Not far from the home of the Rabbits was another burrow where the Ground
Hog lived, and there was a very kindly feeling between the neighbors.
They liked the same food, and as there was plenty for all, they often
nibbled together near the edge of the forest. The little Rabbits were
fond of him and liked to listen to his stories. Once the biggest little
Rabbit had run into the Ground Hog's burrow by mistake when he was
frightened, and that was the beginning of a great friendship between
them.
They were a queer-looking couple, for the Rabbit was small and quick and
dainty, while the Ground Hog, with his stout body covered with thick,
reddish fur, his broad, flat head, and his short legs, was a clumsy
fellow. To be sure, he could get out of sight quickly if he had to, but
he never scampered around and kicked up his heels for the fun of it, as
the Rabbits did. He was too dignified to do that. He came of an old
family and he could remember who his grandfather was. There were but few
people in the forest who could do that; so, of course, he could not
frisk like his neighbors.
Perhaps if the Ground Hog had not belonged to so old a family, he might
have had a better time. Yet the thought that he could remember his
grandfather was a great pleasure to him, and when he was talking he
would often remark in the most careless way, "as my grandfather used to
say"; or, "That reminds me of something my grandfather once did." Some
people said that he did this to show off; but it may be that they were
envious.
However that may have been, the Ground Hog was certainly a haughty
fellow, and if he had not been so gentle and kind a neighbor people
would not have liked him. Only once had he been known to get angry, and
that was when a saucy young Chipmunk had spoken of him as a Woodchuck.
"Woodchuck! Woodchuck!" he had grunted. "You young Bushy-tail, I am a
Ground Hog, and the Ground Hog family lived in this forest long before
you ever opened your eyes. People with good manners do not call us
'Woodchucks.' We do not like the name. My grandfather could not endure
it."
It was not very long after this that he told the wondering young Rabbits
about his grandfather. When talking, the Ground Hog rested by the edge
of his burrow, sitting on his haunches, and waving his queer little
forepaws whenever he told anything especially important. And this was
the story:
"Perhaps you may have heard me speak of my grandfather. Ah, he was a
Ground Hog worth seeing! He was large, and, although when I knew him the
black fur on his back was streaked with gray, he was still handsome. He
was clever, too. I have often heard my father say that he could dig the
deepest and best burrow in the forest. And then he had such fine
manners! There was not another Ground Hog in the country around who
could eat as noisily as he, and it is said that when he was courting my
grandmother she chose him because of the elegant way in which he sat up
on his haunches. I have been told, children, that I am very much like
him."
Just here, a Red-headed Woodpecker gave a loud "Rat-a-tat-tat" on the
tree above the Ground Hog's head, and there was a look around her bill
as though she wanted to laugh. The Ground Hog slowly turned his head to
look at her as she flew away. "Quite a good-looking young person," he
said, "but badly brought up. She should know better than to disturb
those who are talking. What was I saying, children?"
"You were telling how well your grandfather sat up on his haunches,"
said the smallest little Rabbit.
"So I was! So I was! I must tell you how my grandfather came to know the
world so well. When he was only a young fellow, he made his home for a
time by a Hen house, and so heard the talk of the barn-yard people.
Once he heard them tell how the farmer watched on a certain winter day
to see my grandfather come out of his burrow. Of course, you children
all know how we Ground Hogs do; in the fall we are very fat, and when
the cold weather comes we go to sleep in our burrows to wait for spring.
Sometimes we awaken and stretch, but we go to sleep again very soon.
Then, when spring comes we are slender and have healthy appetites.
"The Hens treated my grandfather with great politeness, and the Black
Brahma Cock showed plainly how honored they felt to have him there. They
said that they were so glad my grandfather stayed out of his burrow
awhile on this winter day when the farmer was watching, because they
were in a hurry for warm weather. My grandfather did not know what they
meant by that, but he was too wise to say so, and he found out by
asking questions, that if a Ground Hog leaves his burrow on this certain
day in winter, and sees his shadow, and goes back again, it will be cold
for a long time after that. If he does not see his shadow, and stays
out, it will soon be warm.
"You see now, children, how important our family is; and yet we are so
modest that we had not even known that we made the weather until the
Hens told my grandfather. But that is the way! Really great people often
think the least of themselves."
"And do you make the weather?" asked the smallest little Rabbit.
"I suppose we do," said the Ground Hog, with a smile. "It is a great
care. I often say to myself: 'Shall I have it warm, or shall I have it
cold?' It worries me so that sometimes I can hardly eat."
"And how do you know when the day comes for you to make the weather?"
said the smallest little rabbit.
"Ahem! Well-er! I am sorry to say that my grandfather did not find out
exactly what day it is that they watch for us, so I have to guess at
that. But to think that we Ground Hogs make the weather for all the
other people! It is worth a great deal to belong to such a family. I
suppose I might have been a Weasel, a Fox, an Owl, or an Oriole. And it
is a great thing to have known one's grandfather."
The little Rabbits sat very still, wishing that they had known their
grandfather, when suddenly the biggest one said: "If you should stay out
of your burrow when that day comes, and another Ground Hog should go
back into his burrow, how would the weather know what to do?"
"Children," said the old Ground Hog, "I think your mother is calling to
you. You might better go to see. Good-by." And he waved his paw
politely.
The seven little Rabbits scampered away, but their mother was not
calling them. She wasn't even there, and when they went back they
couldn't find the Ground Hog. They wondered how he happened to make such
a mistake. The Red-headed Woodpecker who came along at about that time,
twisted her head on one side and said: "Made-a-mistake! Rat-a-tat-tat!
Not he!"
[Illustration]