Hazel Squirrel | Page 4

and Mr. Bat and
Mrs. Red Squirrel, for just a moment they thought they were dreaming.
But when Mrs. Red Squirrel questioned them, all she could make out
between their sobs was that they were lost and wanted to go home.
"You poor, dear little things," she said, hugging them in her soft arms,
"come home with me to-night and we will help you find your mothers
in the morning."
I can tell you it seemed good to the little runaways to be among kind
friends again, and when Mrs. Squirrel saw four little squirrels all curled
up together in her house, she was most as happy as if they had been
four red ones, instead of two red and two gray.

MRS. SCREECH OWL
It was so much darker in the woods than in the park the little city
squirrels could hardly believe it was time to get up when Mother Red
Squirrel called them. But after they had washed the sleepiness out of
their eyes they could see little pink patches of sky through the leaves
and they knew the clock was not fast after all.
It took them much longer to dress than usual, because they had not
stopped to brush their tails out the night before. Hazel's was dreadfully
matted down and Bushie's was full of burs. How it did hurt when Hazel,
as carefully as could be, helped him pick them out. But he bravely
choked back the tears and blew his nose very hard. He did not want his
new friends to think him a baby, of course.
[Illustration: MOTHER SQUIRREL ENTERTAINS HER VISITORS]
Even their breakfast was different. They had country beetles; nice,
white mushrooms, and crisp, fresh apple seeds. And after they had
eaten and eaten, Mrs. Red Squirrel asked her little guests many

questions--what their names were, where they lived, and how ever did
they get so far from home?
How the two little squirrels' eyes popped out as Bushy-Tail told them
of their home in the park, built for them out of boards and nails. He told
how the caretaker came around every morning with a cup on a long
pole and left a fresh supply of peanuts on their back porch, and he told
of the wonderful dream he had had about a tree where all kinds of nuts
grew side by side on the same branch. "I was so tired of peanuts," he
added, "I set out to find the tree--but somehow--got--lost," and then his
voice became so shaky he couldn't tell any more.
Mother Red Squirrel helped him to another fat beetle and said as soon
as she had her work done she would see what she could do about it. "So
many of the wood folks are moving south for the winter," she said. "I
am sure I can find someone who will be going your way."
Now, Mrs. Screech Owl had seen Mrs. Red Squirrel hurry through the
rain the night before with neither umbrella nor rubbers. So she said to
herself, "This looks very queer. I will wait opposite the squirrel house,
for I must know all."
And presently the entire woods was awakened by Mrs. Screech Owl's
shrill voice calling, "Extra, extra! Mrs. Red Squirrel has city cousins
visiting her." Of course this was not true. But "extras" seldom are
accurate.
Anyway, Mrs. Red Squirrel thought she never would get her work done.
You would not believe me if I should tell you how many times the door
bell rang. First her neighbor on one side dropped in to borrow a pattern.
Then a neighbor on the other side came over to return a book. Then
friends from all over the woods just happened by, and always after a
second or two they would say, "I hear you have company from the
city."
And then Mother Red Squirrel would have to stop work and tell all
about it. But the worst of it was nobody knew the way back to the park.

Pretty soon Mother Red Squirrel had an idea. "Mr. Bat is a great
traveler," she said, "even if he does go to places only at night, I'll ask
him." Now, nobody likes to be waked out of a sound sleep to be asked
questions. Mr. Bat blinked his eyes very hard, though by that time the
sun was too bright for him to see a thing, and at first he said he didn't
know the way either. Then Mrs. Red Squirrel flattered him a little and
told how she had asked everybody the way to the park and nobody
knew. "I felt sure you'd know," she added, at which Mr. Bat
remembered he did and promised to take the little runaways home, just
as soon as it should be dark enough!
When