Among the Night People

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  _Frontispiece_ COLLIE CHASED HIM AWAY _Page 138_]

  AMONG THE NIGHT PEOPLE

  BY CLARA DILLINGHAM PIERSON Author of "Among the Meadow People," "Pond People," etc.

  Illustrated by F. C. GORDON

 

  NEW YORK E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY 31 WEST TWENTY-THIRD STREET

  COPYRIGHT, 1902 by E. P. DUTTON & CO.

  The Knickerbocker Press, New York

  TO

  RACHEL W. PIERSON

  THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED

  CONTENTS

  PAGE THE BLACK SPANISH CHICKENS 1 THE WIGGLERS BECOME MOSQUITOES 15 THE NAUGHTY RACCOON CHILDREN 30 THE TIMID LITTLE GROUND HOG 43 THE YOUNG RACCOONS GO TO A PARTY 55 THE SKUNKS AND THE OVEN-BIRD'S NEST 68 THE LAZY CUT-WORMS 82 THE NIGHT-MOTH'S PARTY 94 THE LONELY OLD BACHELOR MUSKRAT 110 THE GREEDY RED FOX 131 THE UNFORTUNATE FIREFLIES 148 THE KITTENS COME TO THE FOREST 160 THE INQUISITIVE WEASELS 176 THE THRIFTY DEER-MOUSE 190 THE HUMMING-BIRD AND THE HAWK-MOTH 208

  ILLUSTRATIONS

  PAGE THEY WERE FREE TO GO WHERE THEY CHOSE 6 KNOCKED HIS BROTHER DOWN 40 HE STARTED OFF FOR A NIGHT'S RAMBLE 72 THEY LIVED IN THE FOREST AFTER THAT 109 THE MARSH SEEMED SO EMPTY AND LONELY 127 COLLIE CHASED HIM AWAY _Frontispiece_ 138 TWINKLING WITH HUNDREDS OF TINY LIGHTS 157 IN WINTER THEY TURNED WHITE 178 THE MICE MAKE WINTER THEIR PLAYTIME 195 THE HUMMING-BIRD AND THE HAWK-MOTH 218

  MY DEAR LITTLE FRIENDS:--You can never guess how much I have enjoyedwriting these stories of the night-time, and I must tell you how I firstcame to think of doing so. I once knew a girl--and she was not a verylittle girl, either,--who was afraid of the dark. And I have known threeboys who were as brave as could be by daylight, but who would not run onan errand alone after the lamps were lighted. They never seemed to thinkwhat a beautiful, restful, growing time the night is for plants andanimals, and even for themselves. I thought that if they knew more ofwhat happens between sunset and sunrise they would love the night aswell as I.

  It may be that you will never see Bats flying freely, or find the Owlsflapping silently among the trees without touching even a twig. Perhapswhile these things are happening you must be snugly tucked in bed. Butthat is no reason why you should not be told what they do while you aredreaming. Before this, you know, I have told you more of what is done bydaylight in meadow, forest, farmyard, and pond. It would be a very queerworld if we could not know about things without seeing them forourselves, and you may like to think, when you are going to sleep, thathundreds and thousands of tiny out-of-door people are turning, andstretching, and going to find their food. In the morning, when you aredressing in your sunshiny rooms, they are cuddling down for a good day'srest.

  I think I ought to tell you that I have not been alone when writingthese stories. I have often been in the meadow and the forest at night,and have seen and heard many interesting things, but my good Cat,Silvertip, has known far more than I of the night-doings of theout-of-door people. He has been beside me at my desk, and although attimes he has shut his eyes and taken Cat-naps while I wrote, there havebeen many other times when he has taken the pen right out of my hand. Hehas even tried running the typewriter with his dainty white paws, and hehas gone over every story I have written. I do not say that he haswritten any himself, but you can see that he has been very careful whatI wrote, and I have learned a great deal from him that I never knewbefore. He is a very good and clever Cat, and if you like these storiesI am sure it must be partly because he had a paw in the writing of them.

  Your friend, CLARA D. PIERSON.

  STANTON, MICHIGAN, April 15th, 1901.