This little story illustrates clearly how difficult life is at the bottom of the food chain! Whitefoot the wood mouse has enemies on all sides- from birds in the air that would swoop down on him to predators on the ground. So he thinks he's quite safe when he finds a new home inside the farmer's shed, under a pile of wood. It's all quiet and cozy until the farmer and his son busy themselves using the shed to make sugar from maple sap. Whitefoot is curious and watches them until it seems their activities will endanger his snug little home!

Then there's an odd gap in the story and we find Whitefoot living out in the open again, in a little hole. He has to move when threatened by a weasel, and goes through some exhausting travels trying to find a new suitable hiding place, while at the same time dodging his many enemies. Finally Whitefoot makes a new, safe home and then something wonderful happens: Whitefoot meets another wood mouse and falls in love. Everything is roses until his new little mouse wife wants them to move! and her idea of a perfect house doesn't really suit Whitefoot at all.

Another charming Burgess story that teaches about how wild animals live while at the same time encouraging children to be kind and fair to others.

from the Dogear Diary ( )