The Romance of Everifarm (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1922. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... FRIENDLY ENEMIES, THE ANIMALS Oh my I wonder what is the matter with me. I can hardly move," cried Stripes, the striped ground squirrel, one day in April, as he tried to unroll from the ball he had formed himself into last October when he went into his long sleep. He was nearly two feet under ground, in a nice warm nest which he had constructed, and here he had passed the winter. His sleeping chamber had been carefully carpeted with soft grasses, while an adjoining subterranean chamber had been set apart for storage of his food during inclement weather. Here he had cached kernels of corn he had taken from Farmer Johnson's corn field. The wheat heads which were cut by his sharp teeth from the nearby wheat field were also placed here, as were the roots and grasses of the pasture. During the summer and fall he had grown quite sleek and fat, so one chilly, rainy day in October he decided he would take a nap, and before he knew it he fell fast asleep, so sound asleep that he did not awaken until the warm April sun had warmed mother earth to such an extent that the violets were all in bloom and the cold, bleak winter was a thing of the past. This day of spring had induced great activity in the animal and bird world, and the mole, in working out a new runway, dug into the tunnel of the squirrel. He decided he would learn what was at the other end of the new passageway, therefore he ran into the squirrel just as he was awakening from his long sleep. "Hello, Stripes What's the matter? Going to sleep all summer, too? You had better get out and stir yourself, as your home is all caved in," commented the mole. "I just fell asleep yesterday, but I never awakened so stiff in all my life. I was over in the corn field getting some corn to keep me over winter and being tired I...