ughed.

Peter looked at him suspiciously. "I don't see anything to laugh at,"
said he.

"Why, it's a house, you stupid. It's Paddy's new house," replied Jerry,
wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes.

"I'm not stupid!" retorted Peter. "How was I to know that that pile of
mud and sticks is meant for a house? It certainly doesn't look it. Where
is the door?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't think it is much of a house myself,"
replied Jerry. "It has got a door, all right. In fact, it has got three.
You can't see them because they are under water, and there is a passage
from each right up through that platform of mud and sticks, which is the
foundation of the house. It really is a very fine foundation, Peter; it
really is. But what I can't understand is what Paddy is thinking of by
building that great pile of mud right in the middle. When he gets his
walls built, where will his bedroom be? There won't be any room at all.
It won't be a house at all--just a big useless pile of sticks and mud."

Peter scratched his head and then pulled his whiskers thoughtfully as he
gazed out at the pile in the water where Paddy the Beaver was at work.

"It does look foolish, that's a fact," said he. "Why don't you point
out to him the mistake he is making, Jerry? You have built such a
splendid house yourself that you ought to be able to help Paddy and show
him his mistakes."

Jerry had smiled a very self-satisfied smile when Peter mentioned his
fine house, but he shook his head at the suggestion that he should give
Paddy advice.

"I--I don't just like to," he confessed. "You know, he might not like it
and--and it doesn't seem as if it would be quite polite."

Peter sniffed. "That wouldn't trouble me any if he were my cousin,"
said he.

Jerry shook his head. "No, I don't believe it would," he replied, "but
it does trouble me and--and--well, I think I'll wait awhile."

Now all this time Paddy had been hard at work. He was bringing the
longest branches which he had cut from the trees out of which he had
built his dam, and a lot of slender willow and alder poles. He pushed
these ahead of him as he swam. When he reached the foundation of his
house, he would lean them against the pile of mud in the middle with
their big ends resting on the foundation. So he worked all the way
around until by and by the mud pile in the middle couldn't be seen. It
was completely covered with sticks, and they were cunningly fastened
together at the