dripping wet, and
sticking close to his body."

"What a ridiculous story," said Mrs. Brush, who could hardly keep
herself awake till it was finished; "Why I have heard Gotobed say, that
his mother used to tell a story about a relation of hers, who lived a
good way off, who was killed and eaten up in a moment, by one of these
very water-rats. I have even heard it said, that the males will often
kill and eat the young ones, if their mothers are not careful to hide
them. Depend upon it, they are a horrid set, and I often wish they did
not live quite so near us."

"Well," said Brush, gaping, "I'll try to find out something more about
them to-morrow; but I declare I can't keep awake any longer just now."

So the next afternoon, our squirrel, who had some courage, and a great
deal of curiosity, determined, if possible, to learn something about
the character of these water-rats, one of whom, by a kind word spoken
to little Gotobed, had so altered his opinion of their disposition and
manner of living.

Brush chose the afternoon for his visit, because he had observed that
these animals came out of their holes more at that time than in the
middle of the day. But our inquisitive friend did not allow his
curiosity to lead him into any danger, in this inquiry into the
proceedings of his neighbours. He therefore crept through the high
grass to the other side of the pond, and very quietly climbed up into a
low willow-tree, overhanging the bank, in which the water-rats had made
their habitations. Here, concealed among the leaves, he had a full view
of all that passed below.

Close to the steep bank, in which these animals had bored many round
holes, was a small flat space of fine pebbles and sand, sloping down
into the water on one side, and on the other, bordered by a thick bed
of the sweet-smelling water-mint, with here and there a stem of the
plant called horsetail, towering up like a gigantic palm-tree in the
midst of a forest. On this pleasant little pebbly beach, Brush
perceived several water-rats, both old and young; and some very grave
looking faces were peeping out of their holes in the bank, watching the
proceedings of their companions below.

One of those on the beach had his attention entirely engaged by the
root of some plant, which he was nibbling; another was busily cleaning
his fur with his fore-paws; and two very young ones were paddling about
in the shallow water, into which their mother, as Brush supposed, had