A BOY AND A WOODCHUCK

New Zealand Tablet, 18 October 1906, Page 37

A BOY AND A WOODCHUCK

Teddy was sick in bed. The doctor had just come. Teddy could hear him talking with mamma in the next room. . 1 I can't persuade him to touch the milk,' his mother was saying. 'He never drinks it when he is well. What shall 'I do ? ' T Teddy listened eagerly for the answer. Dr. Hunttogton was such a- kind, jolly man. ' Starve him to it ! ' Teddy could hardly believe he heard aright. He trusted his ears still less when the doctor walked, smiling, up to the bedside. ':How do you feel this morning ? ' he asked, taking Teddy's wrist in his cool hand. ' I haven't had anything to eat,' whined the little boy. ' 1 can't drink milk.' ' You'd better try,' said the doctor. ' I can't ! Mayn't I have a cooky ? ' « No.' 4 Or some bread and butter ? ' 1 No.' • Why not ? ' ' Because milk is better for you.' ' But I can't drink it ! ' # The physician was preparing a powder and did not reply. Teddy wondered if he had heard. ' Did you ever hear the story of the little woodchuck ?' (The woodchuck is a little rodent found in the United States and Canada). Dr. Huntington looked up with merry eyes. ' No, sir,' said Teddy. ' What is it ? ' • Well, it was this way,' and the doctor settled himself comfortably in his chair. ' 'ihere was once a woodchuck that lived in a nice, deep hole with his mother. There was nothing he liked ' to do. quite so well as to run around in the sunshine. At -the other end of the lot there was a tall tree, and one morning the little woodchuck's mother said : " To-day you must learn to clynb that tree. I can not always be here to protect you, and if a dog 9hould catch you away from home, you'd be in a fine plight." ' But the little woodchuck looked up at the steep trunk, and said : "O, I can't ! " and ran away. ' The next morning the mother said to him again : "To day you must certainly learn to climb that tree ! " But once more the little woodchuck answered: " I can't ! I can't ! " and ran off to play- in-the-sun-shine. ' \ ' It was not long before the mother went to visit a neighbor. The little woodchuck, was having a'glorious " time, when all of a * sudden he^ heard a yelp 1 , and there was a dog rushing toward him ! 'He Jooked .longingly, at his home across the lot; but the dog was Yb^tween^and was- coming nearer every sec■ond ! The little- woodchuck ran as hard, as he coiild matoe . bis. feet .fly, but 'thedq'g ran .faster. Just as he thought his couldn't run much farther, he came to the big tree, '.'.pear .me! " he % gasped. "I .can't . climb it !"j And' then, -because the , dog was almost -upon him, -and because- there wasn't .anything else., to :do, >he- little , woodchuck just scrambled up that, tree— up, up, -up, -till -he was out of" the dog's reach ! You :see, .he had to, and so he did ! • I hope to-morrow .morning I shall find you a great.. <deal* better.' " And the doctor •. smiled a kind.rgobdrby. » . T v eddy": lay V thinking, Rafter his mother and : Dr. Hunitington.'- had (goner out. , . , M fwonderuf ,1 sould,? " he jLhbught ; ■'- I'm. awfully . . hungry !' And, he, .reached ,for a glass of - milk' on the table by bis bed.

When, his mother. , came back, ,the glass was empty, and " Teddy wfas "smiling eontent"e;dly\ a^tficing i r^e' ;i'-pil-lows. " _ . , ■'„ ** '~' V; ' ; •''■■'