FRIENDLY ENEMIES, THE ANIMALS 105 



Jerry Muskrat busy erecting a new house. It was 

 about four feet high and five feet wide, with a dome- 

 shaped interior that Jerry said was very commodi- 

 ous. Jerry and Bobby were quite good friends, so 

 Jerry told him all about the interior, as Bobby 

 couldn't get in to see; for the two entrances were 

 accessible only from the bottom, and he would have 

 to dive down into the water, swim along a passage- 

 way, and then come up inside the house. But as 

 Bobby was not equipped for this kind of work, he 

 took Jerry's word for the interior. Jerry had made 

 the house of sticks, weeds, rushes, and reeds, then 

 plastered it all solid with mud, after which he had 

 lined the sleeping quarters with soft grass. Here 

 he stored his winter food supply, which usually 

 consists of roots and stems of succulent plants, 

 varied with fresh water clams and occasional fish. 



However, Jerry is careful to select sticks of wood 

 with which to build his house. These can be used 

 during the winter as food in case of need, so all the 

 shrubs that have a bark that is pleasing to Jerry's 

 taste are to be found in his house. 



While Bobby was talking to Jerry Muskrat, Billy 

 Mink came sUpping along the bank and seeing 

 Bobby, said, "Going over to Farmer Brown's chicken 

 house to-night for more eggs, Bobby?" 



