THE LONG-TAILED FIELD MOUSE 



felt like a sharp thorn having run into it. 

 As I drew back a long slender mouse jumped 

 out, scurried off along the boughs, and was 

 lost to sight among the leaves. Meanwhile I 

 was sucking my finger and thinking what 

 sharp teeth that mouse had had ! In many 

 cases I am sure the long-tailed mice not only 

 take possession of such empty nests as they 

 may come across, but turn the owners out of 

 nests that they are living in. I knew of an 

 old dormouse and young ones that were happy 

 in a nice nest in a honeysuckle-draped nut 

 bush, and whenever I passed I would shake the 

 bush very gently, whereupon the old dormouse 

 would pop to the opening and look out to see 

 what was the matter. One day, instead of the 

 lovely furry yellow head of the old dormouse, 

 the sleek pointed face and beady black eyes of 

 a long-tailed mouse appeared in the opening. 

 But he did not stop to look at me, and was 

 racing away in less time than it takes to tell. 

 However he was not easily frightened from a 

 comfortable home, and next day was back there 

 again. 



It is chiefly in the autumn that the long- 

 tailed mice practise climbing and make their 

 homes up aloft, for then there is so much 



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