234 NEW ENGLAND FENCES 



and called them names hard enough to break 

 their stony hearts. 



At the building of the wall, what bending and 

 straining of stalwart backs and muscles; what 

 shouting to oxen — for it would seem the ox can be 

 driven only by sheer strength of lungs; what rude 

 engineering to span the rivulet; what roaring of 

 blasts, when stones were too large to be moved in 

 whole, and the boys had the noise and smoke and 

 excitement of a Fourth-of-July celebration with- 

 out a penny's expense, but alas! with no ginger- 

 bread nor spruce beer. Then, too, what republics 

 were convulsed when the great stones, under- 

 neath which a multitude of ants had founded 

 their commonwealth, were pried up, and what her- 

 mits were disturbed when the newts were made to 

 face the dayhght, and earwigs and beetles forced to 

 scurry away to new hiding-places ! But when the 

 wall was fairly built, the commonwealths and her- 

 mitages were reestablished beneath it, more se- 

 cure and undisturbed than ever. 



The woodchuck takes the stone wall for his 

 castle, and through its loopholes whistles defiance 

 to the dogs who besiege him, but woe be to him if 

 the boys join in the assault. They make a breach 

 in his stronghold through which the dogs can 

 reach him, or throw him a " slip-a-noose " into 

 which he hooks his long teeth and is hauled forth 

 to death. The weasel frequents a wall of this 



