I have not much more to tell you about "Squirrels and other Animals,"
for by the time the tenants of the oak-tree had collected a good stock
of provisions, the weather had become rather cold and dismal, and it
seemed likely that the winter would set in very early that year. But
the time for their long sleep was not yet quite arrived, and on fine
days they were still to be seen abroad, roaming about from tree to
tree, and sometimes bringing home a few more nuts and acorns. But to
find these they were now obliged to search on the ground, for the wind
had shaken the ripe fruit from the trees. Now they were relieved from
the dread of being seized by their terrible enemy, they could ramble
about where they pleased.
One day as they were rummaging about among the dry leaves, under the
hazel-bushes, the squirrels fell in with the very oddest creature they
had ever seen. They had heard from Leatherwing that such an animal
lived in the woods, but they did not think they should ever meet with
him, as the bat had told them that he never came abroad till it was
dark. But the old fellow was mistaken a little for once in his life,
for here this most extraordinary looking creature certainly was, in the
middle of the day.[11] From the description Brush had received of this
animal, he knew at once that he was one _Touchmenot_, a hedgehog; and
that though he was considered to be rather a queer-tempered fellow, he
was not likely to do him any harm. But the young squirrels and their
mother were so frightened at his very warlike appearance, that they
leaped up into the bushes overhead.
[11] I can bear witness, that hedgehogs are not always nocturnal
animals, having more than once seen them running about in the
daytime, and I remember capturing one that was trotting across
the corner of a field when the mid-day sun was shining brightly.
And if the hedgehog occasionally kills snakes, as Mr. Bell
informs us, how can he meet with these animals by night, when
they are invariably safe in their holes?
[Illustration: THE SQUIRREL AND THE HEDGEHOG. Page 189.]
Brush remained on the ground, but his family observed that he took care
to keep close to the stem of a small tree, for he thought that if his
new acquaintance should become uncivil, he could not possibly climb up
after him. After the two animals had looked at each other for some time
in silence, Touchmenot began the conversation.
* * * * *
TOUCHMENOT.
Well! what d'ye stare at? What d'ye want? Never saw me before, eh? Hope
you will remember me when we meet again, for you have looked at me long
enough, I am sure, with those great black eyes of yours.
Oh! don't be frightened! You may stare at me till you are blind for all
I care. I'm not ashamed of myself. Oh dear no! Well, now you have
examined me pretty well, who d'ye think I am, eh?
BRUSH,
(_Rather frightened at the surly address of the stranger_).
I believe you are called Mr. Touchmenot, are you not, Sir?
TOUCHMENOT.
Touchmenot, indeed! What fool told you that? Well, I don't care, they
may call me so if they please. Ha! ha! no bad name neither! _Touch me
not_, I advise you, or you will smart for it! So _that's_ the name they
give me, is it? Oh, with all my heart! And what else have you heard
about me, Mr. Greateyes?
BRUSH.
Oh, nothing very particular. Yes, now I recollect, I have heard that
you have got a very odd way of defending yourself, by rolling up into a
ball, when you see any animal coming that you think is an enemy.
TOUCHMENOT.
That I _think_ is an enemy? I consider _all_ animals my enemies. Except
my own family, I don't believe I have a friend in the world. My comfort
is, that I am very well able to take care of myself; and yet I can
neither fly like a bird, nor run like a hare, nor swim like a fish, nor
leap like yourself. No, I can do none of these; but I can _roll up_,
and so set all my enemies at defiance; and I had half a mind to have
done so when I first saw you, but it was hardly worth while, for you
are much smaller than I am, and, besides, to tell you the truth, you
look rather like a good-tempered fellow. Now what other tales have you
heard about my doings?
BRUSH.
Why if you wont be angry, I was going to say, though I didn't believe
it at the time, but I _have_ heard it said that you are _rather fond of
milk_, and don't mind sucking the farmers' cows sometimes.
TOUCHMENOT.
So you have heard that ridiculous story, have you? Well, you say you
don't believe it, so I sha'n't take the trouble to prove what a
monstrous fib it is. Now then, I'll tell you what I have heard about
_you_. I have heard that you _are rather fond of nuts_, and that, not
content with eating as many as you can possibly cram, you are such a
glutton that you carry a great many home with you, on purpose to stuff
yourself with in the winter.
BRUSH.
Well, and what harm? Nuts are very wholesome food, I am sure. And don't
_you_ lay up any store of provisions for the winter, then?
TOUCHMENOT.
Not I, indeed! I am better employed in the winter than in eating. I
sleep _all_ the winter, Mr. Nutcracker! When the weather gets a little
colder, perhaps in a few days, I shall creep into my snug nest which I
have made under the roots of a great tree. There I shall roll myself
up, in my bed of dry leaves, and when once fairly asleep, I am safe
till next spring. Nothing can make _me_ wake up. What a fool I should
be to trouble myself about collecting a quantity of food for the
winter, when I am sound asleep all the time!
BRUSH.
And what do you live upon, when you _are_ awake, if it isn't an unfair
question?
TOUCHMENOT.
Oh, I am not very particular. Almost anything will do at a pinch. I
often make a meal upon roots and vegetables, when I can find nothing
else. But I like animal food much better, such as insects, worms,
snails, bird's eggs, frogs, mice, and now and then I dine upon a snake
when I can contrive to catch him. Well! what's the matter now? What do
you jump up into the tree for?
BRUSH.
Oh, shocking! I never heard anything so dreadful in my life! I beg your
pardon. I mean, I should not like to dine upon snake at all.
TOUCHMENOT.
Very likely not. Tastes differ, you know. But here comes a gentleman
who will most certainly _dine upon you_, if you don't get up a little
higher into the tree; for though he can't climb, he is a pretty good
leaper. For my part, I scorn to run away from any animal, large or
small. Stay where you are, and you will see some fun.
* * * * *
The animal that now approached was a hungry young fox, who would
certainly have made a meal of the squirrel if he could have caught him.
But after trying to reach him, by jumping till he was tired, he gave it
up at last for a bad job; and then, spying the hedgehog, he dashed at
him, as if he had intended to have swallowed him at a single mouthful.
But Touchmenot was quite prepared for the attack, for he had rolled
himself up into a round ball, with nothing but sharp spines sticking
out on every side; and when the fox attempted to seize his prey, you
would have laughed to have seen how very much surprised and
disappointed he looked. As he was but young, though he appeared more
than half-grown, I suppose he had never seen a hedgehog before, or he
would not have acted so imprudently, for he pounced upon this ball of
spines as he would upon a rabbit, or a pheasant, but he soon found out
his mistake, and retreated to a little distance, howling dismally, and
licking his bleeding lips and nose.
When he recovered a little from his surprise, he made another attempt.
But now he proceeded more cautiously, and rolled old Touchmenot over
and over with his paws, hoping to find some part of him that was not
protected by this spiny coat of armour. He could make nothing of it!
This strange-looking ball was spines above, spines below--strong, sharp
spines on every side. It was really very provoking, for it contained a
nice meal inside, no doubt, if he could but get at it.
After watching his vain attempts for some time, the squirrels saw that
the fox had no chance of succeeding, and they made the best of their
way home, keeping on the trees for fear he should leave Touchmenot, and
follow them instead. However, they had nothing to fear from this silly
young fellow, for he seemed fully occupied in rolling this tiresome
ball about, but how long he continued his amusement, I cannot tell.
However, I must inform you, that the hedgehog boasted rather too much,
when he said he could set _all_ his enemies at defiance, by his strange
plan of defence; for though very few animals will venture to attack him
when rolled up, it sometimes happens that a thoroughly game and
courageous terrier-dog will seize him, and kill him too, in spite of
his prickly armour. Of course, his own lips and mouth must suffer
severely from the animal's sharp spines.
A week or two after the interview with the hedgehog, one very cold
dismal afternoon, all the squirrels were in the nest, except the father
of the family, and he was gone abroad for a short time, just to stretch
his legs a little. Suddenly he darted into the hole, as if he had been
pursued by another wild-cat, and when he was asked what was the matter,
he exclaimed, "_Snow!_ cold, dismal _snow_! Flakes of snow as large as
white butterflies, and falling so thickly that I could hardly see my
way back to the nest! Here I am, however, and here I mean to stay till
fine weather comes again. It will be a long while before that happens
though, I fancy."
Brush was a true prophet. The weather became colder and colder every
day, till at last, after a sharp frosty night, the squirrels quite
forgot to wake up in the morning, and then their first long nap of
several weeks began. If you could have looked in upon them in their
comfortable nest, you could hardly have believed that the little curled
up squirrels, with their blankets over their heads, were the same
active, playful creatures, whose summer gambols among the branches had
afforded you so much amusement.
Well, then, there _can_ be nothing more to say about these sleeping
squirrels, and now I must inform you what effect the cold weather had
upon the other animals, whose summer habits have been imperfectly
described in this history. The dormice, in their nests at the bottom of
the oak-tree, and the water-rats, in their holes in the bank of the
pond, were sound asleep also; but all these animals had taken the
precaution to provide a store of provisions for the early part of the
spring, and in case they should wake up for a few days in the winter.
Now, with respect to the curious little water-shrew-mouse, Velvet-coat,
I am not quite so certain about his winter habits. But no doubt he
slept comfortably in his hole till the spring; and as he was an
insect-feeder, we may conclude that he followed the example of
Touchmenot, in not laying up any food for the winter.
If we could have questioned old Leatherwing, I think he would have told
us that the harvest-mice, whose history he overheard related by
Minimus, abandoned their nest on the thistle, and made themselves a
warmer house, deep under the ground, where they passed the cold weather
in sleeping, and now and then nibbling the grains of wheat which they
had buried with them. The bat has already related how he passed the
winter himself, and how he was obliged to waste some part of it in
sleep, not altogether from the effects of cold, but also from the want
of food.