"Curse ye woodchuck!" A story For Groundhog Day (February 2)         The Puritans of colonial times did not tolerate people sleeping in church. Deacons were equipped with long staffs to rouse any congregants that they observed dozing off. One end of the staff held a fox tail or feathers to rouse light sleepers. The other end of the staff had sharp thorns to deal with more serious cases. The journal of Obadiah Turner describes an incident that took place at a church in Massachusetts in 1646:   "Allen Bridges hath bin chose to wake ye sleepers in meeting. And being much proude of his place, must needs have a fox taile fixed to ye ende of a long staff wherewith he may brush ye faces of them yt will have napps in time of discourse, likewise a sharpe thorne whereby he may pricke such as be most sound. On ye last Lord his day, as hee strutted about ye meetinghouse, he did spy Mr. Tomlins sleeping with much comfort, hys head kept steadie by being in ye corner, and his hand grasping ye rail. And soe spying, Allen did quickly thrust his staff behind Dame Ballard and give him a grievous prick upon ye hand. Whereupon Mr. Tomlins did spring upp mch above ye floore, and with terrible force strike hys hand against ye wall; and also to ye great wonder of all, prophanlie exclaim in a loud voice, Curse ye wood-chuck, he dreaming so it seemed yt a wood-chuck had seized and bit his hand. But on coming to know where he was, and ye greate scandall he had committed, he seemed much abashed, but he did not speak. And I think he will not soon again goe to sleepe in meeting.