MOUSE AS ENGINEER.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 274, 11 May 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

MOUSE AS ENGINEER.

PATIENCE REWARDED. A field mouso which had fallen into a hole, dug to receive a telegraph pole displayed ingenuity and perseverance in effecting its escape. Ti;e fir.st hour or so lie ran round the hottoni of the hole trying to find some means of escape, but .-mild not climb out.. Then he settled down to linwiness. He liegan steadily and systematically to dig a spiral groove round and round the inner surface of tint hole, witn a uniformly a-seend'nK grade. He worked night a.nd day, and as ho got, farther from the hottoni he dug little pockets where hcould either lie or sit and rest. The telegraph workers, who were curious to know how ho would escape. supplied the little engineer with food. At Ihe cud of two weeks the mons • struck a rock. For nearly a day lie tried to get under, around, or over the obstruction, without sif-rw. With unflinching nat'encc lie rovrstnl the spiral, and went on tunnelling his way in the npnos'to direction. At. the end of four weeks he re.vhed the top, and probably s|-:>d away to enjoy li'k wellearned freedom.