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76
Läsebok. N:o 77 — 78.
turf. These are preyed upon by smaller wolves, and by
several animals of the tiger or cat kind.
In the grassy plains there are little creatures a good
deal like marmots, which are sometimes called whistling
hares; they burrow in the ground, aud throw up the earth in
little hillocks, on which they sit whistling, or squeaking,
with all their might; they live a great number of them
together, in towns or villages of their own; yet it is very difficult
to catch, or even to get a good view of them; for they keep
a sharp look-out, and the moment a man comes near, they
leave off whistling, and all pop down into their holes in an
instant. There are some other little burrowing animals, and
three or four sorts of squirrels, and a mouse which lays up
great stores of a sort of bean for its winter provisions, but
the poor Indians often rob its nest to keep themselves alive
when game is scarce. Of bears there are different colours
and sizes; some live a good deal on acorns and various nuts
and fruits, and on beetles, of which there are vast numbers;
but even these will feast on a fat beaver if he comes in
their way, The largest kind, called the grizzly bear, is the
most terrible beast of prey in that quarter of the world,
except, perhaps, the great white bear of the North. It is very
little less than an ox; the print of its foot is twice as large
as a man’s; it has a very thick shaggy coat, a savage eye,
and a horribly wide mouth; and its strength is prodigious.
A traveller in the wilderness being pursued by one of
these terrible creatures, got up into a large tree; the grizzly
bear cannot climb trees like other bears, because he is too
heavy, therefore he stood below, shaking the trunk with his
enormous paws and trying to tear it up. He shook so
violently that the poor traveller lost his hold and tumbled down;
but very luckily he fell plump on the body of the bear,
who was so frightened by the sudden blow, that he started
up, and ran away as fast as he could; and you may believe
that the traveller did not choose to run after him.
79. John Barleycorn.
There were three kings into the East,
Three kings both great and high,
And they ha’e * sworn a solemn oath
John Barleycorn should die.
They took a plough and plough’d him down,
Put clods upon his head;
And they ha’e * sworn a solemn oath
John Barleycorn was dead.
* ha’e = have.
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