XIV
JERRY MUSKRAT'S NEW HOUSE
Jerry Muskrat wouldn't play. Billy Mink had tried to get him to. LittleJoe Otter had tried to get him to. The Merry Little Breezes had tried toget him to. It was of no use, no use at all. Jerry Muskrat wouldn'tplay.
"Come on, Jerry, come on play with us," they begged all together.
But Jerry shook his head. "Can't," said he.
"Why not? Won't your mother let you?" demanded Billy Mink, making a longdive into the Smiling Pool. He was up again in time to hear Jerryreply:
"Yes, my mother will let me. It isn't that. It's because we are going tohave a long winter and a cold winter and I must prepare for it."
Every one laughed, every one except Grandfather Frog, who sat on his biggreen lily-pad watching for foolish green flies.
"Pooh!" exclaimed Little Joe Otter. "A lot you know about it, JerryMuskrat! Ho, ho, ho! A lot you know about it! Are you clerk of theweather? It is only fall now--what can you know about what the winterwill be? Oh come, Jerry Muskrat, don't pretend to be so wise. I can swimtwice across the Smiling Pool while you are swimming across once--comeon!"
Jerry Muskrat shook his head. "Haven't time," said he. "I tell you weare going to have a long winter and a hard winter, and I've got toprepare for it. When it comes you'll remember what I have told you."
Little Joe Otter made a wry face and slid down his slippery slide,splash into the Smiling Pool, throwing water all over Jerry Muskrat, whowas sitting on the end of a log close by. Jerry shook the water from hiscoat, which is water-proof, you know. Everybody laughed, that is,everybody but Grandfather Frog. He did not even smile.
"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog, who is very wise. "Jerry Muskratknows. If Jerry says that we are going to have a long cold winter youmay be sure that he knows what he is talking about."
Billy Mink turned a back somersault into the Smiling Pool so close tothe big green lily-pad on which Grandfather Frog sat that the wavesalmost threw Grandfather Frog into the water.
"Pooh," said Billy Mink, "how can Jerry Muskrat know anything more aboutit than we do?"
Grandfather Frog looked at Billy Mink severely. He does not like BillyMink, who has been known to gobble up some of Grandfather Frog'schildren when he thought that no one was looking.
"Old Mother Nature was here and told him," said Grandfather Froggruffly.
"Oh!" exclaimed Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter together. "That'sdifferent," and they looked at Jerry Muskrat with greater respect.
"How are you going to prepare for the long cold winter, Jerry Muskrat?"asked one of the Merry Little Breezes.
"I'm going to build a house, a big, warm house," replied Jerry Muskrat,"and I'm going to begin right now."
"I'm going, to build a house," replied Jerry Muskrat.]
Splash! Jerry had disappeared into the Smiling Pool. Presently, over onthe far side where the water was shallow, it began to bubble and boilas if a great fuss was going on underneath the surface. Jerry Muskrathad begun work. The water grew muddy, very muddy indeed, so muddy thatLittle Joe Otter and Billy Mink climbed out on the Big Rock in disgust.When finally Jerry Muskrat swam out to rest on the end of a log theyshouted to him angrily.
"Hi, Jerry Muskrat, you're spoiling our swimming water! What are youdoing anyway?"
"I'm digging for the foundations for my new house, and it isn't yourwater any more than it's mine," replied Jerry Muskrat, drawing a longbreath before he disappeared under water again.
The water grew muddier and muddier, until even Grandfather Frog began tolook annoyed. Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter started off up theLaughing Brook, where the water was clear. The Merry Little Breezesdanced away across the Green Meadows to play with Johnny Chuck, andGrandfather Frog settled himself comfortably on his big green lily-padto dream of the days when the world was young and the frogs ruled theworld.
But Jerry Muskrat worked steadily, digging and piling sods in a circlefor the foundation of his house. In the center he dug out a chamber fromwhich he planned a long tunnel to his secret burrow far away in thebank, and another to the deepest part of the Smiling Pool, where even inthe coldest weather the water would not freeze to the bottom as it woulddo in the shallow places.
All day long while Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter and the Merry LittleBreezes and Johnny Chuck and Peter Rabbit and Danny Meadow Mouse and allthe other little meadow people were playing or lazily taking sun naps,Jerry Muskrat worked steadily. Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun, looking downfrom the blue, blue sky, smiled to see how industrious the little fellowwas. That evening, when Old Mother West Wind hurried across the GreenMeadows on her way to her home behind the Purple Hills, she found JerryMuskrat sitting on the end of a log eating his supper of fresh-waterclams. Showing just above the water on the edge of the Smiling Pool wasthe foundation of Jerry Muskrat's new house.
The next morning Jerry was up and at work even before Old Mother WestWind, who is a very early riser, came down from the Purple Hills. Ofcourse every one was interested to see how the new house was comingalong and to offer advice.
"Are you going to build it all of mud?" asked one of the Merry LittleBreezes.
"No," said Jerry Muskrat, "I'm going to use green alder twigs and willowshoots and bulrush stalks. It's going to be two stories high, with aroom down deep under water and another room up above with a beautifulbed of grass and soft moss."
"That will be splendid!" cried the Merry Little Breezes.
Then one of them had an idea. He whispered to the other Little Breezes.They all giggled and clapped their hands. Then they hurried off to findBilly Mink and Little Joe Otter. They even hunted up Johnny Chuck andPeter Rabbit and Danny Meadow Mouse.
Jerry Muskrat was so busy that he paid no attention to any one oranything else. He was attending strictly to the business of building ahouse that would keep him warm and comfortable when the long cold wintershould freeze up tight the Smiling Pool.
Pretty soon he was ready for some green twigs to use in the walls of thenew house. He swam across the Smiling Pool to the Laughing Brook, wherethe alders grow, to cut the green twigs which he needed. What do youthink he found when he got there? Why, the nicest little pile of greentwigs, all cut ready to use, and Johnny Chuck cutting more.
"Hello, Jerry Muskrat," said Johnny Chuck. "I've cut all these greentwigs for your new house. I hope you can use them."
Jerry was so surprised that he hardly knew what to say. He thankedJohnny Chuck, and with the bundle of green twigs swam back to his newhouse. When he had used the last one he swam across to the bulrushes onthe edge of the Smiling Pool.
"Good morning, Jerry Muskrat," said some one almost hidden by a big pileof bulrushes, all nicely cut. "I want to help build the new house."
It was Danny Meadow Mouse.
Jerry Muskrat was more surprised than ever. "Oh, thank you, Danny MeadowMouse, thank you!" he said, and pushing the pile of bulrushes before himhe swam back to his new house.
When he had used the rushes, Jerry wanted some young willow shoots, sohe started for the place where the willows grow. Before he reached themhe heard some one shouting:
"Hi, Jerry Muskrat! See the pile of willow shoots I've cut for your newhouse." It was Peter Rabbit, who is never known to work.
Jerry Muskrat was more surprised than ever and so pleased that all hecould say was, "Thank you, thank you, Peter Rabbit!"
Back to the new house he swam with the pile of young willow shoots. Whenhe had placed them to suit him he sat up on the walls of his house torest. He looked across the Smiling Pool. Then he rubbed his eyes andlooked again. Could it be--yes, it certainly was a bundle of green aldertwigs floating straight across the Smiling Pool towards the new house!When they got close to him Jerry spied a sharp little black nose pushingthem along, and back of the little black nose twinkled two little blackeyes.
"What are you doing with those alder twigs, Billy Mink?" cried Jerry.
"Bringing them for your new house," shouted Billy Mink, popping out frombehind the bund
le of alder twigs.
And that was the beginning of the busiest day that the Smiling Pool hadever known. Billy Mink brought more alder twigs and willow shoots andbulrushes as fast as Johnny Chuck and Peter Rabbit and Danny MeadowMouse could cut them. Little Joe Otter brought sods and mud to hold themin place.
Thick and high grew the walls of the new house. In the upper part Jerrybuilt the nicest little room, and lined it with grass and soft moss, sothat he could sleep warm and comfortable through the long cold winter.Over all he built a strong, thick roof beautifully rounded.
An hour before it was time for Old Mother West Wind to come for theMerry Little Breezes, Jerry Muskrat's new house was finished. Then sucha frolic as there was in and around the Smiling Pool! Little Joe Ottermade a new slippery slide down one side of the roof. Billy Mink saidthat the new house was better to dive off of than the Big Rock. Then thetwo of them, with Jerry Muskrat, cut up all sorts of monkey-shines inthe water, while Johnny Chuck, Peter Rabbit, Danny Meadow Mouse and theMerry Little Breezes danced on the shore and shouted themselves hoarse.
When at last jolly, round, red Mr. Sun went to bed behind the PurpleHills, and the black shadows crept ever so softly out across the SmilingPool, Jerry Muskrat sat on the roof of his house eating his supper offresh-water clams. He was very tired, was Jerry Muskrat, very tiredindeed, but he was very happy, for now he had no fear of the long coldwinter. Best of all his heart was full of love--love for his littleplaymates of the Smiling Pool and the Green Meadows.
Mother West Wind's Animal Friends Page 14