that the surest way to be happy is to be busy.



CHAPTER X Paddy Starts His House.

Jerry Muskrat was very much interested when he found that Paddy
the Beaver, who you know, is his cousin, was building a house.
Jerry is a house-builder himself, and down deep in his heart he
very much doubted if Paddy could build as good a house as he
could. His house was down in the Smiling Pool, and Jerry thought
it a very wonderful house indeed, and was very proud of it. It
was built of mud and sod and little alder and willow twigs and
bulrushes. Jerry had spent one winter in it, and he had decided
to spend another there after he had fixed it up a little. So, as
long as he didn't have to build a brand-new house, he could
afford the time to watch his cousin Paddy. Perhaps he hoped that
Paddy would ask his advice.

But Paddy did nothing of the kind. He had seen Jerry Muskrat's
house, and he had smiled. But he had taken great pains not to
let Jerry see that smile. He wouldn't have hurt Jerry's feelings
for the world. He is too polite and good-natured to do anything
like that. So Jerry sat on the end of an old log and watched
Paddy work. The first thing to build was the foundation. This was
of mud and grass with sticks worked into it to hold it together.
Paddy dug the mud from the bottom of his new pond. And because
the pond was new, there was a great deal of grassy sod there,
which was just what Paddy needed. It was very convenient.