wandering, shivering spirits ; they nibbled their 

 corn and squeaked in snug contentment; for 

 only dreams of the winter come to them in 

 there. 



These shock-dwellers were the common house- 

 mice, Mus musculus. But they are not the only 

 mice that have warm beds in winter! In fact, 

 bed-making is a specialty among the mice. 



Zapus, the jumping-mouse, the exquisite little 

 fellow with the long tail and kangaroo legs, has 

 made his nest of leaves and grass down in the 

 ground, where he lies in a tiny ball just out of 

 the frost's reach, fast asleep. He will be plowed 

 out of bed next spring, if his nest is in a field 

 destined for corn or melons ; for Zapus is sure 

 to oversleep. He is a very sound sleeper. The 

 bluebirds, robins, and song-sparrows will have 

 been back for weeks, the fields will be turning 

 green, and as for the flowers, there will be a 

 long procession of them started, before this 

 pretty sleepy-head rubs his eyes, uncurls him- 

 self, and digs his way out to see the new spring 

 morning. 



Does this winter -long sleep seem to him only 

 as a nap overnight? 



[54] 



