MOUSE AS ENGINEER.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 11 July 1916, Page 4

MOUSE AS ENGINEER.

A field mouse which had fallen intoa hole dug to reserve a telegraph p6le displayed great : ingenuity and perseverance in effecting! escape,,,. : says; a .writer in the “ Chief. Steward.” Tl)e first hour or so lie rah found the bottom of the hole tryihg - to ‘find ; somo means of escape, but cuold not climb out. Then he settled down to. business. He began steadily, and. systematically to dig, a spiral groove, round and round the inner Surface 1 ho!pe, Avith a uniformly; ascen#ng grade. He Avorked nigiit and .fat,'find as he got further fro.m .the. bottom, he dug litt*e pockets Avhere' ho' could either lie or sit and rest. Tlicf telegraph’workers • who had noticed .hisuplightriand Avpre curious; t(> t know ...Uoav he-, would esoapo, supplied the, little, engineer with filed At the end’ibf Tlvo‘.weeks the mouse 1 struck a rock. ; This- puzzled him. For nearly a day die tried to get under, around, or over the obstruction, but Avitiiout success. With unflinching patience he reversed the spiral, and went on tunnelling his Avay m’the opposite direction. At the end of four Aveeks he reached the top, and probably sped away to enjoy his Avell-earned freedom. His escape Avas not observed.