1 8 The Woodchuck 



stop instantly and lie very still whenever the wood- 

 chuck raised himself on his haunches to look about 

 for danger. When Shep believed herself to be near 

 enough to the entrance of the burrow she would 

 make a dash for it. If she reached it first, there 

 was sure to be one woodchuck less to nibble the 

 fragrant clover. 



No animal exerts less energy in the course of a 

 year than does the woodchuck. He feeds upon the 

 best in the meadow and occasionally the garden, 

 being particularly fond of the juicy peas and beans 

 and tender lettuce. Then as winter comes on for- 

 getting all care and worry he crawls into his burrow 

 and, like the bear, falls asleep, not to awaken until 

 the warm spring sunshine has touched with caressing 

 fingers the slumbering world of nature. 



Some years ago while returning from the mill-pond 

 where I had been fishing through the ice for pickerel, 

 I came upon a man in the open field digging for a 

 skunk, which he had tracked into what seemed to be 

 a woodchuck's burrow. As the man was evidently 

 very near his game I waited to learn the result. The 

 burrow branched, and following one of the branches 

 the man came upon a little ball of fur, not the skunk 

 he was after, but a woodchuck fast asleep. He was 

 given to me and I took him home. When warmed 



