118 THE FALL OF THE YEAR 



bottom of the house: Down in the very foundation walls of the 

 muskrat's house are two runways or " doors " that open under 

 water and so far under that they rarely if ever freeze. See picture 

 of such a house with its door in the author's " Wild Life Near 

 Home," page 174. 

 PAGE 66 



tepee : What is a tepee ? 



juicy and pink and tender : The muskrats eat grass stems and 

 roots, so that under the water near the lodge you will often find 

 in winter little stacks of these tender pink stems and roots ready 

 for eating much as the beaver stores up sticks of tender bark 

 under the water near his lodge for food when the ice forms over- 

 head. 

 Winter is coming : Are you glad or sorry ? Are you ready ? 



CHAPTER IX 



TO THE TEACHER 



Let the pupils continue this list of examples of winter preparations 

 by watching and observing for themselves. Every field, every tree, 

 every roadside, will reveal the work done or going on under their 

 eyes. Without preaching you may draw many an interesting and 

 telling parallel with their own preparation in school for instance. 



FOR THE PUPIL 

 PAGE 67 



" The north wind doth blow, 

 And we shall have snow, 

 And what will the Robin do then, 

 Poor thing?" 



Where does the verse come from ? Mother Goose ? Yes, but who 

 was she ? 



Chipmunk: Our little striped ground squirrel, interesting because 

 he has cheek-pouches and thus forms a link between the arboreal 

 squirrels (gray squirrels, etc.) and the ground squirrels or sper- 

 mophiles, of which the beautiful little thirteen-lined squirrel of 

 the prairies is an example. 



