STUBBS THE BADGER 201 
through the elder trees, whose buds were growing 
big and purple, and he dug up and ate the wild 
arum tubers. They were very bitter and burning 
to taste, but a badger's palate is not a delicate one, 
and he devoured them greedily. Besides, there 
was nothing else left to eat in the woods, for, during 
the recent famine time, they had been patrolled 
up and down by bird and beast. 
In March, Mother Badger had another litter of 
cubs in the old nursery, but there were fewer grown 
badgers in the ' earth ' at this time, for the younger 
boar cub of the previous season had been ' stopped ' 
out one February night, and had never come home 
again perhaps the Carkenny hounds knew why. 
Stubbs lived a bachelor life by himself at one end of 
the ' earth/ Even now he was scarcely thoroughly 
awake after his long sleep, and on any cold or 
wet night he lay abed. By April, however, he felt 
better, and put on flesh ; and it was then that he 
finally broke with his family. One night he went 
round by the Heronry where grew Father Badger's 
' Claw-Clapping ' tree, a young wych-elm. Father 
Badger used to resort thither to polish his long 
digging claws and to scratch himself, and 
his feet had patted down a 
little track round the roots. 
Stubbs went up to the 
