Page:Babyhood of Wild Beasts.djvu/34

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26
THE BABYHOOD OF WILD BEASTS

down with his paws, and not with his tail, as has been said.

Then he builds his house. The beaver house is a well constructed affair of neatly trimmed poles from which the bark has been peeled and logs two or three feet long, with all spaces plastered full of mud. The house is a two-story affair. The entrance is under water, with a water tight living room well above high-water mark. The cellar is used for storing foods. The size of the house is four or five feet high and fifteen or eighteen feet in diameter. The exterior is not handsome; it resembles a last year's hen's nest, but it deceives his enemies as to his whereabouts and is warm and comfortable within.

The Beaver builds dams and houses for protecting himself and family. He has many enemies who seek him for food and for his beautiful fur. When his home is attacked, he makes his escape under deep water, and we are very glad that he has the cunning to protect himself from vicious marauders.

When a young Beaver is old enough to marry, he selects the prettiest girl of his acquaintance