It didn't take Farmer Brown's boy long to discover that Whitefoot the
Wood Mouse was living in the little sugar-house. He caught glimpses of
Whitefoot peeping out at him. Now Farmer Brown's boy is wise in the ways
of the little people of the Green Forest. Right away he made up his
mind to get acquainted with Whitefoot. He knew that not in all the
Green Forest is there a more timid little fellow than Whitefoot, and
he thought it would be a fine thing to be able to win the confidence of
such a shy little chap.
So at first Farmer Brown's boy paid no attention whatever to Whitefoot.
He took care that Whitefoot shouldn't even know that he had been seen.
Every day when he ate his lunch, Farmer Brown's boy scattered a lot
of crumbs close to the pile of wood under which Whitefoot had made his
home. Then he and Farmer Brown would go out to collect sap. When they
returned not a crumb would be left.
One day Farmer Brown's boy scattered some particularly delicious crumbs.
Then, instead of going out, he sat down on a bench and kept perfectly
still. Farmer Brown and Bowser the Hound went out. Of course Whitefoot
heard them go out, and right away he poked his little head out from
under the pile of wood to see if the way was clear. Farmer Brown's boy
sat there right in plain sight, but Whitefoot didn't see him. That was
because Farmer Brown's boy didn't move the least bit. Whitefoot ran out
and at once began to eat those delicious crumbs. When he had filled his
little stomach, he began to carry the remainder back to his storehouse
underneath the woodpile. While he was gone on one of these trips, Farmer
Brown's boy scattered more crumbs in a line that led right up to his
foot. Right there he placed a big piece of bread crust.
Whitefoot was working so hard and so fast to get all those delicious
bits of food that he took no notice of anything else until he reached
that piece of crust. Then he happened to look up right into the eyes
of Farmer Brown's boy. With a frightened little squeak Whitefoot darted
back, and for a long time he was afraid to come out again.
But Farmer Brown's boy didn't move, and at last Whitefoot could stand
the temptation no longer. He darted out halfway, scurried back, came out
again, and at last ventured right up to the crust. Then he began to drag
it back to the woodpile. Still Farmer Brown's boy did not move.
For two or three days the same thing happened. By this time, Whitefoot
had lost all fear. He knew that Farmer Brown's boy would not harm him,
and it was not long before he ventured to take a bit of food from Farmer
Brown's boy's hand. After that Farmer Brown's boy took care that no
crumbs should be scattered on the ground. Whitefoot had to come to him
for his food, and always Farmer Brown's boy had something delicious for
him.