When Toto went back to the dam that afternoon he found all the beavers very busy. His father, his mother, Sniffy, Dumple and all the rest were cutting down trees, and Cuppy was hurrying here, there, and everywhere, keeping watch of the work.
“What’s the matter?” asked Toto. “Are the bad tramps coming?”
“No, but a storm is coming,” answered Cuppy, “and it may rain hard and make our pond so deep that the water will wash away our dam. So we are making the dam stronger. You must help too, Toto.”
Toto was very glad to do his share of the work, and soon he and Sniffy were together gnawing down a big tree. All the afternoon the beavers worked at making their dam stronger. As the sun began to go down the wind blew harder and the sky was black with clouds. Cuppy banged his tail on the ground, and all the other beavers stopped work to see what the matter was.
“Stop gnawing trees, everybody!” called Cuppy. “Don’t gnaw any more. Finish those you have started, and then we will stop work.”
“Why?” asked Toto. “We can see to gnaw in the dark almost as well as in daylight.”
“Yes, I know,” answered Cuppy. “But there is a big wind storm coming. If a tree is half gnawed through it may blow over before you know it and hurt you. Whole trees, which we have not bitten into, will not so easily blow over. So finish what you are doing, my friends, and then do not gnaw any more until after the storm.”
Every one did as Cuppy said, for he was the oldest and wisest beaver of them all, and when darkness came the last of the half-gnawed trees was cut through, and Toto and all the rest went to their houses.
In the night the storm came. My, how the wind did blow! But there was not much rain, and the beavers were glad of that, for their dam was safe.
In the morning the wind was still blowing very hard, and Cuppy, who looked out, said: