on the edge of the water. This home is a mound-shaped structure and looks like a bushel basket turned upside down. The muskrat makes several openings in this mound so that it can dive into the water and enter the stream or it can go up into its house. It hides itself so that enemies such as the fox, the coyote or the dog cannot find it. They cannot get into the little home because the opening is under water. The animal builds its house from grass, roots, leaves and shrubs, and it weaves them together and holds them together with mud. Then in winter when the poor muskrat can not find anything to eat, it eats those tender little twigs out of the sides of its house. Now, don’t you try to eat the paper off the wall at home! You are not a muskrat. The muskrat is a real work man and provides a shelter from the weather and also has plenty of food stored in the walls of his house for the winter. If its house should be broken by some one, it scoots into the water, swims un der the water and comes up in the weeds on the other side of the stream and gets away. The muskrat is as mean as it can be. It will not make friends with anybody. You could not make a pet out of it if you had it for six months and placed carrots, apples, celery and lettuce in its cage every daiy. The muskrat would simply bite the hand that fed it. I do not know why this is true, but some of the folk to whom I have shown the most kindness have become my worst ene mies. There are people just like the muskrat. It doesn’t seem to make any difference how much you do for them. Something happens and they turn against you and try to bite the hand that feeds them. Sometimes children are like that; they turn against their own dear par ents. The Lord Jesus does not want you to be like that. If you are, and you want to be changed, come to the Sav iour, the Lord Jesus, who died fo r you at Calvary and shed His precious blood for you; let Him become your own Lord and Saviour and He will change your life. “ And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath for given you” (Eph. 4:32). New K.Y.B.C. Members BENTONVILLE, Arkansas: Bernice Lenard, Lorena Bolain, C. A. Anderson. (Miss Florence Burton, Leader.) ONTARIO, California: Carolyn Martly; (O . C. Man ly, Parent.)
and associate with the right kind of people. This can be brought about only by your loving the Lord Jesus and ac cepting Him as your Saviour. He will enable you to grow up to be the kind of man or woman you would like to be, and that we would like you to be. The muskrat has four toes on the front o f each foot and five toes on the back o f each foot, and there are claws on each of these toes. It can walk easily, like any other animals, but it can also swim like a fish. It is at home either in the water or on land. We are not like that. We swim for an hour or two and then we are ready to get out of the water because we do not belong in the water. We belong on land. Of course, there are some boys and girls who do not like the water at all. Some people do not like to take a bath and do not go near a bathtub. Though we do not belong in the water, we should keep ourselves clean. This little animal loves to be in the water; God made it that way. I do not know why, so do not ask me. It is really none of my business. You see, when the Lord was making animals, plants, minerals and chemicals, He did not ask me anything about it. I could not have told Him anything, nor could any other human being have advised Him. He had to create the universe, for He is the only One who is able to create the things which have been created. That is the reason He>wants us to trust Him, for He is the only One who can save. Read your Bible, let the Lord Jesus save you and the Holy Spirit teach you (John 14:26). Stay away from those who want you to do wrong. Let the Lord Jesus be your guide and your Saviour. “ He .restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths o f righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psa. 23:3). The muskrat eats tender roots, ber ries, leaves and bushes along the lakes, rivers and streams. It builds its home
W E shall now think about a strange little animal, the musk rat. It isn’t a rat, but it be longs to the rat family. It is brownish black in color, is about 12 inches long and has a tail about 10 inches long. Its tail is not completely round, but is a bit flat and there is no hair on it. It has small, bright, umber brown eyes which look something like shoe buttons, for they shine brightly. The muskrat’s ears are short and are hardly large enough to be seen, for they are on the edge of the fur. But the little animal can hear well. It has many sharp, tiny teeth which are made for gnawing roots and little twigs and branches. It is called a nocturnal ani mal because it comes out at night and spends most o f the day in its little home. The muskrat is good for food and the meat, which can be fried, roasted or baked, is delicious. It tastes somewhat like pork and somewhat like rabbit. When alive it does not have a pleasant odor, but after the animal is killed, the glands which cause the odor are removed and the meat is soaked in salt water for about two hours before it is ready for cooking. The muskrat’s fur is very valuable. It is used for coats, collars and gar ments. Trappers like to catch this ani mal because they get much money for the fur. God Himself made the muskrat. No one else would have thought of mak ing such an animal or giving it the strange habits which it has. God made all the animals just as they are. They did not develop from some other kind of animal. They are His workmanship. This same blessed God is willing and able to make you the kind of boy or girl He wants you to be. When we trust Him He says, “We are his workman ship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). In the coming years Uncle Walter will be gone, your daddy and mother will be gone, the mayor, the governor and the president will be gone, and you young folks will rule this country. We want you to be fine Christian men and women who love righteousness, equity and justice, and who do the right things Page Twelve
JUN IOR KING'S BUSINESS
Martha S. Hooker
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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