76 FRIENDS WORTH KNOWING. 



the heads of the grasses arching over on each side conceal 

 the scampering travellers from the prying eyes of owls, 

 hawks, and butcher-birds, ever on the watch for them. The 

 mice seem fully to understand their danger, cautiously go- 

 ing under a tuft of grass or a large leaf instead of over it, 

 and avoiding bare places. In winter their paths are tun- 

 nelled under the snow, so that they are out of sight ; and 

 they always have several means of escape from their bur- 

 rows. You know the old song says, 



" The mouse that always trusts to one poor hole, 

 Can never be a mouse of any soul." 



A trotting, gliding motion is the gait of the Arvicola, 

 but the white-foot gallops along, jumping small objects, and 

 leaping from one hillock to another, while the kangaroo- 

 mouse springs off his hind-feet, and progresses in a series 

 of long leaps, which carry him over the ground like a race- 

 horse. 



But the life of one of our favorites is not all frisking 

 about under the fragrant flowers, or digging channels 

 through shining sand and crystal snow. He has his labor 

 and trials and trouble like the rest of us. If " a man mun 

 be eather a man or a mouse," it would be hard choosing 

 between them, so far as an easy time is concerned ! The 



