MY WOODLAND INTIMATES 



ence plan in such encounters, feeling assured that 

 generally the little wild creatures need no assist- 

 ance of mine in the management of their affairs. 

 But in this instance I departed from my usual 

 policy, for darkness was coming on, and the 

 weather had suddenly changed from warm to 

 cold there were even frosty suggestions in the 

 air and the baby would certainly perish from 

 one cause or another if left out on the brush- 

 heap. But one course remained for me to pursue. 

 I went out to the scene of the disturbance, and, 

 in spite of Madame Jolie-Queue's expostulations, 

 I picked her child up and carried him into the 

 house, where he was admired and caressed and 

 sympathized with, and promised protection from 

 his over-zealous and tyrannical mother. 



He manifested no fear, but snuggled down 

 gratefully into my warm hands while a cosey bas- 

 ket was being prepared for him. He fell asleep 

 as soon as deposited in his creche, and was not 

 even conscious of an important transfer that took 

 place not long after, when I carried him over to 

 the house in the grove, and generously presented 

 him to its inmates. The training he has received 

 from that time to this is the reverse of the Jolie- 

 Queue method, but the present system appears 

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