He looked quite wild, and
did not say a word, but only opened his blanket coat, and showed a
brown-furred animal asleep on his breast. What do you think it was,
nurse?"
"A young beaver, my lady."
"Yes, nurse, it was a little beaver. The good Indian boy had caught it and
tamed it on purpose to bring it to his white friend, who had been so good
to him.
"I cannot tell you all the amusing things the Indian boy said about the
beaver, though the Major told them to me; but I cannot talk like an
Indian, you know, Mrs. Frazer. After the boy went away, the gentleman set
to work and made a little log-house for his beaver to live in, and set it
in a corner of the shanty, and he hollowed a large sugar trough for its
water, that it might have water to wash in, and cut down some young
willows and poplars and birch trees for it to eat. And the little beaver
grew very fond of its new master, it would fondle him just like a little
squirrel, put its soft head on his knee, and climb up on his lap. He
taught it to eat bread, sweet cake, and biscuit, and even roast and boiled
meat, and it would drink milk too.
"Well, nurse, the little beaver lived very happily with this kind
gentleman till the next fall, and then it began to get very restless and
active, as if it were tired of doing nothing.
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