THE LONG-TAILED FIELD MOUSE 



rubs with them behind its ears, drawing them 

 forward over the ears, down its face, and over 

 its eyes, in exactly the same way as a cat 

 washes her face. After each rubbing the paws 

 are licked afresh, until at last satisfied as to 

 its head and neck the mouse twists round and 

 begins to clean its back. Parting the fur 

 with its ' hands,' it licks each bit with its 

 wee pink tongue, going carefully over it all. 

 Not a hair is missed, every scrap is done 

 thoroughly, and there is nothing of the 'lick 

 and a promise ' about its work. Its back 

 finished, it begins on its stomach, the whole of 

 the ' waistcoat ' being done as carefully as the 

 rest. Hind legs and feet having been well 

 licked, it then picks up that long tail (and what 

 a long thin tail it is), licks it from base to tip, 

 when, the business completed at last, it is able 

 to give itself a little shake to settle in place the 

 very last hair, and go off about its business 

 the very smartest of well-groomed mice. But 

 should it get a fright of any description, which 

 is very likely to happen, for a field mouse is 

 continually being startled by one thing or 

 another, it will, as soon as it has got over it, 

 begin and wash itself again. Whenever a long- 

 tailed mouse is upset it washes itself; if a 



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