OUR COUNTRY LIFE 



"It 's a lesson for him, he '11 not disturb you again," 

 he murmured half apologetically. 



I wonder whether I looked as doubtful as I felt, 

 but there was nothing left to say. Back to bed again 

 I crept and for a space quiet reigned. Then crackle, 

 crackle, at the window! 



"I like the wild things," said I to myself, "so I 

 will just let him nibble while I go to sleep." 



How fortunate if we could only do the thing we 

 will to do! Instead of sleeping I turned restlessly, 

 sure that the beast had come into the room. I could 

 plainly hear little thumps and runs on the bare floor, 

 but the instant that I turned on the light all 

 was still. After two hours of philosophizing I went 

 to the window in desperation, closed the hole by which 

 he had come in and stood watching him. There in 

 the bright moonlight my small disturber was spring 

 ing from chimney to sill and back again; even when 

 I "shooed" at him and drummed on the glass he only 

 retreated a few inches. His movements were very like 

 a chipmunk's but not quite so swift. By and by he 



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