found. He promptly decided to move in and
spend the winter. In one end of the sugar-house was a pile of wood. Down
under this Whitefoot made himself a warm, comfortable nest. It was a
regular castle to Whitefoot. He moved over to it the store of seeds he
had laid up for winter use.

Not one of his enemies ever thought of visiting the sugar-house in
search of Whitefoot, and they wouldn't have been able to get in if they
had. When rough Brother North Wind howled outside, and sleet and
snow were making other little people shiver, Whitefoot was warm and
comfortable. There was all the room he needed or wanted in which to
run about and play. He could go outside when he chose to, but he didn't
choose to very often. For days at a time he didn't have a single fright.
Yes indeed, Whitefoot spent a happy winter.

CHAPTER II: Whitefoot Sees Queer Things

Whitefoot had spent the winter undisturbed in Farmer Brown's
sugar-house. He had almost forgotten the meaning of fear. He had come
to look on that sugar-house as belonging to him. It wasn't until Farmer
Brown's boy came over to prepare things for sugaring that Whitefoot got
a single real fright. The instant Farmer Brown's boy opened the door,
Whitefoot scampered down under the pile of wood to his snug little nest,
and there he lay, listening to the strange sounds. At last he could
stand it no longer and crept to a place where he could peep out and see
what was going on. It didn't take him long to discover that this great
two-legged creature was not looking for him, and right away he felt
better. After a while Farmer Brown's boy went away, and Whitefoot had
the little sugar-house to himself again.

But Farmer Brown's boy had carelessly left the door wide open. Whitefoot
didn't like that open door. It made him nervous. There was nothing to
prevent those who hunt him from walking right in. So the rest of that
night Whitefoot felt uncomfortable and anxious.

He felt still more anxious when next day Farmer Brown's boy returned and
became very busy putting things to right. Then Farmer Brown himself came
and strange things began to happen. It became as warm as in summer.
You see Farmer Brown had built a fire under the evaporator. Whitefoot's
curiosity kept him at a place where he could peep out and watch all that
was done. He saw Farmer Brown and Farmer Brown's boy pour pails of sap
into a great pan. By and by a delicious odor filled the sugar-house.
It didn't take him a great wh