THE HERMIT WOOD RAT 45 



The job complete, Billy now set himself to 

 the task of carrying everything edible in sight 

 down that knot-hole. Of oranges and lemons 

 I use a plenty, and there were always many 

 rinds to engage Billy's attention. The total 

 bulk of peelings which disappeared down that 

 knot-hole must number bushels. I have watched 

 him work for two hours at a time, toiling with- 

 out any rest, except occasionally, when he 

 stopped to nibble at an orange peel — lunch- 

 hour during work-time. 



Now it was in connection with this carting 

 away of fruit peels down that knot-hole that I 

 learned to know that a wood rat thinks, im- 

 agines, plans, and invents just like human 

 beings. The guidance of instinct can never 

 account for Billy's actions when he had engi- 

 neering problems to solve or had questions of 

 mechanics proposed to him. 



There were a good many grapefruit peels 

 (Billy liked the bitter things) which were so very 

 large that they would not go easily through the 

 hole. Sometimes, when the clever wood rat 

 could not get them down by pushing, he would 

 sit on his haunches, take the peel in his paws. 



