The Woodchuck 25 



A part of this wisdom came through copying their 

 mother, but by far the greater part came through 

 instinct and through experiences of their own. They 

 learned which grass was good for food, which for 

 medicine, and which was not to be touched at all. 



Some attention was given to the art of climbing, 

 for from elevated positions they could command as 

 much more extended view of meadow and wood- 

 land — ^yes, woodchucks really climb fences and small 

 trees! and I found it extremely entertaining to 

 watch their clumsy first attempts. This lesson in 

 climbing, however, might sometimes be omitted, 

 but never a day passed that the little woodchucks 

 did not receive a lesson in danger signals. They soon 

 learned to distinguish, among the many sounds that 

 came to their ears, those that threatened harm and 

 danger from those that meant no harm at all. Al- 

 though Bob from the next farm nearly caught one 

 of the little fellows, they learned that a dog was not 

 a very dangerous foe, as his presence was usually 

 made known while he was some distance off; but 

 when a fox was in the vicinity — then was the time 

 to be wary indeed ! 



By the middle of August the little cubs were pretty 

 nearly grown-up woodchucks, and the time was fast 

 approaching when the frolicsome days of babyhood 



