“Oh, you ought to see!” he cried. “You ought to see Winkie!”
“Has she gotten out?” asked Alice.
“No, but I’ve taught her a trick. She’ll sit up on her hind legs and beg like a dog! Come and see!”
Alice followed her brother out to the yard where Winkie’s pen had been built. Larry took off some of the top wire.
“She’ll get away!” cried Alice.
“No, she won’t,” said Larry. “Winkie is tame now, and won’t run away. I’ve taught her a trick! She’ll sit up and beg! Look!”
Taking the woodchuck out of her cage—and Winkie did not try to bite Larry now—the boy stood her on the ground. Then, holding a piece of turnip in front of the ground-hog, the boy exclaimed:
“Sit up, Winkie! Sit up!”
Slowly, because she was now very fat, Winkie sat up on her hind quarters. This is easy for woodchucks to do, since they often sit that way outside their burrows to watch for danger.