SPEING 



shadows became long, the tragedy and 

 comedy of the day ceased. The mys- 

 tery and wonder of a spring evening 

 descended upon the woods. A pre- 

 datory skunk, with his awkward gait 

 and his slow, deliberate movements, 

 stopped at the edge of the clearing and 

 sniffed the air. He sat and looked in 

 the direction of the Neighbour's house : 

 but his was not the strange surmisings 

 of civilized ways in which other forest 

 creatures indulged, for he had visited 

 too many farm-yards and knew the 

 taste of young fowl. A rabbit with big, 

 sleepy eyes hopped out in the path to 

 sit with one forepaw raised and ears 

 thrown back. It seemed to come from 

 nowhere, so silently it moved and as 

 silently disappeared among the leaves. 

 The little owl sat in the doorway of his 

 home in the hollow tree, awaiting the 

 darkness, when he would go forth like 

 a gray shadow to the open fields. 



The woods seemed to sleep, the whole 



world sought rest after a day of happy 



activity, and little disturbed the great 



quiet except a sleepy bird-note now and 



37 



