Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-12-15

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the Deermouses' expectations
A big, white owl was the first dis
turber. He alighted on the very tip
top of the old pine stub one moon
light night and his mournful who
who-o-o" struck terror to the hearts
of the little occupants of the nest be-
low. Dickie longed to creep closer to
his mother but remembering. her
teaching he dared not move lest he at
tract the attention of the enemy. 1t
seemed to Dickie as if the owl meant
never to leave and he feared that any
moment the owl would see their nest
and tear it to pieces as the skunk had
Dillie's. But after long, long while
the owl sailed silently away and they
could hear him hooting in a distant
tree
"Oh," whispered Dickie, will he
ever come again, do you suppose"
Every night, likely as not" grum-
bled Mr.. Deermouse, at which Mrs.
Deermouse shivered and thought re-
gretfully of the dear old owl-proof
home under the stones.
It was only a few days later that
Dickie heard a tap-tap-tap around
the old tree trunk. He thought it
strange that his parents seemed not
in the least alarmed but after awhile
he learned that woodpecker hunting
for worms and not for mice was do
ing the tapping.
! a
smaller than an owl were harmless
but he was soon to learn different.
| One day as he and his mother were
about to return to their home after
little run in the dry grass they
spied a small gray bird perched in the
very spot Where the owl had been.
The bird held in one claw his victim
"a field mouse Dickie and his moth
er hastily withdrew into the shelter
of stump, nor did they run up the
long steep sides Of the stub until long
after the shrike Cor butcher bird) had
gone.
The next day was cloudy and quite
cold. Mr.. and Mrs. DeermOuse con-
| tentedly dozed in the nest. About noon
Dickie became very hungry and won
dered if his mother would scold if he
ate a few seeds from the winter store
instead of venturing out to hunt for
his dinner. Just then he heard some
thing which made him forget all
about his dinner. Peering out he saw
four strange creatures advancing.
Four Humans out for a Sunday
walk had wandered into the little
clearing. Spying the many brush piles
scattered about, one of them cried,
"Oh it's fine day for bonfires. Let's
have one" So the Man pulled some
tiny fire-sticks out oil his pocket and
soon the biggest brush pile wa s
ablaze.
Dickie had never seen a fire before
but he knew at once that it was some
thing for the little mice to fear. His
mother and father had joined him
and he saw that they too were afraid.
And we'll they might be.
For awhile the Humans were sat
istied with their brush bonfire and
then they began to look around.
ION, OH called one Let's build a
fire at the foot of this old pine stub
and watch the flames run to the top"
"Oh let's" cried another. at will
be a real pillar of fire."
SO they piled dry brush and sticks
at the foot of it and soon the flames
began to crackle
"Oh dear! oh dear! What shall
we do?" walled Mrs Deermouse.
Follow me-" commanded Mr.. Deer
mouse, and down the trunk he ran as
fast as he could go.
Come, Dickie, hurry" called Mrs.
Deermouse, following her husband.
ooh look at the deermice," cried one
of the Humans. "Poor things, they
must have had nest up there. I'm
glad they got out safely"
"Oh but they didn't. See! There
is one left"
Sure enough there was poor Dickie
crouching in a little crevice near the
top of the stub. He had been so
frightened by the cracking fire that
he had turned back and fed to the
top of the stub thinking in his little
heart that the fire could not reach
him there
Perhaps I can brighten him down, -
said Boy Human throwing a small
stick high over Dickie's head, but
though Boy threw mny sticks, some
of them going close to Dickie, he
seemed not to notice them.
Meanwhile the flames rose higher
and higher and soon Boy saw that
even if Dickie tried to escape by run
ming down the steep sides Of the old
stub, he could not because the flames
surrounded the base.
The Littlest Human began to cry SO
the Man found thick short pole and
tried to push over the burning stub,
but though it tottered it would not
) fall. What to do next no one knew
for it was impossible to put out the
! fire. Dickie crept to the edge Of the
: ledge and peering down squeaked pit.
. 100 .Ofx TT o.