New Britain herald., 1926-06-19
Muskrat Play Days By Thornton w Burgess


 Playing in the Smiling Pool
 Little muskrais go to school.
 Jerry Muskrat.
 Those little Muskra's didn't know th they -e aoinl 10 school, any more than Peter Rabbits children ta tha patch knew that they were going to school, or than Uncle Billy Possum's children in the Green Forest knew that they were SoiDs Q school But they were. All of them were going 10 school when they thought that all they were do- Ing was playing. That is the very best kind Of d school. To think you arg playing, yet Ill inc time really be going to school, is the best. way Of learning that l know Of.
 Those seven little MushTats. Jerry Iuskrafs children. were as lively q lot of little folk as you will often see. f at evening when Peter Rab- bit saw them all together with their mother vas tho first night that they had all been o"t for look at the Great World. Now, 10 them, the Smiling Pool seemed q very great and wonderful place IL really was the Great World 10 them. They had been bor in g. snug nest in a house in the bank, with aa entrance under water When they were born they were quite as helpless as any little babies could be. Their eyes were shut q they diGa't have any little fur coats. But they had a mother who Er r how tn take care Of them, and it was surprising 10 sec how rapidly they grew. Their eyes open ed and fhny got little fur coats. But fHesa Er''. fur coats were not brown Ike tUc e Jerry and Mrs. Terry: rhcy were q sort Of graviah color.
 Not ur'U 'rs" vcrr about q third as big as 'ueir parents did Mother uuskr , allow them out Of their house By that time they pretty rtII filed tt and they were getting impatient t' fret she let one or two out. These Frr. inc strongest and smarthef Then one evening she took item all ont That was the night rua Peter Rabbit RAW them. she had charged tHsm that they must say tnaTEar and that under TO circumstances ruo they fail 10 obey her.
 ''Wheu you hea. slap on thr ~a- ter lae this." @fI Nothar MuaErat ari4rinr her fail down sharply on Inc surfa~e of fhr ra'er. "you must If once dire and swim fo a hiding place. That js danger rirral Yor ril never hear # unless 'here really is danger. So don't forget"
 All fhc Hrto IHrEr-is promised her they wouldn't forget. So then Nothrr WusEra' frran 70 play ~ifh them what ste really nae doing araa tegtrriae n teach them. hUt they didn't '1,w r They thought it Fas np play. &hr would dive ard e#fm urdr~ "alsr Then the seven lHtla NusErs g eo413 di@e and meIm under water after her. hui they meyer cc9d ."iu as fer as she did Al nrst they rouId swim only a very ahor distance before having to come 10 tho surfa0 for air. But BIS thry did lt more and more in tho splendid game which they played together. they suam farther and farther before laviug 10 come up untu at last they could swim almost ap far ae Mother Nuekrat. When they thought they were simply play ing 2 game nf "tag" they really 1 were learning how to swim and how 10 stay under water for a long time. . Another game they liked very . much vas "hlde and seek" + nas l. o's of fun to hide among The rg7has with nothing but 2 lIftln nose ahor" he 7prfare. r took bright eyes fo . .'rd one then so they played hide