The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-05-19
The Muskrat's Winter Home.

All summer Mltty MuSkrat mad lived
in big cave in the bank, just above
the pond. One day in October she
was delighted to hear that it was time
for the family to build their winer
house
Soon after sunset one night she
started out with her mother; they
crossed the pond, swimming with their
fore feet tucked up under their threats,
and using their broad fat tails as rud-
ders NIFTY, indeed, was in such hur-
ry that she wriggled her tail from side
to side like a tadpole.
They entered the ditch which led
into the swamp but soon left it, and,
making their way through mud and
grass for a short distance, suddenly
came upon several muskrats building
platform of sticks upon some alder
roots.
The house itself was begun by weav-
ing green twigs, flags, and reeds into
kind of fence around a circular en-
closure. NIFTY helped fetch reeds from
the swamp all night She slept all
the next day, and did not awaken until
after shutdown. With several compan-
ions she went out to get food. Some
dug yellow lily roots, towed them
ashore, and Toasted on their crisp, +.
white centres. NIFTY fancied a rush
banana. Diving to the bottom of the
pond, she bit off a big rush, carried
it to her usual eating-place, sat up
on her hind legs and began to peel it,
holding it in her paws and biting off
the end Of the soft white pith, as if it
were really banana.
Suddenly one of her companions
plunged noisily into the pond. This
was signal that danger was near AL
though NIFTY could see nothing, she
dropped her supper and dived into the
pond. An instant later Slyfoot, the
weasel, appeared on the bank. disgust.
ed that his prey had escaped Swim
ming under water, NIFTY, with few
swift strokes, reached home.
That night the rain fell in torrents,
and no one worked on the new house.
Muskrats are not afraid of rain, their
coats being quite waterproof; but the
dark, and they preferred to wait for
moonlight.
When the weather was again pleas
ant, the house progressed rapidly. A
dome-shaped structure was formed of
interlaced reeds, and plastered on the
outside with mud which the builders
mixed in their paws and smoothed
with their tails. On the top the reeds
were more loosely woven and not
SO thickly covered with plaster. so that
air might enter. There was no door
above water; a passageway led from
the upper chamber into the lower one,
and this room opened directly into
the water.
One night it began to rain and the
children said gayly, This will make a
pond Of the meadow" And, indeed, 1t
did. A neighbor's house was swept
away. Their own soon followed. The
children mourned; but the elders said:
'How fortunate that the flood came
early in the season! Now we have
time to build again before winter!"
Then it suddenly grew cold. The
ground froze, and ice formed on the
pond.
How can we build house now?"
walled the children.
wait a little" replied the elders,
sit is too early for winter yet; we
shall have another warm SPELL"
Sure enough, Indian summer soon
came with mild days and clear moon
light nights. How fast the muskrats
worked on new house! Every one
did as much as he was able.
The new house was larger than the
old one, and had another chamber on
top, quite above high water. When it
was completed, the muskrats moved
in. Then the water froze over, and
their only escape from the pond was
through the brook.
One day there was a great noise
overhead. All the muskrats rushed
downstairs into the water. Through
the ice they could see figures moving
swiftly about. They were boys skat-
ing On the pond. Now two Of them
were pounding on the muskrat house.
1t was frozen so hard that after time
they went away. The next day they
came back with sharp instruments,
and tore away the reeds of the roof.
Then the put queer iron thing IN
the chamber, and went off, Three-
toes called it trap the moment he
saw it, and said similar one had once
stolen his other toes.
So all the muskrats fed from the
house, and as it was impossible to
build another, they were obliged to
live In their summer caves on the
shore.
"How fortunate for u.s." remarked
Mitty's mother cheerfully, that our
old home is so high up in that bank
that 1T is not flooded! We can keep
quite comfortable there until spring"
Bertha Louise Colburn, in Holiday
Magazine.