92 THE ROMANCE OF EVERIFARM 



mother earth to such an extent that the violets were 

 all in bloom and the cold, bleak winter was a thing 

 of the past. 



This day of spring had induced great activity in 

 the animal and bird world, and the mole, in working 

 out a new runway, dug into the tunnel of the 

 squirrel. He decided he would learn what was at 

 the other end of the new passageway, therefore he 

 ran into the squirrel just as he was awakening from 

 his long sleep. "Hello, Stripes! What's the matter? 

 Going to sleep all summer, too? You had better get 

 out and stir yourself, as your home is all caved in," 

 commented the mole. 



"I just fell asleep yesterday, but I never awakened 

 so stiff in all my life. I was over in the com field 

 getting some corn to keep me over winter and being 

 tired I slept longer than I thought. My! I am so 

 skinny and poor. What is the matter with me, any- 

 way? There surely is something wrong," exclaimed 

 Stripes. 



"No, nothing wrong at all," returned the mole; 

 "only that you have been asleep all winter. While 

 the ground was frozen hard and covered with snow, 

 you have been down here having a good snooze," 

 the mole explained. 



"Snow? You say the ground was covered with 



