Winter Animals

Whenthepondswerefirmlyfrozen,theyaffordednotonlynewandshorterroutestomanypoints,butnewviewsfromtheirsurfacesofthefamiliarlandscapearoundthem.WhenIcrossedFlint’sPond,afteritwascoveredwithsnow,thoughIhadoftenpaddledaboutandskatedoverit,itwassounexpectedlywideandsostrangethatIcouldthinkofnothingbutBaffin’sBay.TheLincolnhillsroseuparoundmeattheextremityofasnowyplain,inwhichIdidnotremembertohavestoodbeforeandthefishermen,atanindeterminabledistanceovertheice,movingslowlyaboutwiththeirwolfishdogs,passedforsealersorEsquimaux,orinmistyweatherloomedlikefabulouscreatures,andIdidnotknowwhethertheyweregiantsorpygmies.ItookthiscoursewhenIwenttolectureinLincolnintheevening,travellinginnoroadandpassingnohousebetweenmyownhutandthelectureroom.InGoosePond,whichlayinmyway,acolonyofmuskratsdwelt,andraisedtheircabinshighabovetheice,thoughnonecouldbeseenabroadwhenIcrossedit.Walden,beingliketherestusuallybareofsnow,orwithonlyshallowandinterrupteddriftsonit,wasmyyard,whereIcouldwalkfreelywhenthesnowwasnearlytwofeetdeeponalevelelsewhereandthevillagerswereconfinedtotheirstreets.There,farfromthevillagestreet,andexceptatverylongintervals,fromthejingleofsleigh-bells,Islidandskated,asinavastmoose-yardwelltrodden,overhungbyoakwoodsandsolemnpinesbentdownwithsnoworbristlingwithicicles. Forsoundsinwinternights,andofteninwinterdays,Iheardtheforlornbutmelodiousnoteofahootingowlindefinitelyfarsuchasoundasthefrozenearthwouldyieldifstruckwithasuitableplectrum,theverylinguavernaculaofWaldenWood,andquitefamiliartomeatlast,thoughIneversawthebirdwhileitwasmakingit.IseldomopenedmydoorinawintereveningwithouthearingitHoohoohoo,hoorer,hoo,soundedsonorously,andthefirstthreesyllablesaccentedsomewhatlikehowderdoorsometimeshoohooonly.Onenightinthebeginningofwinter,beforethepondfrozeover,aboutnineo’clock,Iwasstartledbytheloudhonkingofagoose,and,steppingtothedoor,heardthesoundoftheirwingslikeatempestinthewoodsastheyflewlowovermyhouse.TheypassedoverthepondtowardFairHaven,seeminglydeterredfromsettlingbymylight,theircommodorehonkingallthewhilewitharegularbeat.Suddenlyanunmistakablecat-owlfromverynearme,withthemostharshandtremendousvoiceIeverheardfromanyinhabitantofthewoods,respondedatregularintervalstothegoose,asifdeterminedtoexposeanddisgracethisintruderfromHudson’sBaybyexhibitingagreatercompassandvolumeofvoiceinanative,andboo-hoohimoutofConcordhorizon.Whatdoyoumeanbyalarmingthecitadelatthistimeofnightconsecratedtome?DoyouthinkIamevercaughtnappingatsuchanhour,andthatIhavenotgotlungsandalarynxaswellasyourself?Boo-hoo,boo-hoo,boo-hoo!ItwasoneofthemostthrillingdiscordsIeverheard.Andyet,ifyouhadadiscriminatingear,therewereinittheelementsofaconcordsuchastheseplainsneversawnorheard. Ialsoheardthewhoopingoftheiceinthepond,mygreatbed-fellowinthatpartofConcord,asifitwererestlessinitsbedandwouldfainturnover,weretroubledwithflatulencyandhaddreamsorIwaswakedbythecrackingofthegroundbythefrost,asifsomeonehaddrivenateamagainstmydoor,andinthemorningwouldfindacrackintheearthaquarterofamilelongandathirdofaninchwide. SometimesIheardthefoxesastheyrangedoverthesnowcrust,inmoonlightnights,insearchofapartridgeorothergame,barkingraggedlyanddemoniacallylikeforestdogs,asiflaboringwithsomeanxiety,orseekinge