grass, or a stone, or a stump. People must
have very sharp eyes to see a back door that's made in that way,
for the dirt all falls _inside_ your house.

With all the help she had, Mrs. Woodchuck's new house was soon
finished. But it was done none too soon. She had hardly carried in
clean grass for the beds, when her children began to feel very
sleepy. At least, all of them except Billy. He was just as wide
awake as his mother.

Even after his brothers and sisters had been tucked up for their
winter's nap he was as spry as anything. And he told his mother
that he was not going to spend the winter sleeping.

"Jimmy Rabbit says that it's great fun to play in the snow," he
said.

Mrs. Woodchuck couldn't help smiling; for at that very moment Billy
was yawning as wide a yawn as you ever saw on a young chuck's face.
Though he didn't know it, he was already growing drowsy. And his
mother knew very well that no matter how much he wanted to stay
awake, in a short time he would be sound asleep.

Though Jimmy Rabbit came to Billy's house the very next day and
called and called to him, he never came out at all.

XXII

GROUND HOG DAY

Billy Woodchuck had been asleep for a long, long time. The world
above was white with snow. But no matter how hard the cold winter
winds might blow, or how heavily the snow fell, in their
underground chamber Mrs. Woodchuck's family were snug and warm in
their beds.

At last one day late in the winter Billy heard some one moving
about. He was so drowsy that at first he didn't stir. But finally
he opened an eye and saw that it was his mother who had disturbed
him.

"What is it, Mother? Has spring come?" Billy asked.

"No, my child," she answered. "At least, I do not know that it
has."

"Then why are you getting up?" Opening both his eyes, Billy was
surprised to see that Mrs. Woodchuck was putting on the warmest
clothes she had. "You're not going out of doors, are you?" he
inquired. His mother was already drawing on a pair of thick, red
mittens.

"Yes," she said. "This is Ground Hog Day and I must go out and see
what the weather is like."

"But I thought every day was Ground Hog Day for us," Billy replied.

"Well, you might say that it is," she agreed. "But this is
different. To-day is what _men_ call Ground Hog Day."

"May I come with you?" he asked. By this time he was wide awake.

Mrs. Woodchuck looked at him somewhat doubtfully.

"Young ground hogs like you aren't su