48 FOUR-FOOTED AMEEICANS 



a single spoke were missing, so mucli does the strength 

 of the whole depend on even the least part. We may 

 think that this animal or that is of no use, until Ave 

 find by experience that it filled its place as a small but 

 important spoke in this life-wheel." 



" But, father," said Olive, "it is surely necessary for 

 us to kill Rats and Mice and other nuisance animals?" 



" Certainly, we must kill them now because the 

 balance wheel has been so disturbed that these animals 

 have multiplied out of their due proportion and we have 

 made ou.rsehes responsible for their increase. This is 

 a ])enalty man has to pay in many ways for eating of 

 the fruit of the tree of kno-wiedge. He has to labor to 

 accomplish many things that Heart of Xature intended 

 doing for him." 



" Then maybe if people hadn't shot so many Owls 

 and good Cannibal Birds, it would have helped keep 

 down the nuisance animals," ventured Dodo. " Oh, 

 uncle, what are those funny little haystacks down in 

 the water in the marsh meadow? " 



" Aluskrat huts. Stop a minute, Olive, and let us 

 look at tliem," said the DiK/tor, shading his eyes Avith 

 his hands. " The animals who make their homes in 

 those haystacks, as Dodo calls them, are very curious 

 as Avell as both mischievous and useful. They look 

 like s(jmething between the AYoodchuck the dogs 

 brought in this morning and a great Ihit. They are 

 a little under a foot long, and the}' can swiui as fast 

 as a Duck. Tlieir front toes liaA'e long claws for 

 scratching, and their back toes we1)s for swimming. 

 They li\c in tlie banks of rivers and ponds in summer, 

 and retire into these huts, made of rushes and old weeds, 



