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ONDATRA (Huron Indian word for animal.)
He was in his 4th warm season. that was a long time for a muskrat to live. He had lived his whole life on this marsh. As a young muskrat, he swam and worked and played with the other muskrats. When he reached his 2nd warm season he was full-grown muskrat. He was lucky to have made it to his 2nd warm season. Many of the muskrats, born the same year as he, didn't make it to their 2nd warm season. For life is perilous for a young muskrat. And there are all sorts of things that can cut a muskrats life short. Mink and otters are natural enemies of muskrats as are foxes and coyotes. And there is also the trap. For muskrat fur is worth money. So humans trap them that they might obtain their fur.
But he had been lucky and he was always very aware of what was going on around him. And at the first sign of danger, he would head for the water and quickly swim away.
But now he found himself in his 4th warm season. He was no longer a young muskrat. his senses had deteriorated as senses do when one grows old.
His hearing was not as good as it use to be. And although his ability to smell still worked it was nowhere near as good as it was when he was young. But the sense that had suffered the most was his sight. The old muskrat was blind. He could see shadows but that was all. With diminished senses and with his sight all but gone he became easy prey for any predator that came along. But life went on and all he could do was go about his muskrat life and hope for the best. And so he did. Each day He went about his daily routine. He spent his time each day keeping his den in good repair. And each day he would spend time sunning himself on a log. But when he wasn't, sleeping or repairing his den or sunning himself, he spend most of his time involved with food, either gathering it or eating it. And one of muskrats favorite foods was the grasses that grew on the shore near the pond. They would go and get a bunch of grass then carry it in their mouth back to the pond. There they would either eat it or add it to a feeding pile for later. So he would go nearly every day up on the shore to gather fresh grass for his meals.
And it was while he was gathering fresh grass, or more specifically, while he was carrying the grass back to the water that it happened.
Since he could no longer see he had no chance of seeing her. If she had remained silent he would have walked right by her and would have never known she was there.
But she didn't stay silent. He heard her soothing voice as she spoke to him. " hey old fella" she said, "You are looking pretty tired you poor old muskrat."
.When he first heard her voice and realized how close she was his heart began to beat faster. He was gripped with...
But he had been lucky and he was always very aware of what was going on around him. And at the first sign of danger, he would head for the water and quickly swim away.
But now he found himself in his 4th warm season. He was no longer a young muskrat. his senses had deteriorated as senses do when one grows old.
His hearing was not as good as it use to be. And although his ability to smell still worked it was nowhere near as good as it was when he was young. But the sense that had suffered the most was his sight. The old muskrat was blind. He could see shadows but that was all. With diminished senses and with his sight all but gone he became easy prey for any predator that came along. But life went on and all he could do was go about his muskrat life and hope for the best. And so he did. Each day He went about his daily routine. He spent his time each day keeping his den in good repair. And each day he would spend time sunning himself on a log. But when he wasn't, sleeping or repairing his den or sunning himself, he spend most of his time involved with food, either gathering it or eating it. And one of muskrats favorite foods was the grasses that grew on the shore near the pond. They would go and get a bunch of grass then carry it in their mouth back to the pond. There they would either eat it or add it to a feeding pile for later. So he would go nearly every day up on the shore to gather fresh grass for his meals.
And it was while he was gathering fresh grass, or more specifically, while he was carrying the grass back to the water that it happened.
Since he could no longer see he had no chance of seeing her. If she had remained silent he would have walked right by her and would have never known she was there.
But she didn't stay silent. He heard her soothing voice as she spoke to him. " hey old fella" she said, "You are looking pretty tired you poor old muskrat."
.When he first heard her voice and realized how close she was his heart began to beat faster. He was gripped with...
