Whiffet Squirrel | Page 3

for them to try, so Whiffet decided to open the trunk and see what was inside. She lifted up the lid very softly and found that it contained enough pretty clothes for a whole doll family. In one of the trays was a doll's tiny white hand mirror, comb, brush and powder puff. Whiffet was so taken up with these things she nearly forgot everything else, but Skiffet reminded her that they had better carry the doll's clothes home at once as it was getting late and Polly might wake up any minute.
They had to make several trips but at last the trunk was emptied; they shut down the lid and left it standing on the window sill. There was much excitement over the new clothes and Father and Mother Squirrel were as delighted as the children. I wish you could have seen the Squirrel family all dressed up in their finery. Skiffet fell in love with a cunning red sweater, and Skud took possession of a tiny pair of blue overalls.
As for Whiffet she became very vain. She looked into the mirror every day and powdered her nose regularly. She was very proud of a pale blue evening dress which she found in the bottom of the little trunk, and with slippers to match, her bliss was complete.
Two or three days later little Polly went to her doll's trunk to get a dress that she wanted and was very much surprised to find the trunk entirely empty. She hunted everywhere but not a single one of the things could she find. Polly felt very badly at the loss of her doll's clothes but especially missed the doll's toilet articles as they were the only ones she had. The mystery was not solved until one day late in the month of October, when the leaves began to fall. Tom was looking up in the chestnut tree when he caught a glimpse of the bird house. "I wonder if any birds did use it" thought Tom. He climbed up and peeped in the little round doors. The two little cubby holes at the back were full of chestnuts and in a corner of each room lay a pile of doll's clothes. "Oh Polly," he shouted, "come here quick; I've found out who stole your doll's clothes. It's the squirrels." Polly came running; with Tom's help she climbed the tree and peeped into the house. (Of course the Squirrel family were all out walking when this happened). "Did you ever" she cried. "The mischievous little rascals. What do you suppose they wanted them for?" She reached her little hand through the "bedroom" door and picked up a pile of the doll's clothes. Underneath she found the little mirror, brush, comb, and powder puff where Whiffet had carefully hidden them. Polly was delighted to find her treasures. "I will take these home," she said, "but I will leave the doll's clothes, for no doll would care to wear them now." "We'd better climb down" said Tom, "for the squirrels can't be far away and we don't want to scare them off." "I wonder what became of the 'FOR RENT' sign," said Polly. Just then a big red squirrel came scolding and chattering down the tree trunk towards them. (It was Father Squirrel). Tom and Polly climbed down quickly.
That night when Whiffet went to look for her mirror and powder puff she exclaimed angrily, stamping her little blue slippered foot, "the nerve of some people."
So now Whiffet has to go without powdering her nose, and she can't tell when her hat is on straight for she has no mirror. Skiffet and Skud have left off combing their top "Fur" as they have no comb or brush, but I'm sure that Polly's doll is very glad indeed to get her own tiny things again.

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