tain that no enemy lay in waiting. She knew 
well that, although beavers never eat meat, 
there are many animals who do so, and that 
to such creatures a baby beaver is the very 
choicest of meals. 
The fact that her examination never re¬ 
vealed the presence of any harmful thing did 
not cause Mother Beaver to grow careless. 
She made that trial trip every evening. Then, 
certain that all was safe, she returned to lead 
O-Go, Ilg, and Ela out through the tunnel 
and up to the surface of the pond. There 
they played at tag and follow-the-leader, each 
game making them stronger and therefore able 
to swim farther. To them, it was all play for 
play’s sake, but to Mother Beaver it was a 
part of their education, and she watched their 
development with keen satisfaction. Soon, she 
knew, they would be ready to go farther from 
home. 
After some days of this sort of exercise, 
Mother Beaver was convinced that the time 
had arrived, when it would be safe to make 
a real journey with her young ones. That 
evening, therefore, she did not permit them 
to tire themselves with play, but led them 
straight away from the door of the lodge to¬ 
ward the great dam, which swept in a long, 
gentle curve across the mouth of the pond. 
As they travelled, she swam, now in front of 
27 
