Fairies Of The Lake

At any time during the day on the Nova Scotia coastline a mother merganser and her young, numbering fifteen or sixteen, may come splashing by, making the silver spray fly about their heads, as they scurry along or suddenly dive to catch minnows. At night a pair of barred owls, who have always lived about the lake, continually start the echoes answering their weird calls - sounds which must frighten many little people of the forest, on whom these birds are accustomed to prey.

A large snowshoe rabbit often comes to eat pieces of bread strewn around for our other pets. Two or three chipmunks are always scampering here and there packing anything eatable in their pouches, to store underground, so that when winter comes they will have plenty of food. All around are holes of the little red-backed mice. It is very amusing to watch those funny little fellows popping out of their holes to seize a piece of bread and then dodging back in again. From a canoe, we have often watched muskrats silently swimming near, carrying in their teeth a branch, the leaves trailing across their backs. This they weave into the walls of their houses. Sometimes when we push the canoe too near they dive gracefully under water, the submerged branch apparently not hindering their easy motions while swimming beneath the surface.

In the lake also are three beaver-houses, in which live two or three beavers all that have escaped the trappers who try to capture them every winter. All around the shore we see small poplar logs that the beavers have cut to a length of eight or ten feet, some with the bark completely gnawed off. Various signs everywhere in and about the lake show what a busy life the beavers lead. The small chubs, shiners, and yellow perch are extremely fond of rice and oatmeal after it has been cooked soft, and it is fun to watch a large school of these fishes making a hearty meal of the left-overs of our supper or breakfast.

Last, but far from least, there is a dear old bullfrog who lies on a flat rock in front of the tent and solemnly winks an eye at us. We enjoy our wilderness pets and they seem to have recognized our interest in them and lost all natural fear of us. I am sure that all these little folk are fairies and I hope they will make this fairy lake their home forever.

By: davidbunch

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