58 BOOK OF NATURAL HISTORY. 
out of their reach. One night, 
I was in bed, just going to 
sleep, when I heard a mouse 
creeping up the bed-curtains ; 
I made a blow with my fist at 
the place where the sound came 
from, and drove it away. But 
it soon came back again, and 
kept me awake so long that at 
last I lighted a candle and 
placed it on the chimney-piece, 
thinking the light would drive 
it away. But soon I heard the 
mouse creeping up the curtains 
again, and then a sudden noise 
in the candlestick. The impu- 
dent little fellow had crawled 
to the top of the curtains and 
