The Tale of Frisky Squirrel | Page 5

at last flown away in despair. "I hope
he'll come back again to-morrow," said Frisky.
But Mrs. Squirrel shook her head. She wished that Frisky was less
daring.

VI
Mr. Hawk Returns
After he escaped from the fierce red-tailed hawk you would naturally
think that Frisky Squirrel would have been glad to keep away from
such a great, strong enemy. But the very next day found Frisky
searching everywhere for that cruel, hook-nosed Mr. Hawk. He wanted
more of that fine sport that he had had the day before, dodging and
twisting around the limbs of the trees, while Mr. Hawk swooped down

and tried to seize him. There was another reason, too, why Frisky
wanted to find Mr. Hawk again--and that was because he knew that it
annoyed Mr. Hawk very much not to be able to catch him. You see,
Frisky Squirrel was a great tease.
Well, as I said, Frisky hunted all through the woods for the red-tailed
hawk. But he couldn't find him. There was a good reason why--and that
was because Mr. Hawk was waiting for Frisky in the top of a tree near
Mrs. Squirrel's home. He was waiting and watching--was Mr. Hawk.
When Frisky had given up his search and was almost home he heard
the smaller birds warning one another of the danger, telling of the
savage old fellow who was half-hidden on a high branch of the tall elm.
Frisky first heard a flicker calling to a towhee; and the towhee told a
robin; and the robin told a little song sparrow that he had better keep
out of sight unless he wanted Mr. Hawk to catch him. You may be sure
that the little song sparrow was very careful after that. He gave a few
chips, just to do his share in warning the other forest-people to look out
for the red-tailed hawk; and then he crept into a thicket and kept just as
still as a mouse.
When Frisky heard the news--for he knew what the birds were telling
one another--he hurried along joyfully. He was not afraid of Mr. Hawk.
Mr. Hawk was the very person he was looking for.
"Hello, you old ruffian!" Frisky called, as soon as he spied Mr. Hawk.
It certainly was a very impolite thing to say, even if it was true.
Mr. Hawk turned his cruel eyes upon Frisky Squirrel and then he
dashed toward him as fast as he knew how. He dropped down like
lightning from his high perch, and Frisky had to dodge quickly to
escape him; but that was part of the fun.
Frisky Squirrel laughed as Mr. Hawk went sailing by him. And then
something happened--something Frisky was not expecting. He heard a
rush through the air, and a nervous little wren screamed to him to look
out. Frisky didn't know what the trouble was; but he gave a great leap
to one side.

He was just in time. He had hardly left the limb to which he had been
clinging when Mr. Hawk's wife went coursing past. You see, Mr. Hawk
had made up his mind that he was going to catch Frisky Squirrel, even
if he had to bring Mrs. Hawk along to help him.

VII
A Brave Little Bird
It was not long before Frisky Squirrel began to see that he had got
himself into something very like a fix. It had been fairly easy to dodge
Mr. Hawk alone. But things were quite different now. Mr. Hawk would
come hurtling down upon him from one direction; and Mrs. Hawk
would swoop down upon him from another. It was all very confusing,
because Frisky could not watch both of them at once.
He called to his mother, because he began to be frightened. But Mrs.
Squirrel was not at home. Frisky did not know what to do. He tried to
reach his home in the big hickory tree near-by; but Mr. and Mrs. Hawk
wouldn't let him go near it. And when he felt one of Mr. Hawk's sharp
talons dig into his back Frisky thought that his end had come. But he
escaped that time, though Mrs. Hawk nearly caught him just two
seconds later.
I am afraid The Tale of Frisky Squirrel would have ended right here, if
somebody had not come to Frisky's help. Fortunately, there was a small,
olive-green bird who lived with his wife not far from Frisky Squirrel's
home. Mr. Kinglet was his name. And though he was a tiny fellow he
had a heart like a lion's. I suppose that in all the country around Blue
Mountain there was no braver fellow than he. And his wife was brave
too. Although they both wore very dull-colored clothes, if you took a
good look at Mr. Kinglet you