[MUSIC PLAYING]

NARRATOR:

NARRATOR: Well, what have we here? It's a family of skunks out for a walk. That's mother skunk up front with one, two, three, four, five babies.

She's taking them for a lesson in feeding and taking care of themselves. It's fun to watch wild creatures living as they do in nature. And we can learn a lot about their habits if we're very quiet and watch carefully. About the only thing most people know about these cute and useful little animals is that they can make a very bad smell to protect themselves from their enemies. But skunks are one of the most valuable friends the farmer has. And friends of the farmer are our friends too because the farmer raises the food we eat. Our friends are now looking for food. They eat all kinds of bugs, such as beetles and grasshoppers that would destroy the farmer's crops. And they catch and eat mice, just like a cat. Mother skunk is teaching her babies to hunt and scratch for food. But one of them, Willie, has found a nice sandpile. I guess he'd rather play. Dig, dig, dig-- look at that sand fly. Skunks live wild in almost every part of our country and some people tame them and get them as pets. Cute, isn't he? In the wintertime, the whole family lives in an underground den like this, in a soft nest of grass the mother makes for them.

This looks like a pretty big family, but sometimes a mother skunk has 6, 7, 8, even 10 babies all at once. Willie, you'd better get going. Your mother will be worried about you. Here she comes now. She'll teach you to stay out of trouble. Mother animals often have to be rough with their young ones. Baby animals must learn to obey or it may cost them their lives. Ooh, look, somebody else is out for a walk today, too. This is Bobby and Jane from the farm. I wonder where they're going?

Here are the skunks again. Now they're going to the brook.

Skunks nearly always build their homes somewhere near a stream of water. They get thirsty and need a drink of water just the way you do. Can't beat a drink of cool water on a hot day. Mother thinks she smells somebody nearby. She's always on the look out to keep her babies out of danger. But the little ones aren't worried, they're too busy having a roughhouse. Pushing, pulling-- I'll bet I'm stronger than you are. Our play is the most fun of all. Boy, what are roughhouse this is. Careful or you'll fall in that water.

Whoops, you're in. Look, here are Jane and Bobby coming to the brook, too. It's lunchtime now for the babies. These baby skunks need lots of milk just as you did when you were a baby. And some mother animals carry milk inside themselves to nurse their young. Mmm, this is even better than bugs and mice. Uh oh, but mother's sniffing the air again. She smells people coming. It's Bobby and Jane. Mother skunk thinks that people smell awful. And now Bobby and Jane have seen our little friends, quiet now and watch. That's the way to learn about our animal friends. Mother skunk thinks it would be wise to cross over the brook. She's not scared, but she would feel a little safer on the other side.

This baby doesn't seem to like the idea too much. He thinks it's a bath, and baby skunks probably squawk about a bath as some of you do. Let's see what happens now.

Come along now, children. Who's next? All right, Eloise, come with mother.

Eloise, get in there and stop your squealing.

Come, come it's not too cold. Someday all of you will be swimming around and catching frogs to eat in this very brook. Careful now. Uh oh, it's slippery. Don't push. Oops! Watch that little one start to swim. Come on in, gang, the water's fine. OK, OK, we're coming.

Here we come.

Here I am. Look at me, look at me, I'm swimming!

Give me a hand, Ma.

Well, if he can do it, I guess I can too. See, Ma, all by myself. That was Willie, last again as usual. What a slowpoke he is. Well, here they are all safe on the opposite shore. Now take a good shake. That's it! Wasn't that fun watching? Let's go children, let's go.

What is this? A pasture full of cows and there goes our skunk family. Better stay close to mother, babies. Uh oh, Willie's lagging behind again and now he is in trouble. Watch out, Mrs. Cow. You don't know it, but Willie has two special little squirt guns under his tail. And he can shoot them like a water pistol to make a strong bad smell. So he isn't scared. See his little tail go up and watch him stamp his feet. That's his warning signal. It means "leave me alone or you'll be sorry." Mrs. Cow has had enough. Isn't Willie proud of himself, anybody else want to fight?

[CHUCKLING]

Uh oh, here comes mother again looking for Willie. Willie, will you please hurry. And now the skunk family is off in search of more food.

Sometimes animals have to climb rocks and go some distance to find their food.

Say, this rock climbing is hard work. I'm going this way. That's Willie again. Why is he so stubborn? He won't do what the rest do. Can't he do the right thing and stop trying to be different all the time?

Here are Bobby and Jane again-- hop, skip and a jump. Now Bobby sees Willie. Will Bobby get squirted? No, because Bobby knows a lot about skunks and other wild creatures from watching them in the country. Bobby knows that he must be very quiet and move slowly so as not to frighten animals. But skunks are safe if you know how to handle them. Now Willie sees Bobby and Jane. Willie isn't afraid of them, he's just a little bit nervous.

If they have had their squirt guns removed, baby skunks become very tame and make cute pets, but not the wild ones with squirters.

Now Willie's all calmed down. See why people who know them like them so much? Bobby and Jane would like to take Willie home with them, but they know that Willie needs his mother to take care of him while he's still such a baby. So they're going to take him back to his mother. They know where the mother's den is because they've watched this same family before. Their home is not far away because skunks usually stay pretty close to home, seldom going away more than about a half a mile or so.

It is lucky that Willie was found by friends, not enemies, and he's getting a free ride home.

Here we are. Willie's home again at last and safely, too. Mother sees Willie, but she is still very careful.

She wants Willie back, but she has to protect her other babies too. She's not too sure about these two strangers so she isn't taking any chances.

I guess they're all right. After all, they brought Willie home. Here she comes, slowly, carefully, cautiously. And is Willie glad to see her. In you go, Willie. Late again and you almost missed your supper.

That reminds me, Jane, I'm hungry too.

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