ThevillagenearoneendofPleasantValleywhereFarmerGreenoftenwenttosellbutterandeggswasnottheonlyvillagetobeseenfromBlueMountain. TherewasanotherwhichFarmerGreenseldomvisited,becauseitlaybeyondthemountainandwasalongdistancefromhishouse. Thoughheownedthelandwhereitstood,thosethatlivedtherethoughttheyhadeveryrighttostaythereaslongastheypleased,withoutbeingdisturbed. ItwasinthisvillagethatBrownieBeaverandhisneighborslived. Itwasadifferentsortoftown,too,fromtheonewhereFarmerGreenwenteachweek. OverbeyondBlueMountainallthehouseswerebuiltinapond.Andalltheirdoorswereunderwater. Butnobodymindedthatbecause—likeBrownieBeaver—everybodythatdwelttherewasafineswimmer. YearsandyearsbeforeBrownie’stimehisforefathershadcomethere,andfindingthatthereweremanytreesintheneighborhoodwiththesortofbarktheylikedtoeat—suchaspoplars,willowsandboxelders—theyhaddecidedthatitwasagoodplacetolive. Therewasasmallstream,too,whichwasreallythebeginningofSwiftRiver. Andbydammingitthoseoldsettlersmadeapondinwhichtheycouldbuildtheirhouses. Theyhadideasoftheirownastowhatahouseshouldbelike—andverygoodideastheywere—thoughyou,perhaps,mightnotcareforthematall. Theywantedtheirhousestobesurroundedbywater,becausetheythoughttheyweresaferwhenbuiltinthatmanner. Andtheyalwaysinsistedthatadoorleadingintoahouseshouldbefarbeneaththesurfaceofthewater,fortheybelievedthatthatmadeahousesafertoo. Toyousuchanideamayseemverystrange. Butifyouwerechasedbyanenemyyoumightbegladtobeabletoswimunderwater,downtothebottomofapond,andslipinsideadoorwhichledtoawindinghall,whichinitsturnledupwardsintoyourhouse. Ofcourse,yourenemymightbeabletoswimaswellasyou. Butmaybehewouldthinktwice—oreventhreetimes—beforehewentprowlingthroughyourcrookedhall. Forifyouhadenormous,strong,sharpteeth—withwhichyoucouldgnawrightthroughatree—hewouldnotcaretohaveyouseizehimashepokedhisheadaroundacornerinadarkpassageofastrangehouse. ItwasinahouseofthatkindthatBrownieBeaverlived. Andhebuiltithimself,becausehesaidhewouldratherhaveaneat,newhousethanoneofthebig,olddwellingsthathadbeenbuiltmanyyearsbefore,whenhisgreat-great-grandfatherhadhelpedthrowthedamacrossthestream. Thedamwastherestill.Itwassooldthattreesweregrowingonit. Andtherewasanoddthingaboutit:itwasneverfinished. ThoughBrownieBeaverwasayoungchap,heworkedonthedamsometimes,likeallhisneighbors. Yousee,thevillagerskeptmakingthedamwider. Andsinceitwasbuiltofsticksandmud,thewatersometimeswashedbitsofitaway:soithadtobekeptinrepair. IfBrownieBeaverandhisfriendshadneglectedtheirdam,theywouldhavewakedupsomedayandfoundthattheirpondwasempty;andwithoutanywatertohidetheirdoorwaystheywouldhavebeensafenolonger. Theywouldhavehadnoplace,either,tostoretheirwinter’sfood. Fortheywereinthehabitofcuttingdowntreesandsavingthebarkandbranchestoo,inordertohaveplentytoeatwhencoldweathercameandtheiceclosedtheirpond. Someoftheirfoodtheycarriedintotheirhousesthroughastraighthallwhichwasmadeforthatverypurpose. Andsomeofthebranchestheyfastenedunderwater,nearthedam. Itwasjustlikeputtinggreenthingsintoarefrigerator,sotheywillkeep. NowyouseewhyBrownieBeaverwouldnomorehavethoughtofbuildinghishouseondrylandthanyouwouldthinkofbuildingoneinapond.Everybodylikeshisownwaybest. AnditneveronceoccurredtoBrownieBeaverthathiswaywastheleastbitstrange. Perhapsitwasbecausehisfamilyhadalwayslivedinthatfashion. 
