My husband, Tom, has always been good with animals, but I was still amazed when he befriended a female grouse (松鸡). It's1for a grouse to have any contact (接触) with people. In fact, they're hard to spot,2they usually fly off when they hear humans approaching.

    This grouse came into our lives in3Tom was working out in the field when he4her walking around at the edge of the field. She was5unafraid and seemed to be6about what he was doing.

    Tom saw the7bird several times, and she got more comfortable around him. We quickly grew8of the bird and decided to call her Mildred.

    One day, as Tom was working, Mildred came within a few feet of him to watch. Tom9he didn't see her and kept working to see what she would do next.

    Apparently, she didn't like to be10. She'd run up and peck (啄) at Tom's hands, then11off to see what he would do. This went on for about 20 minutes, until Mildred became tired of the12and left.

    As spring went and summer came, Mildred started to13more and more often.14Mildred felt comfortable enough to jump up on Tom's leg and stay long enough for me to get a15of the two of them together. This friendly grouse soon felt16not just with our family, but with anybody who walked or drove by.

    When hunting season opened, we put a17at the end of our driveway asking18not to shoot our pet grouse. My father, who lived down the road,19warned people not to shoot her.20. hunters would stop and take pictures, because they had never seen anything like her.