Evening star., 1937-11-16

We each receive ana each must give.
Paddy the Beaver.
WHATEVER you may DO affects
others. and what others do af-
fects you. You may not know it, but
it is so. 1t cannot be otherwise No
one knows this better than does Paddy
the Beaver. When he and Mrs. Paddy
built the dam that made the pond in
which they live in a house entirely
surrounded by water they had no
thought Of others than themselves and
their children. That dam and pond
were planned for no one else Yet
the building Of the dam and the
making of the pond affected the lives
of nearly all who lived in that part of
the Green Forest and of some from
far away. For instance. Honker the
Goose and his flock rested there twice
each year. once in the early spring.
when making the long journey from
their winter home in the Sunny South
to their breeding grounds in the Far
North, and again on the return Jour-
ney in the fall. Then was Paddys
pond blessing to the tired travellers.
From a blind made of hemlock
boughs, Tommy, Sue and Sammy had
watched Paddy the Beaver and Mrs.
Paddy repair their dam and Tommy
had made good his promise that Sue
and Sammy should see the Beavers
Now you know why I cut that
hole in the DAM" said Tommy as
the Beavers vanished. their work done
1T was the only way to bring them
out into sight. Had that hole been
made below the water line, they would
have filled it without showing them
selves at all. They are smart. You
may not know it. but Paddy was
brave just now. It took real courage
to come out on top of that dam in
broad daylight. But he knew that
dam must be repaired and that the
sooner 1t was done the better.
1T was a mean trick to cut that
hole" said Sue.
Tommy nodded. 1T was, Sue, vet
not so mean as it seems" said he
wanted you to see those Beavers.
ana That was the only way that 1
could be sure that you would. It did
no real harm, just worried them some
I wouldn't have done that If there
mad been any other way. That is a
trick that trappers use sometimes in
winter. They cut a hole in the dam.
much bigger hole, and set a steel
)aWed trap In the opening. That is
wicked. Look! Look up there at the
eno OF the pond!" He whispered this.
Sue and Sammy looked. There,
coming out Of the woods to the waters
edge was Mrs. Lightfoot the Deer, and
With her two dainty spotted fawns,
the sight of which caused Sue to pasn
with delight. Mrs. Lightfoot waded
out a little way and drank. Then
she stood motionless, looking straight
over to that blind, so that uncon-
sclously Sue and Sammy held their
breath. On the shore, just back Of
her, stood the two fawns. There
wasn't a ripple on the water. In it a.
IN a mirror the three were reflected.
It was q beautiful picture.
Satisfied that all was well. Mrs.
Lightfoot began to browse along the
shore. The fawns gamboled beside
her. A brown head appeared, and a
moment later Billy Mink climbed out
on the roof of Paddy's house. Long
legs the Great Blue Heron came flying
somewhat heavily above the trees
from the direction Of the Big River,
dropped his. long legs and stood in
the shallow water at the upper edge
Of the pond, his long neck stretched
up its full length as he stood notion
less to look the scene over and make
sure that all was we'll.
| A little above the blind an old log