The Pigeon Tale | Page 6

brought him some refreshments.
[Illustration: Such delicious morsels, served in the most tempting manner]
Such delicious morsels, served in the most tempting manner! Purée of chestnuts, and hickory-nut cake--wonderful cherry cordial, made, the squirrels explained to Laurie, out of melted sap of the wild cherry tree--exquisite walnuts baked in acorn cups. Oh! I can't tell you half what there was, for Laurie did not know himself, but it was all very delicious, and the squirrels too seemed to think it an important occasion, for there was a great deal of whisking of tails, and the squirrel waiters sat up very stiffly with their little paws held up in front of them, as though they knew how much was expected of them and meant to do their share. Every now and then Laurie would see a pair of bright eyes peeping at him over the stair, then off would scurry a baby squirrel afraid of being caught, "for all the world," thought Laurie, "the way we do at home when we are forbidden to come down when mother is giving a party, so watch instead from a landing on the stair when nurse's back is turned."
[Illustration: The squirrel led the way down the winding stair.]
After the refreshments, there was more bowing and waving of bushy tails and hand shaking or paw shaking, I do not know which--for it was time to be off; Laurie thanked them very much and said he would like to come again, which was very true indeed, and he said in his most "grown up way" that he had had a delightful time, and the squirrels seemed pleased and nodded again, and the same old squirrel, who must have been the door-keeper, for he kept jingling a great bunch of keys in his hands, now led the way down the winding stair again, until they reached what must have been the cellar part of the tree, where the squirrels kept their stores for the winter. It had grown so dark that their guide now took a lantern down from the wall and, fastening a glow worm inside to light the way, showed Laurie great piles of nuts and acorns stacked in the corners. After a while they came to a little door and, passing through it--the squirrel leading the way, after him the pigeon, and Laurie bringing up the rear--they found themselves in a long passage, smelling of earth and mould. "It surely must be underground," thought Laurie, "I wonder if the moles and mice have streets just as we do. Oh, dear! I do hope we don't meet that dreadful turkey-gobbler." Before he had time to think much about it, they came to another little door, on the other side of which was a stair that evidently led up into another tree.
Here the squirrel with the lantern bade them good-bye, and disappeared down the corridor. The pigeon led the way up the stair, at the top of which was a rough wooden door. "We must leave a message here," said he, tapping on the door, and after waiting some time, Laurie thought he heard a gruff voice say, "To-who-to-who?" "Why doesn't he come and see instead of asking?" thought Laurie, but just then the door opened, and an old owl put out his head.
[Illustration: An old owl put out his head]
[Illustration: The owl]
CHAPTER V.
The owl looked very sleepy, and blinked his eyes very hard. "He must have been asleep," said Laurie to himself, "owls always do sleep in the day-time I suppose."
"Who-oo!" screeched the owl, flapping his wings and ruffling up his feathers, and looking very hard at Laurie. "Oh, dear! I beg your pardon," said Laurie, feeling very much frightened indeed, "I didn't mean to be rude, but all the birds and animals on the farm here have such a curious way of knowing what I'm thinking." The owl paid no attention to him, however, but opened the door wider for them to enter, and Laurie, keeping close behind the pigeon, stepped in. The owl was evidently a bachelor, for his room was very untidy; books and papers lay piled about in the greatest confusion, and while he tried in a clumsy way to make room for them, every now and then he would upset something, as he was extremely near-sighted. He finally pushed a revolving globe on a stand toward Laurie, evidently thinking it a stool; it was very uncomfortable to sit on, and it had a way of turning round at the least little motion, and Laurie hoped that whatever the message was the pigeon would not remain long.
[Illustration: The owl reads over the paper]
The pigeon now brought out a folded paper from a pocket underneath his wing, and handed it to the owl, who opened it, and said he would give it due consideration