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D. Williams - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Squirrel's Pilgrim's Progress - A Book for Boys and Girls Setting Forth the Adventures of - Tiny Red Squirrel and Chatty Chipmunk - -Author: J. D. Williams - -Illustrator: H. Wood - -Release Date: September 23, 2017 [EBook #55609] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SQUIRREL'S PILGRIM'S PROGRESS *** - - - - -Produced by MFR, Craig Kirkwood, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was -produced from images made available by the HathiTrust -Digital Library.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 517px;"> -<img id="coverpage" src="images/i_cover.jpg" width="517" height="700" alt="Cover" /> -</div> - -<p id="half-title">Tiny Redsquirrel</p> - - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 444px;"> -<img src="images/i_title.jpg" width="444" height="650" alt="Title page" /> -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<div class="boxtitlepage1"> -<div class="boxtitlepage2"> - -<h1 style="margin-top:0em"><span class="xlargefont"><em>The</em></span><br /> -SQUIRREL’S<br /> -PILGRIM’S PROGRESS</h1> - - -<p class="center largefont"><em>A Book for Boys and Girls</em></p> - -<p class="center p1"><span class="smallfont">BY</span><br /> -J. D. WILLIAMS</p> - -<p class="center p1">Setting Forth the Adventures of Tiny Red Squirrel -and Chatty Chipmunk</p> - -<p class="center p1">And describing Miss Hare’s School; Red Squirrel, Chipmunk, -Reynard Fox, Pussy Cat, and Other Students, as well -as Mr. Wise Owl, a Director of the School, -and Billy Beaver, the Janitor.</p> - -<p class="center p1" style="margin-bottom:1em">FIFTY ILLUSTRATIONS BY H. WOOD<br /> -<span class="smallfont">(FIVE COLORED PLATES)</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80px;"> -<img src="images/i_logo.jpg" width="80" height="86" alt="Publisher logo" /> -</div> - -<p class="center p1">CHICAGO<br /> -LAIRD & LEE, Inc., PUBLISHERS -</p> - -</div></div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<div id="Ref_iv" class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/i_004.jpg" width="400" height="230" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY LAIRD & LEE, Inc.</p></div> -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[v]</a></span></p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="indent0">And Nature, the old nurse, took -</div><div class="indent1">The child upon her knee. -</div><div class="indent0">Saying, “Here is a story-book -</div><div class="indent1">Thy father has written for thee.” -</div><div class="indent4">—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. -</div></div></div></div> - -<p>Once on a time a little boy was taken from the noise -and bustle of city life to a sparsely settled land where a -great forest stretched away in every direction. To this land -his parents came to make a home in the heart of the deep -wood. A large log house had been built in an open space -from which great oaks, beeches, maples and other trees had -been removed, and here, surrounded by nature’s forms and -activities, they lived many years.</p> - -<p>What a delightful experience this was to this little boy! -How wonderful this new world seemed to him! Here were -flowers of every hue, bees, birds, butterflies, and many -other interesting things to excite his childish wonder. He -soon learned the names of the shrubs, the trees, the wild -fruits and the flowers; and the habits of the honey gatherers, -the feathered folk, and the little animals of the wood.</p> - -<p>This story has its foundation in these experiences and -was written in the hope that it will prove interesting and -instructive to many children. It teaches its young readers -to see material things as they really are, so that the early -impressions shall always be the true ones; it teaches them to -apply the same habit of careful observation to language forms<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[vi]</a></span> -and constructions, so they shall know how thoughts must be -expressed, and more than that, how they may be expressed -beautifully. It is believed that it will influence them to -observe nature’s works closely—the beauty in the dense -foliage of spring, in the myriad forms of life, in nest building -and bird music, in the vitality of growth, in the sweet -beneficence of the universal mother, so that they may come -to know</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="indentquote0"> -“There are tongues in trees, -</div><div class="indent0">Books in the running brooks, -</div><div class="indent0">Sermons in stones, -</div><div class="indent0">And good in everything.” -</div></div></div></div> - -<p>Acknowledgments are due to Wilber Hershel Williams -for assistance in the preparation of this volume; to Frances -Squire Potter, James S. Greenwood, and Z. C. Spencer -for literary criticism and helpful suggestions.</p> - -<p class="marginrightindent">J. D. W.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[vii]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CONTENTS</h2> - - -<div class="center"> -<table class="toc" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents"> -<tr><td style="text-align:left" colspan="2">CHAPTER</td><td class="tocpage">PAGE</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">I.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">Introducing Tiny Redsquirrel</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_7">7</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">II.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">Tiny Goes to Seek Winter Stores</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_12">12</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">III.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">His First Adventure</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_17">17</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">IV.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">Introducing Mr. Wise Owl</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_23">23</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">V.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">A Lesson from the Ants</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_30">30</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">VI.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">Meeting Mr. Frog</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_34">34</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">VII.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">His Adventure with Queen Bee</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_37">37</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">VIII.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">The Porcupine Scares Tiny</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_44">44</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">IX.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">Meeting with the Black Giant</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_49">49</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">X.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">Tiny the Hero of Squirreltown</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_58">58</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">XI.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">The Mayor Calls on Tiny</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_65">65</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">XII.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">Mr. Owl Interrupts a Speech</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_69">69</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">XIII.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">He Takes Tiny to School</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_77">77</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">XIV.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">Tiny Gets Acquainted</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_85">85</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">XV.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">School Days Experiences</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_95">95</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">XVI.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">Mr. Owl Visits the School</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_101">101</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">XVII.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">Tiny’s Correspondence</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_108">108</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">XVIII.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">Miss Hare on Grammar</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_116">116</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">XIX.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">Studying Nature</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_124">124</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">XX.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">Tiny Helps with Teacher’s Letters</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_134">134</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">XXI.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">Opossum and Caterpillar</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_140">140</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">XXII.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">Graduation Exercises</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_147">147</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">XXIII.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">The Students Start for Home</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_158">158</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tocchapter">XXIV.</td><td class="toctitle"><span class="smcap">Tiny is Appointed Mayor</span></td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Page_168">168</a></td></tr> -</table></div> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[viii]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> - - -<div class="center"> -<table class="toc" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary="Illustrations"> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Squirreltown</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_Frontispiece"><em>Frontispiece</em></a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Go Away!</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_9">9</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">How Can You Sleep On a Day Like This?</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_12">12</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Splash! Chatty Fell Into the Creek</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_16">16</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Tiny and Chatty Meet the Raccoon</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_19">19</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Tiny Meets Mr. Owl</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_23">23</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Watching the Ants Build a House</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_31">31</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Learns a Lesson from the Spider</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_34">34</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Meeting with Mr. Toad</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_36">36</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Rescues the Queen Bee</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_37">37</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">“Hist!” Cried the Ogre</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_45">45</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Tiny Conquers the Porcupine</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_47">47</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">The Bear Falls from the Tree</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_51">51</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">The Bees Rescue Tiny from the Bear</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_54">54</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Tiny Returns to Squirreltown</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_58">58</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Brings Food to His Hungry Mother</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_60">60</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Tiny Is Ill—The Mayor Calls</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_65">65</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">The Story of the Fable</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_68">68</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Tiny Makes a Speech</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_69">69</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Mr. Owl Lectures Tiny</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_71">71</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">He Takes Tiny to School</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_78">78</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Mr. Beaver Shows Tiny to His Room</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_80">80</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Tiny Meets Mr. Redfox</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_82">82</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">The Janitor Awakens the Pupils</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_85">85</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Miss Hare’s School</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_87">87</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Tiny Gives Miss Hare an Acorn</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_90">90</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Tiny and Winkie Run a Race</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_95">95</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Tiny Prepares for Graduation</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_101">101</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">The Owl Prophet Visits the School</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_103">103</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">He Hardly Knew Tiny</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_106">106</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">The Pigeon Mail Carrier</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_108">108</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Reynard Is Sick</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_116">116</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Chatty Chipmunk Appears</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_125">125</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">The Panther Gives Them a Scare</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_126">126</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Mrs. Badger and the Bees</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_128">128</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Tiny Assists the Teacher</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_134">134</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Mr. Opossum</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_141">141</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Shifty Woodchuck Wants Help</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_148">148</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Sammy Rabbit’s Composition</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_151">151</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Tiny’s Speech Wins the Prize</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_155">155</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">The Encounter with the Lynx</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_162">162</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">In Deertown</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_164">164</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Running from a Wildcat</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_166">166</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="toctitle">Celebration in Squirreltown</td><td class="tocpage"><a href="#Ref_172">172</a></td></tr> -</table></div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<div id="Ref_Frontispiece" class="figcenter" style="width: 451px;"> -<img src="images/i_006.jpg" width="451" height="650" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">SQUIRRELTOWN.</p></div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span></p> - - - -<p class="center xxlargefont boldfont">Tiny Redsquirrel</p> - -<h2 class="no-break">CHAPTER I.</h2> - - -<p>Have you ever heard of Squirreltown? It is a -town of quaint homes in the woods, in which little -animals live together as contentedly as though they -were human beings. The whole town is roofed over -by leafy bowers, and carpeted with wild flowers. -All day long butterflies flit about in the shimmering -sunlight, and by night thousands of fairies come out -to dance in the pale moonlight.</p> - -<p>In this town there once dwelt a young red squirrel -named Tiny. He lived with his mother near the -top of an oak tree. Mrs. Redsquirrel was a poor -but industrious widow. Although red squirrels are -said to be the most mischievous animals of the forest, -she had taught Tiny to conduct himself in a -proper way. In fact, he was much better behaved -than Chatty Chipmunk, who lived in the ground at -the foot of the tree.</p> - -<p>One morning early in the autumn, while the -weather was yet warm, Tiny’s mother said to him, -“You must bestir yourself, Tiny! Now is the time -to gather acorns, seeds, and other food for the winter.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span></p> - -<p>As he sat sipping water from a hollow acorn, he -observed how anxiously his mother gazed at him. -“Why do you look so sad?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“I am getting too old to work,” she answered, -and she wiped the tears from her black eyes. Then -abruptly she turned to look through the window. -It was a small hole covered with a silken curtain -that had been woven by a spider.</p> - -<p>“Please don’t cry, mother,” implored Tiny. He -put down his acorn, went over to his mother and -drew her down upon a little couch made of moss. -“I am willing to work hard to support you. Perhaps -some day I shall become great. Who can -tell?”</p> - -<p>“But I want you to have a fine education,” said -his mother, looking with pride at her son, “and we -have no good schools!”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps a fairy may find me a good school. I -can work to pay my way!” cheerfully suggested -Tiny. “I have heard that those who do this make -the best students.” He fanned his mother with a -small peacock feather. He thought that she might -drop into a doze, for he knew that she had not been -sleeping much of late, but just then a persistent -rapping at the tree began.</p> - -<p>“It must be Mr. Woodpecker,” said Mrs. Redsquirrel -with a sigh. “Every day he comes over -to rap this tree. The noise makes my head ache.”</p> - -<p>“Please sit still. I’ll go outside to see what he -wants,” said Tiny, hastening from the room.</p> - -<p>“Hello!” he cried lustily.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span></p> - -<p>Mr. Woodpecker did not answer. He was digging -his long, straight, pointed beak into the bark -of the tree. His stiff tail was spread out to prop -his body, for woodpeckers would not be such good -climbers if they had no tails. He was black and -white, and wore a jaunty scarlet cap.</p> - -<p>“Sir,” said Tiny, “You -annoy my mother. Furthermore, -Mr. Graysquirrel, -who owns this tree, -will make you pay dearly -for all the damage you are -doing to his property.”</p> - -<p>“Ha, ha!” laughed Mr. -Woodpecker, turning his -head to one side and looking -down at the squirrel. -“I am not destroying -property. I am digging -into the bark to find insects. -Mr. Graysquirrel, -your landlord, told me -that I might have all I -could find. He said it was -they who greatly annoy -his tenants. Pardon me -for disturbing your -mother.”</p> - -<div id="Ref_9" class="figleft" style="width: 200px;"> -<img src="images/i_009.jpg" width="200" height="438" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">“GO AWAY AND DO NOT COME BACK -AGAIN,” COMMANDED TINY.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“Go away! and do not come back again,” commanded -Tiny, vexed at the bird’s display of good -humor. “Hush, Tiny!” called Mrs. Redsquirrel,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> -thrusting her dainty nose through the window. “I -am glad that Mr. Woodpecker is so kind as to destroy -those horrid insects. I thought at first that -he was tapping the tree because he wished to trouble -me. We animals are always ready to imagine disagreeable -things.”</p> - -<p>Tiny came back into the house and to cover his -chagrin began to get the storeroom in order.</p> - -<p>His mother gathered up the nut-shell cups and -placed them in a hollow gourd. As they worked -she talked. “Mr. Woodpecker is a clever creature,” -she said. “I never before saw a bird that -could use his bill with such ease and swiftness.”</p> - -<p>Tiny did not reply. He was thinking very hard, -and the idea that he was going to support his -mother made him feel very important.</p> - -<p>“Woodpeckers do a great deal of good by destroying -grubs and insects,” his mother went on. -“I have heard that in a far-away land there lives -one kind that feeds chiefly on acorns, and stores -them away for the winter as squirrels do. They -make small holes in the soft bark of dead trees -and place the acorns in these holes by pounding -them with their bills.”</p> - -<p>“Now I am ready to start,” interrupted Tiny. -“Perhaps I can get Chatty Chipmunk to go with -me.”</p> - -<p>“If you do, don’t let him lead you into bad -company!” warned Mrs. Redsquirrel. “He is very -mischievous. He causes his parents much trouble.”</p> - -<p>At that moment Peggy and Bushy Graysquirrel<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> -came running into the room, without stopping to -knock at the door.</p> - -<p>“Good morning, Mrs. Redsquirrel,” said Peggy.</p> - -<p>“We are going over to the Beech Hotel to spend -the day with the Blacksquirrel family,” said -Bushy, too much excited to draw a long breath. -“Come along with us, Tiny. We will play ripple.”</p> - -<p>“What is ripple?” asked Mrs. Redsquirrel.</p> - -<p>“Oh, it is a fine game!” exclaimed Peggy. “All -the squirrels get out on the bough of a tree. Each -one throws a nut or a pebble into the brook, and the -one that makes the biggest circle gets the prize.”</p> - -<p>“Do you want to go, Tiny?” asked his mother.</p> - -<p>“No, mother,” said Tiny bravely. “I like to -play ripple, but I must gather our winter store before -the cold rains begin.”</p> - -<p>“Please come with us,” coaxed pretty Bushy, -flashing her dark eyes straight into his own.</p> - -<p>“I cannot go,” he declared stolidly, turning his -back upon her.</p> - -<p>“Is he really going to work?” asked Bushy, -looking from one to the other in a bewildered way.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I am going,” replied Tiny, and he took -down his hunting bag from the wall.</p> - -<p>Another moment a little red squirrel ran down -the tree and was lost to view.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER II.</h2> - - -<p>Tiny went to the home of Chatty Chipmunk. -The Chipmunks do not like the trees or the air or -the sunshine as the Redsquirrel family do. Like -most animals of their kind, they live in the ground.</p> - -<p>Tiny entered the door and passed through a hall -several feet in length. At the further end of the -hall was a small opening which led to a room but -little larger than the shell of a cocoanut. Chatty -was alone, fast asleep.</p> - -<div id="Ref_12" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_012.jpg" width="600" height="427" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">“HOW CAN YOU SLEEP ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY LIKE THIS?”</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“How can you sleep on a beautiful day like -this!” cried Tiny, playfully pulling Chatty’s -whiskers.</p> - -<p>“I was only taking a nap,” sleepily responded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> -Chatty. “My parents and brothers are out in the -beech trees. I wanted to have a good rest, so I -stayed at home. I cannot sleep well at night, because -our house is crowded.”</p> - -<p>“I am going out to gather our winter store,” -said Tiny. “Don’t you want to come with me?”</p> - -<p>“I should very much like to go, thank you,” returned -Chatty, although he had refused to go with -his family. “But you see, I cannot work hard -when I work, though I can work hard when I -play.”</p> - -<p>They soon left the chipmunk home and started -forth on their journey. They had not gone very -far before Chatty began to complain.</p> - -<p>“The sun is very warm, and it makes me -drowsy,” said he. “How I do dislike to work! -I am glad that I am not a beaver, for beavers work -all the time.”</p> - -<p>“I should think you would wish to help your -family,” said Tiny. “What will become of you in -the winter if you do not have plenty of food?”</p> - -<p>“I will sleep all the time,” replied the chipmunk, -yawning drowsily.</p> - -<p>He was about to lie down to rest, when he espied -a great yellow butterfly with wings that shone like -gold. She was fast asleep upon a thistle.</p> - -<p>Chatty dashed after her, but she flew from -thistle to bush and flower, not at all frightened. -After he had tired himself running, he sat down, -panting.</p> - -<p>“Your winter store will soon be gathered if you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> -spend as much energy in working as you have in -running,” said Tiny, his eyes twinkling.</p> - -<p>“It is great sport to chase butterflies,” said -Chatty. “They are such stupid creatures, yet they -are very pretty. Who ever heard of sleeping on a -thistle?”</p> - -<p>“I think it would be much more comfortable -than to sleep in a hole in the ground,” replied -Tiny. “Mother said that butterflies always seem -to match the seasons.” Tiny, without knowing it, -began to imitate his mother’s voice and her way -of talking. He spoke more slowly than she did, -however, for he was trying hard to remember all -she had told him about the pretty things. “When -the world is still brown and bleak and the spring -sun is beginning to warm things into life, the -brown and black butterflies come. Then, when the -violets spread carpets over the vales and in the -woodlands, the blue butterflies appear. In summer -come the queenly swallow-tail butterflies, clad in -red, copper, and burnished silver. Often one -dressed in pure white may be seen, for white is very -comfortable to wear in warm weather. It reflects -the hot rays of the sun. In the autumn the yellow -and orange butterflies are more numerous. They -are the color of the goldenrod and the sunflowers -and the brown-eyed Susans. The yellow butterflies -like to sip the honey from the yellow flowers, -but the white butterflies seem to prefer the white -clover. They are the most beautiful of all insects. -Their four wings are colored on both sides. When<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> -they rest, their wings stand straight up and do not -fold.”</p> - -<p>“Butterflies are very queer animals,” said -Chatty ungraciously. He was vexed with butterflies, -because he knew so little about them. “Why -do they sleep with their wings held high above their -heads? I should think they would get so sound -asleep that they would forget to hold them up.”</p> - -<p>“It is natural for them to hold up their wings,” -laughed Tiny. “Do you forget to breathe when -you are sound asleep?”</p> - -<p>“Of course not,” retorted Chatty, “nor do I forget -to eat when I am hungry. However, I cannot -see why the butterfly sleeps in such a silly position.”</p> - -<p>“Some of them slowly open and shut their wings -all the time they are asleep,” explained Tiny. “I -never knew another creature that sleeps so gracefully -as the butterfly does. I would rather take a -nap on a thistle in the sunshine than roll up in a -fluffy ball and sleep in a dark hole in the ground. -You must not criticise those whose customs are -different from yours. Perhaps the butterfly is -quite as much amused at you.”</p> - -<p>“There she goes again!” cried Chatty, suddenly. -“I wish I were a flying-squirrel, that I might catch -her. Wait a moment until I frighten her again.”</p> - -<p>Chatty began to chase the butterfly once more. -He was accustomed to running without looking -where he was going, so he did not see the danger -that awaited him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span></p> - -<div id="Ref_16" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_016.jpg" width="600" height="569" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">SPLASH! CHATTY FELL INTO THE CREEK AND DISAPPEARED -FROM SIGHT.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Splash! Chatty fell into the creek and disappeared -from sight. The butterfly flew safely across -the stream.</p> - -<p>Tiny was not alarmed, for he knew that his companion -could swim. Soon the chipmunk’s little -nose appeared above the water. After a great -deal of splashing, he reached the bank of the -stream, very much chagrined.</p> - -<p>“I think I must have been more scared than the -butterfly was,” he admitted, as he shook his fur. -“I am as tired as I can be and as wet as a fish. -Where is the butterfly?”</p> - -<p>“Over on yonder blue-flag, fast asleep,” said -Tiny.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER III.</h2> - - -<p>Chatty smiled foolishly and Tiny laughed -heartily. The butterfly rested a long time. Then -she flew away. The birds chattered gayly as the -sun smiled brightly. The brook gurgled with glee -and flowed merrily on. The chipmunk seemed -wide awake after his drenching. For a half hour -he scurried briskly along.</p> - -<p>“Not far away some fine blackberries grow on -low bushes,” he said. “We will find them and feast -until dusk. When we become sleepy we will nap -for a while.”</p> - -<p>“We have wandered from our path,” protested -Tiny. “We are lost!”</p> - -<p>“Nonsense!” exclaimed Chatty. “Someone will -show us the way home. Squirreltown is the greatest -city in the world.”</p> - -<p>“Do you remember those hunters who passed -through Squirreltown not long ago?” asked Tiny. -“They said that London is the largest city in the -world. The East contains many great cities.”</p> - -<p>“You are dreaming,” laughed the chipmunk. -“I have heard of every large city. Squirreltown -has the most inhabitants, and Gray Fox Center -comes next. How many squirrels live in London?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span></p> - -<p>“London is filled with people, not with squirrels. -Those hunters that frightened us the other day are -people. They live in houses,” explained Tiny.</p> - -<p>“How I should dislike London!” cried Chatty. -“Do all people look as fierce as those hunters? I -thought that hunters dwelt in holes in the ground. -I supposed that they played in the trees and wandered -about with huge guns and frightened little -animals for amusement. I imagine that people -must look very much like bears.”</p> - -<p>“Many of them do,” assented Tiny with a wise -nod. “However, they do not walk on four legs, but -straight up like storks. We must roam no farther. -Let us gather these beech nuts and collect them -in little heaps.”</p> - -<p>“No, indeed,” said his companion, as he rose -from his couch. “I want some blackberries.”</p> - -<p>“O Chatty, an odd-looking animal comes from -the trunk of that hollow tree. It is a bear!” cried -Tiny.</p> - -<p>“Oh!” gasped Chatty. His eyes opened wide -with fear and surprise. “We must hide.”</p> - -<p>For a moment they gazed at the stranger who -stood before them. He sniffed the grass that grew -around a stump, but watched them steadily. The -little foragers remained quite still and struggled -for courage.</p> - -<div id="Ref_19" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_019.jpg" width="600" height="532" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">THE LITTLE FORAGERS REMAINED QUITE STILL AND -STRUGGLED FOR COURAGE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“Be calm,” said the queer creature in a friendly -voice. “I am hunting for something green and -tender. Fear not, for I never attack such small -creatures as you.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span></p> - -<p>“What are you, sir?” asked Tiny, remembering -his mother’s instructions to speak courteously.</p> - -<p>“I am a raccoon and I live in that hollow tree,” -said the animal. “I once dwelt in a village which -lies a hundred miles away. Leachburg is its name. -The inhabitants called me Brother Raccoon. My -given name is Sambo, my wife’s name is Serena, -and we named our sons Simon and Solomon. Formerly -I was a pet in a family of people. While -with them I learned a number of pretty names for -children, as well as many other things.”</p> - -<p>“Tell us something about people,” requested -Tiny, drawing nearer. At last he stood face to face -with the raccoon.</p> - -<p>“People live a long time if they take good care<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> -of their health,” began Brother Raccoon. “The -baby of this family was four years of age.”</p> - -<p>Tiny and Chatty laughed outright. The speaker -smiled good-naturedly.</p> - -<p>“He was surely a backward baby,” chuckled -Chatty. “The mayor of Squirreltown is four years -of age and he is very old.”</p> - -<p>“Little people are generally happy,” continued -the raccoon. “They have everything their hearts -desire. I wish that my little ones had such good -fortune. Alas! we watch Simon and Solomon all -the time. They seldom go out of the house except -after night. Little people stay indoors all night, -but little raccoons do not.”</p> - -<p>“What lovely times little raccoons must have!” -cried Chatty. “If I were one of them I would run -about all night, especially when it is moonlight. -Mother sends me to bed before sunset.”</p> - -<p>“No one has more anxiety than a raccoon,” declared -the stranger. He blinked his eyes, which -were black and shiny. There were white rings -around them. “Our midnight prowls often cause -us great trouble. Sometimes the raccoons go into -the cornfields. While they are eating corn, a pack -of dogs appears and drives them back to the woods. -Before the poor raccoons can hide, the men with -their guns attack them.”</p> - -<p>“You should not steal the farmer’s corn,” reproved -Tiny. “Thieves deserve punishment.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, but the farmer does not treat us right,” -replied the raccoon bitterly. “He steals our fur<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> -and eats our flesh. He deceives us and slays us. -He does all sorts of mean things.”</p> - -<p>“I am sorry for you,” said Tiny. “Why should -little animals of the forest suffer from the acts of -mankind? Are you never safe from harm?”</p> - -<p>“No,” continued the raccoon. “Our flesh and -fur are so fine that these terrible people hunt for -us by day and by night. One evening I was in a -field of corn which was green and tempting. A -party of noisy creatures called boys came to the -field. They chased me back into the forest. I was -so little that I stumbled and fell. A dog caught me. -Before he could hurt me, a small boy seized me and -carried me in a bag to his home. He placed me in -a cage.</p> - -<p>“The boy’s name was Teddy Root. He greatly -admired my dainty feet and grayish-brown fur. I -became so tame that they gave me much freedom. -I soon lost my fear of people. Sometimes they -scolded me, because I stole into the pantry and -helped myself to milk, sugar, lard, and butter. I -did not know that I had done wrong. Teddy took -cookies from the pantry without first asking his -mother’s permission, so I thought I could do so, too. -However, I yearned for my home in the deep forest. -One day I ran away.</p> - -<p>“I wandered a long time before I found the -stump that had sheltered me during my early days. -My family had departed. I was alone, but I made -the old house comfortable, and soon forgot my -troubles. I preferred a stump to a gilded cage.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> -One night a party of raccoons went out on an excursion -to a cornfield. They took me with them. -It was then that I met my mate, Serena. Life is -happier now than it ever has been before.”</p> - -<p>“We thank you for the story of your life,” said -Tiny. “Now show us the way to Squirreltown.”</p> - -<p>“I have never heard of such a place,” replied -the raccoon, after he had thought hard for a few -moments.</p> - -<p>“It is the largest city in the world and it is a -very important one, too,” snapped Chatty. He was -vexed at the stranger’s ignorance.</p> - -<p>“You are wrong,” said the raccoon as he shook -his head doubtfully. “I know that Coontown is -much larger. You must ask some other animal to -show you the way.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” said Tiny. He never forgot the -value of politeness, although Chatty often did. -“We must hasten home.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, why did you speak about those blackberries?” -he continued, as he turned to Chatty. “We -have lost our way. I fear dear mother grieves for -me.”</p> - -<p>“It was no fault of mine that Mr. Raccoon -stopped us to tell the stupid story of his life,” retorted -Chatty. “See the acorns under the tree. -Some kind fairy knew that we were coming and -threw them down.”</p> - -<p>Chatty ate greedily, while Tiny swiftly climbed -to the top of a huge oak tree and gazed all about -him. Nowhere could he see the friendly treetops -of Squirreltown.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER IV.</h2> - - -<p>Tiny sat for a long time in the top of the tree -and looked away as far as his eyes could see. In -the distance rose the big yellow moon. It shone -brightly upon the treetops of the great forest, yet -he could not see Squirreltown.</p> - -<p>At last he began to descend slowly, almost frightening -to death a tree toad that was hopping about<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> -on its little velvet toes among the green branches.</p> - -<div id="Ref_23" class="figcenter" style="width: 564px;"> -<img src="images/i_023.jpg" width="564" height="650" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">TINY’S BUSHY TAIL STIFFENED WITH FRIGHT.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Tiny’s bushy tail stiffened with fright when he -heard a loud, whirring sound and a shrill cry from -the branch over his head. Two big yellow eyes -glared at him through the dense foliage. They -scared him so that he could not scamper away.</p> - -<p>“Hoot! hoot!” cried the dreadful creature. -“Why are you prowling around my castle at this -time of night? Don’t you know that I am a horned -owl? I like to eat rabbits, squirrels, and mice.”</p> - -<p>“I did not mean to disturb you, sir,” said Tiny -politely, although his teeth chattered and his limbs -refused to move. “My name is Tiny Redsquirrel. -I have lost my way. Can you tell me where to find -Squirreltown?”</p> - -<p>“I wish I knew where it is,” said the owl, “for -it wouldn’t take me long to put an end to it. Come -closer that we may have a little chat. I like squirrels.”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Owl, I know that it would not be prudent -for me to get closer to you,” said Tiny, without -moving a step. “I want everyone to like me, but -I do not want them to like me well enough to eat -me.”</p> - -<p>“Well spoken!” cried the owl, clapping his wings -and screeching loudly. “A fairy told me, Tiny, -that you were coming to my castle. I promised her -that I would not hurt you. Tell me what gift you -desire above all things else.”</p> - -<p>“A good education,” replied Tiny promptly.</p> - -<p>“Fine!” exclaimed the owl. “Of course, squirrels<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> -cannot expect to know very much. Red squirrels -are too mischievous to learn a great deal. They -worry robins in their nests, frighten field mice, -steal from the farmer’s granary, and spring the -traps that hunters set for martens. Can you tell -me who is the wisest of all living creatures?”</p> - -<p>“I think it must be the donkey,” said Tiny after -hesitating a few moments.</p> - -<p>“The donkey is as stupid as a stump,” said the -owl impatiently. “What makes you think that the -donkey is the wisest of all creatures?”</p> - -<p>“An animal that makes so much noise must be -very wise,” answered the innocent squirrel.</p> - -<p>“When you are older, you will learn that the -wisest creatures seldom make any noise at all,” said -the owl with a sage toss of his head. “The donkey -is most unlike the animal that represents wisdom, -and he—”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps the wisest animal is the loon,” interrupted -the squirrel.</p> - -<p>Tiny had never heard the expression “crazy as -a loon,” or he would not have made such an absurd -guess.</p> - -<p>The owl laughed again. “Poor little squirrel,” -he continued, “you are much in need of an education, -and I will help you to realize your wish. An -old loon lives two hundred yards from here in -some dry muck on the ruins of an old muskrat -house. Whenever she tries to avoid danger, she -always runs the wrong way and jumps into it. Her -legs are placed so far back beneath her body that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> -she cannot walk very long at a time without toppling -over. When she swims, she makes more noise -than a family of beavers. She screeches all the -time, and consequently gets no opportunity to -think. You know that to be wise one must be a -quiet thinker. No, the loon is as dull as the -donkey.”</p> - -<p>“Then who is the wisest of all creatures?” asked -Tiny, growing more and more interested.</p> - -<p>“Have you never heard that the owl is the symbol -of wisdom?” asked the curious creature. -“There is nothing I do not know.”</p> - -<p>“Then perhaps you can tell me where Squirreltown -is situated,” said Tiny, eagerly.</p> - -<p>“I do not know,” replied the owl, glaring at -Tiny until he again lost courage. “I do not fill my -mind with useless knowledge, since there are so -many important things to know. How ridiculous -of you to ask me such a question! You might just -as well ask why the moon, although not so large as -a pumpkin, can light up this great world of ours. -There are many things that learned students cannot -explain so ordinary creatures can understand. I -believe, however, that if you live long enough and -keep traveling all the time, you may find Squirreltown -one of these days.”</p> - -<p>“This is no time for jesting,” burst forth Tiny, -his heart sinking. “I greatly desire to get home. -I started out to gather our winter store in this -hunting-bag, but I got lost. Mother must be quite -tired looking for me.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Your mother need not wear her eyes out <em>looking</em> -for you, since you are surely old enough to <em>see</em> -for yourself,” retorted the owl.</p> - -<p>Tiny said that he must hasten on.</p> - -<p>“Do not be in a hurry, my restless quadruped,” -said the owl. “Squirrels are always in a hurry. -You are very nervous animals. It makes me dizzy -to look at you. I am the wisest creature of the -forest, yet you do not choose to tarry long enough -to get some useful information. Do you still desire -an education, or have you changed your mind?”</p> - -<p>“I want to get home,” sobbed Tiny.</p> - -<p>“I will see that your wish is granted,” said the -owl, more kindly. “What else do you wish?”</p> - -<p>“I wish to grow up to be a useful squirrel. -I want to make my mother and everybody else -happy.”</p> - -<p>The owl asked him what more he desired.</p> - -<p>“That is all,” was the reply.</p> - -<p>“Then do as I say,” commanded the owl. -“Before you can become truly wise, you must learn -the lessons of patience and industry, and, as you -struggle, you must sing the song of contentment. -I am a wise prophet, and I will see that your wishes -are fulfilled.</p> - -<p>“To-night you must sleep out in one of those -hazel bushes. Be sure to hide yourself, for sometimes -I fly about while asleep. In that case -perhaps I might eat you without knowing it. -To-morrow at dawn, follow the path that leads to -the brook. Then turn to your right. If you should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> -turn to your left, you would soon find yourself in -Big Bear City. Keep your eyes wide open, and -when you least expect it, you will be taught the -lesson of patience.</p> - -<p>“Follow the footpath till you come to a lovely -dell, where a fairy princess will teach you the -lesson of industry and the value of doing good to -others. She probably can show you the way to -Squirreltown, for she knows all about geography. -But, ere you reach home, you will have two dreadful -encounters. A four-legged giant with hundreds -of darts will rush upon you when you least expect -it. Do not be frightened. Be calm and cautious. -Lie close to the ground so that his darts will pass -above you, should he throw them at you. Seize one -of his darts, jab him; he will then run away.</p> - -<p>“Soon you will find yourself in the heart of a -jungle that almost all tame beasts fear to enter. -Another giant, a big black one, will try to hurt -you. However, you will be protected. Do as I -command, or you will never get back home.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you, Mr. Owl,” said Tiny, willing to -endure any hardship if he could only see his mother -again. “Should you come to Squirreltown, the -Mayor will tell you where to find me. He is -stopping at the Beech Tree Inn.”</p> - -<p>“What kind of stops does he use?” asked the -owl, much amused.</p> - -<p>Tiny stared at him in wonderment.</p> - -<p>“I suppose you mean that he is <em>staying</em> at the -Beech Tree Inn,” said the owl. “I hope you have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> -enjoyed your visit in my castle. If you will stay -a while longer I will sing. I have a most beautiful -voice. I can sing twice as loud as a village of -sparrows.”</p> - -<p>The little red squirrel did not insist upon hearing -the owl prophet sing, for that would have been bad -manners.</p> - -<p>With a polite goodnight, he scurried down the -tree to a clump of hazel bushes, where he hid himself -as securely as possible. He slept very little, -for he feared that the wise owl might fly about in -his sleep and possibly devour him.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER V.</h2> - - -<p>The sunbeams shine through the boughs of the -trees and the winds rustle gently. The dewdrops -glitter on the grass. The brook bounds joyously -along. The birds sing gaily and the little animals -of the wood come forth to listen to the sweet music. -The wild flowers open their pretty cups.</p> - -<p>Now the forest is ringing with glad shouts and -songs. The sunbeams are growing brighter. The -winds are dying down and the dewdrops are -passing away. The brook is bounding along more -joyously. The birds are singing more gaily. The -little animals are running hither and thither. The -flowers are spreading their pretty cups wide open -to catch the sunlight. At last Tiny is waking.</p> - -<p>When Tiny awoke from his slumbers in the hazel -brush, he scampered down to the edge of the brook, -washed his face, and combed out his long, bushy -tail. Then he began to call for Chatty, but no -answer came. He finally decided to start alone. -He remembered to take the path leading to the -right as the owl had directed him. For a long time -he sauntered along, admiring the elder, oak, and -buckeye trees, and occasionally he darted his -piercing gaze at some low-hanging black haw or -pawpaw bush, fearing some animal might attack -him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span></p> - -<p>At last he came to a sandy plain, where he sat -down to rest in the sunshine. Not far away he saw -a city. Its streets were filled with busy inhabitants. -Hundreds of them were hurrying to and -fro, working with all their energy. Many little -workers were erecting buildings. To lift a single -grain of sand each was toiling with all his might. -They did not stop to rest or to visit, but kept -working, working, working. Tiny thought it would -take them a long time to build houses from grains -of sand.</p> - -<div id="Ref_31" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_031.jpg" width="600" height="483" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">THEY DID NOT STOP TO REST OR VISIT, BUT KEPT WORKING, -WORKING, WORKING.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>While the architects were busy building new -homes, some soldiers in shiny, red clothes moved -about as if they were giving orders to the workers. -A crowd of watchmen stood at the gates of the city, -ready to give warning at the approach of an enemy.</p> - -<p>Not one of the little creatures was alarmed by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> -the squirrel. They heeded him no more than Tiny -did the tree beneath which he was crouching. He -drew nearer and saw that there were many little -rooms near the surface of the city and that below -them was a great public dining-room and storeroom. -Evidently they all ate their meals together. -These rooms were kept in order by a host of -servants, who were very busy all the time carrying -out shells, seeds, and the remains of insects. Others -collected all the rubbish and carried it out into a -heap outside the city limits. Scores of nurses were -looking after the babies, and teaching them that the -time would soon come when they must labor like -their elders.</p> - -<p>Suddenly there was a great commotion in the -street. Some food providers were struggling along -with a fly they had found. They were taking it to -the storeroom. The load was so heavy that several -household workers rushed out to lend their help. -They toiled along together, slowly, with one united -effort, and with great difficulty; but, finally, they -stowed the fly headlong into the public storeroom. -Tiny breathed a sigh of relief when their hard task -was done.</p> - -<p>But they did not stop to rest. They turned out -to help others bring in a locust. The workers in -the storeroom cleared a place for other provisions; -the watchmen guarded the gates, without taking -their eyes from their work; the architects, steadily -and patiently, carried grain after grain of sand to -the tops of their buildings.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span></p> - -<p>“How full of energy they are!” exclaimed -Tiny. “By their combined efforts they can build -and support a great city. If something destroys it, -they build it up again. I wish squirrels would -work together as these insects do. Oh, I see! It -is as the owl prophet said. I have learned the -lesson of patience. I do feel glad that I was permitted -to study this wonderful city. However, I -am surprised to learn such a noble lesson from the -smallest of all creatures—ants!”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER VI.</h2> - - -<p>Not far from the city of ants, Tiny halted to -refresh himself with an acorn.</p> - -<p>“This country is delightful,” he said to himself. -“A squirrel does not often -see such a beautiful scene. -He has little knowledge of -the great world. I was discontented -not long ago, but -now I am happy. I am -glad that I saw the ants -and their city. They are -very industrious creatures. -All have much work to do, -yet they do it willingly. -They don’t seem to wish to -be idle. Ants never before -were interesting to me, but -now I admire them very -much. You have taught -me a lesson, friend ant.”</p> - -<div id="Ref_34" class="figleft" style="width: 250px;"> -<img src="images/i_034.jpg" width="250" height="363" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">SUDDENLY HE SAW A SPIDER BUSY -AT WORK UPON HER COUNTRY -HOME.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>He sat still for a few moments gazing around -him. Suddenly he saw a spider busy at work upon -her country home. She wore a snuff-brown jacket -dashed with purple, and her legs were striped like -those of a tiger.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span></p> - -<p>She had just finished digging a tunnel seven -inches long in the earth, and had lined it with a substance -that looked like silk. Now she was spinning -a web to cover the outer door, which was really a -dry oak leaf. She left an opening large enough -to pass through. Then she pulled some blades of -grass and fastened them across the leaf so securely -that the entrance to her home could not be seen. -She worked very busily, although occasionally a -rude wasp came along and tried to sting her. In -spite of disturbing insects, the spider finished -building her home. Then she twined some tiny -vines about the entrance, making a green bower -that looked very pretty. When her difficult task -was completed, she crawled into her silk-lined hall -and went to sleep.</p> - -<p>“Plucky wood spider!” cried Tiny in admiration. -“Although the wasps threaten her life, she -never gives up. You work diligently, little friend. -I admire you very much. I have learned a lesson -in perseverance.”</p> - -<div id="Ref_36" class="figleft" style="width: 250px;"> -<img src="images/i_036.jpg" width="250" height="354" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">HE SAW A DARK OBJECT SITTING -DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIM.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Tiny did not hunt a place in which to sleep until -it was quite late. Indeed, the moon was beginning -to shine before he thought of rest. Just as he was -about to leave the path turning to the right, he saw -a dark object sitting directly in front of him. It -was singing in a clear and plaintive voice:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="indentquote4">“Wur-r-r, wur-r-r, wur-r-r, -</div><div class="indent0">I never complain nor demur,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> -</div><div class="indent0">Though the fox and the bat and the weasel and cat -</div><div class="indent0">Are waiting to seize me and roll me out flat, -</div><div class="indent0">And swallow me down like a great lump of fat, -</div><div class="indentquote4">Wur-r-r, wur-r-r, wur-r-r. -</div></div><div class="stanza"> -</div><div class="indentquote4">“Wur-r-r, wur-r-r, wur-r-r, -</div><div class="indent4">I have neither feathers nor fur; -</div><div class="indent0">I am dusty and wrinkled and warts to me cling, -</div><div class="indent0">Yet I’m never unhappy, for Nature, kind thing, -</div><div class="indent0">Gave me such a sweet voice; so I constantly sing -</div><div class="indent4">Wur-r-r, wur-r-r, wur-r-r.” -</div></div></div> - -<p>“How fortunate it is -that an ugly creature may -have the power to sing!” -exclaimed Tiny so loudly -that the toad who had been -singing grew frightened -and leaped into the tall -grass.</p> - -<p>“You have taught me -the song of contentment, -Mrs. Toad,” he continued. -“I have many privileges -that you do not enjoy, for -you only venture forth at -night. Although hundreds -of animals are waiting to -destroy you, your song never loses its vigor. Your -only recreation is to catch a few insects and to -sit in the moonlight, singing ‘Wur-r-r, wur-r-r, -wur-r-r’.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER VII.</h2> - - -<p>Tiny spent the night in the fork of a wild plum -tree. For some time he sat thinking of his mother -and Squirreltown, but his lessons in patience and -contentment had made him satisfied with his lot.</p> - -<p>The next morning he started upon his journey, -bravely following the narrow, twisting path, ever -ready to avoid danger.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span></p> - -<div id="Ref_37" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_037.jpg" width="600" height="640" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">HE WAS ABOUT TO TAKE A DRINK WHEN HE SAW WHAT HE -TOOK TO BE A FAIRY STRUGGLING IN THE WATER.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>At length he came to a brook. He was about to -take a drink when he saw what he took to be a -fairy struggling in the water. She had been trying -to get out for a long time; but, finally, her wings -ceased to move and she lay very still.</p> - -<p>Tiny, who was a good swimmer, hurried out to -rescue her. He placed his nose under her and -lifted her from the water. Holding his head high, -he swam to the shore.</p> - -<p>The fairy crawled upon a lady’s-slipper close by -and flapped her wings until they were quite dry.</p> - -<p>“You have done me a great service,” she said. -“I’ll repay you some time when you least expect -it. I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t try,” said Tiny, with a polite bow. “I’ve -been taught to protect the helpless, provided they -are not too big for my protection. I hope you are -quite dry now.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I shall be able to fly back to the city as -soon as I get my breath,” she said. “I am a queen -bee and I should not be out of my hive. I left -the palace this morning with several thousand followers -and was on my way to a far-off country, -when, in some peculiar manner, I fell into the -water. I could not swim, so it is lucky for me that -you came by.”</p> - -<p>“I hope that your followers will find you. They -must be greatly distressed.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I hope they’ll find me,” said the queen bee, -as she flapped her wings. “You see, I have thousands -and thousands of children; but they have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> -good nurses and are never much bother. It is not -hard to govern them.”</p> - -<p>Tiny gazed at her in surprise.</p> - -<p>“I have been queen of a place called the City -Wonderful,” she continued. “I ruled fifty thousand -subjects. We lived in a great city with -narrow streets, protected by a beehive. You don’t -know what a very busy place it was all summer -long.”</p> - -<p>“But it doesn’t seem possible that so many -creatures could live together. Just imagine -fifty thousand red squirrels in one tree!” gasped -Tiny.</p> - -<p>“That’s different,” responded the queen. “We -live together in co-operation. Each of the workers -knows her work and does it without having to be -watched all the time. The workers are females, -and they are very industrious; but the drones are -males, and they do not work. They have to be -driven out of the city before winter sets in, or they -would eat all our provisions. The workers toil -from morning till night, stopping up cracks in the -hive with wax, carrying food to the baby bees, and -storing it away for winter. They haven’t time to -play in the summer. Each worker has six little -pockets which she fills with pollen. She uses this -in making wax for the walls. As soon as the walls -are built, another set of workers make round -places, or cells, in them. Others fill the cells with -honey from the honey bags they carry about when -they visit the flowers.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span></p> - -<p>“But where do the little baby bees stay?” asked -Tiny.</p> - -<p>“Oh, they stay in the empty honey cells and are -watched and cared for by their nurses until they -are old enough to work,” replied the queen. -“There is much to do, but there are many classes -of workers, from the honey gatherers to the bees -that stand inside the hive, fanning with their wings -to make currents of air; for without pure air the -crowded City Wonderful would not be a fit place -to live in. Another set of bees cleans out the cells -after the baby bees are old enough to come out, -and others guard the gate of the city to keep away -moths and other troublesome creatures.”</p> - -<p>“Bees are wise, sensible, industrious, and useful,” -declared the squirrel. “I should like to see -the City Wonderful. I am very glad that I have -the privilege of seeing a queen bee. I wasn’t -expecting such a great pleasure.”</p> - -<p>The queen bee said that she was equally glad to -see the red squirrel, and that she would be delighted -to invite him to see the new City Wonderful, were -it not for the fact that her soldiers might make -it unpleasant for him.</p> - -<p>“Are there many kinds of bees?” asked Tiny -presently.</p> - -<p>“Yes, there are fully seventy known varieties,” -replied the queen, daintily flapping her wings. -“There are the plasterer bees. They make tunnels -in the ground, divide them into cells, and fill them -with honey. They have forked tongues to use as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -trowels in smoothing down the silken layers which -they use in making the tunnels. The flower riflers, -which are very dark in color, make their cells on -dry walls. Their homes look like lumps of mud.”</p> - -<p>Tiny asked if all the bees live in great cities.</p> - -<p>“Not all of them,” replied the queen, “although -they are very sociable creatures. The upholsterer -bee cuts out round pieces from rose leaves, with -which she lines her tiny nest. Would it not be -delightful to live in a nest of sweet-smelling rose -leaves? I should much prefer such sweet quietude -to city life. The upholsterer stores honey and pollen -that looks like rose-colored jam. I dare say it is -very delicious. The mason bees take bits of chalk, -sand, and woody material, which they make into -tiny bricks to use in building their little houses. -Another kind of bee hunts for an old snail shell in -which to make her house. There is another variety -that builds its nest in the heart of the scarlet poppy. -Some bees throw out sweet perfume. Although -most bees work in the sunshine, there is a class, -with wings tinted like the rainbow, that works by -moonlight. You may be learned, my friend, but I -could sit here all day and tell you things about -bees. You would be much surprised at many facts -I should mention. Bees, wasps, spiders, and ants -are very clever.”</p> - -<p>Tiny said that there was nothing that could give -him greater pleasure than to hear her talk.</p> - -<p>“But my body guard is coming,” continued the -queen. “It is really an extraordinary thing for a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> -queen bee to be without attendants. They must be -much distressed about losing me.”</p> - -<p>Tiny asked why she had left the City Wonderful.</p> - -<p>“Because of family troubles,” replied the queen, -somewhat ashamed. “We lived in perfect harmony -until I learned that my daughter, the -princess, would come out of her nursery cell in a few -days to enter society. Princess bees are the only -ones that cause trouble. They are fed on the finest -food, and the nurses work hard to make their bodies -as smooth and comely as possible. Of course, -daughters that live in luxury and never have any -responsibility are likely to be spoiled. Like all -queen bees I am in fear of the eldest princess.”</p> - -<p>“Why?” cried Tiny in surprise.</p> - -<p>“Oh, you don’t understand bees,” said the queen -with a sigh. “When my eldest princess comes -from her nursery and is ready to go into society, -she will try to kill me. She will strive to be queen. -It is always that way with the princesses.”</p> - -<p>“What a cruel daughter!” exclaimed the squirrel, -much horrified.</p> - -<p>“All princesses try to get the queens out of the -way,” said the bee in a sad voice. “As soon as -they are big enough to rule others, they want to -control everything. So I have gotten several thousand -loyal subjects and have left the hive to build -a city of my own.”</p> - -<p>“And will a cruel princess become queen in -your place?” asked Tiny.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” was the response, “but before long she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -will become uneasy, too. Her next younger sister -will come out of her nursery and will want to rule. -Perhaps there will be a great contest, but doubtless -the elder princess will have to flee as I have done. -She will have fewer followers than I, and they will -be called the after-swarm. Thus jealousy goes on -in the royal family all the time, but the other bees -are usually peaceable and are always busy.”</p> - -<p>At that moment Tiny heard a buzz that sounded -as though all the insects in the world were singing -together. A great swarm of bees, like a black -cloud, appeared overhead.</p> - -<p>“I believe this must have been the first time in -history that a queen ever got away from the rest -of the swarm,” said the queen bee. “I have enjoyed -this little visit so much, and I thank you a -thousand times for saving me from drowning.”</p> - -<p>Waving her pretty wings in graceful farewell, -she joined her army of soldiers, and with buzzes -of delight they carried her away.</p> - -<p>“What a dreadful thing it is to be a ruler, in -constant fear of death!” said Tiny, gratefully. “I -am glad—oh, so glad—that I am a little common -squirrel, as free as the sunbeams that light my -way.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> - - -<p>After his strange meeting with the queen bee, -Tiny wondered what would happen next. He -remembered what the owl prophet had said concerning -the dangers he would meet. As he sped -onward, his little heart began to beat less bravely, -for, like any young squirrel that had lived in a -comfortable home without a care or a worry, he -dreaded to face an uncertain future.</p> - -<p>“I am frightened,” he said, with a shudder, as -he stopped at the edge of a clump of cedars to find -a place in which to spend the night. “The day and -the twilight are gone. No moon or star is in the -sky. I wish I were at home with mother.”</p> - -<p>Then came a crash. Tiny thought for a moment -that it was hailing. He was about to hide in the -grass when a bright green light flashed forth, so -brilliant that he could see all about him. He soon -learned that the crash was caused by a multitude of -acorns that the wind had shaken from a tree. -Never before had he seen such splendid acorns.</p> - -<p>“I will fill my hunting-bag, although such a large -load will cause me to travel more slowly,” he said. -“A bagful of acorns is a nice thing to have. How -happy mother will be to get them!”</p> - -<p>He began helping himself to the acorns. Suddenly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> -he saw an ogre emerge from the ground, with -a thousand darts all pointed straight at him. Never -before in all his life had Tiny been so frightened.</p> - -<p>“Hist!” cried the ogre, advancing slowly towards -the poor, trembling squirrel, his sharp teeth -showing in a ghastly manner. “One of the squirrels -of the forest enters my realm. What shall I -do with him?”</p> - -<div id="Ref_45" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_045.jpg" width="600" height="533" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">“HIST!” CRIED THE OGRE, ADVANCING SLOWLY TOWARD -THE POOR, TREMBLING SQUIRREL.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>A hundred voices cried out in reply:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="indentquote0">“Master Ogre, friend so true, -</div><div class="indent0">He has come to steal from you. -</div><div class="indent0">See the bag he carries there! -</div><div class="indent0">Seize him by his auburn hair; -</div><div class="indent0">Put him in the bag, and then -</div><div class="indent0">Hide him in your gloomy den!” -</div></div></div></div> - -<p>Poor Tiny could only stand and shiver, awaiting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> -his dreadful fate. The green light became brighter -and brighter, and soon he saw that he was surrounded -by a circle of glow worms. The ogre was -a fierce porcupine. Tiny had never before seen -such a terrible creature.</p> - -<p>“Every soldier in my army is loyal to me!” -shouted the porcupine boisterously. “Each comes -with a lantern to help me. They will aid me to -tie you, place you in that bag, and hang you in my -den deep down in the cold ground.”</p> - -<p>“I did not come to rob you,” mumbled Tiny, -shaking violently. “I am lost, and am trying to -find my way home. This is my hunting bag in -which I gather my winter store. Please let me -go unharmed.”</p> - -<p>“Neither you nor your hunting bag has any -right to be on my castle grounds,” growled the -porcupine. “Either the woodchuck or the rabbit -has told you that I have many priceless valuables -hidden in my storeroom.”</p> - -<p>“I have never met the woodchuck, nor have I -seen the rabbit for many weeks,” wailed Tiny. “In -my hunting bag are acorns and beech-nuts. I -halted underneath this tree to gather a few of these -fine acorns.”</p> - -<p>“Guilty creature!” cried the porcupine, bristling -still more. “Do not these acorns belong to me, also -the tree they grow upon? Confess now that you -were going to burrow into my storeroom and carry<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -off the precious carrots and cabbage leaves I have -stored away for a rainy day.”</p> - -<p>“You are mistaken,” said Tiny, almost dead -from fright, while the glow worms circled still more -closely about him.</p> - -<p>Just then he remembered what the owl prophet -had told him to do. As the porcupine attempted -to seize him, Tiny leaped forward and caught one -of the sharp darts and gave him a hard jab, which -made the porcupine shriek at the top of his voice. -Moaning with pain, -the ferocious creature -disappeared -into the ground. -The glow worms -vanished.</p> - -<div id="Ref_47" class="figleft" style="width: 300px;"> -<img src="images/i_047.jpg" width="300" height="453" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">“I HAVE CONQUERED THE OGRE!” CRIED TINY -IN DELIGHT, WHIRLING THE SWORD ABOUT -IN THE AIR.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“I have conquered -the ogre!” -cried Tiny in delight, -whirling the -dart about in the -air. “I am glad -that I took the wise -owl’s advice.”</p> - -<p>Still carrying the -dart, or quill, that -he had wrested -from the porcupine, -he groped his way -back to the path.</p> - -<p>Soon the rays of the moon made everything as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> -bright as day. He had not gone far when he saw -to the left a deep, dark jungle, concerning which -the owl prophet had spoken.</p> - -<p>“It is a dismal place after night,” he said, “but -I must go into the jungle as I have promised to do. -I shall use the dart to protect myself.”</p> - -<p>With some difficulty he entered the damp place, -without thought of the terrible fright that awaited -him.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER IX.</h2> - - -<p>Deeper and deeper Tiny wandered into the heart -of the jungle. It was very damp and chilly as well -as ghostly. His hunting bag was heavy, but he did -not lose heart.</p> - -<p>He had heard that fairy princesses with torches -often came to the aid of good squirrels that were in -trouble. He wished that they would come to help -him. But the dark trees and bushes looked like -frightful hiding places for foxes and other mischievous -animals. He grew more and more -alarmed. Finally he halted at the foot of a pine -tree.</p> - -<p>“I will spend the night here,” he said to himself. -“I shall be out of danger in this great tree. What -a lonesome place it is! This is one of the gloomiest -valleys I ever saw. I’ll hide my acorns under the -tree and find a place in which to rest.”</p> - -<p>Hardly had he spoken these words, when a -terrible growl fell upon his ears. At the same time -a great black object rose between himself and the -tree. It was the largest creature Tiny had ever -seen.</p> - -<p>“It is the black giant that Mr. Owl told me -about,” chattered Tiny, dropping his hunting bag. -“Oh, what shall I do?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span></p> - -<p>The giant, which was really a black bear, growled -louder than before and tried to strike Tiny with -his great paw. The red squirrel, quick as a flash, -attacked the giant with his dart, but only broke it -into several pieces. Then, as fast as his legs could -carry him, he scurried up the pine tree. The bear, -shaking with rage, attempted to climb the tree, too, -but he was so heavy that a bough gave way, and he -fell clumsily to the ground.</p> - -<div id="Ref_51" class="figcenter" style="width: 452px;"> -<img src="images/i_051.jpg" width="452" height="650" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">HE WAS SO HEAVY THAT A BRANCH GAVE WAY -AND HE FELL CLUMSILY TO THE GROUND.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“You may be a great fighter on the ground, but -you can’t climb trees,” laughed Tiny in spite of his -recent fright.</p> - -<p>“You shall stay in that tree till your beard turns -gray,” growled the bear, “for I intend to see that -you do not escape.”</p> - -<p>Tiny hid himself in one of the thick branches and -remained quiet for a long time. He feared to go to -sleep, lest he might fall upon Mr. Bruin’s upturned -nose. In the meantime, the bear fell into a deep -slumber.</p> - -<p>Finally the thought struck Tiny that he might be -close to Squirreltown. He quickly ascended to the -topmost branch and looked all about him.</p> - -<p>Less than two miles away he saw a wonderful -sight. It seemed to him that millions of bright -stars clustered together over the top of a tall tree -in the east. They circled briskly about, sparkling -and flashing like diamonds in an immense crown.</p> - -<p>“The good owl prophet has told me the truth -from first to last,” said Tiny, his heart almost -bursting from joy. “I recognize the dear old oak<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> -where I was born, although it is a long distance -away. Squirreltown stands under that crown of -heavenly bodies. Never before have I seen that -kind of stars. Those rays are as bright as these -anxious eyes of mine. Hurrah for home and -mother! How strange it is that all my difficulties -have helped me to find the right way home!”</p> - -<p>He hastened down to the lowest branch of the -tree, but Bruin was still sleeping, with his head -against its massive trunk. Tiny, whose mother had -taught him the lesson of prudence, did not dare to -venture down, lest the big black bear should seize -him. So he went back to his resting place, and soon -fell asleep.</p> - -<p>In the early gray dawn, he awoke and peeped -from his cozy shelter. The birds were leaving their -green roofs to find food for their families. The -daisies in the woods and valleys were beginning to -spread their white and crimson-tipped stars. The -leaves trembled in the early breezes. Old Bruin -was not far from the tree. He had found a hollow -stump, and was rooting around it with his long -nose.</p> - -<p>Soon there was a buzzing sound that swelled into -an angry roar. Old Bruin, in trying to steal some -honey, had gotten into trouble with the bees. The -swarm was very angry. Hundreds of bees poured -from the stump and alighted on his head, in his -eyes, ears, and nostrils.</p> - -<div id="Ref_54" class="figleft" style="width: 300px;"> -<img src="images/i_054.jpg" width="300" height="492" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">CRAZED WITH PAIN THE BEAR DASHED -AWAY.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Crazed with pain, the bear dashed away, bellowing -at the top of his voice. Tiny, although<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> -very kind-hearted and forgiving, could not keep -from laughing at the plight of the bear. His cries -sounded like the mingled shrieks of many different -animals, for the sting of each bee was like the -cut of a knife.</p> - -<p>Tiny scurried down -the tree to find his hunting -bag, and what was -his delight to find other -delicacies that would -make his winter store -complete.</p> - -<p>“What a glorious -jungle this is!” he cried. -“I am glad I followed -the advice of the owl -prophet, for no squirrel -has ever before been so -fortunate. The ground -is covered with pine -cones, the seeds of which -are delicious. Across the -way is a large quantity -of beech-nuts, and all -around me are blackberry bushes. There is nothing -else so delicious as dried blackberries.”</p> - -<p>In the midst of his joy, the queen bee that he had -rescued from the brook lit upon a purple crow-foot -growing by the stump, and cried out:</p> - -<p>“Good morning, my four-legged friend. You -are the squirrel that saved my life.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I am glad to see you again, your majesty,” said -Tiny with his polite bow. “I wish you had happened -to come sooner, for that dreadful black giant -made me stay in yonder pine tree all night long.”</p> - -<p>“The impudent creature tried to get into our new -home in the stump,” said the queen. “My soldiers -will chase him and his companions so far away that -they will never find their way back here.”</p> - -<p>“You have done me a great service,” said Tiny, -with a second bow. “I thank you from the bottom -of my heart.”</p> - -<p>“A kind act always brings its reward,” said the -queen cheerfully.</p> - -<p>“But how can a tiny bee scare such a monstrous -creature as a bear?” asked the squirrel.</p> - -<p>“One bee couldn’t scare anything,” laughed the -queen. “You must remember that bees work together. -When hundreds and hundreds of bees -attack a bear, he is sure to make good use of his -legs.”</p> - -<p>“Isn’t it rather unpleasant to live in a stump, -after having been queen of the City Wonderful?” -asked Tiny, after a moment of silence.</p> - -<p>“No, I rather enjoy the change,” returned the -queen bee, with a merry buzz. “I hear that my -oldest daughter, the princess, is now queen of the -City Wonderful, but that she is uneasy all the time, -as her next younger sister is almost ready to leave -her nursery and fight for the crown. Occasionally -there is strife in the City Wonderful, for as soon as -a princess leaves her nursery, she wants to rule. I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> -am quite content to live here with my twenty thousand -faithful followers. It is better to live peaceably -in a stump than with a quarrelsome daughter -in a fine palace.”</p> - -<p>“I wish you much happiness,” said Tiny, with -still another bow.</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” replied the queen, testing her -gauzy wings. “I learned yesterday from one of my -workers that Squirreltown is but a short distance -away. Follow the path leading eastward, and you -will be there in time for dinner.”</p> - -<p>“And what a dinner I shall take to my good -mother!” exclaimed Tiny, looking about him.</p> - -<p>There was his hunting bag filled with choice -acorns. Fully two bushels of beech-nuts and three -barrels of pine cones were scattered over the -ground. On the blackberry bushes, some of which -were five feet high, were at least a dozen gallons of -dried berries.</p> - -<p>“I warn you that all is not well at Squirreltown,” -continued the queen. “They are having a dreadful -famine there, and your poor mother may have -starved by this time. Fear, want, and anxiety are -terrible companions with which to live.”</p> - -<p>“What caused the famine?” asked Tiny in -alarm.</p> - -<p>“Acorns and all the other queer food that squirrels -eat are very scarce in Squirreltown just now,” -explained the queen; “and, to make it all the worse, -the squirrels there were annoyed by a host of bears -that took up their abode in the city. As a result,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> -all the inhabitants were afraid to leave their homes. -The poor creatures were hungry enough to eat one -another.”</p> - -<p>“Are there many bears about here?” asked Tiny.</p> - -<p>“Quite a number of them came to the jungle, -because there are so many acorns. They intended -to hibernate here. I remembered how kind you had -been to me, so I sent messengers to all the bees for -miles around to drive the bears out of Squirreltown. -We intend to keep them out of this jungle. -We will watch your city every day and woe betide -the bear that enters! Should one attempt to pass -the city limits, an alarm will be sent out, and at -least a thousand bees will chase him until he falls -down exhausted. Bears, deer, and buffaloes are -cowards. However, they do look very dreadful to -small creatures like us.”</p> - -<p>“I can never repay you for your courtesies,” said -Tiny, this time bowing so low that his bushy tail -looked like a canopy over his head.</p> - -<p>“Now run along home before my army returns,” -continued the queen. “All the citizens of Squirreltown -know that you are coming, and that you are -their deliverer. I will send a few of my messengers -to guide you, and to conduct your friends back to -the jungle where they can eat all they want, and -store things for winter use. Goodby.”</p> - -<p>The queen bee flew back into the stump, buzzing -happily. Tiny laughed, cried, chattered, and sang -for joy. After helping himself to a few berries and -pine cones, he picked up his bunting bag and -trudged along to Squirreltown, as happy as a king.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER X.</h2> - - -<p>The bees that had been sent to guide Tiny back -to Squirreltown did not speak a word. They flew -a short distance ahead of him, occasionally stopping -to rest or to take refreshment from the cup of a -wild rose.</p> - -<p>What was Tiny’s joy when again he beheld the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> -familiar trees of Squirreltown! His delight knew -no bounds when the squirrels, red, gray, and black, -scurried forth from their homes to welcome him. -Soon he was the center of an excited group. They -stroked his fur, pulled his beard, and shouted joyfully:</p> - -<div id="Ref_58" class="figcenter" style="width: 594px;"> -<img src="images/i_058.jpg" width="594" height="650" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">“WELCOME HOME! HURRAH FOR TINY REDSQUIRREL! LONG -LIFE TO THE DELIVERER OF SQUIRRELTOWN.”</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“Welcome home! Hurrah for Tiny Redsquirrel! -Long life to the deliverer of Squirreltown!”</p> - -<p>They were about to pounce upon his hunting bag, -but Tiny gently pushed them away, saying:</p> - -<p>“These are for my mother. Shall I tell you -where I got them?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes,” replied the squirrels, who were -almost starved.</p> - -<p>“Follow those bees to a jungle not far distant, -where you can get enough provisions to last all -winter long. It is a dark and lonely place, but you -need have no fear, for a fairy queen lives there -who has promised to protect you. I will join you -soon.”</p> - -<p>Although the squirrels were anxious to inquire -about Tiny’s health and to learn of his experience, -they immediately scampered off to the jungle, for -sometimes when little creatures become very -hungry they cease to be polite.</p> - -<p>Tiny, finding himself all alone, hurried to his -home in the great oak tree. When he saw the face -of his dear mother, he was filled with mingled joy -and sorrow. She looked much older, for a few days -in Squirreltown is a very long time, and she had -been grieving constantly for her lost son.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span></p> - -<p>Instead of rushing to embrace him, as one would -expect her to do, she ran rapidly about the room, -bounding over the table and chairs, shrieking and -making as much noise as possible, for that is the -way red squirrels show great joy.</p> - -<p>“I am so glad that you have come back, my son!” -she cried again and again. “Tell me all about your -adventures, for you must have had many of them.”</p> - -<div id="Ref_60" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_060.jpg" width="600" height="521" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">HE PULLED THE HUNTING BAG INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE -ROOM AND OPENED IT.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“Let us first have some supper, for you must be -almost starved,” said Tiny. He pulled the hunting -bag into the middle of the room, and opened it.</p> - -<p>“Oh, how tempting!” cried his mother, sniffing -at the dried blackberries, and gazing hungrily at -the acorns and pine cones. “I have had nothing to -eat for two days.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Then let us have a good feast together,” said -Tiny, with a merry laugh. “While we are eating -I will tell you the story of my wanderings.”</p> - -<p>“I shall eat while you are talking,” said Mrs. -Redsquirrel.</p> - -<p>“But first I should like to know whether Chatty -Chipmunk is safe,” said Tiny anxiously.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” replied Mrs. Redsquirrel, with -a sigh. “Animals of the neighboring towns are -doing all they can to assist our city in finding him, -but so far they have had little encouragement. His -poor mother is ill from anxiety. No one in the -town suffers more than she.”</p> - -<p>Tiny told his mother how he had become separated -from Chatty. He also told her about his -meeting with the various creatures of the forest.</p> - -<p>“I think I may have been traveling in a circle -all the time,” he concluded.</p> - -<p>“All bright, heavenly bodies travel in a circle,” -said his mother with pride. “At any rate I am glad -that you are safe at home once more. Now that we -have finished our meal, I will make the room more -tidy. Can I lift this hunting bag?”</p> - -<p>“I will put it away,” answered Tiny, seizing the -bag and pulling it into the storeroom. “To-morrow -I will go out into the jungle and bring you enough -provisions to last all winter. Now, dear mother, -tell me what has happened in Squirreltown during -my absence.”</p> - -<p>“On the day you left a number of bears took up -their abode in the heart of the city,” began Mrs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> -Redsquirrel, with a shudder. “We squirrels could -do nothing. We tried to drive them away by throwing -twigs at them, but the dreadful things only -laughed at us, and said they would stay as long as -they lived. We couldn’t leave our homes to go out -into the country where the trees are loaded with -acorns and beech-nuts, so we stayed inside and -waited for help. The poor chipmunks in the ground -must have suffered more than we.”</p> - -<p>“I am sorry that I was not here to comfort you,” -said Tiny.</p> - -<p>“I missed you sorely, for you are so much braver -than I,” said Mrs. Redsquirrel meekly. “Last night -some of the older bears went away to get food. -Early this morning we heard a most terrible noise. -I peeped from my window and could see the bears -scattering in every direction, and could hear them -roaring and begging for mercy. Some of them fell -over logs and rolled helplessly about. In a few -moments they had all disappeared, and they did not -return. Presently an army of wee soldiers came to -the city, buzzing merrily, and settled down on that -old hemlock tree where the Flyingsquirrel family -formerly lived. Then Bushy Graysquirrel rushed -in to tell me that several maids of honor to the fairy -queen wanted to speak to me. She said that they -bore news from you.”</p> - -<p>“How remarkable!” exclaimed Tiny. “It -sounds, indeed, like a fairy tale.”</p> - -<p>“It was more like a bad dream to me,” declared -Mrs. Redsquirrel. “Between you and me I was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> -afraid to go down, and yet I wanted to hear something -about you. In a few minutes I had brushed -myself as neat as possible, and stood in the presence -of the queen’s army. A tiny maid of honor, with -shiny wings, came forth and told me how you had -saved the queen’s life. She said that she and her -soldiers had promised to keep their eyes on Squirreltown, -and how they would see that the bears -disturbed us no more. I was also assured that you -were well, and that you would be back soon. I -thanked her for her kindness, and returned home. -Squirreltown at once became the liveliest place you -ever saw. All the citizens mingled together as if -they belonged to one family, and they cheered -loudly for Tiny Redsquirrel, whom they called their -deliverer. They are planning to give you a party -late this afternoon.”</p> - -<p>“That will be delightful,” said Tiny, beginning -to feel very important. “Last night I saw a crown -of glittering stars circling about the tops of our -tallest trees. I never saw stars that shone brighter -than they.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you the most interesting -part of the story,” replied Mrs. Redsquirrel. -“The queen doubtless knew that you would go to -some treetop, hoping to catch a glimpse of Squirreltown, -so she sent out some of her attendants to the -camp of the fireflies, to beg them to lend their aid. -Before long several thousand of the bright, pretty -creatures were circling about the tops of the oak -trees.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span></p> - -<p>“How wonderful!” exclaimed Tiny, with breathless -interest. “I did not know that such little -creatures could be so helpful.”</p> - -<p>“Three times to-day several of the queen’s maids -of honor flew into my window and left me some -honey,” continued the mother. “I have grown -quite fond of honey, although I do not believe that -sweets are good for animals.”</p> - -<p>Tiny then told his parent how the owl prophet -had taken an interest in him, and how he expected -to seek him soon to receive more knowledge.</p> - -<p>“I do not put much dependence upon owls,” said -Mrs. Redsquirrel, beginning to tremble, “but, -should it be to your advantage, I would not complain -if you should go to thank him for his goodness. -He has been so kind that you ought not to -show ingratitude. Perhaps he may teach you many -other things that you should know.”</p> - -<p>“May I lie down for a few moments, mother?” -asked Tiny, for he was beginning to feel the effects -of his long and tiresome journey.</p> - -<p>“Dear son, you may,” she replied, as she hastened -to make his couch more comfortable. “You -ought to take a long nap before the party.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XI.</h2> - - -<p>Tiny became ill, and could not venture out of -doors, so the party was postponed until he should -get well. His mother sent for Dr. Flyingsquirrel, -who lived out in the country. The doctor, who -could spread out his loose skin and fly like a bird, -said that Tiny should remain quiet for at least two -days.</p> - -<div id="Ref_65" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_065.jpg" width="600" height="533" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">SEVERAL OF TINY’S BEST FRIENDS, INCLUDING THE MAYOR -HIMSELF, AND OTHER IMPORTANT CITIZENS CAME TO -SEE HIM.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The Mayor of Squirreltown issued an edict that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> -anyone who made a loud noise should be banished -from the city, so intense silence reigned. Several -of Tiny’s best friends, including the mayor himself -and other important citizens, came to see him. They -brought him wild flowers, acorns fashioned by their -teeth into fanciful cups, and many other pretty -things which Tiny gratefully received.</p> - -<p>The second morning Bushy Graysquirrel brought -him a book of fables written by Father Aesop, who -at that time was the greatest writer known to -Animal Kingdom.</p> - -<p>The story that pleased him most was the -following:</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="center">THE MOUSE’S DISCOVERY.</p> - -<p>Once upon a time a donkey, a wolf, a fox, and a -cat fell into an argument as to which of them was -the greatest.</p> - -<p>A field mouse, who was hiding close by in a tuft -of grass, heard the conversation, and was much -amused.</p> - -<p>“I am the greatest thing in the world,” boasted -the wolf, “for I am so brave that I fear nothing. -On the other hand, you would all run if I showed -my teeth and claws. I am one of man’s greatest -fears.”</p> - -<p>“It is certainly no sign of greatness to be a good -fighter,” said the fox, proudly curling his tail as -foxes sometimes do. “I am shrewd and wily. It -is much better to have these qualities of mind than<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> -to be fierce. Children’s books are full of stories -concerning my cunning tricks.”</p> - -<p>“Foxes’ opinions of themselves are sometimes -absurd,” said the donkey, stamping his hoofs upon -the ground to scare away the flies. “Donkeys are -the greatest of all objects, for the reason that they -are useful and always can be depended upon. -Donkeys’ feet are more sure than the hoofs of -horses.”</p> - -<p>“I am the chief of all objects,” proclaimed the -cat, from a bough of one of the birches. “I belong -to the tiger family, yet I am so gentle that children -keep me for a pet. Men prefer dogs, but cats are -women’s favorites. The wolf’s importance is small -compared with mine. My food is brought to me, -and I spend my spare time catching mice. Cats are -mice’s greatest foes.”</p> - -<p>The mouse’s heart stood still when he heard these -dreadful words from the cat’s mouth, for he -dreaded cats’ paws more than he did wolves’ teeth.</p> - -<p>“I cannot fight, nor am I shrewd enough to steal, -strong enough to carry loads, nor lazy enough to -be a child’s pet; but I can sing,” warbled a thrush -from the branch of another tree. “Birds are men’s -sweetest comforters, for their tunes always drive -away care. Flies’ lives are spent in useless buzzing. -A fly’s buzz is not sweet to hear, as the donkey well -knows. However, thrushes’ songs are very melodious, -for thrushes practice singing all day long. -Surely the thrush’s position is high above that of -all other objects.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span></p> - -<p>Before the wolf could open his mouth to praise -himself again, there was a sound of heavy footsteps. -Presently a man came in sight, carrying a blunderbuss.</p> - -<p>The wolf, forgetting how brave he was, darted -away; the donkey’s departure was almost as sudden; -the thrush flew high into the sky; the cat -scurried to the birch’s topmost branch; and the -hair on the fox’s tail stood straight up as he leaped -the bushes.</p> - -<div id="Ref_68" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_068.jpg" width="600" height="482" alt="See how they run." /> -</div> - -<p>“See how they run!” exclaimed the field mouse, -laughing at the frightened animals who a moment -since had been boasting of their power. “It is very -plain to be seen that the greatest of all objects is the -blunderbuss.”</p></blockquote> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XII.</h2> - - -<p>When the two days were up Tiny had quite -regained his health. Great preparations had been -made for a jubilee. A grand banquet, given by the -mayor and other high -officials, was to be held -in the hollow of a big -tree.</p> - -<p>When Tiny stepped -out upon the little -rustic veranda in -front of his home, he -observed that the -branches of the tree -below him were -thronged with squirrels -of all colors and of -all walks in life.</p> - -<p>“Hurrah for Tiny -Redsquirrel!” they -shouted. “Welcome, deliverer of Squirreltown! -Three cheers for the noblest and bravest squirrel -of Animal Kingdom! A speech! A speech!”</p> - -<div id="Ref_69" class="figleft" style="width: 350px;"> -<img src="images/i_069.jpg" width="350" height="416" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">TINY BECAME OVERWHELMED BY A FEELING -OF IMPORTANCE—THERE WAS ALL -SQUIRRELTOWN AT HIS FEET.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Strange to say, instead of being embarrassed, -Tiny became overwhelmed by a feeling of importance. -There was all Squirreltown at his feet, including<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> -the mayor and Billy Foxsquirrel, the noted -whistler. Tiny bowed very stiffly, while the squirrels -at the tops of their voices shouted lustily. He -looked down upon them just as the wise owl -prophet had gazed at him.</p> - -<p>“Fellow citizens,” he began, “I thank you for -the honor you do me. I see many faces before me -that show appreciation for what I have done to -rescue our city from the bears. I choose to do all I -can to help you.</p> - -<p>“The mayor invited me to make a speech to you. -At the time, I knew that I could not prepare one as -well as he, but I threw myself into the task and did -the best I could. I am glad that this public reception -has drawn so many of you to this place.</p> - -<p>“You have given me great happiness. Our -beautiful city has grown very dear to me. I am -glad that I was driven all round the world, for I -learned many things that I will teach you. I have -become much wiser since I have traveled, and have -learned much that you do not know. I—”</p> - -<p>But in the midst of his grand eloquence, Tiny -was interrupted. As he stood beating the air with -his little paws, trying to impress his hearers, there -came a flapping of wings overhead.</p> - -<p>His terrified hearers fled in all directions, but -before he could escape he was seized and borne high -into the air—up, up amongst the tree-tops.</p> - -<p>He was too much frightened to cry out. He could -only wait until the dreadful creature that held him -in his clutches should set him free. His blood<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> -almost froze in his veins. He wondered what he -should do if his frail limbs were broken, or if he -should be cast down in some lonely place to perish. -Perhaps he would be eaten. His heart fell within -him.</p> - -<p>After traveling for some time in this unusual and -uncomfortable manner, he found himself in a nest -of great size, with the owl prophet staring at him -with big yellow eyes.</p> - -<div id="Ref_71" class="figcenter" style="width: 452px;"> -<img src="images/i_071.jpg" width="452" height="650" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">HE FOUND HIMSELF IN A NEST OF HUGE SIZE, -WITH THE OWL PROPHET STARING AT -HIM WITH BIG, YELLOW EYES.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Although he was in a quiver of fright, like many -other small creatures, he did not wish to appear -concerned, so he smiled feebly and said:</p> - -<p>“Hello!”</p> - -<p>“How dare you be so bold?” cried the owl in a -dry, unnatural voice. “Do you think I am a telephone?”</p> - -<p>“Pardon me,” said Tiny weakly. “My grammar -is very bad.”</p> - -<p>“Grammar is never bad,” corrected the owl. “It -is your English that is bad.”</p> - -<p>“But why did you take me away from dear old -Squirreltown?” wailed Tiny.</p> - -<p>“To teach you the lesson of humility,” replied -the owl prophet. “I have flown all the way to -Squirreltown and back here to keep you from disgracing -yourself. I am glad that I went. To see -little Tiny Redsquirrel, puffed with vanity, frisking -about with his little paws and bushy tail, lecturing -to the old citizens of Squirreltown, was enough -to make a wise owl laugh. What do you suppose -the mayor thought of you?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” replied Tiny, ashamed of himself -in spite of his excitement. “I fear that I was -very pompous; but then I had delivered Squirreltown -from the bears, and I thought I had a right to -be bold. You see, the mayor intended to have me -for supper.”</p> - -<p>“If you complain any more, I myself will have -you for supper,” declared the owl, with no pity -whatever. “I suppose you mean that the mayor -intended to entertain you at supper, for it is not -likely that he would wish to eat you.”</p> - -<p>Tiny stared in bewilderment. He could not understand -all the odd sayings of the prophet, but, -nevertheless, he corrected himself by saying:</p> - -<p>“The mayor invited me to eat supper with him.”</p> - -<p>“Well, he will have all the more to eat without -you, and will not have to listen to any more of your -speeches,” snapped the owl. “Which one of those -squirrels was the mayor?”</p> - -<p>“The large one with the sleek fur. I have often -been told that the mayor looks like I do,” replied -Tiny, his new vanity again appearing.</p> - -<p>“To be sure he does,” retorted the owl, with a -laugh. “I, too, look like you do.”</p> - -<p>Tiny again stared in astonishment. He could see -no points of resemblance between himself and the -owl.</p> - -<p>“A bee looks like you do,” continued the prophet. -“A bear looks like you do; so does a weasel, an -elephant, a hyena, a jay bird, and a loon; even a -monkey looks like you do.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span></p> - -<p>“You are jesting with me,” protested Tiny, beginning -to be vexed.</p> - -<p>“All animals look like you do, because they look -with their eyes just as you do,” said the owl, with -another distracting screech.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I see,” said Tiny, good-naturedly. “I -should have said that the mayor looks like <em>me</em>. It -was incorrect for me to say that the mayor looks -like I do.”</p> - -<p>“Quite so,” said the owl, less harshly. “You are -a bright little creature, and I am going to see that -your wish for knowledge is granted. You felt very -important an hour ago, when you tried to make a -public speech before the oldest citizens of Squirreltown; -but now you see how little you know. I am -going to take you to Beaver Creek, where you may -complete your education. Very few animals of -the wood know of this school, and only the ablest -ones are admitted to it. When you have graduated, -you may go back to Squirreltown. Perhaps by that -time you will be able to make a modest speech before -your fellow squirrels.”</p> - -<p>“I really want an education,” replied Tiny, with -enthusiasm. “The schools at Squirreltown are not -very good, and very few squirrels attend them. We -are such nervous creatures, and care more for play -than for study. But what will my mother do without -me?”</p> - -<p>“If she is a good mother, she will not stand in the -way of your education,” replied the owl. “I will -write her a letter which the messenger pigeon, a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> -friend of mine, will carry to her. You must write -to her twice a week, and the messenger pigeon will -bear the letters to her.”</p> - -<p>“I dislike to write letters,” protested Tiny. “It -is such stupid work.”</p> - -<p>“It is generally a stupid creature that dislikes to -write letters,” said the owl severely. “He does not -like to write, because he does not know how to write -well. In Miss Hare’s School at Beaver Creek, you -will be taught how to write correctly; then letter -writing will prove to be a great pleasure to you.”</p> - -<p>“I am anxious to attend this school, because I -want to learn how to read stories and to count,” -said Tiny, after a moment of anxious thought.</p> - -<p>“You must promise to work hard,” said the owl, -earnestly. “You will find pupils at this school from -all parts of Animal Kingdom. Miss Hare is a good -instructor, but very strict. If you should do anything -that would injure one of your classmates, you -would be drowned in the creek. Now roll yourself -into a little round -ball again, for I am -ready to start.”</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 350px;"> -<img src="images/i_076.jpg" width="350" height="329" alt="The owl carries Tiny" /> -</div> - -<p>Tiny did as he -was commanded. -The owl almost encircled -him with his -long claws, and -away they went to a -strange land, about -which Tiny had -never even dreamed.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XIII.</h2> - - -<p>As he flew through the air in the clutches of the -owl, Tiny realized what a small, helpless creature -he was. Not a word was spoken till they stopped at -the bank of a creek, which looked to him like a great -river. It was filled, in one place, with branches of -willows, beeches, poplars, and other trees. His -heart beat sluggishly, for the scene was very dismal, -indeed.</p> - -<p>“Have no fear,” said the owl prophet, not so -gruffly as usual. “I have promised the queen bee to -help you. A great many creatures do not like to go -to school, but in after years they always regret it -if they have quit school before completing the -course.”</p> - -<p>Not a sound could be heard except the babbling of -the brook and the tinkling of a waterfall several -rods away. Tiny shuddered, but said nothing.</p> - -<p>“These buildings were built by beavers,” explained -the owl, although it was so dark Tiny could -not see them at all. “When they moved away, Miss -Hare started her school here. Only one of the -beavers remained. He is a skilled carpenter and -janitor, and he keeps the building in good repair. -You no doubt have heard that he mixes mortar with -his forepaws, and uses his broad tail for a trowel.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> -Young beavers stay at home till they are three -years old; then they build houses of their own. -This school is situated upon a stream of flowing -water, as you see, for Miss Hare thinks that little -scholars should have plenty of water as well as -fresh air.”</p> - -<div id="Ref_78" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_078.jpg" width="600" height="631" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">“THE BUILDINGS WERE BUILT BY BEAVERS,” EXPLAINED THE -OWL.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“I am glad that I came,” said Tiny, although he -looked into the owl’s yellow eyes with some distrust. -He still feared that the wise prophet might -suddenly pounce upon him and eat him.</p> - -<p>“Hoot! hoot! hoot! Is everybody asleep?” cried -the wise owl. “I can’t see why creatures want to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> -sleep at night. I never close my eyes then, for I -have plenty of sleep in the daytime. Besides, one -should always be on the lookout at night, for one -never knows what may happen.”</p> - -<p>Soon there was a splashing in the water, and in -a few moments a queer animal approached them.</p> - -<p>“It is the janitor,” explained the owl, somewhat -annoyed by the delay. “I fear he is getting lazy. -He surely is not overworked, for all he does is to -look after the buildings, play, sleep, and eat the -bark of trees and the roots of water lilies.”</p> - -<p>“I beg pardon for keeping you waiting so long,” -said the beaver. “As soon as I heard you, I rose to -find out your wish.”</p> - -<p>“I have brought a pupil to Miss Hare,” said the -owl. “Please see that he has a comfortable room -for the night. Tell Miss Hare that I will write her -a letter soon.”</p> - -<p>The owl prophet flew away, leaving Tiny with the -beaver, who moved sleepily back along the willow -boughs to a group of quaint houses made of mud, -stones, and sticks. Their dome-shaped roofs were -several feet above the level of the water.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, from the front window of one of the -houses, a gleam of light shot forth and an odd-looking -animal thrust out its head.</p> - -<p>Tiny, who by this time was accustomed to surprises, -looked up to behold Miss Hare gazing down -upon him. She looked very comical in her white -nightcap.</p> - -<p>“Well, well, well, what is the matter?” she cried<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> -in a high voice. “My nerves are shaken by the -dreadful noises I have heard. What is the matter, -Mr. Beaver?”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Owl has brought another pupil,” said the -beaver, politely. “I do not know where to put -him.”</p> - -<div id="Ref_80" class="figcenter" style="width: 453px;"> -<img src="images/i_080.jpg" width="453" height="650" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">“MR. OWL HAS BROUGHT ANOTHER PUPIL,” SAID -THE BEAVER, POLITELY.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“Let him stay with Reynard Redfox to-night,” -replied Miss Hare, looking searchingly at Tiny. -“What a frail little creature you are! You must -belong to the Rat family.”</p> - -<p>Tiny did not like Miss Hare’s frank way of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> -speaking, and to be compared to a rat was not -agreeable, but he said politely:</p> - -<p>“I am Tiny Redsquirrel of Squirreltown. I desire -very much to get an education.”</p> - -<p>“I will let you stay if you will obey the rules,” -said Miss Hare, severely. “I have always heard -that red squirrels are very mischievous animals. -You must know that I will not permit any foolishness. -Not long ago Mr. Owl brought a pupil here -who was so very saucy and naughty that I was glad -to get rid of him. Although I taught him the lessons -of kindness and charity, he bit Weenie Mouse -and hit Winkie Weasel with an acorn. One day he -tore out one of Katie Goose’s feathers and frightened -the poor fowl almost to death. I never before -saw such a bad creature. He looked very much like -you. Do you know Chatty Chipmunk?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, ma’am,” replied Tiny, heartily ashamed of -his youthful companion. “Is he at this school?”</p> - -<p>“No, he forsook us before he had been here three -days,” answered Miss Hare. “I think he must -have been drowned. I will give you a trial; but if -you prove unworthy of my school I will never receive -any more pupils brought to me by Mr. Owl. -Good-night.”</p> - -<p>“Come on,” said the beaver. “I will take you to -meet your roommate.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I cannot room with a red fox!” protested -Tiny, much alarmed. “He will eat me during his -sleep.”</p> - -<p>“You need have no fear,” said the beaver assuringly.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> -“Miss Hare has taught all her pupils the -lesson of self-denial. She puts all sorts of temptations -in their way, but none of them ever yield unless -they are downright bad, as Chatty Chipmunk -was. Reynard Redfox is very well bred. He and -Bantam Chicken are the best of friends. Wherever -you see Bantam, you may also see Reynard -following after him.”</p> - -<p>Tiny did not feel very comfortable when the -beaver opened the door of one of the buildings and -told him to enter.</p> - -<p>Three or four fireflies, whose duty it was to carry -lanterns, flew about the room, making it very light. -Reynard Redfox, who was very large compared -with Tiny, rose and shook out his stiff, long-haired<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> -coat. He gazed hungrily at the little red squirrel -as though he were starving for his companionship.</p> - -<div id="Ref_82" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_082.jpg" width="600" height="535" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">“MR. REDFOX, THIS IS MR. REDSQUIRREL,” SAID THE -BEAVER.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“Mr. Redfox, this is Mr. Redsquirrel,” said the -beaver. “Mr. Redsquirrel is a new scholar and -Miss Hare said he should share your room to-night.”</p> - -<p>“He is most welcome,” said Reynard with a -smile that made Tiny tremble all over. “I always -was fond of squirrels. I fancy we shall get along -famously together, as he takes up so little room.”</p> - -<p>“I assure you I shall occupy as little space as -possible,” replied Tiny, politely. “I shall sleep -here by the door, and, if I annoy you during the -night, all you have to do is to make a noise and I -will jump into the creek.”</p> - -<p>“You are quite safe,” assured the fox, settling -himself for a nap. “Since I have been at this -school I have learned how cowardly it is to injure -creatures smaller and weaker than myself. I hope -you will like our school.”</p> - -<p>“I hope so, too,” said Tiny, faintly. “Of course, -it will take time to get acquainted with all the -strange animals I shall meet. I have seen little -of the world.”</p> - -<p>“Just be kind and unselfish, and you will make -friends,” said the red fox. “When you see another -animal that doesn’t please you, don’t stare at him -as you did at me, but be as agreeable as you can. -Remember that it would be a very monotonous -world if all animals should look and act alike.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Miss Hare must be a very nice creature,” ventured -Tiny.</p> - -<p>“She is very wise and talented,” said the fox -with enthusiasm. “Some of the most aristocratic -families in Animal Kingdom are represented in -her school. I have heard that she belongs to the -nobility. You know she is a Belgian Hare, and I -believe I heard some one say that her father was a -Welsh Rabbit.”</p> - -<p>At that moment a terrible thumping sound was -heard.</p> - -<p>“What is that!” exclaimed Tiny, unconsciously -drawing nearer to Reynard for protection.</p> - -<p>“It is a warning for us to keep quiet,” said the -fox. “Billy Beaver, the janitor, makes that noise -with his tail whenever we become boisterous at -night. You know that whenever a beaver wishes to -warn his companions that danger is near, he makes -a thumping sound with his tail. Really, the only -clever thing about a beaver is his tail.”</p> - -<p>The fireflies settled down to rest, leaving the -roommates in darkness. Although Reynard slept -soundly, Tiny did not close his eyes until he was so -exhausted that he could keep them open no longer.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XIV.</h2> - - -<p>Tiny was glad when the rosy dawn peeped over -the eastern hills once more. The little dark room -in which he lay did not look so cheerless in the -bright light of day.</p> - -<p>Again there came the sound of knocking that resembled -the beating of a drum.</p> - -<div id="Ref_85" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_085.jpg" width="600" height="577" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">“THAT’S BILLY BEAVER,” EXPLAINED REYNARD -REDFOX, YAWNING. “HE IS CALLING FOR US -TO GET UP.”</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“That is Billy Beaver,” again explained Reynard -Redfox, yawning. “He is calling for us to get -up. We have just an hour in which to eat our -breakfasts.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Who gets breakfast for us?” asked Tiny, feeling -much out of place in the strange new land.</p> - -<p>“Each one gets his own breakfast, of course,” -replied Reynard, much amused. “We all require -different kinds of food; and Miss Hare does not -care how or where we get it, if we keep from injuring -one another.”</p> - -<p>“Katie Goose, who is very cleanly, takes a swim -in the creek, and hunts for seeds along the bank; -Sammy Rabbit, a relative of Miss Hare, hunts for -grain; and Winkie Weasel chases insects and -catches frogs. Since I have become civilized, I -am particularly fond of grapes, although I am -never so happy as when strawberry season comes -round.</p> - -<p>“Shifty Woodchuck has less trouble in searching -for his breakfast than any other pupil, for he -goes to a field of red clover or wild buckwheat, and -many a time he eats until he is not in good condition -to study. Shifty is a sleepy little animal. He -spends the winter in a nest of dried grasses that he -builds in a hole in the ground. When the cold -weather comes, he will get sleepy and will lay aside -his studies to prepare for a long rest. Maybe he -will sleep all winter, for no other animal sleeps so -long or so soundly as the woodchuck.”</p> - -<p>It took Tiny but a few moments to smooth down -his silken fur and to brush out his bushy tail. With -a shrill cry of delight, he sprang from his new -home and ran out into the bracing, frosty air. He -sped over the willow brush that surrounded the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> -village of quaint beaver houses, and soon found -himself in an oak tree where there were plenty of -ripe acorns, moist with dew.</p> - -<p>Hardly had he finished his breakfast when again -he heard the tail of the beaver pounding heavily. -He hastened back to the cluster of beaver houses -with their round domes. Little animals of all kinds -were bustling about on their way to the various -recitation rooms. Billy Beaver, the janitor, told -Tiny that he should go into the auditorium, which -was the largest building of all. There he found -Miss Hare, sitting behind a rough, wooden table. -She wore a gray robe and a pair of large earrings. -Her spectacles were so heavy that her eyes seemed -very large; but he at once decided that she must be -a kind teacher, as her voice was soft and gentle.</p> - -<div id="Ref_87" class="figcenter" style="width: 458px;"> -<img src="images/i_087.jpg" width="458" height="650" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">MISS HARE’S SCHOOL.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>A number of animals sat on wooden benches facing -Miss Hare. Reynard Redfox, who was the -largest animal in school, sat in one corner by himself. -His big, dark eyes were as mild as Tiny’s. -His coarse, shaggy fur was neatly brushed.</p> - -<p>The room was decorated with flowers and carpeted -with moss. An old-fashioned fireplace with -bellows and tongs stood at one end of the room. -Tiny, who had never before seen a fireplace, wondered -where the fire came from. He afterwards -learned that Billy Beaver made the fire by rubbing -two sticks together, and that it was never permitted -to go out.</p> - -<p>Toadstools, cat-tails, and elderberry bushes were -arranged against the walls, looking quite as artistic<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -as the bay-trees and other ornaments we see in -fashionable hotels. Window curtains, woven of -silk by spiders, and screens and cushions, woven of -weeds, reeds, and grass by birds and mice, added to -the comfort of the place. Snail shells and pretty -stones, gathered by the pupils, also lent beauty to -the room.</p> - -<div id="Ref_90" class="figleft" style="width: 300px;"> -<img src="images/i_090.jpg" width="300" height="349" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">NOT WISHING TO BE OUTDONE BY HIS -CLASSMATES, HE WENT FORWARD AND, -WITH A LOW BOW, GAVE MISS HARE -AN ACORN.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Tiny observed that -each pupil presented -the teacher with flowers -and delicacies, -which were laid on -her desk. Not wishing -to be outdone by his -classmates, he went -forward and, with a -low bow, gave Miss -Hare an acorn.</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” said -Miss Hare with a -pleased smile, as she -bent forward and -gazed admiringly at -him through her dark spectacles. “I see that you -have already learned the lesson of generosity. You -are the little animal that Mr. Owl brought here last -night, I suppose. I hope you will be very studious -and learn a great deal. I will introduce you to -two pupils in the language class. Mr. Redsquirrel, -this pupil is Winkie Weasel; that pupil just coming -in is Sammy Rabbit. Those pupils, who are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> -sitting in the back row of seats, are well advanced -in their work; those pupils in the front seats are -beginners. I will introduce them later on.”</p> - -<p>Tiny bowed to each of the pupils in the room, -which included Shifty Woodchuck, who was very -fat and sleepy-looking; Mr. Rabbitt, who had pink -eyes and rosy ears; Mew Mew, who wore a blue -bow; Bow Wow, with curly locks hanging over his -eyes; Little Winkie Weasel, who possessed a long -body and very short legs; Miss Field Mouse, who -sat upon a toadstool; and several other pupils.</p> - -<p>“I usually teach in rhyme,” said Miss Hare, -with an air of assurance that made Tiny think she -was vastly learned. “I teach the multiplication -table in rhyme, and in language I teach the use of -verbs, nouns, and other parts of speech in the same -way. There is no reason why one should not -teach in rhyme, for it is natural and not easily -forgotten.”</p> - -<p>She then told Tiny to sit by Winkie Weasel -and, after opening her book, she looked over the -class to be sure that each pupil was ready to give -his attention.</p> - -<p>“The class may read aloud together our lesson -for to-day,” she said, finally.</p> - -<p>All the animals rose and read as follows:</p> - -<div class="boxitalpha center"> - -<p class="center">THE ANIMAL ALPHABET.</p> - -<p>A is <em>an</em> antelope, graceful and slim,<br /> -<em>A</em> beautiful antelope, dainty and trim.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span></p> - -<p>B is <em>a</em> bee, flitting round all the day,<br /> -<em>An</em> industrious bee that stores honey away.</p> - -<p>C is <em>a</em> chipmunk that lives in the ground,<br /> -<em>An</em> intelligent chipmunk with eyes black and round.</p> - -<p>D is <em>a</em> dog that but seldom offends,<br /> -<em>An</em> affectionate dog, ever true to his friends.</p> - -<p>E is <em>an</em> eagle, that seeks the tall pine,<br /> -<em>A</em> big golden eagle with feathers that shine.</p> - -<p>F is <em>a</em> fox that fills chickens with fright,<br /> -<em>An</em> impudent fox that steals forth in the night.</p> - -<p>G is <em>a</em> giraffe with a nose in the sky,<br /> -<em>An</em> upright giraffe that holds his head high.</p> - -<p>H is <em>a</em> horse that has just lost his shoe,<br /> -<em>An</em> untiring horse, and a useful one, too.</p> - -<p>I is <em>an</em> ibex, a wild mountain goat,<br /> -<em>A</em> wandering ibex that wears a fur coat.</p> - -<p>J is <em>a</em> jackal of varying mood,<br /> -<em>An</em> ambitious jackal, both nimble and shrewd.</p> - -<p>K is <em>a</em> kangaroo, clumsy and stout,<br /> -<em>An</em> active old kangaroo, leaping about.</p> - -<p>L is <em>a</em> lamb that has never done wrong,<br /> -<em>An</em> innocent lamb that bleats all the day long.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span></p> - -<p>M is <em>a</em> monkey that close to man ranks,<br /> -<em>An</em> over-fed monkey that likes to play pranks.</p> - -<p>N is <em>a</em> nightingale, cheerful and bright,<br /> -<em>An</em> interesting nightingale singing at night.</p> - -<p>O is <em>an</em> owl, independent and free,<br /> -<em>A</em> very wise owl that lives in a tree.</p> - -<p>P is <em>a</em> pigeon with wide, sweeping tail,<br /> -<em>An</em> excitable pigeon that carries our mail.</p> - -<p>Q is <em>a</em> quail, going forth for her food,<br /> -<em>An</em> excellent quail with her pretty young brood.</p> - -<p>R is <em>a</em> rabbit as white as sea foam,<br /> -<em>An</em> upright, kind rabbit, quite fond of his home.</p> - -<p>S is <em>a</em> swan, of which many are fond,<br /> -<em>An</em> elegant swan that glides round on the pond.</p> - -<p>T is <em>a</em> tiger that hunters entrap,<br /> -<em>An</em> indolent tiger, now taking a nap.</p> - -<p>U is <em>a</em> unicorn—how strange he looks—<br /> -<em>An</em> odd unicorn we find only in books.</p> - -<p>V is <em>a</em> vampire, as everyone knows,<br /> -<em>An</em> awkward old creature that hangs by its toes.</p> - -<p>W is <em>a</em> weasel, quite fond of fresh meat,<br /> -<em>An</em> odd-looking weasel, but very discreet.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span></p> - -<p>X is <em>a</em> xyphoidal whale, I am told,<br /> -<em>An</em> angry xyphoidal whale, so big and so bold.</p> - -<p>Y is <em>a</em> yak, very much like an ox,<br /> -<em>An</em> elderly yak with long, bushy, gray locks.</p> - -<p>Z is <em>a</em> zebra, black, yellow, and tan,<br /> -<em>An</em> obstinate zebra, of slight use to man.</p> - -</div> - -<div id="Ref_94" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_094.jpg" width="600" height="201" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">POETRY</p></div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XV.</h2> - - -<p>Miss Hare’s school was a very studious place -during the fall; but when winter set in, some of the -pupils began to lose interest in their work. The -woodchuck, who was the dullest pupil in the language -class, went to his bed -of dried clover one night -and forgot to wake up until -spring had returned. -Tiny, himself, felt very -sleepy at times, but he sat -close to the fireplace in the -schoolroom and studied as -hard as he could, determined -to get a good education. -He did his work -well. At recess-time he -would run out upon the -pile of branches that surrounded -the school building, -and play until Miss Hare rang the bell. Sometimes -he would run a race with Winkie Weasel, but, -as he always came out ahead, he soon wearied of -the pastime.</p> - -<div id="Ref_95" class="figleft" style="width: 250px;"> -<img src="images/i_095.jpg" width="250" height="336" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">SOMETIMES HE WOULD RUN A RACE -WITH WINKIE WEASEL.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>At dusk he would go to his cozy room, and for an -hour or more he and Reynard would talk over their -lessons and their plans for the future. There were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> -no pretty fireflies to make light for them, but, when -the moon was shining, they could see quite well. -They grew contented to lie in their soft beds of -leaves and reeds, and talk about the coming of -spring.</p> - -<p>One cold night they heard a knock. Reynard, -who was feeling homesick, opened the door. There -stood Puss Snowball, the cat, looking very beautiful -against the pure white background of ice and -snow, upon which the moon shone brightly.</p> - -<p>“Good evening, Snowball,” said Reynard, kindly. -“Will you not come in?”</p> - -<p>“I thought I would run over and have a little -chat with you,” said Snowball, nestling down in -the coziest corner of the room. “My, isn’t it cold! -I believe I have frozen my whiskers and the tip of -my nose.”</p> - -<p>“Cold weather doesn’t last always,” said Tiny, -cheerily. “Reynard and I do our work quite as -well in cold weather as in warm weather. If it -were not for the ice and snow, we would not take -so much delight in the green grass and the spring -rains.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose not,” said Snowball, his teeth chattering, -“but I shouldn’t mind the cold weather if -I had a more agreeable companion. I can’t understand -why Miss Hare insists upon my rooming -with Rover. You know cats and dogs never get -along well.”</p> - -<p>“If you were too happy together, perhaps you -would forget to study,” suggested Reynard. “You<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> -remember, Snowball, how the monkey and the parrot -became so sociable that they had to leave -School.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Rover is very mannerly in some ways, but -he growls and barks too much,” complained Snowball, -with a sigh. “They say it is natural for a dog -to bark, although I can’t see why he need be so -noisy about it. He frightens me almost to death -when he barks, and he is very unreasonable. To-night -he has done many things to tease me. The -other night he told me that my constant purring -was very trying to his nerves. You know that a cat -never purs unless he is happy, so I suppose that my -good nature makes him cross. How peculiar some -animals are!”</p> - -<p>Tiny said that every creature has its peculiarities, -and it is best to overlook things that do not -please us, since we all have disagreeable traits of -our own.</p> - -<p>“We wanted to organize a singing class,” continued -Snowball, changing the subject, “but when -we called in Katie Goose to talk it over with us, -Billy Beaver thrust his nose through the door and -said that Miss Hare would never permit us to sing -after night. He added that a cat, a dog, a goose, -and a number of other creatures, would not make -a very tuneful chorus, however fine we might be as -soloists.”</p> - -<p>“Billy Beaver can’t sing,” said Reynard. “I -can see his reason for objecting to a students’ -chorus.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span></p> - -<p>“He is very rude,” said Snowball, severely. “I -shall not forget how horrid he made me feel the -night that Weenie Mouse was missing. I am sure -that he thought I might have eaten him. I was very -glad, indeed, when they found Weenie hiding in -Miss Hare’s room, nibbling at an ear of corn.”</p> - -<p>“Recite the poem about the kitten that went to -sleep when her mother had visitors,” begged Tiny. -“I am sure that Reynard would like to hear it.”</p> - -<p>Without waiting for Reynard to insist, Snowball -recited, in his pretty purring manner, the following -poem, which is said to amuse kittens even to -the present day:</p> - - -<p class="center p1 poemheader">TABBY AND PRUE.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="indent0">Quoth Dame Tabby Cat to her daughter, Miss Prue, -</div><div class="indent1">“I shall teach you a lesson, my dear, -</div><div class="indent0">For I am so very much older than you, -</div><div class="indent1">And very much wiser, I fear. -</div><div class="stanza"> -</div><div class="indent0">“I felt more ashamed than I ever can tell, -</div><div class="indent1">When you slept while my callers were here. -</div><div class="indent0">If you do it again, I will punish you well; -</div><div class="indent1">I will teach you some manners, my dear.” -</div><div class="stanza"> -</div><div class="indent0">“Shall I sit wide awake while your busy tongues fly? -</div><div class="indent1">Can I keep my eyes open so long?” -</div><div class="indent0">“You can, Prudy dear, if you only will try, -</div><div class="indent1">But you think it is smart to do wrong.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -</div><div class="indent0">The anger of Tabby Cat grew quite intense, -</div><div class="indent1">When Prue said, “Please listen, I pray. -</div><div class="indent0">May I speak a few words in my own self-defense?” -</div><div class="indent1">And Tabby Cat answered, “You may.” -</div><div class="stanza"> -</div><div class="indent0">“I ought not to sleep till your friends go away. -</div><div class="indent1">Such an act is a sorry mishap; -</div><div class="indent0">Yet you taught me to do it, for only to-day -</div><div class="indent1">You talked yourself into a nap.” -</div><div class="stanza"> -</div><div class="indent0">“My friends stayed so long that I hardly could peep,” -</div><div class="indent1">Said Tabby Cat, heaving a sigh; -</div><div class="indent0">“But, nevertheless, <em>you</em> must not fall fast asleep, -</div><div class="indent1">For you are much younger than I.” -</div></div></div></div> - -<p>“It is a capital story,” laughed Reynard, when -Snowball had finished. “I saw Tiny laughing -many times.”</p> - -<p>Before the squirrel could thank the cat for his -kindness, Billy Beaver pounded at the door, and in -another moment stood before them.</p> - -<p>“I overheard you talking about me, Mr. Snowball; -also about Rover and others,” he said, turning -to the cat, who, in the moonlight, looked very -pale and frightened.</p> - -<p>“Did I understand you to say that you were -eavesdropping?” Snowball finally inquired, with a -show of dignity.</p> - -<p>“It is no worse to eavesdrop than it is to gossip -about one’s closest friends,” replied the beaver.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> -“I have seen Miss Hare. I told her that you were -not pleased with your roommate, and she has ordered -me to make a change. In the future you shall -room with Weenie Mouse.”</p> - -<p>“How terrible!” exclaimed Puss, greatly -shocked. “I shall be under restraint all the time. -Poor Rover! Perhaps he has had his hard times, -too. What if I should get vexed at Weenie and -swallow him?”</p> - -<p>“Miss Hare says that you will never do that, because -her pupils are too strong to yield to temptation,” -said the beaver, seriously.</p> - -<p>“But why does Miss Hare punish poor Weenie -by making him room with a cat?” gasped Puss.</p> - -<p>“Because Weenie was found in Miss Hare’s pantry -again, helping himself to corn and other dainties,” -replied Billy Beaver. “Miss Hare wishes -you to room with Weenie so that you can restrain -each other. The best way to cure two disturbers who -dislike each other is to make them live together.”</p> - -<div id="Ref_100" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_100.jpg" width="600" height="333" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">PANTRY</p></div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XVI.</h2> - - -<p>The little animals of Miss Hare’s school were -glad when winter was at an end. They were anxious -to get out of doors; and, when the sun shone -warmer and the trees began to shoot forth their -tender leaves, they felt very happy, indeed.</p> - -<div id="Ref_101" class="figleft" style="width: 300px;"> -<img src="images/i_101.jpg" width="300" height="322" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">TINY STUDIED HARD, THAT HE -MIGHT BE ABLE TO GRADUATE -WITH HIS CLASS IN THE MONTH -OF JUNE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Tiny studied hard, that -he might be able to graduate -with his class in the -month of June. He knew -that to graduate did not -mean to be educated. A -thorough knowledge of -language and good manners -were about all that -Miss Hare was capable of -teaching, for the little -creatures of Animal Kingdom -did not require as -much learning as people of the great business -world. Miss Hare told her pupils many times that -the schoolroom is simply a place to teach the young -how to educate themselves. Tiny, from past experience, -had learned that some of the greatest lessons -are taught outside the schoolroom. He often -thought of the owl prophet, the queen bee, and the -City of Ants.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span></p> - -<p>One day Miss Hare gave her pupils a lesson in -pronouns, or words used for names. These little -words were at first troublesome to Tiny, but Miss -Hare made him use them over and over again, until -he understood them perfectly. In fact, the -words <em>I</em>, <em>we</em>, <em>she</em>, <em>they</em>, <em>who</em>, and <em>it</em>, used as subjects -of sentences, and <em>me</em>, <em>us</em>, <em>him</em>, <em>her</em>, <em>them</em>, and -<em>whom</em>, used as the objects of verbs, became almost -as familiar to Tiny as were good Miss Hare’s spectacles.</p> - -<p>In order to keep her pupils from forgetting what -they had learned, Miss Hare taught them the following -little song, which they sang over and over -again:</p> - - -<p class="center p1 poemheader">PRONOUNS.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="indent0">As the subject of a verb, we may use <em>I</em>; -</div><div class="indent0">Thus, “It was <em>I</em>,” or “<em>I</em> have caught a fly;” -</div><div class="indent3">And we now will name a few -</div><div class="indent3">Pronouns used as subjects, too: -</div><div class="indent0">“It was <em>they</em>,” “It was <em>you</em>,” “It was <em>who</em>?” -</div><div class="stanza"> -</div><div class="indent0">We may ask, “<em>Who</em> saw the bee upon the rose?” -</div><div class="indent0">Or, “<em>It</em> was dressed in very modest clothes,” -</div><div class="indent3">Or, “<em>Who</em> scared the little bee?” -</div><div class="indent3">“Was it any of us three?” -</div><div class="indent0">“Was it <em>we</em>?” “Was it <em>she</em>?” “Was it <em>he</em>?” -</div><div class="stanza"> -</div><div class="indent0">Pronouns may be used as objects, you may see; -</div><div class="indent0">As, “Good health has kindly favored <em>him</em> and <em>me</em>.” -</div><div class="indent3">Or, “No matter what we do,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> -</div><div class="indent3">Love will make <em>us</em> strong and true;” -</div><div class="indent0">“I love <em>her</em>,” “I love <em>him</em>,” “I love <em>you</em>.” -</div><div class="stanza"> -</div><div class="indent0">We may ask, “From <em>whom</em> did owls learn to boast?” -</div><div class="indent0">Or, “Around <em>whom</em> does the sunshine linger most?” -</div><div class="indent3">Or, perchance, may cry in glee, -</div><div class="indent3">“May good fortune come to <em>thee</em>, -</div><div class="indent0">And to <em>her</em>, and to <em>him</em>, and to <em>me</em>!” -</div></div></div></div> - -<p>While they were singing their evening song, a -knock was heard at the door. Miss Hare, who was -very cautious, went to the door and called out:</p> - -<p>“Who is it?”</p> - -<p>“Hoot, hoot, hoot!” was the response.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span></p> - -<p>“To whom am I speaking?” continued the -teacher, somewhat embarrassed.</p> - -<p>“To Mr. Owl, who lives several leagues away,” -was the polite reply.</p> - -<p>“Whom do you wish to see?” asked Miss Hare.</p> - -<p>“I wish to visit Miss Hare’s school.”</p> - -<div id="Ref_103" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_103.jpg" width="600" height="510" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">SHE OPENED THE DOOR AND ADMITTED THE OWL PROPHET.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>She opened the door and admitted the owl -prophet, whose feathers were smoothed down in -perfect condition.</p> - -<p>“I am very glad to see you,” said the teacher. -“It is so seldom you go abroad in the daytime that -I am honored to have you visit us.”</p> - -<p>“Between you and me, I have long been wishing -for an opportunity to visit your school,” returned -the owl with a bow.</p> - -<p>“With whom are you living now?” asked Miss -Hare, offering him a perch by the side of her desk.</p> - -<p>“My brother and I are living with the Bat family. -I grew tired of my old castle, because it was at -the edge of the great forest, and the wind was too -strong there. One night he and I were blown from -our perches. Mr. and Mrs. Bat took my brother -and me to their home. It is very comfortable there, -and we owls like comfort, you know.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Owl then looked over the class with his great, -yellow eyes. For the first time, Tiny observed that -owls’ eyes do not move in their sockets as the eyes -of most creatures do; but that, to make up for that, -nature has made it possible for the owl to turn his -head almost entirely around to see objects. Miss -Hare’s eyes were quite different from those of Mr.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> -Owl; for she had no eyelids, and Tiny had learned -that, when she slept, a thin white membrane covered -her eyes.</p> - -<p>“Will you remain awhile with my pupils and -me?” asked Miss Hare.</p> - -<p>“Thank you; I’ll stay a few minutes, if I don’t -get too sleepy,” said Mr. Owl.</p> - -<p>When his eyes fell upon Tiny, the little squirrel -made a polite bow; but the owl prophet stared at -him without speaking a word. He evidently did -not remember the squirrel.</p> - -<p>“What has become of Chatty Chipmunk?” he -finally asked, after Miss Hare had again sat down -at her desk.</p> - -<p>“He left school some time ago,” said Miss Hare, -in a pained voice.</p> - -<p>“Why?”</p> - -<p>“Because it was necessary to punish him. He -was very saucy. Once he ridiculed an animal because -she had long ears.”</p> - -<p>“Whom did he ridicule?”</p> - -<p>“Me.”</p> - -<p>“I am sorry for that,” said the owl prophet. -“Who punished him?”</p> - -<p>“I.”</p> - -<p>“It served him right, and I am glad he left -school,” said the owl, flapping his wings in approval. -“It makes no difference to either you or -me.”</p> - -<p>“Certainly, not,” replied Miss Hare. “He is to -blame, not I. The public must blame him, not me.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I hope that I never shall bring you another -such unworthy pupil,” said the owl.</p> - -<p>“You brought me one of the best pupils I ever -had,” said Miss Hare, pointing towards Tiny. “He -is the little creature here on the front seat.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Owl stared at Tiny; and the little animal -bowed politely, very much embarrassed.</p> - -<div id="Ref_106" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_106.jpg" width="600" height="338" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">MR. OWL STARED AT TINY AND THE LITTLE ANIMAL BOWED -POLITELY.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“Can it be he!” exclaimed the owl. “How you -have grown, Tiny! Are you really the squirrel -whom I found but a few months ago?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I am the squirrel who was lost,” replied -Tiny. “You told me how to get back to Squirreltown, -and taught me many things. I am grateful -to you, sir.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Owl seemed greatly pleased, but he checked -Tiny’s polite thanks by saying:</p> - -<p>“You look much like Chatty Chipmunk.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, but he is smaller than I,” replied Tiny -with another bow.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span></p> - -<p>For a few minutes Miss Hare and Mr. Owl talked -concerning the school. It was evident to Tiny that -Mr. Owl was one of the trustees and that he was -doing a great deal to make the school successful, -as all trustees should do.</p> - -<p>At last he turned to the class and said:</p> - -<p>“You must all study very hard; for soon the -days will get warmer; then you will have spring -fever. I want each of the graduating class to write -a composition to be recited on the last day of school. -A prize will be given to the pupil who writes the -best one. He that wins the prize will be a very -happy creature. Him that wins I will give another -prize of even greater value.”</p> - -<p>The scholars were made very happy by this announcement -of Mr. Owl; and, while he was preparing -to leave, they all rose from their seats and stood -in respectful silence until Miss Hare sat down -again. Then they began to study harder than ever -before.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XVII.</h2> - - -<p>When Tiny learned to write letters, he spent -many happy hours corresponding with his mother -and his friends at Squirreltown. Almost every -day a messenger pigeon -brought him a letter, -which he read with great -pleasure. Here are a few -of these letters that passed -between Beaver Creek and -Squirreltown:</p> - -<div id="Ref_108" class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> -<img src="images/i_108.jpg" width="300" height="471" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">ALMOST EVERY DAY A MESSENGER -PIGEON BROUGHT HIM A LETTER.</p></div> -</div> - -<blockquote> - -<p> -Beaver Creek, Joy Co.,<br /> -<span class="il2">Animal Kingdom,</span><br /> -<span class="il4">May 1, ——.</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>My Dear Mother:</p> - -<p>While you were sleeping -away the long, cold -winter, I was studying -with all my might, trying -to keep at the head of my -class.</p> - -<p>I like Beaver Creek very much. Miss Hare is -a good and capable teacher. I shall be sorry to -graduate from here in June, and yet I am anxious -to get back to Squirreltown again.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span></p> - -<p>The spring flowers are blooming all about Beaver -Creek. I wish you could see how beautiful they -are. The daisy, which is like a white star, opens -with the morning sun. The morning glory shuts -up its sweet petals before noon. The dandelion -opens early, but closes when the heat becomes too -great. The anemone, so blue and so fragile, sleeps -at the approach of a storm; while the water lily -curls up and hides itself in the mud at the bottom -of the pond. The marsh marigold is a hardy little -flower. It drinks, drinks, drinks, from morning -till night, pleased with any kind of weather.</p> - -<p>I will tell you more about the beauties of Beaver -Creek, one of these days. In the meantime, please -write and tell me about dear old Squirreltown.</p> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir4">Your affectionate son,</span><br /> -<span class="ir1"><span class="smcap">Tiny</span>.</span></p> - -<p> -Mrs. Jane Redsquirrel,<br /> -<span class="il1">124 Oak Avenue,</span><br /> -<span class="il2">Squirreltown,</span><br /> -<span class="il3">Animal Kingdom.</span><br /> -</p> - -</blockquote> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir3">124 Oak Avenue,</span><br /> -<span class="ir2">Squirreltown,</span><br /> -<span class="ir1">Animal Kingdom,</span><br /> -May 8, ——.<br /> -</p> - -<p>My Dear Son:</p> - -<p>I was very glad to hear from you and to learn -that you are well and happy.</p> - -<p>Dr. Flyingsquirrel, the mayor, and many of your -friends inquire about you each day. Peggy and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> -Bushy Graysquirrel, who have grown quite large -since you saw them, are planning to give a party -for you when you return.</p> - -<p>You will be glad to learn that Chatty Chipmunk -returned home just before winter set in. He had -been wandering for a long, long time. Once he -thrust his inquisitive nose into a nest of yellow-jackets, -and it took him a long time to recover.</p> - -<p>I feel so sorry for the Chipmunks. They are all, -with the exception of Chatty, such active, industrious -creatures. I fear he will never outlive the bad -habits formed in his early youth. He does little -but sleep in his round room at the end of the long -hall, and eat large quantities of beechnuts.</p> - -<p>Now, my son, learn all you can. Do not eat too -many acorns, and be sure to keep your fur clean -and smooth.</p> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir4">Your devoted mother,</span><br /> -<span class="ir1"><span class="smcap">Jane Redsquirrel</span>.</span><br /></p> - -<p> -Mr. Tiny Redsquirrel,<br /> -<span class="il1">Beaver Creek, Joy Co., Animal Kingdom.</span><br /> -</p> - -</blockquote> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir2">Beech Hotel,</span><br /> -<span class="ir1">Squirreltown, Animal Kingdom,</span><br /> -May 14, ——.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Dear Friend:</p> - -<p>I received your jolly letter, and I am going to -show my appreciation by sending an early reply.</p> - -<p>Sister Peggy and I are spending a few days with -our friend, Polly Blacksquirrel. We are all well, -after our long winter’s nap, and are enjoying ourselves -greatly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span></p> - -<p>The other day, Polly took Peggy and me down to -the pond to hear a famous orchestra. We sat upon -a mossy seat close to the blue water, and patiently -waited until all the musicians had come out of the -water and had taken their seats on the green lily -pads. The leader of the band was very pompous, -and his white vest was covered with medals. I had -to laugh at the airs he put on.</p> - -<p>The musicians, of course, were frogs, and they all -wore green coats and white vests. They looked so -odd with their bulging eyes and swelling throats! -One large bull frog played a bass viol. He was a -savage fellow, and, frequently, he would go down -into the water to eat poor little tadpoles.</p> - -<p>Now you know that gray squirrels are more fond -of music than are any other kind of squirrel; but, -so far as I am concerned, I do not like to be too -close to a frog orchestra.</p> - -<p>Is it not queer that frogs and fishes, both of -which live in the water, are so unlike? Polly’s -father said that if a frog keeps his mouth open very -long, he will die; while a fish has to keep his mouth -open most of the time to permit his breathing organs -to act properly.</p> - -<p>Peggy and Polly join me in sending you our -kindest regards.</p> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir4">Your true friend,</span><br /> -<span class="ir1"><span class="smcap">Bushy Graysquirrel</span>.</span><br /> -</p><p> -Tiny Redsquirrel, Esq.,<br /> -<span class="il1">Beaver Creek,</span><br /> -<span class="il2">Animal Kingdom.</span><br /> -</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir1">Beaver Creek, Joy Co., Animal Kingdom,</span><br /> -May 18, ——.<br /> -</p> - -<p>My Dear Dr. Flyingsquirrel:</p> - -<p>Mother told me that you would appreciate a letter -from me; so, on this beautiful morning, I have -decided to write to you.</p> - -<p>Yesterday, Miss Hare and we pupils were out -in the thicket and on the great moor east of Beaver -Creek. We were studying nature, by which to test -the books that we read.</p> - -<p>My companion was Winkie Weasel. He has a -long, lean body, and a short, black tail. He is very -good-natured most of the time, but, occasionally, he -gets very angry over small things. Then his nose -seems to grow pointed, and his eyes turn green. He -wears a yellow coat now. Later he will change it -for a dark brown one, while in winter he wears -white. Although Winkie takes things that do not -belong to him and tries to act innocent, I like him -because he is so bright and shrewd.</p> - -<p>Such a glorious day as it was! The birds were -chattering all about us, building nests in which to -rear their broods. Miss Hare said I was fortunate -to be able to climb so well, for it gave me such good -opportunities to inspect birds and their nests.</p> - -<p>Once we were startled by a loud thump! thump! -thump! Then we heard a chorus of piping voices, -and saw a covey of partridges running through the -tall grass. They are peculiar little creatures, and -they never try to run until some one almost steps -upon them. They were out hunting for seeds, buds,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> -and insects. Miss Hare told us that the partridge -wears bristles that serve as snowshoes in winter, so -it can walk on the soft snow without sinking.</p> - -<p>We saw pigeons fluttering about in the blue sky, -while swallows, with graceful, slender wings, flitted -by, busily building their nests.</p> - -<p>The sweet scent of spring had brought the cuckoos -to the north. I could see one of them flying -in a very straight line, his long tail steadying his -flight. I have always loved the voice of the cuckoo; -but I do not admire the bird, since Miss Hare has -told me how very unprincipled she is.</p> - -<p>I should like to tell you about some of the other -birds I saw, but I fear you would think my letter -too long. Busy people like you do not like to waste -so much time reading letters.</p> - -<p>Wishing you health and success, I am,</p> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir4">Yours very respectfully,</span><br /> -<span class="ir1"><span class="smcap">Tiny Redsquirrel</span>.</span><br /> -</p><p> -Dr. Airy Flyingsquirrel,<br /> -<span class="il1">64 Hickory Ave.,</span><br /> -<span class="il2">Squirreltown, Animal Kingdom.</span><br /> -</p> - -</blockquote> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir2">64 Hickory Ave.,</span><br /> -<span class="ir1">Squirreltown, Animal Kingdom,</span><br /> -May 25, ——.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Dear Tiny:</p> - -<p>Your letter filled my heart with delight. We old -squirrels appreciate letters from our young friends, -and we are glad to be remembered in our declining -years. The young who remember the old will be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> -rewarded when they themselves are no longer -young.</p> - -<p>I, too, fly about a great deal, studying the various -birds and their eggs. You wrote about the -cuckoo, and I agree with you that she is a very unprincipled -creature.</p> - -<p>She lays her eggs on the hard ground, because -she and her mate are too indolent to build a nest. -She places her eggs in various nests for other birds -to hatch. Usually she prefers robins’ nests, for -they are very comfortable. You can imagine how -surprised the robin or any other bird would be, -when its brood hatches, to find among the number a -large, healthy cuckoo with a wide mouth and an -enormous appetite. But the kind foster parents -feed the young cuckoo just as they do their own -children.</p> - -<p>And what does the cuckoo orphan do to repay -such kindness? He eats and sleeps and grows larger -all the time; and, finally, one day when the old birds -are away, he tumbles his foster brothers and sisters -out of the nest, and stretches himself out comfortably, -waiting for his dinner. The selfish, cruel bird -never thinks of anyone but himself. When his -foster parents return, they are grieved not to find -their little ones, but they do not scold the cuckoo -at all. They keep on feeding him until he is full-fledged. -Then, on some bright day, he takes wings -and flies away, leaving his foster parents to grieve -after him.</p> - -<p>Jenny Wren is a neat, modest little body. Do you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> -know her? She wears a plain brown gown, for she -has so much to do she cannot dress very stylishly. -Her wings are hard and stiff, so she can beat the -air when she flies; but the feathers close to her tiny -body are soft and warm.</p> - -<p>She likes to build her nest beneath the gnarled -roots of a tree or against a stone in a bed of moss. -It is covered with a little dome and has a tiny door, -which opens on the sunny side. I once peeped into -Jenny’s home and found it neat and cozy. An orderly -housekeeper she is, I can tell you! Her bed is -made of fine feathers, hair, and delicate grasses. -The roof of her home is made of moss, twigs, and -lichens.</p> - -<p>We are all very well, and we hope that you will -call to see us soon after your return home.</p> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir4">Cordially yours,</span><br /> -<span class="ir1"><span class="smcap">Airy Flyingsquirrel</span>.</span><br /> -</p><p> -Mr. Tiny Redsquirrel,<br /> -<span class="il1">Beaver Creek,</span><br /> -<span class="il2">Joy Co., Animal Kingdom.</span><br /> -</p> - -</blockquote> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XVIII.</h2> - - -<p>Reynard caught a cold just two weeks before -Miss Hare’s school closed for the summer. He was -very ill, indeed; but Tiny, Snowball, and his other -friends did all they -could to make him -comfortable.</p> - -<div id="Ref_116" class="figleft" style="width: 350px;"> -<img src="images/i_116.jpg" width="350" height="322" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">MISS HARE SPENT ONE EVENING WITH REYNARD. -PUSS SNOWBALL, WINKIE WEASEL -AND TINY WERE PRESENT.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Miss Hare spent -one evening with -Reynard. Puss -Snowball, Winkie -Weasel, and Tiny -were present. They -had a pleasant time, -in Reynard’s humble -room, which the -stars made almost -bright as day.</p> - -<p>“Shall I get you some corn?” Miss Hare finally -asked.</p> - -<p>“I don’t want no corn,” groaned Reynard, whose -head ached severely.</p> - -<p>“Very well, I will bring you some,” said Miss -Hare, rising to leave the room.</p> - -<p>“I don’t want no corn!” repeated Reynard, so -surprised that his head almost stopped aching.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span></p> - -<p>“That means that you <em>do</em> want some corn,” -laughed Miss Hare. “I suppose you meant to say -that you <em>don’t</em> want <em>any</em> corn, or that you want <em>no</em> -corn. Be careful what you say, Reynard, and -never use two denying words where the meaning -needs but one. The other day I heard you say, ‘I -haven’t seen <em>nothing</em>,’ which meant that you must -have seen <em>something</em>. You also said, ‘He is <em>not</em> -doing <em>nothing</em>,’ which meant that he was doing -<em>something</em>.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you, Miss Hare,” said Reynard, with -chagrin. “I know that I am sometimes very careless -in the use of English. But now my head feels -so much better that perhaps, after all, <em>I don’t</em> need -<em>no</em> corn.”</p> - -<p>Miss Hare laughed again, with more pleasure -this time, and gave him a few kernels of corn which -she had brought with her.</p> - -<p>“Now we must do something to amuse Reynard,” -said Miss Hare, pleasantly. “What shall we do?”</p> - -<p>“I should like to hear Snowball sing a song,” -said Reynard. “He sings good.”</p> - -<p>“He does not sing <em>good</em>, but he sings <em>well</em>,” corrected -Miss Hare, in a low voice to Reynard. “Will -you sing, Snowball?”</p> - -<p>“I can’t sing to-night,” said Snowball. “I, too, -have a bad cold.”</p> - -<p>“You have a <em>severe</em> cold,” said Miss Hare. “It -is as wrong to say that you have a <em>bad</em> cold as it is -to say that you received a <em>good</em> whipping.”</p> - -<p>Snowball was one of those individuals who do not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span> -like to be corrected, so for a few moments he -shrugged his shoulders and pouted.</p> - -<p>Miss Hare turned towards Tiny and said in a -cheerful voice:</p> - -<p>“Perhaps Tiny will tell us about Squirreltown.”</p> - -<p>“Good! good!” shouted enthusiastic Winkie -Weasel, leaping awkwardly into the air to show his -delight. “Tell us about the time you wandered -through the great forest and did not know where -you were at.”</p> - -<p>“Fy, fy, Winkie!” cried his teacher, shaking -with laughter. “How you abuse such useful little -words as <em>at</em>, <em>to</em>, and <em>for</em>. You make them work -when they should be resting. You say that Tiny -did not know where he was <em>at</em>, nor where he was -going <em>to</em>, when you should say that Tiny did not -know where he was, nor where he was going. One -should not place <em>at</em>, <em>to</em>, <em>for</em>, or some other <em>unnecessary</em> -little word at the end of a sentence.”</p> - -<p>Snowball was very glad to hear the teacher correct -Winkie, and soon he regained his usual good -humor.</p> - -<p>“Winkie and I are both alike in our use of bad -English,” he chuckled.</p> - -<p>“You are especially apt to use unnecessary -words, Snowball,” said Miss Hare. “Why should -you say ‘Winkie and I are <em>both</em> alike,’ when it takes -less time to say, ‘Winkie and I are alike’?”</p> - -<p>Snowball stared stupidly for a while, but did not -seem vexed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I thought to myself that Snowball was making -an incorrect statement,” tittered Winkie.</p> - -<p>“Of course, you thought to yourself,” said the -teacher with a twinkle in her eye. “You certainly -could not think aloud.”</p> - -<p>“No, but he knows how to laugh aloud,” said -Snowball, somewhat scornfully.</p> - -<p>“Now, Tiny, you may tell us something about -Squirreltown,” said Miss Hare.</p> - -<p>Tiny did not feel so brave about talking as he -did on the day he tried to address the mayor and -citizens of his native town, for he knew that his -present audience was a very critical one. However, -he began:</p> - -<p>“A wide path leads into Squirreltown. At the -place where it enters the city it is very wide indeed. -An oak tree stands on both sides of this -path—”</p> - -<p>“How strange!” interrupted Miss Hare. “Isn’t -it rather unusual for a tree to stand on both sides -of a path?”</p> - -<p>“There are two trees,” stammered Tiny.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I see,” said Miss Hare, a flash of understanding -shining in her eyes. “You mean to say -that on <em>each</em> side of the path there is an oak tree.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, ma’am,” replied Tiny, with a nod. “The -trees in the city do not contain many acorns, but -these two trees are filled full of them.”</p> - -<p>“Of course, if they are <em>filled</em> with acorns, they -must be <em>full</em> of them,” laughed Miss Hare. “It -sounds as badly to say <em>filled full</em> as it does to say<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> -<em>little small</em>. Just how are the trees filled with -acorns, Tiny? Are the trunks hollow?”</p> - -<p>“The branches of the two trees,” bravely continued -Tiny, “bear so many acorns that they could -yield all the squirrels in the land an acorn.”</p> - -<p>“Then the branches can not bear very many -acorns,” said Miss Hare. “One acorn could not -very well be divided among such a host of squirrels.”</p> - -<p>“I mean that these two trees could yield <em>each</em> -squirrel in the land an acorn,” said Tiny, with -energy.</p> - -<p>“That is right,” said Miss Hare, much pleased. -“Tiny is one who thinks, and I believe that in time -he will learn to speak correctly.”</p> - -<p>“I have lived in Squirreltown nearly all my life, -and—”</p> - -<p>“How many squirrels live there?” interrupted -the teacher.</p> - -<p>“Several hundred,” replied Tiny, proudly.</p> - -<p>“Then it is not such a great city, after all. It -would be better to say that you lived <em>at</em> Squirreltown. -When it becomes a great city, you can say -that you lived <em>in</em> Squirreltown.”</p> - -<p>“I lived on Oak Avenue—”</p> - -<p>“It is better to say that you lived <em>in</em> Oak -Avenue,” suggested Miss Hare.</p> - -<p>“One day a bear met my mother with crooked -teeth, and—”</p> - -<p>“Who had crooked teeth, the bear or your -mother?” tittered Snowball.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span></p> - -<p>“The bear, to be sure,” retorted Tiny, growing -quite indignant.</p> - -<p>“You should place your helping phrases where -they will give the right meaning,” said Miss Hare. -“There are many animals ready to make sport of -us if we are not careful to say just what we mean.”</p> - -<p>“Really, I am so puzzled that I have forgotten -what I intended to say,” said Tiny, sitting down. -“I cannot say properly where I am, or where I live, -or anything else. All I know is that I am very -dull.”</p> - -<p>“You are not dull,” declared Miss Hare. “When -an animal finds out that he has much to learn, it is -a good indication that he really knows something. -Only the ignorant are satisfied with their own imperfect -way of speaking. Now I will sing for you -a little lullaby that an otter formerly sang to her -little one every night:”</p> - -<p class="center p1 poemheader">SONG OF REST.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="indent0">“<em>Set</em> down your basket, busy little one; -</div><div class="indent1">Please <em>set</em> it where it <em>sat</em> yesterday, -</div><div class="indent0">And let it <em>sit</em> there while I sing the song -</div><div class="indent1">You love to hear when daylight turns to gray. -</div></div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="indent0">“Now you <em>have set</em> the basket in its place; -</div><div class="indent1">It <em>sits</em> just where you <em>set</em> it oft before. -</div><div class="indent0"><em>Sit</em> down beside me; do not speak a word, -</div><div class="indent1">And I will hush my babe to sleep once more.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span> -</div></div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="indent0">“Now we <em>are sitting</em> in the fading light, -</div><div class="indent1">As we <em>have sat</em> before so many times. -</div><div class="indent0">While mother held you closely to her breast, -</div><div class="indent1">And evening bells rang out their golden chimes. -</div></div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="indent0">“<em>Lay</em> down your toys, my busy little one. -</div><div class="indent1">When you <em>have laid</em> them down I’ll sing to you; -</div><div class="indent0">We’ll let them <em>lie</em> until the rosy morn -</div><div class="indent1">Again peeps o’er the valley bathed in dew. -</div></div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="indent0">“<em>Lie</em> down; <em>lie</em> closely as you <em>lay</em> last night. -</div><div class="indent1">See, mother <em>lies</em> beside her little one, -</div><div class="indent0">Just as she <em>lay</em> last night to guard your rest -</div><div class="indent1">Until the east was lighted by the sun. -</div></div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="indent0">“Now <em>lie</em> until your active little frame -</div><div class="indent1">Is tired of <em>lying</em> in the same old way; -</div><div class="indent0">When we <em>have lain</em> till sleep has sped again -</div><div class="indent1">We’ll rise to greet another joyous day.” -</div></div></div></div> - -<p>Hardly had Miss Hare finished singing the -lullaby, when Billy Beaver began thumping with -his tail to let all the students of Beaver Creek know -that it was time to retire.</p> - -<p>“Goodnight, Reynard. I hope you will sleep -well,” said the teacher kindly. “Goodnight, Tiny -and Snowball and Winkie. I hope that my criticisms -will benefit you. Remember that I meant -them all in kindness. Is there anything I can do -for you, Reynard?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Yes, please,” said the fox, hoarsely. “Tell -Billy to bring me a cold pan of water.”</p> - -<p>“Poor fox! Poor fox! I will tell him to bring -you a pan of <em>cold water</em>,” said Miss Hare, with a -hearty laugh that set her long ears to bobbing. “It -makes little difference whether or not the <em>pan</em> is -cold.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XIX.</h2> - - -<p>On Saturday afternoon Tiny and Winkie Weasel -went out for a frolic in the forest beyond the river. -Reynard Redfox had almost recovered from his -severe cold, but he stayed at home, thinking of the -golden summer so near at hand with its red strawberries -and wild grapes.</p> - -<p>Winkie came from a family of very bloodthirsty -and suspicious character, but Miss Hare’s teachings -had made him as gentle as Weenie Mouse. -Although Tiny had been taught to shun weasels, he -had become quite fond of Winkie, because he was -bright and active.</p> - -<p>Side by side they made their way through the -deep forest. The birds sang merrily and the sun -shone brightly. Lady’s-slippers with lemon-colored -pouches and long slender leaves grew in the -damp, low grounds. Occasionally a rose-colored -one nodded its fairy head at them.</p> - -<p>“Summer will come soon,” said Tiny, his voice -ringing with happiness.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Winkie, as he stopped to sniff at -a fallen log. “How glad I am that cold weather -has passed away!”</p> - -<p>A turn in the path brought them to a clump of -hazel bushes, where a queer spectacle met their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span> -gaze. An animal covered with mud and moss was -trailing along towards the creek. A striped gopher, -a queer little animal with bloated cheeks and no -neck at all, was annoying the poor creature by -jumping upon its back.</p> - -<div id="Ref_125" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_125.jpg" width="600" height="517" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">A QUEER LITTLE ANIMAL WITH BLOATED CHEEKS AND -NO NECK AT ALL WAS TORMENTING THE POOR -CREATURE BY JUMPING UPON ITS BACK.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“It is a turtle,” said Tiny, who had seen creatures -of its kind before. “It has just awakened -from its winter slumber. You know that a turtle -settles down in the mud as soon as the frost kills -the insects, and there it stays until warm weather -comes again.”</p> - -<p>“Stop teasing that turtle!” cried Winkie to the -gopher. “If you do not cease, you shall feel the -points of my teeth. Come here.”</p> - -<p>The gopher jumped from the turtle’s back, and, -holding his head to one side, said good-naturedly:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I am tired of teasing the slothful turtle, but -I am not too tired to run a race with you. Let us -see which of us three will beat in a race.”</p> - -<p>Winkie readily consented; but, just as they had -drawn up in line to take a dash down the narrow -pathway, a deep growl resounded through the -thicket. Quick as a flash Winkie darted into a -hollow stump.</p> - -<div id="Ref_126" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_126.jpg" width="600" height="553" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">“FOLLOW ME,” SAID THE GOPHER, AS HE DISAPPEARED -INTO A HOLE IN THE GROUND.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“Follow me,” said the gopher, quite self-possessed, -as he disappeared into a hole in the -ground. Tiny did not like the idea of being under -ground, nor was he fond of animals that burrow; -but he obeyed, for he was frightened. He trembled -violently.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span></p> - -<p>They entered a dark hall, at the end of which was -a little, round room containing a comfortable bed -of soft grasses and fur.</p> - -<p>“This is a cozy place,” said Tiny, sinking down -to rest.</p> - -<p>“It is my home,” said the little animal. “I suppose -you know that I am Jolly Gopher. It is fortunate -that you happened to be so near my residence -when the panther happened along. Panthers are -rare in this temperate zone, and I am glad of it. -What if the savage beast had attacked me while I -was riding? I am glad that you like my humble -home.”</p> - -<p>“It is a restful place for lazy animals, but I -should not like to dwell here,” said Tiny, frankly. -“I always distrusted creatures that burrow in the -ground away from the air and sunshine, until I -went to Miss Hare’s school.”</p> - -<p>“What has Miss Hare’s school to do with it?” -asked the gopher, his mouth open.</p> - -<p>“I learned that Mother Earth,” said Tiny, “is -kind indeed to poor little defenseless animals, -whom she protects from savage animals and -hunters. Animals all live where they can have the -greatest safety. The fish lives in the depths of the -water, the squirrel in the tree, the cricket under a -rock, and the gopher in the ground. How fortunate -it is that we do not all live in the same place!”</p> - -<p>“I am fond of living down in the ground,” resumed -the gopher after a moment of silence. “No -panther nor any other beast bigger than myself<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span> -can meddle with my affairs. I saunter forth early -in the morning and fill my pockets with fresh, green -things. You see that my pockets hang down from -my cheeks. I hurry back and stow away my food. -When it rains, I stay indoors and sleep and eat. -A gopher’s life is a very peaceful one.”</p> - -<p>“I wish I might have pockets,” said Tiny, wistfully. -“We squirrels don’t -have them, you know. I -believe I am the only squirrel -that carries a hunting -bag. It was made for me -by a tailor bird. She is a -rare and curious bird who -makes a nest that looks like -a bag. She selects tough -leaves and sews them together -with long, firm -strips of growing plants. -She uses her bill as a -needle.”</p> - -<p>“How remarkable!” exclaimed -the gopher. “I think it would be nicer to -carry a hunting bag than to have pockets in my -cheeks. Sometimes my pockets are so full I can’t -get inside my house.”</p> - -<p>“The bee also has pockets—six little pockets,” -said Tiny, reflectively.</p> - -<p>“And the opossum and several other animals -have pockets in which they carry their children,” -added the gopher wisely.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span></p> - -<p>“You seem to observe things as much as I do,” -said Tiny, admiringly.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I travel a great deal and have seen many -queer things,” replied the gopher, proudly.</p> - -<div id="Ref_128" class="figleft" style="width: 250px;"> -<img src="images/i_128.jpg" width="250" height="331" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">SHE IS ABOUT THE ONLY ANIMAL -THAT DOES NOT FEAR THE STING -OF A BEE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“Once I burrowed down into a badger’s home,” he -went on. “I saw the nursery with the little badgers -playing about in their bed of moss and grass. The -mother badger was very civil to me. She is about -the only animal that does not fear the sting of a bee, -because her skin is so tough and her hair is so thick. -It seems to me that of all animals, the badger is -treated with the greatest cruelty. When the hunters -catch her, they permit their dogs to torture her -to death. The harder the poor creature fights to get -away, the worse they abuse her, and the greater it -pleases the cruel hunters. Sometimes the poor animal -endures this brutal treatment for a full day.”</p> - -<p>“I have often heard that the verb <em>to badger</em> -means <em>to tease</em>, or <em>to torment</em>,” said Tiny.</p> - -<p>“I do not know anything about verbs,” replied -the gopher, “but I do know that some hunters are -very cruel.”</p> - -<p>“Have you ever seen a mole’s nest?” asked Tiny.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, when I was quite small, I had the privilege -of visiting one,” replied the gopher enthusiastically. -“You may think that the mole is a very -stupid animal, but I assure you that he is not.”</p> - -<p>“An animal that lives in the dirt all the time -couldn’t be very intelligent,” interrupted Tiny. -“Besides, his eyes and ears are so small, he surely -cannot see and hear well.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Little eyes and ears are often more keen than -larger ones,” quickly replied Jolly Gopher. “Do -you suppose that a giraffe can see or hear better -than you can? It is fortunate that the mole has -such tiny eyes and ears, otherwise they would catch -a great deal of dirt, as the little animal burrows -through the earth. The mole is very clean in appearance. -He sleeps three hours and then he works -three hours as long as he lives. He is a great -builder; he sinks wells to quench his thirst; he can -run fast; he can swim; and he can fight. He loves -his home in the ground. He seldom comes out.”</p> - -<p>“Does he have a nice bed like yours?” asked -Tiny, much interested.</p> - -<p>“Indeed, he has,” said the gopher. “His home -is one of the most wonderful things I have ever -seen. It is reached by passing through one of -several long, straight halls. The walls are so solid -that the rain seldom leaks through. I went into -one of these halls, and with some difficulty made my -way into another one, which was circular. From -this hall five passages led to another hall above my -head. I stopped at the foot of the nearest passage -to rest. Then I went up. The upper hall was -circular, but not so large as the lower one. I knew -that I was at the summit of the mole hill, for I -could plainly hear the birds singing overhead. -From this upper circular hall three more passages -led down to the main room. I went down into this -room and sat very quietly there for a few moments.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span> -I wondered why the mole had made it so difficult -to get into his house.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose he wants to make his house as safe -as possible,” suggested the squirrel.</p> - -<p>“Precisely so,” said the gopher. “If he and his -family hear some vicious animal coming through -one of the long halls, they have a chance to escape. -The central room is a kind of fortress where they -seek protection.”</p> - -<p>“Did you ever see any of the little moles?” asked -Tiny, excitedly.</p> - -<p>“No. I learned afterwards that their nursery -was built at a point where two or more of the long -halls cross one another. It was situated in an out -of the way place with many avenues of escape. -Their bed was made of blades of grass and other -soft material. I am sure that the nest of a mole is -safer than that of a goldfinch hanging high up in -a tree. Why does the goldfinch usually build her -nest at the end of a branch?”</p> - -<p>“Because she likes to have her nest dance up and -down and sway about in the breeze,” said Tiny. -“The goldfinch builds very well. Her nest is made -of lichens and moss and sheep’s wool, and is so -fashioned that the little birds cannot roll out. -What jolly times the goldfinches must have teetering -up and down in a roomy nest on a starlit -night!”</p> - -<p>“Yet they surely suffer when it storms, while the -little moles are never bothered by lightning and -thunder,” quickly interposed the gopher. “I suppose<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span> -it is fortunate that all animals do not have -the same ideas about things.”</p> - -<p>“I should like to hear something about prairie -dogs,” said Tiny, after a while.</p> - -<p>“I will gladly tell you,” returned the gopher, -settling himself more comfortably. “Sometimes -hundreds of prairie dogs live together in one city. -It is interesting to watch the round towers of their -dwellings. Most prairie dogs have small brown -eyes and grayish-red fur. Although they are agile -little animals, they do not work much. You would -laugh to see them when they bark, for they shake -their stumpy tails and jerk to and fro. They yelp -like dogs. Some of them act as guards and sit out -upon their roofs all day long, looking about the -horizon. When an enemy approaches, they bark -loudly and rush into their houses, and all the chattering -ceases. For a while the city is as quiet as -night; but, in a few minutes, many inquisitive, -dark eyes peep out to see if danger still threatens -them.”</p> - -<p>“Their city must be a very lively place,” observed -Tiny.</p> - -<p>“Many other animals visit there,” said the -gopher. “All kinds of vicious creatures flock to a -great city, you know. The prairie dogs are often -molested by hawks, burrowing owls, and coyotes. -I believe I prefer to live in the country.”</p> - -<p>“I am quite satisfied with my mode of living, as -we all should be,” said Tiny. “I have been greatly -benefited by learning about these animals. If one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span> -should get blue or homesick or discouraged, it -would pay him to visit a gopher and find out how -other less fortunate animals live. Then he would -return home quite contented with his lot. I thank -you for teaching me so much.”</p> - -<p>“You are welcome,” replied the gopher. “I, too, -have learned from you, so we have been mutually -helped. I never knew before that it is wrong to -engage in any kind of sport that gives pain to -another. Henceforth I will never tease a turtle or -take a ride on his back.”</p> - -<p>“I must go,” declared Tiny, rising from his -downy couch.</p> - -<p>“Stay longer,” pleaded the gopher. “The moon -rises early, and—”</p> - -<p>“That is no reason why I should go to bed late,” -interrupted Tiny. “My teacher may worry about -me. Goodby, Mr. Gopher.”</p> - -<p>“Goodby. You must come back,” replied the -gopher sleepily.</p> - -<p>Before Tiny could reach the door, his acquaintance -with the pockets in his cheeks was fast asleep.</p> - -<p>The little red squirrel’s heart beat with joy and -thankfulness when the dewy air, laden with the -sweet fragrance of early summer, again greeted -his nostrils. With nimble leaps he made his way -through the leaf-strewn pathway to the edge of -the crystal stream. Before him lay the quaint -beaver houses that had become so dear to him, while -beyond, the pink western skies faded softly into -gray, like the happy days of his youth.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XX.</h2> - - -<p>About two weeks before the close of school, Miss -Hare met with a misfortune. Because of the great -amount of work she had to do, grading examination -papers, her eyes became so weak that she scarcely -could use them. Tiny felt sorry for the patient, -hard-working teacher, and offered to be of assistance -to her.</p> - -<p>“You may come into the schoolroom and help -me,” she said to him one Saturday morning. “I -have a number of important letters to write. You<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span> -are very painstaking, and I shall be glad to have -your assistance.”</p> - -<p>Tiny followed her into the room and sat down -beside the desk, very happy to be of some use to -one he so thoroughly respected. The material upon -which he wrote was not so white and smooth as the -paper used in schoolrooms nowadays. It was -simply birch bark that could be rolled up and tied -with heavy grass. The ink he used was the juice of -the pokeberry, and his pen was a goose quill.</p> - -<div id="Ref_134" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_134.jpg" width="600" height="551" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">AS SOON AS HE HAD WRITTEN A LETTER, HE ROLLED -IT NEATLY, ADDRESSED IT CAREFULLY, AND GAVE -IT TO BILLY BEAVER, WHO CALLED A CARRIER -PIGEON.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>As soon as he had written a letter, he rolled it -neatly, addressed it carefully, and gave it to Billy -Beaver, who called a carrier pigeon to take it to its -place of destination.</p> - -<p>During the hour that Tiny spent in the schoolroom -that morning, he learned about money orders -and drafts, for it is said that at one time the more -enlightened residents of Animal Kingdom made -use of them.</p> - -<p>Here are a few letters that Tiny either wrote or -read for Miss Hare:</p> - -<div class="boxitletter"> - -<p class="lettercenter">1. BUSINESS LETTER.</p> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir1">Beaver Creek, Joy Co., Animal Kingdom,</span><br /> -May 25,——<br /> -</p><p> -Messrs. Sheep, Goat & Co.,<br /> -<span class="il1">63, 65, 67 Bleat Street,</span><br /> -<span class="il2">Herd City, Animal Kingdom.</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>Gentlemen:</p> - -<p>Please send at your earliest convenience the -following articles for use in my boarding school:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span></p> - -<p> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">2 quarts milk.</span><br /> -15 pounds wool.<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">1 dozen quills.</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>I enclose money order for three dollars.</p> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir4">Yours respectfully,</span><br /> -(<span class="smcap">Miss</span>) <span class="smcap">Molly Hare</span>.<br /> -</p> - -<p class="lettercenter">2. BUSINESS LETTER.</p> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir1">Beaver Creek, Joy Co., Animal Kingdom,</span><br /> -May 25,——<br /> -</p><p> -Messrs. Fido, Carlo & Co.,<br /> -<span class="il4">Dogtown, Animal Kingdom.</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>Gentlemen:</p> - -<p>Please send by Pony Express:</p> - -<p> -1 uniform for janitor, size No. 3.<br /> -2 yards horsehair cloth, as per sample.<br /> -1 school bench, as per catalogue.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Enclosed find draft for ten dollars ($10).</p> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir4">Respectfully,</span><br /> -(<span class="smcap">Miss</span>) <span class="smcap">Molly Hare</span>.<br /> -</p> - -<p class="lettercenter">3. BUSINESS LETTER.</p> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir2">118 Hill Avenue,</span><br /> -<span class="ir1">Rolling City,</span><br /> -May 16,——<br /> -</p><p> -Miss Molly Hare,<br /> -<span class="il2">Principal, Beaver Creek School,</span><br /> -<span class="il4">Beaver Creek, Animal Kingdom.</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>Dear Madam:</p> - -<p>For the enclosed money order ($1.25) please<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span> -send to my address “The Beaver Creek School -Journal” for one year, beginning next month.</p> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir8">Yours truly,</span><br /> -<span class="ir1"><span class="smcap">Jumpington Prairiedog</span>.</span><br /> -</p> - -<p class="lettercenter">4. INFORMAL NOTE.</p> - -<p>Dear Miss Hare:</p> - -<p>Please excuse Glossy Marten from school all next -week on account of illness in the family.</p> - -<p>Will you kindly tell her to travel via Central -Route to avoid danger?</p> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir4">Very respectfully yours,</span><br /> -<span class="ir1"><span class="smcap">Mrs. Beauty Marten</span>.</span><br /> -</p> - -<p class="lettercenter">5. INFORMAL NOTE.</p> - -<p>Dear Miss Turkey:</p> - -<p>Will you lay aside your work for a short time -and dine with me Wednesday at 5 o’clock?</p> - -<p class="marginright"> -<span class="ir4">Sincerely yours,</span><br /> -<span class="ir1"><span class="smcap">Molly Hare</span>.</span><br /> -</p> - -<p class="lettercenter">6. FORMAL NOTE.</p> - -<p>Miss Pet Pheasant requests the pleasure of Miss -Hare’s company on Tuesday evening, May thirtieth, -from four to seven o’clock.</p> - -<p>13 Forest Edge Street.</p> - -<p class="lettercenter">7. NOTE OF ACCEPTANCE.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span></p> - -<p>Miss Molly Hare is pleased to accept Miss Pet -Pheasant’s kind invitation for Wednesday evening, -May thirtieth.</p> - -<p>Beaver Creek, May twenty-fifth.</p> - -<p class="lettercenter">8. INVITATION.</p> - -<p class="center"> -Miss Brownie Mink<br /> -at home<br /> -Thursday evening, June first<br /> -from six to eight o’clock<br /> -</p><p> -14 Water Front<br /> -</p> - -<p class="lettercenter">9. NOTE OF REGRET.</p> - -<p>Miss Molly Hare regrets that a previous engagement -prevents her from accepting Miss Brownie -Mink’s kind invitation for Thursday evening, -June first.</p> - -<p>Beaver Creek, May twenty-fifth.</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>“This has been a very pleasant task, I assure -you,” said Tiny, when his work was done. “I have -learned how to write a business letter, which is an -important thing to know. I never before had heard -of money orders and drafts. You know we do not -have those things, nor money, nor stores, at -Squirreltown.”</p> - -<p>“Only a few of the more intelligent animals -know anything about business,” replied Miss Hare. -“I know of only two large department stores and -three banks in Animal Kingdom. I have heard<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span> -that the ancient human beings used shells for -money; but, finally, they established the use of -coins, because they were valued by all classes of -people. If the hunters would not molest us, Animal -Kingdom would imitate the human race and -become very much enlightened. Some day I hope -you may visit the department store of Sheep, Goat -& Co., and see for yourself how animals are advancing -in knowledge. I understand that this great -store employs almost a dozen clerks.”</p> - -<p>“I have also learned how to write an invitation -and notes of regret and acceptance. They seem to -be very simple in their construction,” said Tiny, -placing the quill in a shell filled with sand.</p> - -<p>“No self-respecting animal should neglect his -correspondence, no matter how busy he may be,” -said Miss Hare. “As a rule, one who hates to write -letters is one who cannot write them well. It is -necessary that one should write social and business -letters, and learn how to make them clear and -forceful. Now you may rest. I thank you for your -services, Tiny.”</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/i_139.jpg" width="400" height="232" alt="Polite bow" /> -</div> - -<p>The red -squirrel, with a -polite bow, returned -to his -room, much -pleased because -he had pleased -some one else.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XXI.</h2> - - -<p>Tiny’s last ramble through the copse near -Beaver Creek was one that he never forgot. He -was beginning to realize how much more pleasing -are the works of Nature when one really takes an -interest in them. He had learned to study even -the snail in his shell house and the Venus’ fly-trap -that catches insects.</p> - -<p>“Aren’t the skies blue, and the trees and grasses -green, and the music of the birds sweet, and the -busy hum of the insects inspiring?” he asked himself -again and again.</p> - -<p>Once he stopped to admire the graceful foliage -of the alder tree.</p> - -<p>“That tree has some secrets hidden away that -I mean to find out,” said he, as he scurried -up its smooth trunk. He gazed through the -branches. At last he espied a nest. It was built -of coarse sticks.</p> - -<p>“What an odd place for a jay bird’s home!” he -exclaimed. “I never could understand why the jay -does not build a comfortable nest like that of the -robin. Perhaps he fears he might spoil his little -ones by making them too comfortable.”</p> - -<p>Next he saw a queer object that held his attention -for a long time. A caterpillar was hanging<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span> -from a leaf. Tiny thought that it was about to -fall, but the little worm held fast with all its might. -It was attaching a fine thread to the point of a leaf, -but it worked harder than the man who fells a tree.</p> - -<p>“Do not molest that caterpillar,” said a voice -from a limb overhead.</p> - -<p>Tiny looked up and saw a peculiar animal with -a long, pointed face and sharp teeth, hanging head -downward from a limb overhead. With a startled -cry, the squirrel hid in a thick branch.</p> - -<p>“You need not fear me, for I do not eat squirrels,” -said the odd creature. “I am looking for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span> -birds. I should think you would be ashamed to -attack a poor little caterpillar.”</p> - -<p>“Never in my life have I molested a caterpillar,” -declared Tiny. “I should think you would be -ashamed to attack birds.”</p> - -<p>“Well, everything depends upon the point of -view,” replied the larger animal. “I am not responsible -if my views do not agree with your own, -for I see things upside down.”</p> - -<div id="Ref_141" class="figcenter" style="width: 546px;"> -<img src="images/i_141.jpg" width="546" height="650" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">“WHY DO YOU HANG BY YOUR TAIL?” TINY ASKED.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“Why do you hang by your tail?” asked Tiny. -From his hiding place he peeped at the curious -animal.</p> - -<p>“Because I am an opossum, and I am wise -enough to know that tails were made to hang by. -I couldn’t hang by my neck, could I?”</p> - -<p>“I suppose not,” replied Tiny, with a laugh. -“Reynard, Snowball, and Rover have strong tails. -I will tell them that they should cultivate the use -of them, as the opossum does.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll be glad to teach them how,” said the opossum, -not in the least offended at the squirrel’s -amusement. Tiny drew closer to get a better view -of his new acquaintance. He could look into his -eyes.</p> - -<p>“Reynard, Snowball, or Rover is going with me -to-morrow. I should like you to teach some of -your amusing tricks to the one who comes.”</p> - -<p>The opossum laughed so hard that Tiny feared -he would lose his hold and fall upon him.</p> - -<p>“Neither Reynard, Rover, nor Snowball is likely -to be benefited by anything that I may teach him,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span> -said the opossum, evidently much pleased by Tiny’s -suggestion. “Neither the birds nor the animals -admire me.”</p> - -<p>“I do not dislike you,” said Tiny, truthfully.</p> - -<p>“I am not so dull as one might think. I can sit -up and I can hang by my tail.”</p> - -<p>“I can sit up, but I cannot hang by my tail,” said -Tiny. “Some squirrels can fly, but I am sure I can -beat any flying squirrel in a race. A red, a gray, -and a black squirrel live close together at Squirreltown. -The mayor sends them with messages to -other neighboring towns. They are as swift as -lightning.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps you wonder why I am looking so -closely at that caterpillar,” said the opossum, -without stopping to argue concerning the fleetness -of squirrels. “All morning long I have watched -with anxious eyes.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps you want to see what he is trying to -do,” suggested Tiny.</p> - -<p>“The caterpillar does not interest me at all,” -said the opossum rather brusquely. “I am waiting -for a bird to come along to catch the caterpillar. -Before the bird catches the worm, I shall catch the -bird—”</p> - -<p>“And perhaps some hunter will catch you before -you can catch the bird,” interrupted Tiny.</p> - -<p>“You are right,” said the opossum. “Every animal -always seems to be ready to catch another one. -I like pretty birds as you like plump acorns. A -yellow, brown, and blue bird is a very attractive<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span> -creature. An ugly sparrow is not half so pleasing -to me as a golden oriole.”</p> - -<p>“I am sorry that you like to destroy birds,” said -Tiny, who had learned to love the little feathered -songsters of the forest. “You are cowardly. You -attack birds. They are smaller than you.”</p> - -<p>“I am cowardly but cautious,” returned the -opossum. “I should be foolish to try to capture -an eagle. I have caught six little birds this morning. -The first, second, and third birds were sparrows. -The fourth, the fifth, and the sixth birds -were robins.”</p> - -<p>“The poor things surely did not suffer long. -Your mouth is so large and your teeth are so -sharp,” said the red squirrel.</p> - -<p>“Where do you live?” inquired the opossum, -still gazing at the caterpillar.</p> - -<p>“I came from Beaver Creek,” answered Tiny. -“I am out to-day to study Nature.”</p> - -<p>“Then you needn’t spend any more of your time -here. There are other things to see,” snapped the -opossum. “Your incessant chatter is keeping the -birds away.”</p> - -<p>“Where do you live?” asked Tiny, wishing to -save as many birds as possible.</p> - -<p>“Close by,” replied the opossum indifferently. -“I live in a dead tree.”</p> - -<p>“What has become of the caterpillar?”</p> - -<p>“It is still working away. It is a remarkable -toiler. Now it has succeeded in bending back the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span> -point of the leaf and has fastened it down with bits -of thread.”</p> - -<p>“It has curled the leaf until it looks like a little -tube with a very round hole at each end,” said -Tiny, much interested.</p> - -<p>“Caterpillars make houses of leaves,” explained -the opossum.</p> - -<p>“How very odd!” exclaimed the squirrel.</p> - -<p>“That depends upon the point of view,” repeated -the opossum. “Insects breathe through -holes along their sides. You have lungs. Through -these lungs you breathe. Both of these methods of -breathing might seem very odd to the fish, who -breathes through his gills.”</p> - -<p>“How can the caterpillar turn around in such a -small house?” asked Tiny.</p> - -<p>“It doesn’t wish to turn around,” said the opossum. -“The caterpillar does not wiggle so much as -the squirrel. It knows that big houses are seldom -half as cozy as smaller ones. As soon as it gets -settled down to housekeeping, it begins to eat its -little green house.”</p> - -<p>“How funny!” chuckled Tiny.</p> - -<p>“Before very long it eats itself out of house and -home,” said the opossum.</p> - -<p>“What would you do if a hunter were to steal -up and club you?” asked Tiny, more interested in -the quadruped than in the worm.</p> - -<p>“If a hunter should attack me, I would drop -down and play that I was dead,” was the answer.</p> - -<p>“Once Snowball pretended to be asleep when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span> -Billy Beaver called him,” said Tiny. “Billy said -that Snowball was ‘playing ’possum.’ Now I know -what he meant.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose that the opossum is not the only animal -that tries to deceive,” said the opossum, with -a yawn.</p> - -<p>“I see that you are sleepy,” said the squirrel. -“I must go to my home. I wonder why animals -are so impolite as to yawn when they are entertaining -company.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps it would be better for you to say -goodby before your entertainers tire of you,” retorted -the opossum.</p> - -<p>This advice was a golden gift to Tiny. He never -forgot it. With a courteous farewell, he hastened -down the trunk of the tree. When he reached the -ground, he stopped a moment to gaze overhead. -The opossum was asleep among the branches.</p> - -<p>“He had better be sleeping than killing birds,” -said Tiny, gratefully. “I shall visit the opossum -often and keep him out of mischief. This afternoon -has been well spent. I have stood between the -birds and their enemy.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_146.jpg" width="600" height="225" alt="I have stood between the birds and their enemy." /> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XXII.</h2> - - -<p>The last day of school rolled round. The pupils -of the Beaver Creek School were in a state of pleasant -excitement. They smoothed their feathers or -brushed their fur until they were as sleek as could -be. All the civilized animals for miles around were -present. Mr. Owl, looking wiser and more serious -than ever, was the first visitor to arrive. Miss -Hare, with earrings hanging from her long ears -and a wreath of white blossoms on her head, -greeted him warmly. Soon after, Mother Goose, -the most beloved fowl in Animal Kingdom, waddled -into the main building in good time. Sammy Rabbit’s -relatives followed her, also Puss Snowball’s -mother and aunt.</p> - -<p>Billy Beaver and his friends had erected a platform -in the creek, and upon its smooth surface had -built a green bower. The messenger pigeons had -adorned this bower with beautiful flowers, and the -pupils had filled in the rough places of the floor -with pretty shells and pebbles.</p> - -<p>On the shady bank across the way, the larger -animals of the wood had gathered. Tiny could see -them plainly as he sat in his room, brushing out -his long tail. There were Mr. Goat, of the great -department store, and his daughter, Miss Nannie;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span> -the Otter family in their best garments; Miss Mink, -a close friend of Miss Hare; several from the -Badger family; and, in the background, as modest -as could be, Mr. Opossum, Jolly Gopher, and the -Ferret brothers.</p> - -<p>While awaiting the signal of Billy Beaver, Tiny -was visited by Shifty Woodchuck, who carried a -soiled composition.</p> - -<p>“Won’t you please help me?” whined Shifty, as -he thrust the composition between Tiny’s forepaws. -“You know I was to graduate with your class, but -Miss Hare will not let me.”</p> - -<div id="Ref_148" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_148.jpg" width="600" height="385" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">“WON’T YOU PLEASE HELP ME?” WHINED SHIFTY.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“Pupils that fail should not blame their teachers. -It is entirely your own fault,” said Tiny, looking -over the careless manuscript.</p> - -<p>“I wish I hadn’t slept so much last winter,” continued -Shifty, ruefully. “However, I believe that -if Miss Hare will let me read my composition, I -will get the prize. Miss Hare says I cannot read -it properly, because it is carelessly written. Please -tell me what is the matter with it. To me it looks<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span> -very well. I have spent nearly an hour in writing -it.”</p> - -<p>“If you ever intend to write a good composition, -you will have to work longer than an hour,” said -Tiny. “You will have to read things that will help -you, and you must exercise great care. Moreover, -you must not postpone your work until the last -minute.”</p> - -<p>Tiny, with great difficulty, read Shifty’s composition, -which was as follows:</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="center">one saturday Afternoon in may</p> - -<p>“the first may Holiday was beautiful! the sun -shined bright. birds twittered and sung sweetly the -flowers were in bloom. nature was happy. warm -weather had came. mister beaver and me went -for a stroll. how our hearts thrilled with Joy? -We stopped by the Creek. us animals like the -water</p> - -<p>the clear sparkling waves passed by us. hark -sweet music comes from the brook and the forest -they cried.</p> - -<p>come into the woods mister beaver i said, are -you afraid of the tall trees.</p> - -<p>i will set here says he. a Beaver don’t wander -into the Thicket, he prefers the Creek. daisys and -violets may be pretty but spatter-docks is prettier, -you can go if you wish, and I will stay here.</p> - -<p>i replied that Woodchucks squirrels rabbits and -many other animals preferred the wild flowers. i<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span> -ran to the bushes. o how cool they seemed. they -were green and fragrant with blossoms, the leaves -of the trees were bigger than their’s but they wasn’t -more beautiful. i wandered for a hour through the -woods. i seen a birds’ nest and many interesting -things, a active guinea hen was hiding among the -Ferns with her brood</p> - -<p>a few deers were laying behind a pile of brush, -they run when i approached. i could heer wild -geeses’ cries. every animal of the forest were moving -about. in each glade was a hundred live creatures. -i went back to the brook, mister beaver was -waiting for me.</p> - -<p>“did you have a pleasant time he asked lazily?”</p> - -<p>the forest is grand i cried joyously. the animals -of the forest are rejoicing while you are setting by -this brook with a long face.</p></blockquote> - -<p>“What is wrong with it?” inquired Shifty, when -the red squirrel had finished reading. “I am sure -that it is as well written as the others, for I am a -good speller and have learned not to use bad -grammar.”</p> - -<p>“Everything is wrong with it,” said Tiny, -frankly, although he was too polite to make fun -of Shifty’s ignorance.</p> - -<p>At that moment Billy Beaver began thumping -with his long tail.</p> - -<p>“Read it over very carefully many times, and -perhaps you may be able to find your mistakes,” -said Tiny, as he hastened out into the sunlit air.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span></p> - -<p>From the top of the bower over the platform a -chorus of goldfinches, swallows, robins, and wrens -began singing “Hail to Spring.” At the same -time Miss Hare, followed by the graduating class, -came out of the schoolroom, and, with great dignity, -made her way to the platform. Miss Hare -seated herself upon a mossy cushion, while the -graduating class sat near her, forming a semicircle. -The graduates were Susie Goose, Sammy -Rabbit, Winkie Weasel, Puss Snowball, Rover -Canine, Reynard Redfox, and Tiny Redsquirrel.</p> - -<p>At the close of the song, which -was followed by loud cries of applause, -Mr. Owl, who sat upon a -branch in front of the platform, -said that the class would proceed -to deliver their compositions. He -added that a prize would be given -to the one who had the best theme, -and that Miss Hare, Mother Goose, -and he would be judges.</p> - -<p>When this announcement was -made, Mother Goose rose from her -comfortable seat by the side of the -Misses Pea Fowl and Guinea, and -flew to a seat beside Mr. Owl. The audience cheered -again more loudly than before.</p> - -<div id="Ref_151" class="figleft" style="width: 175px;"> -<img src="images/i_151.jpg" width="175" height="365" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">SAMMY RABBIT WAS -THE FIRST OF -THE CLASS TO -SPEAK.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Sammy Rabbit was the first of the class to speak. -Leaping to the front of the platform, he faced his -audience, and, with a profound bow, read as -follows:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="center">SOME QUEER CREATURES I HAVE SEEN.</p> - -<p>One day our teacher sent us out to study Nature. -She said that we should observe the simplest things, -for often they were the most instructive.</p> - -<p>My friend, Puss Snowball, went with me. Both -of us were anxious to improve our time. We animals -are fast friends.</p> - -<p>Three merry little ferrets darted across our -pathway. We followed them, but finally gave up -the chase. Snowball’s fur was filled with briers -and thistles; I was covered with mud, and had to -bathe in the brook. How we laughed! At last we -decided that we would study the smallest and -simplest things, as our teacher had told us to do.</p> - -<p>We found some earthworms in the soft loam. -These little creatures burrow into the soil when -the first frost comes. They spend the winter deep -in the ground, where the cold cannot reach them. -They do not mind if it blows and snows.</p> - -<p>We saw a katydid. He was of a pale green -color. His gauzy wings had little covers that -looked like drums. He rubbed the drums briskly, -and the music that he made was very cheerful. Did -you ever hear the katydid’s shrilling? The katydid, -however, is very small.</p> - -<p>We saw two interesting spiders in the brook. -Spiders have eight legs, while true insects have -only six. One of these little creatures had made a -silken diving-bell that resembled a tiny silver globe. -The other had made a raft of weeds, fastened together<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span> -with silken threads. Then they went slowly -downstream to catch insects that might fall into -the water. Spiders, although quite tiny, are very -clever. When spiders sleep, they sleep soundly; -when they work, they work industriously; when -they fight, they fight fiercely.</p> - -<p>Ants, bees, and wasps are interesting. The fly, -too, is worthy of study. It has four thousand small -eyes. Observe it carefully.</p> - -<p>Nature is full of wonderful, beautiful things—but -I shall not have time to tell any more about -the queer creatures I have seen.</p></blockquote> - -<p>Sammy’s composition was much appreciated. -He had chosen a simple, familiar subject and kept -it plainly in mind.</p> - -<p>Winkie Weasel met with less favor, for he had -undertaken to write about something that was beyond -his understanding. One can imagine how -much a little weasel would know about “The -Growth of Intellectual Perspicuity.” He stumbled -over the long words in a way that made all the little -prairie dogs in the front row titter in a very impolite -manner. Weenie Mouse became so much -frightened that he scampered away, long before -it was time for him to recite, and caused quite a -panic amongst the members of the Hen family.</p> - -<p>The other compositions were well written, although -Puss Snowball’s was spoiled by a singsong -delivery.</p> - -<p>Occasionally, the frog orchestra, from their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span> -green lily pads close by, would play a spirited air; -and Jenny Wren, a nervous little body, who -twitched every time she reached a high note, sang -“Happy Woodlands.”</p> - -<div id="Ref_155" class="figcenter" style="width: 459px;"> -<img src="images/i_155.jpg" width="459" height="650" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">TINY REDSQUIRREL WAS THE LAST OF HIS -CLASS TO APPEAR BEFORE THE AUDIENCE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Tiny Redsquirrel was the last of his class to appear -before the audience. With becoming modesty, -he rose, saluted the judges and his hearers, and -recited in a loud, clear voice:</p> - -<p class="center p1 poemheader">HAPPINESS EVERYWHERE.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="indent0">There is a spell in every flower, -</div><div class="indent1">A sweetness in each spray; -</div><div class="indent0">And every single bird has power -</div><div class="indent1">To please us with its lay. -</div></div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="indent0">And there is music on the breeze -</div><div class="indent1">That sports along the glade; -</div><div class="indent0">The crystal dewdrops on the trees -</div><div class="indent1">Are gems by fancy made. -</div></div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="indent0">Oh, there is joy and happiness -</div><div class="indent1">In everything we see! -</div><div class="indent0">But greatest joys we shall possess -</div><div class="indent1">Through truth and purity. -</div></div></div></div> - -<p>When he had finished, all the animals near and -far gave vent to tremendous applause, for animal -audiences are not so hard to please as those composed -of human beings. Mr. Opossum became so -enthusiastic that he shouted at the top of his voice:</p> - -<p>“Hurrah for Mr. Redsquirrel! One cannot<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span> -judge by the size of a creature how much he can -say.”</p> - -<p>Miss Hare joined the other two judges, and for -a few moments they held an earnest conversation -among themselves, while the audience sat in breathless -expectation.</p> - -<p>Finally, Mother Goose descended from her perch -and waddled to the front of the platform, where -she faced the eager listeners and said in a shrill, -but kindly voice:</p> - -<p>“Animals of the forest, the judges have decided -that the prize should go to Mr. Tiny Redsquirrel of -Squirreltown!”</p> - -<p>Turning to the embarrassed but happy little -squirrel, she pulled from her wing a quill, which -she gave him with a low bow, saying:</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 425px;"> -<img src="images/i_157.jpg" width="425" height="237" alt="This quill was taken from my wing." /> -</div> - -<p>“This quill was taken from my wing. No creature -is more respected by the human race and all -other animals than I am. Anyone who receives a -quill pen made from one of my feathers will be -famous ever after. Accept this reward for your -excellent poem and your good scholarship; but bear -in mind that -every achievement -is but a -camping place -for the night.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XXIII.</h2> - - -<p>Tiny never forgot the pleasant half hour that -followed his graduation. Although he felt happy, -he was sorry to leave dear old Beaver Creek with -its many delightful associations. After waving a -friendly farewell to Mr. Opossum, Jolly Gopher, -and his other chance acquaintances, he turned to -bid his classmates goodby. The bird choir was still -singing its sweetest airs.</p> - -<p>“Your poem was very good for a beginner,” said -Miss Hare, with a smile. “I suspect that you spent -much time in its preparation.”</p> - -<p>“I expect to write a better one in a year from -now,” replied Tiny.</p> - -<p>“You did not get frightened at all,” said timid -Katie Goose, who had been unable to read her composition -loud enough for her audience to hear.</p> - -<p>“One is never afraid of an audience unless he is -afraid of himself,” said Tiny. “I hope your -future life will be happy, Katie.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” replied Katie. “I want to be a -lovely character like my aunt, dear old Mother -Goose.”</p> - -<p>“I want to thank you for your kindness to me, -Mr. Owl,” continued the squirrel, running to where -the wise trustee of the school sat listening to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span> -merry chorus of voices. “I have done nothing to -pay for my board and tuition. In fact, I never -knew there was such a thing as money, and that -animals should pay for what they get from others, -instead of trying to steal it.”</p> - -<p>“Do not worry about that,” said the owl, kindly. -“Miss Hare’s school is free to pupils that cannot -pay. It is kept up by taxes paid by the good citizens -of Joy County. In this day of free schools, it -is a terrible crime for animals to neglect their -education.”</p> - -<p>“I shall organize a school in Squirreltown as -soon as I return,” said Tiny. “The little ones -would be more benefitted if they would exercise -their brains as well as their legs.”</p> - -<p>“I wish you success,” said the owl prophet, -kindly. “Your education has just begun. Even if -you should live as many years as a turtle does, you -would never learn all there is to know. Most squirrels -observe closely, but almost every squirrel does -not think as much as he should.”</p> - -<p>“I am going now,” said Tiny. “Please also accept -my thanks for your kindness to my mother -during my absence from home. I hope you will -come to Squirreltown and give me a chance to entertain -you.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” replied the owl. “I should be -glad to carry you home, but I believe you are old -enough to find your own way. There are many -other lessons for you to learn, and there are other -dreadful battles that you must fight alone. Always<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span> -be brave and hopeful, no matter what befalls you.”</p> - -<p>Tiny bade Miss Hare goodby, and she wished -him success. He tried to find Billy Beaver, but the -good janitor had already started up creek to his -work. One by one the graduates left the school -for their various homes, and, when Tiny started -forth on his journey, Beaver Creek was quiet and -deserted. With a sigh of regret he gazed back at -the domes of the buildings, and in his heart wished -that he might return.</p> - -<p>As he turned into the narrow path that led to -the north, he heard the noise of pattering feet. In -a few moments Winkie Weasel was beside him, -panting heavily.</p> - -<p>“I am going with you as far as Deertown,” said -he. “What a pleasant visit we shall have on the -way! You were always kind to help me with my -lessons, and I thank you.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose you are anxious to get back home,” -said Tiny, as they hurried along.</p> - -<p>“Not very,” replied Winkie, seriously. “My -home is not pleasant. However, I am going to try -to exert a good influence over those with whom I -live. Weasels fight most of the time, you know. I -shall try to teach them that vegetables are as wholesome -as meat, and that weasels would be just as -healthy if they did not eat every little animal that -crossed their path.”</p> - -<p>For a long time they chatted concerning their -classmates and the graduating exercises. They -praised their teacher’s elegant manners, Mrs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span> -Goose’s excellent morals and grand air, the pretty -faces of the Otter sisters, the beautiful bower that -Billy Beaver and his friends had made, and the -neat schoolroom. Winkie congratulated Tiny -again and again upon his splendid victory.</p> - -<p>When it grew dark, they stopped to rest. Tiny, -with the quill Mother Goose had given him securely -tied to his body, carefully climbed a tree. He found -a cozy spot sheltered by broad leaves. In the meantime, -Winkie found comfortable quarters in a -hollow log. Soon they fell asleep.</p> - -<p>In the middle of the night an awful storm arose. -The lightning flashed and the thunder roared. The -trees bent and swayed in the angry winds. It -seemed to Tiny that the world was coming to an -end; but he was brave and hopeful, for he knew -that the sunshine would be bright on the morrow.</p> - -<p>When the storm had abated somewhat, he fell -asleep again. However, he slept badly. He thought -some cruel animal was about to spring upon him -and swallow him in one gulp. He was a really -brave little creature, but such dreams are prone to -disturb even the boldest animal.</p> - -<p>He shuddered and opened his eyes with a start. -Not six feet away two terrible eyes of fire were fixed -upon him. He then knew that his dream was real. -In the flash of lightning that followed, he could -see a large animal about to spring at him. Its legs -were powerful, its feet were heavy, and its claws -glistened. Another flash of lightning revealed the -pointed ears of the terrible beast.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span></p> - -<p>Tiny tried to escape, but the branch of the tree -was slippery with rain. In a twinkling he received -a terrific blow from an enormous paw. Then followed -a crash of thunder, an angry roar, and the -frightened shriek of a poor helpless squirrel.</p> - -<p>“Oh, save me from the lynx—the lynx!” he cried.</p> - -<p>Both he and the bloodthirsty creature had fallen -to the ground. Tiny knew that in another moment -he might meet with a tragic fate. Another flash -of lightning showed the lynx, with his fur standing -straight and his back curled, ready to pounce upon -him.</p> - -<div id="Ref_162" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_162.jpg" width="600" height="473" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">WHEN THE LIGHTNING FLASHED AGAIN HE DASHED FORWARD AND -THRUST THE PEN INTO THE DELICATE NOSTRILS OF THE LYNX.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Darkness came again. Tiny was so badly stunned -for a while that he could hardly move. He stood -dumbly awaiting the final blow. Then a loud roar<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span> -of pain resounded through the forest. It was evident -to Tiny that some creature was attacking the -lynx. The little squirrel unloosened the pen that -had been given him. When the lightning flashed -again, he dashed forward and thrust it into the -delicate nostril of the lynx. There was another -cry, more of surprise than of pain, and the ferocious -animal disappeared in the blackness of night.</p> - -<p>“We are safe now,” said Winkie Weasel’s welcome -voice. “It is fortunate that I came with you. -Just as the lynx was about to destroy you, I rushed -out of the stump and gave his tail a bite that he -will not soon forget. I think, judging by the way -he yelled, he must have thought he was struck by -lightning.”</p> - -<p>Tiny was too weak to reply. He stood shivering -in the rain, yet he was grateful that he had learned -the value of friendship. Winkie, who enjoyed -dreadful encounters, pushed him back into the -stump that he might protect him through the night. -There they remained until daybreak.</p> - -<p>“Now, forget about the lynx and don’t be so cast -down,” were the first words that Winkie said on -the following morning. “Don’t hold any ill-will -towards him. He was only thinking what a fine -meal you would make. All animals are looking out -for themselves.”</p> - -<p>A turn in the long path brought them into Deertown. -A number of red deer were lying together -upon the grassy turf. They had slept well, for the -branches of the trees had formed a thick canopy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span> -over their heads. A stag with a reddish-brown coat -and big branching antlers was guarding them. -Several pretty fawns with brown eyes and white -coats were playing hide-and-seek in the bushes. -Although deer are quick to hear the footsteps of -larger animals, they paid no heed to the little -newcomers.</p> - -<div id="Ref_164" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_164.jpg" width="600" height="569" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">“ISN’T THE STAG A NOBLE-LOOKING CREATURE?”</p></div> -</div> - -<p>“Isn’t the stag noble-looking!” cried Tiny. -“What a big creature he is!”</p> - -<p>“He is very proud,” said Winkie, less admiringly. -“He is also selfish, for he becomes angry if -any other stag comes inside his family circle.”</p> - -<p>“Isn’t it fortunate that we don’t have to wear -antlers?” laughed Tiny. “How funny you would -look, Winkie, with horns or antlers!”</p> - -<p>“It is said that one can tell the age of a stag by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span> -looking at his antlers,” replied Winkie, with the -sprightliness that Tiny enjoyed. “Perhaps Mother -Goose is thankful, too, that she doesn’t have them.”</p> - -<p>Not far beyond Deertown, the two associates -separated. Tiny was to go directly north, while -Winkie was to pass through several winding paths -to Weasel Bog.</p> - -<p>“Goodby, Tiny. Carry your prize safely home, -and tell your mother that you well deserved it,” -said Winkie. “Some day I will bring my family to -see you.”</p> - -<p>“I am afraid you wouldn’t be very welcome in -Squirreltown,” said Tiny. “However, I will meet -you alone at any time you suggest. I will fetch -you something good to eat.”</p> - -<p>“Squirrels are all right in their bad opinions of -weasels,” said Winkie, regretfully. “I never -thought how scandalous my family would act, if I -took them to Squirreltown. I do not wish to visit -your village, but I will meet you at any place you -may suggest. I want to see you only. Let me hear -from you often.”</p> - -<p>“All right,” replied Tiny, cheerily.</p> - -<p>With another farewell he turned north and ran -as fast as he could. Two or three times he stopped -to eat some delicious acorns and other food he -found by the wayside, for Nature has bountifully -provided for the squirrel race.</p> - -<p>He might have reached home without any more -dreadful encounters, had it not been for his -curiosity. While resting on the lower branch of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span> -beech tree, he saw an animal with soft, silky fur, -fast asleep on the bough above his head. He did -not know that the pretty, innocent-looking creature -was a wild cat, one of the most terrible beasts of -the wood. The thoughtless squirrel stole noiselessly -to the side of the sleeping animal and made a shrill, -screeching noise.</p> - -<div id="Ref_166" class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/i_166.jpg" width="600" height="469" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">HE RAN WITH ALL HIS MIGHT ALONG THE PATH.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The wild cat awoke. Instantly it changed to a -ferocious monster, with ruffled fur and eyes that -seemed to shoot forth flames. With a snarl of rage, -it dashed at its disturber. Tiny, whose heart beat -wildly, dashed down the tree. Instead of seeking -refuge in some knothole, he ran with all his might -along the path. He expected to be killed at any -moment. Horror made him run all the faster, for -he knew that the wild cat was the most dreadful -animal he could possibly arouse.</p> - -<p>Over fallen twigs and branches the frightened<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span> -squirrel leapt, little thinking of other dangers -that might befall him. At last his strength began -to fail. He knew that he could hold out but a few -minutes longer. Torn by brush and briers, he -ascended an oak tree. A little door stood ajar. He -rushed through the tiny opening and fell prostrate.</p> - -<p>When he regained his senses, a little gray animal -with liquid dark eyes was bending over him.</p> - -<p>“Bushy Graysquirrel!” he cried in delight.</p> - -<p>“I am very glad to receive you in my new home,” -was Bushy’s welcome greeting.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>CHAPTER XXIV.</h2> - - -<p>“I am so glad to see you!” exclaimed Tiny. “I -was running away from a wild cat, and met you -by accident.”</p> - -<p>“I saw you running,” answered Bushy. “However, -I did not see a wild cat. Squirrels run faster -than wild cats, so I suppose he gave up the chase.”</p> - -<p>“I am not a coward,” declared the red squirrel, -somewhat embarrassed, “but I think it is best to -run when a wild cat comes into one’s life.”</p> - -<p>“In this forest are few wild cats,” asserted -Bushy. “They seldom disturb us, unless they are -provoked.”</p> - -<p>“What are you doing here?” asked Tiny, when -he had fully recovered from his shock.</p> - -<p>“I live here in the country now,” was the reply. -“Perhaps you do not know that I have a mate. He -is out getting acorns for our luncheon. Of acorns -there is a great plenty in this part of the woods. -They cover the ground.”</p> - -<p>“Has Squirreltown changed much?” he inquired.</p> - -<p>“You would hardly know the place,” answered -the gray squirrel. “All our playmates have grown -up. Peggy and her mate live in the city, and Polly -Blacksquirrel and her mate own the big beech by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span> -the brook. Dr. Flyingsquirrel has retired from -business on account of his great age. He must be -nearly five years old. Your mother, however, is -well and happy. Many citizens has Squirreltown. -Not one in a hundred leaves it for the country. -I—”</p> - -<p>“Do you ever visit there?” interrupted Tiny.</p> - -<p>“Neither of us has been back for some time,” -said Bushy. “We will go over to-night to attend -the celebration.”</p> - -<p>“What celebration?”</p> - -<p>“One which is to be given upon your return -home,” laughed Bushy.</p> - -<p>Tiny then remembered that Mr. Owl had promised -the winner of the prize a still greater reward. -He felt very grateful and happy, but did not think -it polite to question Bushy any further.</p> - -<p>After a short visit with his old friend, Tiny bade -her goodby, and resumed his journey. He hurried -along almost as fast as he did when he thought the -wild cat was after him, for he was anxious to see -his dear old home once more, and to receive his -mother’s welcome greeting.</p> - -<p>While he was drinking at a small stream, he -heard a shrill cry. Before he could turn round, he -was pushed off his feet. Over and over he rolled, -until he almost fell into the water.</p> - -<p>“Tiny, Tiny, I am so glad to see you!” cried a -well known voice.</p> - -<p>“Chatty Chipmunk!” exclaimed Tiny, equally -delighted; for there was his earliest playmate dancing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span> -about like a wild creature. “Never before -have I received such an unexpected greeting.”</p> - -<p>“I learned that you would be home to-day, and -have come to meet you,” continued Chatty. “Near -the city wait a number of your old friends. I -couldn’t stand still, so here I am.”</p> - -<p>“Are you still fond of playing?” asked Tiny, -somewhat amused at his gay friend.</p> - -<p>“Yes. I don’t suppose that I ever shall take life -seriously,” was the laughing reply. “Nature never -intended that I should work or study. However, I -have a thrifty mate, and she makes a very comfortable -living for me. Every one of those animals at -Squirreltown avoids me, but I do not care.”</p> - -<p>“If I were mayor of Squirreltown, I would make -you work or let you starve,” said Tiny, severely.</p> - -<p>“Your education has not improved your appearance,” -said Chatty, quickly changing the subject. -“You look old and all mussed up.”</p> - -<p>“Animals who spend all their time in study are -apt to become careless of their personal appearance,” -explained Tiny. “You forget, however, -that I have had a long journey, and that animals of -good taste do not try to look too sleek when they -travel. They do not wish to attract attention.”</p> - -<p>“Of what use are books and study?” inquired -Chatty.</p> - -<p>“They are of no use to such as you,” replied the -squirrel impatiently.</p> - -<p>“And what are you doing with that old goose -quill strapped to your back?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span></p> - -<p>“That is the prize I won for good scholarship,” -said Tiny, rather disdainfully.</p> - -<p>“How funny!” cried the chipmunk, laughing -until his sides ached. “How could an animal spend -so much time studying, just to win a goose quill?”</p> - -<p>“You and I do not see things alike, Chatty,” said -Tiny, with an air of superiority. “It is not possible -for an uneducated animal like you to feel the -noble sentiment that makes this goose quill dear to -me.”</p> - -<p>“You are as queer as some human beings,” declared -Chatty. “I have heard of a silly man that -studied for many years to win an old piece of -sheepskin.”</p> - -<p>Tiny wisely forbore further argument. After a -few minutes’ rest was taken, he arose, and together -they hastened to Squirreltown.</p> - -<p>When the grand old trees of the city appeared to -view, Tiny shouted for joy. There is nothing in -life so dear as home and its associations, and the -country in which one lives, and the individuals -with whom one associates.</p> - -<p>Although sentinels had been stationed at the entrances -of the highways to meet Tiny, he stole up a -back street; for he wished to see his mother first of -all.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Redsquirrel was preparing the last meal of -the day. Although somewhat older in appearance -than when he left her, she seemed as beautiful as -ever to Tiny.</p> - -<p>“Mother!” he cried, as he rushed into the house.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span></p> - -<p>With shrieks of joy, the good creature bounded -over the table and to and fro until she was exhausted.</p> - -<p>“Welcome! welcome home!” she cried, her little -heart fairly bursting with motherly love and joy.</p> - -<p>They chatted until dusk began to steal over<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span> -Squirreltown. At last they were interrupted by -Chatty Chipmunk.</p> - -<p>“You are under arrest, Tiny,” he said, gravely. -“I am bidden by the mayor to take you to the park -which faces the city hall.”</p> - -<p>Tiny and his mother good-naturedly followed -Chatty, thinking that perhaps he was, as of old, -playing some joke upon them.</p> - -<p>“Be merciful to me, Tiny,” pleaded Chatty, on -their way to the park. “Remember that I am your -oldest friend. I promise you that I will lead a useful -life in the future. My greatest regret now is -that I trifled all my time away when I was young.”</p> - -<p>Tiny did not reply. They had entered the -green park, facing which was a decayed log with -many doors and windows. It was used as a city -hall.</p> - -<div id="Ref_172" class="figcenter" style="width: 574px;"> -<img src="images/i_172.jpg" width="574" height="650" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"><p class="center">WHAT WAS TINY’S SURPRISE TO FIND ALL THE CITIZENS OF SQUIRRELTOWN -GATHERED THERE TO MEET HIM!</p></div> -</div> - -<p>What was Tiny’s surprise to find all the citizens -of Squirreltown gathered there to meet him. There -were the aged mayor at the door of the city hall, the -militia, the policemen, and all the aldermen and -other dignitaries of the city. Every one was dignified -and silent. Tiny and his mother were led by -two policemen to the little balcony over the entrance -to the building. They were unable to speak, -from surprise and wonderment.</p> - -<p>“Hoot! hoot! hoot!” rang out from a bough over -their heads. This cry was evidently another signal -to enforce perfect order. Tiny gazed up timidly, -and saw the yellow eyes of the owl prophet staring -down upon him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Citizens of Squirreltown,” cried Mr. Owl, “I, -the wisest of all living creatures, take pleasure in -presenting to you, Mr. Tiny Redsquirrel, the new -mayor of Squirreltown!”</p> - -<p>Flapping his wings in approbation, he flew away, -never to return again.</p> - -<p>Then wild cheers rent the air. Never since that -time has Squirreltown been so riotous. Before -Tiny could realize his exalted position, he was surrounded -by his old friends. There were Dr. Flyingsquirrel -and his family, Chatty Chipmunk and -his mate, Peggy and Bushy Graysquirrel, Polly -Blacksquirrel, and many others, cheering and wishing -him success and happiness.</p> - -<p>Hundreds of lightning bugs circled above their -heads, throwing out green and orange-colored rays. -Billy Foxsquirrel and his band whistled gay airs; -a frog orchestra close by joined them; and a chorus -of friendly mosquitoes, and other insects, completed -the grand refrain. Until far into the night, laughter -and rejoicing reigned triumphant. What Tiny -did for Squirreltown in after years is more than -any boy or girl could imagine.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div><!--Page break for ePub--> - -<div class="transnote"> -<h2 style="margin-top: 0em">Transcriber’s Notes:</h2> - -<p>Illustrations have been moved to paragraph breaks near where they are -mentioned.</p> - -<p>Punctuation has been made consistent.</p> - -<p>Variations in spelling and hyphenation were retained as they appear in -the original publication, except that obvious typographical errors -have been corrected.</p> - -<p>Captions were added for text included in illustrations as follows:</p> - -<p><a href="#Ref_iv">p. iv</a>: COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY LAIRD & LEE, Inc.</p> - -<p><a href="#Ref_94">p. 94</a>: POETRY</p> - -<p><a href="#Ref_100">p. 100</a>: PANTRY</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 461px;"> -<img src="images/i_back.jpg" width="461" height="650" alt="Back cover" /> -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Squirrel's Pilgrim's Progress, by -J. 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