The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-11-07
PADDY THE BEAVER HAS MANY
VISITORS.

Paddy the Beaver knew perfectly
we'll that he would have visitors just
as 500 as he began to build his dam.
He expected a lot of them. You see.
he knew that one Of them ever had
seen a beaver at work unless, perhaps
who also had come down from the
north. So, as he worked he kept his
ears open and he smiled to himself
as he heard a little rustic here and
then a little rustic there. He knew
just what those little rustles meant.
Each one meant another visitor. Yes,
sir. each rustic meant another visitor.
and vet not n had shown himself.
Paddy chuckled. Seems to me
that you are dreafully afraid to show
yourselves" said he in a loud voice,
just as If he was talking to nobody
in particular. Everything was still.
There wasn't so much as a rustic aft.
er Paddy spoke. He chuckled again.
He could just feel ever so many eyes
watching him. though he didn't see
a single pair. And he knew that the
carefully was because they were
afraid of him. You see, Paddy was
much bigger than most of the little
meadow n forest people and they
didn't know what kind of 8, temper
he might have. 1t is always safest
to be very distrustful of strangers.
That is one of the very first things
taught little meadow and forest chit
dren.
OF course. Paddy knew all about
this. He mad been brought up that
be sorry" had been of his moth
er's faNorite sayings. and he had al
ways remembered it. Indeed, it had
saved him a. great deal Of trouble.
So now he was perfectly willing to so
right on working and let his hidden
visitors watch him until they were
sure he meant them no harm. You
sec, he himself felt quite sure that
him any harm. Little Joe Otter was
the only one he had any doubts
about, inc he felt quite sure that Lit
tic Joe wouldn't try to pick a quarrel.
So he kept right on cutting trees,
trimming off the branches. and haul
ing the trunks down to the dam he
was building. Some Of them he float
ed down the Laughing Brook. This
was easier.
Now. when the little people of the
Smiling Pool, who were the first to
find out that Paddy the Beaver had
to the Green Forest, had start
ed up the Laughing Brook to see what
he was doing. they had told the Mcr-
ry Little Breezcs where they were go
ing. The Merry Little Breezes had
been greatly excited. They couldn't
understand how a stranger could
have been living in the Green Forest
without them knowing 1t. You see.
they quite forgot that they very sell
dom wandered to the deepest part. Of
the Green Forest. OF course, they
started at ono as fast as they could
go to tell all the other little people
who live on or around the Green
Meadows. all but Old Man Coyote.
For some reason they thought it best
not to tell him. They were a little
doubtful about Old Man Coyote. He
was so big and strong and so sly End
smart that all his neighbors were
afraid of him., Perhaps the Merry
Little Breezes had this fact in mind,
and knew that none would dare go
call on the stranger il they knew that
Old Man Coyote was going. too. Any.
way, they simply passed the time of
day with Old Man Coyote and hurried
on to tell everyone else. and 1t SO hap.
pens that the very last n they met
was Sammy Jay.
Sammy was terribly put out to
think that anything should be going
on that he didn't know about first.
You know he is great for prying into
the affairs Of other people, and he
loves dearly to boast that there is
nothing going on in the Green For
est or on the Green Meadows that he
doesn't know about. So now his pride
was hurt and he was in a terrible