22 The Woodchuck 



was in a convenient spot I decided to leave it for 

 some future day's sport and make sure of the fish. 

 It was not so easy to bring Rover to my way of think- 

 ing, but I finally coaxed him away from the fascinating 

 spot. 



Fascinating indeed it surely proved to be to me, 

 and more than one day's sport I got out of that little 

 burrow. I took care, however, that Rover didn't go 

 with me when I made my visits and, instead of digging 

 out the inmates boy-fashion, I waited for them to 

 come out of their own accord. Several times the old 

 woodchuck appeared, but feeling sure that there 

 were "more to follow," I patiently watched and 

 waited. Finally my patience was rewarded; for one 

 fine morning five little cubs came tumbling after their 

 mother along the narrow passage to the entrance of the 

 burrow, where they looked with their great beautiful 

 brown eyes upon the strange outside world. What 

 a marvelous surprise it must have been to them to 

 view the green grass and the beautiful flowers! The 

 breeze brought to their dilated nostrils sweet odors 

 from the meadows, while a great burst of music 

 saluted their ears, which were now really open for 

 the first time. The wrens were singing in the old 

 apple tree; the bobolinks were "running down" 

 their "brooks of laughter" through the air; the 



