The Woodchuck Mammals 
explored the whole floor without finding anything to 
eat. 
In two or three days Chuckie became accustomed 
to his home, and grew fat and playful as any sensible 
creature would have done under like circumstances. 
He was very fond of running over the carpets, but for 
some reason or other grandma was decidedly averse 
to having him walk on the carpet in her room, which 
was his favorite place for taking exercise. Whenever 
he saw the door open, he seemed to say, ‘‘Now’s my 
chance!’ and proceeded to take advantage of it as 
fast as his stubby little legs would carry him. Grand- 
ma usually started at about the same time, and if 
Chuckie saw that she was getting ahead of him, he 
would take a shorter route and go under the stove, 
thus reaching the coveted territory first; after which, 
with his spunkiness and natural animal obstinacy, it 
was the work of several minutes to get him out. 
He spent much of his time under the stove at first. 
When he was hungry he would come out and ask for 
milk as plainly as he could; and if that did not 
attract attention he would seize the bottom of 
mamma’s or grandma’s dress, pulling and grunting 
with all his might.. If they walked along, dragging 
him, he didn’t seem to mind it in the least, but hung 
on with a perverseness worthy of a better cause. 
It was some time before he came to know his name, 
but he could always. be called by rapping on the floor. 
Such funny places as he found for a bed when he 
grew older! Many a time did papa find him curled 
up in his slipper; and once when Bob had hung his 
coat on a chair to dry, Chuckie found his way into a 
pocket; and after that, his favorite place was in the 
pocket (or sleeve purposely tied at the end) of an old 
coat which hung on a nail on a low railing. 
93 
