deven367/babylm-100M-cbt · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Just get busy and do n't stop to talk . ''
Of course Whitefoot did as he was told .
He ran down to the ground and began to hunt for the things Mrs. Whitefoot wanted .
He was very particular about it .
He still did n't think much of her idea of making over that old home of Melody 's , but if she would do it , he meant that she should have the very best of materials to do it with .
So back and forth from the ground to the old nest in the tree Whitefoot hurried , and presently there was quite a pile of weed stalks and soft grass and strips of bark in the old nest .
Mrs. Whitefoot joined Whitefoot in hunting for just the right things , but she spent more time in arranging the material .
Over that old nest she made a fine high roof .
Down through the lower side she cut a little round doorway just big enough for them to pass through .
Unless you happened to be underneath looking up , you never would have guessed there was an entrance at all .
Inside was a snug , round room , and in this she made the softest and most comfortable of beds .
As it began to look more and more like a home , Whitefoot himself became as excited and eager as Mrs. Whitefoot had been from the beginning .
`` It certainly is going to be a fine home , '' said Whitefoot .
`` Did n't I tell you it would be ? ''
retorted Mrs. Whitefoot .
CHAPTER XXX : The Whitefoots Enjoy Their New Home No home is ever mean or poor Where love awaits you at the door .
-- Whitefoot .
`` There , '' said Mrs. Whitefoot , as she worked a strip of white birch bark into the roof of the new home she and Whitefoot had been building out of the old home of Melody the Wood Thrush , `` this finishes the roof .
I do n't think any water will get through it even in the hardest rain . ''
`` It is wonderful , '' declared Whitefoot admiringly .
`` Wherever did you learn to build such a house as this ? ''
`` From my mother , '' replied Mrs. Whitefoot .
`` I was born in just such a home .
It makes the finest kind of a home for Wood Mouse babies . ''
`` You do n't think there is danger that the wind will blow it down , do you ? ''
ventured Whitefoot .
`` Of course I do n't , '' retorted little Mrs. Whitefoot scornfully .
`` Has n't this old nest remained right where it is for over a year ?
Do you suppose that if I had thought there was the least bit of danger that it would blow down , I would have used it ?
Do credit me with a little sense , my dear . ''
`` Yes 'm , I do , '' replied Whitefoot meekly .
`` You are the most sensible person in all the Great World .
I was n't finding fault .
You see , I have always lived in a hole in the ground or a hollow stump , or a hole in a tree , and I have not yet become used to a home that moves about and rocks as this one does when the wind blows .
But if you say it is all right , why of course it is all right .
Probably I will get used to it after awhile . ''
Whitefoot did get used to it .
After living in it for a few days , it no longer seemed strange , and he no longer minded its swaying when the wind blew .
The fact is , he rather enjoyed it .
So Whitefoot and Mrs. Whitefoot settled down to enjoy their new home .
Now and then they added a bit to it here and there .
Somehow Whitefoot felt unusually safe , safer than he had ever felt in any of his other homes .
You see , he had seen several feathered folk alight close to it and not give it a second look .
He knew that they had seen that home , but had mistaken it for what it had once been , the deserted home of one of their own number .
Whitefoot had chuckled .
He had chuckled long and heartily .
`` If they make that mistake , '' said he to himself , `` everybody else is likely to make it .
That home of ours is right in plain sight , yet I do believe it is safer than the best hidden home I ever had before .
Shadow the Weasel never will think of climbing up this little tree to look at an old nest , and Shadow is the one I am most afraid of . ''
It was only a day or two later that Buster Bear happened along that way .
Now Buster is very fond of tender Wood Mouse .
More than once Whitefoot had had a narrow escape from Buster 's big claws as they tore open an old stump or dug into the ground after him .
He saw Buster glance up at the new home without the slightest interest in those shrewd little eyes of his .
Then Buster shuffled on to roll over an old log and lick up the ants he found under it .
Again Whitefoot chuckled .
`` Yes , sir , '' said he .
`` It is the safest home I 've ever had . ''
So Whitefoot and little Mrs. Whitefoot were very happy in the home which they had built , and for once in his life Whitefoot did very little worrying .
Life seemed more beautiful than it had ever been before .
And he almost forgot that there was such a thing as a hungry enemy .
CHAPTER XXXI : Whitefoot Is Hurt The hurts that hardest are to bear Come from those for whom we care .
-- Whitefoot .
Whitefoot was hurt .
Yes , sir , Whitefoot was hurt .
He was very much hurt .
It was n't a bodily hurt ; it was an inside hurt .
It was a hurt that made his heart ache .
And to make it worse , he could n't understand it at all .
One evening he had been met at the little round doorway by little Mrs. Whitefoot .
`` You ca n't come in , '' said she .
`` Why ca n't I ? ''
demanded Whitefoot , in the greatest surprise .
`` Never mind why .
You ca n't , and that is all there is to it , '' replied Mrs. Whitefoot .
`` You mean I ca n't ever come in any more ? ''
asked Whitefoot .
`` I do n't know about that , '' replied Mrs. Whitefoot , `` but you ca n't come in now , nor for some time .
I think the best thing you can do is to go back to your old home in the hollow stub . ''
Whitefoot stared at little Mrs. Whitefoot quite as if he thought she had gone crazy .
Then he lost his temper .
`` I guess I 'll come in if I want to , '' said he .
`` This home is quite as much my home as it is yours .
You have no right to keep me out of it .
Just you get out of my way . ''
But little Mrs. Whitefoot did n't get out of his way , and do what he would , Whitefoot could n't get in .
You see she quite filled that little round doorway .
Finally , he had to give up trying .
Three times he came back and each time he found little Mrs. Whitefoot in the doorway .
And each time she drove him away .
Finally , for lack of any other place to go to , he returned to his old home in the old stub .
Once he had thought this the finest home possible , but now somehow it did n't suit him at all .
The truth is he missed little Mrs. Whitefoot , and so what had once been a home was now only a place in which to hide and sleep .
Whitefoot 's anger did not last long .
It was replaced by that hurt feeling .
He felt that he must have done something little Mrs. Whitefoot did not like , but though he thought and thought he could n't remember a single thing .
Several times he went back to see if Mrs. Whitefoot felt any differently , but found she did n't .
Finally she told him rather sharply to go away and stay away .
After that Whitefoot did n't venture over to the new home .
He would sometimes sit a short distance away and gaze at it longingly .
All the joy had gone out of the beautiful springtime for him .

Just get busy and do n't stop to talk . ''

Of course Whitefoot did as he was told .

He ran down to the ground and began to hunt for the things Mrs. Whitefoot wanted .

He was very particular about it .

He still did n't think much of her idea of making over that old home of Melody 's , but if she would do it , he meant that she should have the very best of materials to do it with .

So back and forth from the ground to the old nest in the tree Whitefoot hurried , and presently there was quite a pile of weed stalks and soft grass and strips of bark in the old nest .

Mrs. Whitefoot joined Whitefoot in hunting for just the right things , but she spent more time in arranging the material .

Over that old nest she made a fine high roof .

Down through the lower side she cut a little round doorway just big enough for them to pass through .

Unless you happened to be underneath looking up , you never would have guessed there was an entrance at all .

Inside was a snug , round room , and in this she made the softest and most comfortable of beds .

As it began to look more and more like a home , Whitefoot himself became as excited and eager as Mrs. Whitefoot had been from the beginning .

`` It certainly is going to be a fine home , '' said Whitefoot .

`` Did n't I tell you it would be ? ''

retorted Mrs. Whitefoot .

CHAPTER XXX : The Whitefoots Enjoy Their New Home No home is ever mean or poor Where love awaits you at the door .

-- Whitefoot .

`` There , '' said Mrs. Whitefoot , as she worked a strip of white birch bark into the roof of the new home she and Whitefoot had been building out of the old home of Melody the Wood Thrush , `` this finishes the roof .

I do n't think any water will get through it even in the hardest rain . ''

`` It is wonderful , '' declared Whitefoot admiringly .

`` Wherever did you learn to build such a house as this ? ''

`` From my mother , '' replied Mrs. Whitefoot .

`` I was born in just such a home .

It makes the finest kind of a home for Wood Mouse babies . ''

`` You do n't think there is danger that the wind will blow it down , do you ? ''

ventured Whitefoot .

`` Of course I do n't , '' retorted little Mrs. Whitefoot scornfully .

`` Has n't this old nest remained right where it is for over a year ?

Do you suppose that if I had thought there was the least bit of danger that it would blow down , I would have used it ?

Do credit me with a little sense , my dear . ''

`` Yes 'm , I do , '' replied Whitefoot meekly .

`` You are the most sensible person in all the Great World .

I was n't finding fault .

You see , I have always lived in a hole in the ground or a hollow stump , or a hole in a tree , and I have not yet become used to a home that moves about and rocks as this one does when the wind blows .

But if you say it is all right , why of course it is all right .

Probably I will get used to it after awhile . ''

Whitefoot did get used to it .

After living in it for a few days , it no longer seemed strange , and he no longer minded its swaying when the wind blew .

The fact is , he rather enjoyed it .

So Whitefoot and Mrs. Whitefoot settled down to enjoy their new home .

Now and then they added a bit to it here and there .

Somehow Whitefoot felt unusually safe , safer than he had ever felt in any of his other homes .

You see , he had seen several feathered folk alight close to it and not give it a second look .

He knew that they had seen that home , but had mistaken it for what it had once been , the deserted home of one of their own number .

Whitefoot had chuckled .

He had chuckled long and heartily .

`` If they make that mistake , '' said he to himself , `` everybody else is likely to make it .

That home of ours is right in plain sight , yet I do believe it is safer than the best hidden home I ever had before .

Shadow the Weasel never will think of climbing up this little tree to look at an old nest , and Shadow is the one I am most afraid of . ''

It was only a day or two later that Buster Bear happened along that way .

Now Buster is very fond of tender Wood Mouse .

More than once Whitefoot had had a narrow escape from Buster 's big claws as they tore open an old stump or dug into the ground after him .

He saw Buster glance up at the new home without the slightest interest in those shrewd little eyes of his .

Then Buster shuffled on to roll over an old log and lick up the ants he found under it .

Again Whitefoot chuckled .

`` Yes , sir , '' said he .

`` It is the safest home I 've ever had . ''

So Whitefoot and little Mrs. Whitefoot were very happy in the home which they had built , and for once in his life Whitefoot did very little worrying .

Life seemed more beautiful than it had ever been before .

And he almost forgot that there was such a thing as a hungry enemy .

CHAPTER XXXI : Whitefoot Is Hurt The hurts that hardest are to bear Come from those for whom we care .

-- Whitefoot .

Whitefoot was hurt .

Yes , sir , Whitefoot was hurt .

He was very much hurt .

It was n't a bodily hurt ; it was an inside hurt .

It was a hurt that made his heart ache .

And to make it worse , he could n't understand it at all .

One evening he had been met at the little round doorway by little Mrs. Whitefoot .

`` You ca n't come in , '' said she .

`` Why ca n't I ? ''

demanded Whitefoot , in the greatest surprise .

`` Never mind why .

You ca n't , and that is all there is to it , '' replied Mrs. Whitefoot .

`` You mean I ca n't ever come in any more ? ''

asked Whitefoot .

`` I do n't know about that , '' replied Mrs. Whitefoot , `` but you ca n't come in now , nor for some time .

I think the best thing you can do is to go back to your old home in the hollow stub . ''

Whitefoot stared at little Mrs. Whitefoot quite as if he thought she had gone crazy .

Then he lost his temper .

`` I guess I 'll come in if I want to , '' said he .

`` This home is quite as much my home as it is yours .

You have no right to keep me out of it .

Just you get out of my way . ''

But little Mrs. Whitefoot did n't get out of his way , and do what he would , Whitefoot could n't get in .

You see she quite filled that little round doorway .

Finally , he had to give up trying .

Three times he came back and each time he found little Mrs. Whitefoot in the doorway .

And each time she drove him away .

Finally , for lack of any other place to go to , he returned to his old home in the old stub .

Once he had thought this the finest home possible , but now somehow it did n't suit him at all .

The truth is he missed little Mrs. Whitefoot , and so what had once been a home was now only a place in which to hide and sleep .

Whitefoot 's anger did not last long .

It was replaced by that hurt feeling .

He felt that he must have done something little Mrs. Whitefoot did not like , but though he thought and thought he could n't remember a single thing .

Several times he went back to see if Mrs. Whitefoot felt any differently , but found she did n't .

Finally she told him rather sharply to go away and stay away .

After that Whitefoot did n't venture over to the new home .

He would sometimes sit a short distance away and gaze at it longingly .

All the joy had gone out of the beautiful springtime for him .