Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-09
The Muskrats at Home.
ny Il coLRuRS

BY r. l.. c0IBURN.
All summer NIFTY Muskrat had lived in
big cave in the bank, just above the pond.
One day in October she was delighted to
hear that 1t was time for the family to
build their winter house.
Soon after sunset one night she start
ed out with her mother. They crossed the
pond, swimming with their forefeet tucked
up under their threats and using their
broad, fiat tails as rudders. NIFTY, in
deed, was in such a hurry that she wrig-
gled her tail from side to side like a tad
pole.
they entered the ditch, which led into
the swamp, but soon left it, and making
their way through mud and grease for a
short distance, suddenly came upon several
muskrats building platform of sticks upon
some alder roots
me mouse itself was begun by weaving
green twigs. flags and reeds into a kind of
fence around a circular Enclosure NIFTY
helped fetch reeds from the swamp all
night. She slept all the next day and did
not wake until after shutdown. With sew
erai companions she went out to get food
Some dug yellow lily roots towed them
ashore and Toasted on their crisp white
centers NIFTY faneied a rush banana
Diving to the bottom of the pond she
plt on big rush. carried it to her usual
eating place, sat up on her hind legs and
began to peel it, holding 1t in her paws and
biting off the end of the soft white NTH
as II 1t We're really a banana.
Suddenly one of her conlpanions nluuyed
noisily into the pond. This was a signal
that danger was near. Although NIFTY
could see nothing, she dropped her supper
ana ana dove into the pond An instant later
Slyfoot, the weasel, appeared on the bank
dlsgusted that his prey had escaped
Swimming under water NIFTY, with few
swift strokes, reached home.
nicyiit tha ~, foIi ~
no one worked the new house. Musk
rats are not afraid of rain. their coats
being quite waterproof; but the heavy
clouds made the night pitch dark and they
preferred to wait for moonlight.
When the weather was again pleasant
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 thicSly covered with plaster, so that
the air might enter. There was no door
above water; 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 chill
dren said gaily: This will make a pond Of
the meadow" And. indeed, it did A
neighbours 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 win
teri"
Then 1T suddenly grew cold. The ground
froze and ice formed on the pond
How can we build house now?" walled
the children.
wait little replied the elders; at is
too early for winter yet. We shall have
another warm spell"
Sure enough, Indian summer soon came
with mild days and clear, moonlight nights.
How fast the maskrats worked on a 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
cape from the pond was through the brook.
one day there was great noise over
head. All the muskrats rushed downstairs
into the water Through the ice they could
see figures moving swiftly about. They were
boys skating on the pond. Now two of
them were pounding on the muskrat
house. 1t was frozen SO hard that after
a time they went away. The next day they
came back with sharp instruments and
tore away the earth and reeds of the roof
Then they put a queer iron thing IN the
chamber and went off. Three-to called
1t trap the moment he saw 1t, and said a
similar had once stolen his other
toes.
So all the muskrats fled from the house.
and as 1t was impossible to build another,
they were obliged to live in their summer
caves on the shore
How fortunate for u.s." remarked Nit
tvs mother, cheerfully, that our old home
is so high up in that bank it Is not flooded;
we can keep quite comfortable there until
spring"