Hazel Squirrel | Page 9

hurry indeed. Already he felt sure he could smell the
honey, so he left Coonie and ran toward the hive at the end of the row
in high spirits. But before he knocked on it he stopped and looked back.
He wanted to see how Coonie was getting along.
Now, Coonie did not really want any honey. All he wanted to do was to
play a joke on his friend, but it very often happens that the practical
joker gets the worst of it in the end. And as Coonie stepped up to the
hive and pretended to knock, he put his paw right down on top of the
Queen Bee, whom he did not see sunning herself on the ledge.
The Queen Bee has no sting, you know, and cannot defend herself. She
is by no means helpless, however. She has, in fact, an entire army ready
to fight for her at a moment's call.
When the other bees heard their Queen's cry for help they all rushed out
of their hives and began at once attacking Coonie. They buzzed angrily
around him and burrowed into his fur until he rolled over and over on
the ground, doubled up with the pain.
This was what Chuck saw when he turned around to find out how
Coonie was getting along! He grabbed up a big stick, but he soon saw
there was nothing he could do to help.
He also saw that the bees in their mad attack had left their fort
unguarded. So he stuck his paw inside the door and broke off a good
sized piece of comb full of nice, yellow honey. Then he started for the
woods again as fast as he could.
[Illustration]
Coonie did not see Chuck as he shot past him a few minutes later,
trying to shake off the bees that still clung to him, as he ran. And a few
days later, when they met down by the brook, Coonie pretended not to
see him.
"Howdy, Coonie," Chuck called out in his cheery way. "Where are you
going so fast? Well, I never," he added, noticing Coonie's bumps and

bandages. "Have you been in a fight?"
"Just a little fuss with Farmer Jones' dog. He's twice my size and a
regular bully," Coonie answered, as he brushed by Chuck in such a
hurry that he did not hear the latter call after him.
"Say, old friend, meet me by the big oak tree in the corner of the woods
tomorrow and we'll go after some more of that good honey!"
It was Chuck's turn to laugh now, for "he laughs best who laughs last,"
you know.

PINKIE WHISKERS
CHAPTER I
Little Pinkie Whiskers was born in a big city and lived with his Father
Gray, Mother Gray and two little sisters, Twinkle and Winkle, in a tin
box, which was hidden under a big garbage can.
Mother Gray had hunted and found nice scraps of cotton and bits of
straw. With these she made a soft, warm nest and here they all lived as
cozy and happy as could be.
One day a poor, old man came down the alley and looked in all the
garbage cans to see what he could find that he might sell, for that is the
way he got his money to buy his food and shelter.
When he came to the garbage can over our family of rats, he did not see
their little home and pushed their box right over.
Pinkie Whiskers, Twinkle and Winkle were all alone. They fell out
onto the brick pavement and began to cry. Oh, my, how they cried!
Mother Gray and Father Gray were out getting a nice supper for them
all. Mother Gray heard her babies cry and came running home as fast as
she could.

When she saw what had happened, she was very distressed. She quieted
her babies and nestled down with them in the fence corner.
Father Gray said, "Never mind, my dears, I will find you a nice, new
home," and away he went.
Bye and bye he returned and told them with joy that he had found a
splendid place for them to live. It was just inside the door of a big
apartment building.
Father Gray and Mother Gray gathered together all the pieces of their
nest and carried them in their mouths. Then, keeping very close to the
fence, they started for their new home.
This new home was a nice square place under the floor and far enough
back so that a cat or a dog could not reach them. Soon they were settled
and Pinkie Whiskers, Twinkle and Winkle were fast asleep.
In the morning, just as Mrs. Gray was washing her children's faces,
they heard a bell ring