The Burgess Animal Book for Children | Page 6

my long legs for safety, and the way I can dodge around trees and
bushes. I suppose Reddy Fox may be fast enough to catch me in the
open, but he can't do it where I can dodge around trees and bushes.
That is why I stick to the Green Forest. If you please, Mother Nature,
what is this about a cousin who likes to swim?"
Old Mother Nature's eyes twinkled. "We'll get to that later on," said she.
"Now, each of you hold up a hind foot and tell me what difference you
see."
Peter and Jumper each held up a hind foot and each looked first at his
own and then at the other's. "They look to me very much alike, only
Jumper's is a lot longer and bigger than mine," said Peter. Jumper
nodded as if he agreed.

"What's the matter with your eyes?" demanded Old Mother Nature.
"Don't you see that Jumper's foot is a great deal broader than yours,
Peter, and that his toes are spread apart, while yours are close
together?"
Peter and Jumper looked sheepish, for it was just as Old Mother Nature
had said. Jumper's foot really was quite different from that of Peter.
Peter's was narrow and slim.
"That is a very important difference," declared Old Mother Nature.
"Can you guess why I gave you those big feet, Jumper?"
Jumper slowly shook his head. "Not unless it was to make me
different," said he.
"I'm surprised," said Old Mother Nature. "Yes, indeed, I'm surprised.
You ought to know by this time that I never give anybody anything
without a purpose. What happens to those big feet of yours in the
winter, Jumper?"
"Nothing that I know of, excepting that the hair grows out long
between my toes," Jumper replied.
"Exactly," snapped Old Mother Nature. "And when the hair does this
you can travel over light snow without sinking in. It is just as if you had
snowshoes. That is why you are often called a Snowshoe Rabbit. I gave
you those big feet and make the hair grow out every winter because I
know that you depend on your legs to get away from your enemies.
You can run over the deep snow where your enemies break through.
Peter, though he is small and lighter than you are, cannot go where you
can. But Peter doesn't need to depend always on his legs to save his life.
There is one thing more that I want you both to notice, and that is that
you both have quite a lot of short hairs on the soles of you feet. That is
where you differ from that cousin of yours down in the Sunny South.
He has only a very few hairs on his feet. That is so he can swim better."
"If you please, Mother Nature, why is that cousin of ours so fond of the
water?" piped up Peter.

"Because," replied Old Mother Nature, "he lives in marshy country
where there is a great deal of water. He is very nearly the same size as
you, Peter, and looks very much like you. But his legs are not quite so
long, his ears are a little smaller, and his tail is brownish instead of
white. He is a poor runner and so in time of danger he takes to the
water. For that matter, he goes swimming for pleasure. The water is
warm down there, and he dearly loves to paddle about in it. If a Fox
chases him he simply plunges into the water and hides among the water
plants with only his eyes and his nose out of water."
"Does he make his home in the water like Jerry Muskrat?" asked Peter
innocently.
Mother Nature smiled and shook her head. "Certainly not," she replied.
"His home is on the ground. His babies are born in a nest made just as
Mrs. Peter makes her nest for your babies, and Mrs. Jumper makes a
nest for Jumper's babies. It is made of grass and lined with soft fur
which Mrs. Rabbit pulls from her own breast, and it is very carefully
hidden. By the way, Peter how do your babies differ from the babies of
your Cousin Jumper?"
Peter shook his head. "I don't know," said he. "My babies don't have
their eyes open when they are born, and they haven't any hair."
Jumper pricked up his long ears. "What's that?" said he. "Why, my
babies have their eyes open and have the dearest little fur coats!"
Old Mother Nature chuckled. "That is the difference," said she. "I guess
both of you have learned something."
"You said a little while ago that Jumper isn't the biggest of our family,"
said Peter. "If you please, who is?"
"There are several bigger than Jumper,"