought about the farmer and
how he comes to cut the corn, but
leaves the long, stiff grass in the hedge
bottom safe and standing when the
corn is all carried away to the barn.
So when Mr.. Harvest-Mouse began to
talk to Mrs. Harvest Mouse about
where to build their home she begged
him to choose the long. stiff grass in
the hedge bottom rather than the corn
in the field. That is how it happened
that their tiny nest was built between
the grass stems, and they built it very
cunningly of narrow blades and bits of
feather or any soft and bending stuff
that they could find, and they fixed
them all in such a clever way that at
last wee round nest no bigger than q
cricket ball was fixed high up among
the stiff green stalks as if it grew there
by itself. 1t was soft and light and
very thin. so the summer air blew gent
ly through and kept it nicely aired.
The taller grasses standing round
about hid it from the hawks, and a lit
tie bindweed then grew up and helped
them. 1t twined around the stems and
twisted Its tendrils from one to anoth-
er, then hung its tiny bells about and
made merry garden near the nest.
Mr. Harvest-Mouse was very pleased
when all was done and felt happier
still when eight little baby mice were
snug and safe inside. They fitted into
the soft, round ball quite perfectly,
which shows how wee they were.
And now through the hot summer
days, while Mrs. Harvest Mouse was
busy with the children, Mr.. Harvest
Mouse was running here and there col
lecting news for his wife and flies and
other food for himself and for his fam
lily. What a gay, clever, little mouse
he was, and as for her, she was the
quickest daintiest little lady in the
land, and she taught her children to be
quick and dainty too. She also taught
them to be good, though what she
would have done had they been
naughty | cannot tell, for there was
not corner in the house to stand them
in.
She ran nimbly all about the outside
of the nest, and when the little ones be.
gan to bite each others tails for fun
she patted gently through the open net
work Of the walls and told them how
their long tails would be useful when
they came to climb the tall, stiff grass.
es in the green and may world of the
hedge bottom where they lived. And
the bindweed quite agreed in what she
said, for 1t knew the value Of tail to
hold by.
- One warm evening the little mother
,ont on the top of her little round house,
,ev Te Mr.. Harvest-Mouse was chatting
ION. s. neighbor in the corn Nclose by,
con the it was she told the children q
ton, see thabout the world She told
race her ant she sat there she could
bell, gently u''qss blades bending over
ncer bee. sue s'N bindweed bell swing
Way above the olyeight of a humble
$io' above the sa" away. quite high
Rap t t%ere was blue. bs, quite 1n , high
Vile, see patches of it nov the the u corD
}, So; t their tangled sue sne corh,
'n THn tinv mice inside TIE could
Inc - t't tIe very thoughtSed up
tbev asked her to get DIT
II the tbrouph for them to see. :,
'ment "You silly. silly ones" she saioj
10 oe ore great things that you cahho'
a'ionS stond in the big world, ana one
az e. Tho blue. blue sky. 1t Is only
ooi 20 80. o+ to touch. and some day y
sworn ,oarn that II comes with the 81
exact ond goes when 1t rains a Ia
Rotary Ia ,oo that he loved it even me
re this 49, green world. for though th
with Grass cools his breast anu II,
nest and his little ones, !e.
irea 10 b,ue sky is quite full OF JOY :
II. oev For nm above the farmhouse sih
maue' a,o,-a tho hawks and is wider
widest field. and though he
zinc his heart out from oewy
-Detron sunset he could never I'LL II
ais city, SUNS. oh tho big blue sky
w. nav vide indeed. and very iar
con will see one day wnen
uansel stroug and quite grown up.
:, 20 la. Inst then gnat flew py'
"a 900 ,,.rv.st. Mouse sprang up al
is trans q and gave it to the chiiure ore
fine wall. for though she ta''
tha sky she knew that they
grv and saw the gnat anu
I'm the cleyerly. -,
the Lake And now that the sun
railway, low she talked about the W.
Of s2,5oo said as. surely as the n,sn
damages when the daylight dieo avn" avn.
~ tram would the winter come w"'
time was ended. :.
what could the winter y
". dren thought, and one wee : J
2. Albert hold to say he did not !, 8
'ssd with might come any time TOT ~ !,
{ns Pay Pay iust caught and eaten 2 -. y
eed Z. one had crept through the en-. ns''
nest and he wcplo Se,Se n