The water cannot penetrate to wet them,--the oily nature of the
fur throws off the moisture. They dig large holes with their claws,
which are short, but very strong. They line their nests with dry grass,
and rushes, and roots gnawed fine, and do not pass the winter in sleep,
as the dormice, flying squirrels, racoons, and bears do. They are very
innocent and playful, both when young, and even after they grow old.
The lumberers often tame them, and they become so docile that they
will come at a call or whistle. Like all wild animals, they are most
lively at night, when they come out to feed and play."
"Dear little things! I should like to have a tame otter to play with,
and run after me; but do you think he would eat my squirrel? You know
cats will eat squirrels--so mamma says."
"Cats belong to a very different class of animals; they are beasts
of prey, formed to spring and bound, and tear with their teeth and
claws. The otter is also a beast of prey, but its prey is found in
the still waters, and not on the land; it can neither climb nor leap.
So I do not think he would hurt your squirrel, if you had one."
"See, nurse, my dear little squirrel is still where I left him, clinging
to the wires of the cage, his bright eyes looking like two black beads.
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