130 



THE SPRING OF THE YEAR 



boys get into the woods, and every small pale-face 

 of them turns Indian instinctively, tip-toeing up and 

 down the ridges with lips as close-sealed as if some 

 finger of the forest were laid upon them. So it must 

 be with you when you enter the fields and woods. 

 The wood-born people are all light-footed and cau- 

 tious in their stir- 

 ring. Only the 

 box turtles scuff 

 carelessly along ; 

 and that is be- 

 cause they can 

 shut themselves 

 up head, paws, 

 tail inside their 

 lidded shells, 

 and defy their 

 enemies. 



The skunk, 

 however, is 

 sometimes care- 

 less in his go- 

 ing ; for he 

 knows that he will neither be crowded nor jostled 

 along the street, so he naturally behaves as if all 

 the woods were his. Yet, how often do you come 

 upon a skunk ? Seldom because, he is quite as 

 unwilling to meet you as you are to meet him ; but 

 as one of your little feet makes as much noise in 



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