Hazel Squirrel | Page 5

Bushy-Tail and Hazel learned that they were going home that
night, they jumped up and down for joy. I forgot to tell you Mrs. Red
Squirrel's two children were called Pinky and Rusty. They were such
lively, frolicsome children that you just couldn't help but laugh to see
them, and pretty soon Bushy-Tail and Hazel had forgotten all about
how their parents must be worrying.
"How would it be if we all went on a picnic today?" asked Mother Red
Squirrel. "I know where there are hazel nuts." I need not tell you what
they answered. So she gave them each a little basket and took two
herself and whisk--they were springing through the air, leaping from
the ends of teetering branches or spinning along the tops of fences in a
jiffy.
[Illustration: THE SQUIRRELS GO ON A PICNIC]
By and by they came to a lot of bushes and Mrs. Red Squirrel put down
her basket "Let's not stop here," cried Bushy-Tail. "See, the burs don't
open a bit, they are much too green to eat."
But Mrs. Red Squirrel said, "If we wait for the wind to rattle them out
for us, chipmunks and children from over the hill will not leave us one.
If we even wait until the burs open, crows and jays will carry them off."
Then she showed them how to cut off the little clusters of burs and
soon they had their baskets full. What fun that picnic was. There were
so many new things to see in that woods. Bushy-Tail kept crying, "Oh,

look here, Hazel," and she was kept busy calling, "Come quick,
Bushy-Tail."
Bushy-Tail had one eye open for the wonderful tree where all kinds of
nuts grew side by side on the same branch. He could remember just
how it looked in his dream, so he felt sure he would know it the minute
he espied it. "If there isn't one in this wonderful woods," he was
beginning to think, "I don't believe there is one anywhere."
All of a sudden Hazel and Bushy-Tail heard their little play-fellows
give a scared little cry. They looked around quickly, but could see
nothing to be frightened at--only a man carrying a heavy black stick
against his shoulder. He kept stealing up nearer, and Hazel and
Bushy-Tail kept very still watching him.
"I think he has some peanuts for us," said Hazel Squirrel.
"What do we want of peanuts now, come on," said Bushy-Tail, and
they ran around the trunk of the tree. Just then a terrifying "whiz" went
past their ears followed by a deafening "bang." They were so frightened
they ran and ran, and did not stop until they were all out of breath.
It was the only time they ever had even seen a man with a gun. After
that they never took nuts from men carrying sticks.
That afternoon Mrs. Red Squirrel made Hazel and Bushy-Tail take a
little nap. "You know you will be up late to-night," she said. Mr. Bat
had not forgotten his promise and just as soon as it began to get dark he
was knocking at the door. He said there would be a moon, so they need
not bother a fire-fly to go too.
Mrs. Red Squirrel and her two children went as far as the edge of the
woods with them. "Now you know the way you must come often," they
called after Bushy-Tail and Hazel. "Don't forget to come and see us,
too, and thank you for the nice time," they called back. You see, they
had been well trained and did not forget their manners.
[Illustration: FEASTING ON HAZEL NUTS]

"I think I should like to live in the park," said Rusty to his mother.
"Bushy says there are no traps there or bad men with guns." Mrs. Red
Squirrel was thinking she would like to have her groceries delivered,
too, so she answered, "I think I shall speak to your father about it
to-night."
When Bushy-Tail and little Hazel Squirrel finally reached the edge of
the park it was very late and they were very tired indeed. But when they
got within sight of their homes and saw the lights in the windows they
began to run again anyway.
Do you think their mothers were glad to see them once more? Well,
was your mother glad to see you that day she thought you were lost,
when you really were not? And if you still want to know if Bushy-Tail
ever found the wonderful tree where all kinds of nuts grew side by side
on the same branch, all I can tell you is that they never found it in the
park and that they never ran away again.

THE RACCOON AND THE BEES
[Illustration: THE RACCOON WATCHES THE