ming out quite bright, melted it all; and Downy
left her tree to look for something to line her nest with, and for
more food. That being the first object, she began to search for some
first, and was more fortunate than before, as she discovered several
ears of corn, which had been blown by the wind off the stack; she
could hardly credit her good fortune, when she beheld her store and
saw it all safely lodged in her granary. Her next care was to line her
nest; for this purpose, (though it was very cold and frosty) she
collected all the bits of dried moss and grass she could find, and
carried them in her mouth to her new habitation; she nibbled off the
fibres which hung to the roots of the tree, and dried weeds, and soon
made her house quite warm and comfortable.

"She spent the remainder of the month of March, and the beginning of
April, in laying up stores of provision, and in enlarging the inside
of her house.

"The Spring began with some beautiful warm days, and everything looked
cheerful and gay; the crocusses were all in flower, and the primroses,
and snow-drops, with some early violets. Downy was rejoiced when she
saw the daisies in the orchard begin to shew their white heads above
the grass, and she took many a frisk out to enjoy the sunshine, and
was quite happy and content.

"One fine evening as she was returning to her house, she saw a
creature much like a weasel, only somewhat smaller, which she knew to
be a mousehunt, by what she had heard of them: he was prowling along
close by her tree, in hopes of catching her; he smelt about some time,
and at last went in. Poor little Downy was in a sad fright; she knew
not what to do, for she saw his head peeping out of her hole, and his
cunning black eye looking round in every direction.

[Illustration]

"When little Downy saw the mousehunt take possession of her house, she
knew she must not venture there again, and was in great distress, as
to where she should pass the night securely; at last she found a hole
in the bank, and into this she crept, though very much alarmed for
fear of her enemy's discovering her; she dared not go to sleep at all
that night; nor did she stir out next day, till forced by hunger to
seek for food; she did not see any thing of the mousehunt, but she
resolved to leave the orchard and seek a safer spot for her new
habitation.

"Accordingly, next day, she sat off to look for a proper situation;
she passed through the orchard hedge into