“The harvest-mouse stores up corn in its nest. Before winter comes it makes a hole in the ground. Here it sleeps through most of the winter and spring. It wakes up from time to time and feeds upon its store of grains.”
“It is much smaller and browner than our house-mouse,” said Frank.
“Yes, Frank, it is our smallest four-footed animal. We have many kinds of mice in this country. The brown rat is the largest and the harvest-mouse is the smallest of our mouse family.”
“How does it manage to slide down the wheat stalk so quickly without falling off?” Tom asked.
“It can use its long tail as well as its feet for climbing,” his uncle answered.
“When it wishes to get to the ground it just coils its little tail round the stalk and slides down.”
Questions and Exercises.
1. Name some flowers that grow among the corn in summer and in autumn. 2. Describe the Rat. 3. Do you know any other animals that have teeth like the rat? 4. What other animals, besides the harvest-mouse, store up food for the winter?
HARVEST TIME