00-KOO-HOO PLAYS THE GAME 127 



Notwithstanding his great strength, however, he is a peace- 

 loving chap, but when a just occasion arises, you ought to see 

 him fight! 



BEAVER FIGHTS WOLVERINE 



One spring while hunting along a river, some years ago, 

 Oo-koo-hoo discovered a beaver at work upon the bank, and 

 wishing to observe him for a while, kept perfectly still. The 

 beaver was cutting poplar sticks to take them through a hole 

 in the ice to the under-water entrance of his near-by home for 

 his family to feed upon. But presently Oo-koo-hoo discovered 

 another moving object; it was a wolverine, and it was stalking 

 the beaver. When it drew near enough to the unsuspecting 

 worker, it made a sudden spring and landed upon his back. 

 A desperate fight ensued. The wolverine was trying to cut the 

 spinal cord at the back of the beaver's neck; but the short, stout 

 neck caused trouble, and before the wolverine had managed it, 

 the beaver, realizing that the only chance for life was to make 

 for the water-hole, lunged toward it, and with the wolverine 

 still on his back, dived in. On being submerged, the wolverine 

 let go and swam around and around in an effort to get out; but 

 the beaver, now in his element, took advantage of the fact, and 

 rising beneath the foe, leaped at it, and with one bite of his 

 powerful, chisel-like teeth, gripped it by the throat, then let 

 go and sank to watch it bleed to death. A little later, the 

 beaver had the satisfaction of seeing old Oo-koo-hoo walk off 

 with the wolverine's skin. 



No . . . beavers do not believe in divorce . . . 

 and on their wedding day — usually in February — they promise 

 to be true to each other for the rest of their fives, and, more- 

 over, unlike many human beings, they keep their promise. 

 About three months later the husband, seeing his wife is getting 

 ready to welcome new relations, leaves his comfortable home 

 just to be out of the way, and takes up new quarters in a hole 



