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Show BILLY BEAVER. "Billy Beaver," said Daddy, "wanted to build a new home for Mrs. Beaver. "'You know, my dear,' Billy Beaver had said, 'we want to be in the fashion and move. It's the time of moving everyone moves nowadays. To stay in the same home for a long, long time is not considered fashionable.' " 'Dear me, what a smart, up-to-date beaver you are,' said Mrs. Beaver proudly. " 'Thank you,' replied Billy Beaver. " 'But it's really only in the big cities where they move so much,' said Mrs. Beaver. 'I've heard some of the men talking who were trying to catch the beaver cousins.' " 'Yes,' said Billy, 'it is in the big , city, or in any big city I .should say, that folks move all the time. In the country they have the same dear old homes for many years.' " 'Well, maybe,' said Mrs. Beaver, 'they have new dear homes in the cities.' " 'Maybe,' said Billy. 'But you know how many of the same people we hear about us all the time? That Is because be-cause they don't move.' " 'But still you think you would like to?' asked Mrs. Beaver. " 'Yes,' said Billy Beaver, T do believe be-lieve I would.' "So Billy Beaver and Mrs. Beaver had a nice meal of food-wood before they set to work on their new home. "Billy Beaver is one of the hardest working animals there is. And he set right to his job. "First he made use of some nice country land and a brook. He used the sticks which were left after he had eaten the bark of the wood, and he began to make a dam. "You know the beavers are famous for building dams, canals and all things built with water, land and sticks. "Billy made the dam out of some good mud and he carried it himself to the spot where he was building, carrying carry-ing it always between his paws and holding it close to him so as not to lose it as he swam along. "Then he worked over the mud, making it just the height and width he wanted, and using the sticks too. And then he made a fine deep brooklet, which he used as a private driveway to bis new home. "He made a handsome home and Mrs. Beaver thought it was beautiful. He "What a Smart Beaver You Are." swam around, using his tail to help him go, and asking Mrs. Beaver if she liked it. "Of course she had to say over and over again that she thought it was a beautiful home and Billy was finally quite sure she liked it. " T heard such a strange thing the other day,' said Billy. " 'Do tell me,' said Mrs. Beaver, as she took a bite of food-wood. " T heard of a beaver in the zoo who wouldn't work when he was watched. And they tell me that all our cousins who live in the zoo are just the same way. They simply will not work when they are being watched. They don't like it. It quite annoys them, and so they do nothing while visitors are around.' " 'Do they have many visitors?' asked Mrs. Beaver. " 'Y'es,' said Billy, 'they have guests all the time who come to call on them and who make remarks about them. The visitors know the beavers are hard workers and they stand waiting to see the heavers work. " 'But the beavers will not work while people do nothing and just watch them! They think that is very wrong. They do not think folks should be watching them work- they think that folks should be home working.' " 'Well, that is a good joke,' said Mrs. Beaver. 'So that is the way our cousins in the zoo behave?' "" 'Yes,' said Billy, 'and they do all their work at night when no one is watching.' " 'Dear, dear me,' said Mrs. Beaver, who was very much interested. " 'And the last one I heard of,' said Billy, 'had pulled down a big tree in the zoo, by just working at night!' " |