94 



Ways of Wood Folk. 



built, simply because the water was deep enough, 

 and none was needed. In vacation time the young 

 beavers build for fun, just as boys build a dam wher- 

 ever they can find running water. I am persuaded 

 also (and this may explain some of the dams that 



seem stupidly placed) that at times the old beavers 

 set the young to work in summer, in order that they 

 may know how to build when it becomes necessary. 

 This is a hard theory to prove, for the beavers work 

 by night, preferably on dark, rainy nights, when they 

 are safest on land to gather materials. But while 

 building is instinctive, skilful building is the result 



