his favorite choice for a home be some sandy hillside within easy 

 reach of the water, for he is a thirsty fellow, or in some smooth 

 green meadow, where he has but to pop out of his door to find the 

 luscious grass and fragrant clover upon which he delights to feed. 

 As a rule both lazy and slow are most of his kind, yet in the 

 digging of his burrow the woodchuck shows energy and haste never 

 again to be equalled or even approached by any efforts of his, un- 

 less, unfortunately, he may some day be compelled to use like activi- 

 ty in escaping from an enemy. As if his very existence depended 

 upon the prompt completion of this hole, does he tunnel away, first 

 downward at a slight incline for three or four feet, then a long 

 level passage, to end at last in an upward turn leading into a large 

 round room. The length of the entire opening may be twenty or 

 thirty feet, nor is he satisfied until he has dug out several entrances 

 to his abode, but with the completion of these all his life's work and 

 worries for the year are over. Little does he concern himself 



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