The Raccoon

Raccoons by the river-bed.

        Have  you  ever  seen  a  Raccoon?  Perhaps  you  would  understand  better if  you  were  asked,  have  you  ever  seen  a  coon?  This  curious  animal  is  a  living lesson  to  all  boys  and  girls.  It  is  the  cleanest  little  animal  known.  It keeps  its  fur  spotless,  and  carefully  washes  every  bit  of  food  before  eating  it. It  has  no  table  to  come  to  with  dirty  hands,  but,  nevertheless,  takes  pride  in keeping  itself,  oh,  so  clean!  Its  paws  are  hand-shaped,  which  gives  it  a  strong grip  on  anything  it  wishes  to  hold,  and  this  is  very  useful  to  Master  Coon when  he  is  busily  washing  a  piece  of  meat  back  and  forth  in  the  water.
        If  the  coon  is  treated  kindly,  it  will  become  very  tame.  A  gentleman  kept one  in  his  yard  with  a  number  of  other  wild  animals,  and  the  coon  was  by  far the  tamest,  being  allowed  to  run  about;  but,  at  the  same  time,  all  the  chickens had  to  be  kept  out  of  its  way,  for  it  had  a  habit  of  killing  them  wholesale.  It is  said  that  the  raccoon  is  rather  a  spiteful  animal,  and  will  store  up  a  grudge against  anyone  who  has  insulted it.
       The  raccoon  roams  over the  sea-shore  at  night  in  search of  shell-fish  and  oysters.  It  is quite clever  at  opening  the latter.  Sometimes  it  is  unlucky enough  to  get  a  foot caught  by  an  oyster, and  then it  is  drowned  in  the  rising  tide.
       Long ago people  in  the Southern  States  of the U.S. thought  a  coon-hunt  great  fun.  They would walk quietly  through  the  woods  until a  coon  was  located  in  a  tree. Then  one  of  their hunting party would climb up  into  the  branches  and shake  the  poor  little  creature off  its  perch.  As  it  fell to  the ground  it  was  set  upon  by  the men  and  dogs,  who  soon  kill it.  The  flesh  of  the  raccoon is considered  very  good  to  eat, while  its  skin  made  beautiful fur clothing. However, it is seldom hunted for meat or fur today.

Appetites

Appetites by John Martin

Appetites are ready;
Paws and whiskers clean.
Frocks and panties tidy,
As is plainly seen.
Cricket is a-chirping,
Silver is the moon.
Very, very hungry,
Muff and Fluffy Coon.

Supper's nearly ready;
We are ready, too.
Smell the most delicious
Most delightful stew.
Hear the tinkle, tinkle
Of the stirring spoon.
Just a bit impatient--
Muff and Fluffy Coon.

Now look at the picture,
See if you don't see
Two wee tots as hungry
As wee tots can be.
Keep on looking closely;
Very, very soon
You will see a happy
Muff and Fluffy Coon.

The Snow-Bird

Snowy pine or fir trees and a squirrel eating nuts.

The Snow-Bird 

by Williams Cullen Bryant

The snow-bird twittered on the beachen bough,

And 'neath the hemlock whose thick branches bent

Beneath its bright cold burden, and kept dry.

A circle, on the earth, of withered leaves,

The partridge found a shelter. Through the snow

The rabbit spring away. The lighter Track

Of fox, and the raccoon's broad paths were there,

Crossing each other. From his hollow tree

The squirrel was abroad, gathering the nuts

Just fallen, that asked the winter cold and sway 

Of winter blast, to shake them from their hold

This version was shortened and illustrated for school children. Read the original in it's entirety at the poetry foundation.