S e c r e t s

The dormouse is a very secretive creature. It sleeps all winter, only waking to nibble at something in its food store. During the summer, it still sleeps during the day and comes out to feed at night. It’s understandable why Master Carver Peter Calvesbert has never seen a dormouse! Peter started this model during his 2007 American signing tour. Perhaps his travels were so exhausting that he longed for sleep. The interior shows a dormouse doing what it does best. . .sleeping. A message on the lid says “See you in April”, referencing the 2008 HOP Convention taking place in Orlando in April. Also on the lid are the words “Hazel”, “Bramble” and “Honeysuckle”. These are shrubs that are very important to the dormouse’s survival. It eats the hazel, hides and feeds in the brambles, and builds its nest from the honeysuckle. Notice the smooth edged hole in the hazelnut on the base. This is one way of identifying the presence of a dormouse, as other mice leave a serrated edge.