OUR COUNTRY LIFE 



"It 's a lesson for him, he '11 not disturb you again," 

 he murmured half apologetically. 



I wonder whether I looked as doubtful as I felt, 

 but there was nothing left to say. Back to bed again 

 I crept and for a space quiet reigned. Then crackle, 

 cr-ackle, at the window! 



"I like the wild things," said I to myself, "so I 

 will just let him nibble while I go to sleep." 



How fortunate if we could only do the thing we 

 will to do! Instead of sleeping I turned restlessly, 

 sure that the beast had come into the room. I could 

 plainly hear little thumps and runs on the bare floor, 

 but the instant that I turned on the light all 

 was still. After two hours of philosophizing I went 

 to the window in desperation, closed the hole by which 

 he had come in and stood watching him. There in 

 the bright moonlight my small disturber was spring- 

 ing from chimney to sill and back again; even when 

 I "shooed" at him and drummed on the glass he only 

 retreated a few inches. His movements were very like 

 a chipmunk's but not quite so swift. By and by he 



124 



