Lady Mary and her Nurse | Page 9

family of pretty grey squirrels that had their
dwelling in the hoary branch of an old oak-tree that grew on one of the
rocky islands in a beautiful lake in Upper Canada, called Stony Lake
(because it was full of rocky islands), these little creatures were far
from being contented, and were always wishing for a change. Indeed,
they had been very happy, till one day when a great black squirrel
swam to the island and paid them a visit. He was a very fine handsome
fellow, nearly twice as large as any of the grey squirrels; he had a tail
that flourished over his back, when he set it up, like a great black
feather; his claws were sharp and strong, and his eyes very round and
bright; he had upright ears, and long, sharp teeth, of which he made
good use. The old grey squirrels called him cousin, and invited him to
dinner. They very civilly set before him some acorns and beech-nuts;
but he proved a hungry visitor, and ate as much as would have fed the
whole family for a week. After the grey squirrels had cleared away the
shells and scraps, they asked their greedy guest where he came from,
when Blackie told them he was a great traveller, and had seen many
wonderful things; that he had once lived on a forked pine at the head of
the Waterfall, but being tired of a dull life, he had gone out on his
travels to see the world; that he had been down the lake, and along the
river shore, where there were great places cut out in the thick forest,
called clearings, where some very tall creatures lived, who were called
men and women, with young ones called children; that though they

were not so pretty as squirrels--for they had no for on them, and were
obliged to make clothes to cover them and keep them warm--they were
very useful, and sowed corn and planted fruit-trees and roots for
squirrels to eat, and even built large grain stores to keep it safe and dry
for them.
This seemed very strange, and the simple little grey squirrels were very
much pleased, and said they should like very much to go down the
lakes too, and see these wonderful things.
The black squirrel then told them that there were many things to be
seen in these clearings: that there were large beasts, called oxen, and
cows, and sheep, and pigs; and these creatures had houses built for
them to live in; and all the men and women seemed to employ
themselves about, was feeding and taking care of them.
Now this cunning fellow never told his simple cousins that the oxen
had to bear a heavy wooden yoke and chain, and were made to work
very hard; nor that the cows were fed that they might give milk to the
children; nor that the pigs were fatted to make pork; nor that the sheep
had their warm fleeces cut off every year that the settlers might have
the wool to spin and weave. Blackie did not say that the men carried
guns, and the dogs were fierce, and would hunt poor squirrels from tree
to tree, frightening them almost to death with their loud, angry barking;
that cats haunted the barns and houses, and, in short, that there were
dangers as well as pleasures to be met with in these clearings; and that
the barns were built to shelter the grain for men, and not for the benefit
of squirrels.
The black squirrel proved rather a troublesome guest, for he stayed
several days, and ate so heartily, that the old grey squirrels were
obliged to hint that he had better go back to the clearings, where there
was so much food, for that their store was nearly done.
When Blackie found that all the nice nuts were eaten, and that even
pine-kernels and beech-nuts were becoming scarce, he went away,
saying that he should soon come again.
The old grey squirrels were glad when they saw the tip of Blackie's tail
disappear, as he whisked down the trunk of the old oak; but their young
ones were very sorry that he was gone, for they liked very much to
listen to all his wonderful stories, which they thought were true; and
they told their father and mother how they wished they would leave the

dull island and the old tree, and go down the lakes, and see the
wonderful things that their black cousin had described.
But the old ones shook their heads, and said they feared there was more
fiction than truth in the tales they had heard, and that if they were wise
they would stay where they were. "What do you want more, my dear