New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-09-07
Happiness is found in work;
SO honest labor never shirk.
-Whitefoot The Wood Mouse

Such a busy time as there was in
the old sugar house over in the
Green Forest where the sugar ma
pies grow! A couple of busy mice
are just about the busiest folks in
all the Great World. There is no.
thing lazy about them. So it was
that Whitefoot the Wood Mouse and
Mrs. Whitetoot were busy every
second Mrs. Whitefoot is good
nest builder She likes a comfortable
home. 1t didn't take her long to
discover that inside that old mat
tress on the bunk was some excel
lent material for building nest. So
she gnawed Il hole in the mattress
and there right at hand was mater
ial enough for dozens of nests.
She and Whitefoot dragged cotton
cut of that mattress and carried
it into the fireboX of the evaporator.
An old sweater of Farmer Browns
hung on the wall. Mrs. Whitefoot
unraveled some of the yarn from
this. There was moss which had
been used to stuff cracks in the
2UkdE llOuSC. L HIS tilty uSCA wv.
With all this nice material right
at hand it didn't take Whitefoot and
Mrs. Whitefoot very long to make
one of the incest nests they ever
had. Mrs. Whitefoot was fussy-ev-
erything had to be just SO. White
foot thought she was too fussy. But
when the nest was finished he was
glad she had been fussy.
Now said Mrs. Whitefoot, I'VE
will think about food"
There was, of course, the oatmeal
which they had discovered when
they first came in, but oatmeal was
MT sufficient. They wanted variety.
So they scampered about on the
shelves and presently one of them
knocked can off onto the floor.
Tho cover came off. Out poured a
lot of sunflower seeds. Farmer
Browns boy had taken them in
through the winter to feed the birds.
These were some that had been left
over. This was a find indeed! The
big eyes of Whitefoot and Mrs.
Whitefoot fairly sparklcd. They ate
some. Then they carried the rest
into that firebox and stored them
in another corner. They didn't leave
q seed. This was a splendid start for
the winter. although winter was a
long way off. The oatmeal and the
seeds We're all they could find. They
would have to go outside for other
food.
"Of course" said Whitefoot, 1--WE
wouldn't want to stay in here all the
time, anyway. The main thing is TO
have q perfectly safe place TO run to
when an enemy appears. ! am sure
that we can find plenty 10 cat with
out going very far away. Let's go
cut and look around"
So Whjtefoot and Mrs. Whitefoot
went out to look around. OF course
they ran all over the roof of the
sugar house and peeped into every
nook and Granny. Mrs Whitcfoot
surprised a big beetle and pouncod
on 1t. Later Whitefoot found an
other. They We're good eating. Right
near the sugar house was big
beech tree. 1t was TOO early for nuts
yet, but Whitcfoot soon discovered
that there were going to be plenty
OF nuts. That settled it. They would
have i wonderful winter with plenty
to cat Just as soon as those nuts;
were ripe the could store away all
they %anted.
'.Whi;efoot,' said little Mrs.
Whitetoot I'm glad that 1owler
the i'obcat and Mrs. Yowler have
kittens"
Why" demanded WhItefoot,
looking very much puzzled.
''Hecause, replied Mrs. White
foot. i. hey hadn't we would have
rot ,eer frightened into moving and
50 would have missed this wonder
full place"
'Hrh!" was all that Whitefoot
replied.