"There is a great resemblance in the habits of the musk-rat and the beaver. They all live in the water; all separate in the spring, and meet again in the fall to build and work together; and, having helped each other in these things, they retire to a private dwelling, each family to its own. The otter does not make a dam, like the beaver, and I am not sure that, like the beaver, it works in companies: it lives on fish and roots; the musk-rat on shell-fish and roots; and the beaver on vegetable food mostly. Musk-rats and beavers are used for food, but the flesh of the otter is too fishy to be eaten."
"Nurse, can people eat musk-rats?" asked Lady Mary, with surprise.
"Yes, my lady, in the spring months the hunters and Indians reckon them good food. I have eaten them myself, but I did not like them, they were too fat. Musk-rats build a little house of rushes, and plaster it, they have two chambers, and do not lie torpid, they build in shallow, rushy places in lakes but in spring they quit their winter houses and are often found in holes among the roots of trees. They live on mussels and shell fish. The fur is used in making caps, and hats, and fur gloves."
"Nurse, did you ever see a tame beaver?"
"Yes, my dear, I knew a squaw who had a tame beaver, which she used to take out in her canoe with her, and it sat in her lap, or on her shoulder, and was very playful." Just then the dinner bell rang, and as dinner at Government House waits for no one, Lady Mary was obliged to defer hearing more about beavers until another time.
CHAPTER VIII.
INDIAN BOY AND HIS PETS—TAME BEAVER AT HOME—KITTEN, WILDFIRE—PET RACOON AND THE SPANIEL PUPPIES—CANADIAN FLORA.
"Nurse, you have told me a great many nice stories; now I can tell you one, if you would like to hear it;" and the Governor's little daughter fixed her bright eyes, beaming with intelligence, on the face of her nurse, who smiled, and said she should like very much to hear the story.
"You must guess what it is to be about, nurse."
"I am afraid I shall not guess right. Is it 'Little Red Riding Hood,' or
'Old Mother Hubbard,' or 'Jack the Giant-killer?'"