“The great thing, you know, is to hide your house as much as possible.”

  The little squirrel dropped the piece of green moss he was about to use, and waited.

  “You should make it look like the place it’s in,” went on the little robin. “You have chosen a browny place, so you must use brown moss on the outside.”

  “That sounds like good advice,” said Twinkle Tail. “I’ll do as you say.”

  Here a leaf and there a twig,

  Piece of twine to bind them—

  Then some moss to spread across,

  Till it’s hard to find them.

  Soon the tiny Treetop House

  Will be built and ready;

  Dry beneath the pelting rain,

  Against the wind quite steady.

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  * * *

  AN OLD CROW’S NEST

  Now Featherhead had a much harder time finding a home than Brother Twinkle Tail. He traveled from the oaks to the beech trees, jumping from branch to branch, peeping first into this place and then into that, but every hole and hollow had a tenant.

  By and by he ran down to the ground and along the winding paths through the leaves and brush, but even then he could find nothing. No, sir. There didn’t seem to be a single place in the whole big forest for this little squirrel.

  “Goodness me!” he exclaimed, “what shall I do? I don’t want to go back to Nutcracker Lodge and tell them I can’t look out for myself. I’d feel like a baby.” So he sat down to think it over.

  All of a sudden who should come by but Jimmy Crow.

  “What’s the matter? You look dreadfully worried.”

  “And so I am,” replied the little squirrel. “And so would you be if you couldn’t find a home for yourself.”

  Jimmy Crow turned his head first to one side and then to the other, and winked his bright little eye. Then he winked the other several times. After that he wagged his feathered tail and opened both eyes.

  “I know just the place for you.”

  “You don’t mean it,” cried Featherhead.

  “I certainly do,” replied Jimmy Crow, “if you’ll follow me I’ll take you there in a jiffy.” And Jimmie Crow knew what he was about, for he quickly led the little squirrel to a tall oak tree whose acorns lay in heaps all over the ground. Way up high on a branch was an old crow’s nest.

  “There’s the place for you,” cried Jimmy Crow. “You can fix it up in no time.”

  Featherhead thanked him and ran up the tree to look it over. It didn’t take him long to make up his mind what to do. Pressing the sticks more closely together, he covered them overhead and all around with leafy twigs, until it looked like a great big ball of leaves. In one side he made a little round hole for a doorway, and as the roof was nicely rounded, and this was the only opening, the rain couldn’t get inside.

  “With a good supply of nuts,” he laughed, “I won’t have to go down to the ground for my meals, and can sleep for days at a time when it’s cold and stormy!”

  My little house up in the tree

  Is just the very thing for me.

  It holds my food and keeps the rain

  From off my comfy counterpane.

  But sometimes it seems lonely quite

  When fall the shadows of the night,

  And I have no one but myself

  To climb up to the pantry shelf.

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  * * *

  PARSON OWL EXPLAINS

  One day as Twinkle Tail was taking a walk through the treetops, he met a young lady squirrel. She was anxiously looking here and there as if in search of something.

  “Are you looking for anybody?” asked Twinkle Tail, lifting his little fur cap and bowing politely.

  “Not exactly,” she replied, “I’m looking for a furnished apartment. Do you know of one?”

  Twinkle Tail didn’t answer at once. He wanted to say something, but as he was a bashful little squirrel, it took him some time to make up his mind. Miss Squirrel, however, was not the least impatient, but curled her beautiful bushy tail up over her back and looked her prettiest.

  At last he said: “Why don’t you share my house? It’s a very nice sort of a place since I fixed it up. It once belonged to Grandmother Magpie, you know.”

  After little Miss Squirrel had looked it over, she seemed greatly pleased, especially with the kitchenette, in which were stored lots of beech nuts, hazels and fir-cones. And I think she was even more pleased with Twinkle Tail, for she agreed to get married to him at once. So off he started for Parson Owl and a little gold ring, while she went into the kitchenette to get the wedding supper.

  On his way he met little Jack Rabbit.

  “I’m going to get married to-day! Come to my house this afternoon at five,” shouted Twinkle Tail.

  “All right,” answered the little rabbit. “I’ll run home to tell mother.”

  Pretty soon Twinkle Tail met Squirrel Nutcracker.

  “I knew there was going to be a wedding,” he exclaimed, when he heard the news. “I saw three magpies this very morning, and that’s a sure sign.” Then he patted the little squirrel’s head and promised that he and Mrs. Nutcracker would surely come.

  By the time Twinkle Tail reached the parsonage at the top of the old oak tree it was quite late. “Have you got the wedding ring?” asked Parson Owl as the little squirrel turned to go.

  “Goodness gracious meebus!” exclaimed Twinkle Tail, “I’ve forgotten all about it.”

  Parson Owl yawned, for it’s only in the night-time that owls are wide awake, you know, and replied:

  “Can’t marry you without a ring. No, indeed. Who ever heard of a wedding without a ring?”

  (Parson Owl was wide awake enough to know that! Goodness me! I hope the little squirrel will find a jewelry store somewhere in the Shady Forest.)

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  * * *

  THE LITTLE GOLD RING

  Twinkle Tail felt dreadfully worried as he left the parsonage. Where was he to get the ring? Without it, Parson Owl had said there could be no wedding. Little Miss Squirrel was waiting for him at the house, and all the guests would be there at five o’clock. Parson Owl had agreed to be on time although it was a trifle too bright at that hour for his blinky old eyes. There was only one thing missing—the little gold wedding ring.

  “There’s only one person who can help me,” cried Twinkle Tail, and off he ran to the Old Bramble Patch. In answer to his impatient knock, Little Jack Rabbit opened the door. Then they both sat down on the stone step while the little squirrel told his troubles one by one.

  “Parson Owl says there can’t be a wedding without a ring,” sighed Twinkle Tail, finishing his story. “But where to get the ring, I don’t know.”

  “I do,” answered the little rabbit, jumping up quickly. “Come with me,” and up the Old Cow Patch, over the Sunny Meadow, he hopped with Twinkle Tail close to his heels.

  By and by they came to the Old Farm Yard. There stood Ducky Waddles by the old creaking gate. He had just come in from a swim in the Old Duck Pond and was combing his feathers with his big yellow bill.

  “Good afternoon,” said the little bunny. “I’ve come to ask a favor.”

  “What is it?” asked Ducky Waddles.

  “You explain matters first, Twinkle Tail, and then I’ll talk to Ducky Waddles,” said Little Jack Rabbit.

  It didn’t take Twinkle Tail long to tell his troubles—how little Miss Squirrel had agreed to marry him that afternoon; how all the little people of the Shady Forest were coming to the wedding at five; how Parson Owl had agreed to marry them; how everything was ready except the little gold wedding ring.

  “Who told you I had a little gold ring?” asked Ducky Waddles.

  “Nobody,” answered the little squirrel, “but I suppose it’s all right.”

  “Yes, it’s all right,” laughed Ducky Waddles with a funny quack, “and now, Mr. Jack Rabbit, what’s the favor you wish me to do?”

  “Won’t you give Twinkle Tail the little gold ring you found in the Bubbling Brook last Sunday?”

  Ducky Waddles took a little gold ring out of his feather waistcoat pocket and handed it to Twinkle Tail.

  (Pretty soon we’ll hear the wedding bells tinkling in the forest dells.)

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  * * *

  WEDDING BELLS

  Twinkle Tail was delighted to get the little gold ring.

  “You must come to the wedding,” he said to Ducky Waddles. “It’s to be at five o’clock at my house. Please tell Henny Penny and Cocky Doodle that they’re invited, and ask Goosey Lucy and Turkey Tim to come, too. I’m in such a hurry I can’t wait to see them.”

  “I’ll come,” answered Ducky Waddles, “and I won’t forget to tell the Barnyard Folk that they’re invited.”

  “Don’t lose the ring,” cautioned Little Jack Rabbit, as he and the little squirrel hurried down the Old Cow Path to the Shady Forest. Just then they met Mrs. Cow. She was wagging her head back and forth to brush off the flies and the little bell on her leather collar made a pretty tinkling sound.

  “Let’s ask her to come and ring the wedding bells.”

  “The very thing,” laughed Twinkle Tail. “Won’t you come to my wedding, Mrs. Cow? Please do.”

  “When is it to be?” she asked.

  “To-night at five,” answered Twinkle Tail, with a blush.

  “Pretty near milking-time,” explained Mrs. Cow.

  “Oh, it won’t take long,” replied the little rabbit. “Do come, Mrs. Cow. We want you to ring your bell at the wedding. Did you ever ring a wedding bell?”

  “No,” answered Mrs. Cow, “but I guess I know how. I’ll come, but I may not be able to stay all the time for I must get back in time for milking.”

  Then the three started off together, and when they reached the Shady Forest, Twinkle Tail looked back and saw Henny Penny and Cocky Doodle coming up the Old Cow Path dressed in their Sunday clothes. Just behind them were Ducky Waddles and Goosey Lucy and in the distance Turkey Tim hurrying along the Old Rail Fence to catch up to them.

  “Goodness me!” exclaimed the little squirrel, “I won’t have much time to dress,” and he set off at a great pace, leaving Mrs. Cow and Little Jack Rabbit behind.

  When he reached his house he found Miss Squirrel anxiously looking out of the window, but when she saw him, she laughed and said, “I thought you were lost, dear Twinkle Tail!”

  Pretty soon Parson Owl arrived, and when all the guests were seated, he told Twinkle Tail and Miss Squirrel to stand up before him. And after Twinkle Tail had placed the little gold ring on Miss Squirrel’s little finger toe, Mrs. Cow rang the wedding bells and Bobbie Redvest sang a song.

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  * * *

  “NUTS AND RAISINS”

  There was a grand feast after the wedding of Twinkle Tail and little Miss Squirrel. There were nuts and raisins for everybody, and I don’t know of anything much nicer than nuts and raisins.

  Of course, all the Barnyard Folk ate raisins, for they couldn’t crack the nuts. It almost gave Ducky Waddles a toothache watching Twinkle Tail crack the shells.

  Cocky Doodle made a pretty speech, wishing the Twinkle Tails a long life and a happy one, in which all the little people of the forest joined him.

  After that everybody looked at the wedding presents, which if not beautiful, were very useful.

  Henny Penny gave a nice new laid egg and Turkey Tim a bag of corn. Little Jack Rabbit brought a big carrot and Chippy Chipmunk a basket of nuts. Of course Ducky Waddles didn’t give them anything more—the little gold ring was his present, which Twinkle Tail had slipped on the little toe-finger of Miss Squirrel at a nod from Parson Owl.

  You see, Twinkle Tail had never been married before, so Parson Owl had helped him a little—which I presume all good kind ministers do when they marry young people. At any rate, Parson Owl did, and so everything went off very smoothly.

  On the way home if it hadn’t been for some friendly Fireflies, Little Jack Rabbit might have lost his way. And then again, maybe not, for he was a pretty bright little bunny and like all the Forest Folk, knew how to take care of himself. At the same time, it’s nice to have a lantern on a dark night. One might, you know, stumble into a deep hole.

  When they reached the Old Bramble Patch, the little rabbit said: “I’d ask you in, only I’m afraid mother’s asleep.”

  “Thank you just the same,” answered the kind Fireflies. “We are glad to have helped you with our little lanterns,” and they flew away to the Sunny Meadow to wink and blink like little stars among the tall grasses.

  The little rabbit opened the door and hopped softly up to his room and was soon fast asleep in his comfortable bed.

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  * * *

  BAD NEWS

  It’s really too bad that the Miller’s Boy

  Should be snooping around with his gun.

  Why doesn’t he stay in the Old Mill all day

  And leave little folks to their fun?

  That’s what the Little People of the Shady Forest and the Sunny Meadow thought. You see, the Miller’s Boy had very little to do just now, for the farmers were busy in the fields and the corn wasn’t ready to be ground into meal. So all the Miller’s Boy had to do was to attend to a few chores and then get out his gun and go hunting. And of course all the little four-footed and feathered people were dreadfully afraid of that great noisy gun.

  “Look here,” said Mrs. Rabbit, one day to her little son, “you had better be careful. You can’t run faster than a bullet, you know. It’s all very well to run away from Danny Fox and Mr. Wicked Weasel, or to dodge from under Hungry Hawk, but a bullet is a different thing,” and the kind lady bunny patted her small son on the left ear and gave him a piece of cherry pie.

  Well, as soon as the pie was gone, Little Jack Rabbit hopped out of the Old Bramble Patch, clipperty clip, lipperty lip, and pretty soon he met Chippy Chipmunk and Woody Chuck in the Shady Forest.

  “Mother says a bullet goes faster than Danny Fox,” explained the little bunny, and as everybody in the Shady Forest knew Mrs. Rabbit never told anything that wasn’t true, as Grandmother Magpie did, for instance, these two little friends looked very serious. Yes, indeed, they looked serious. They began to feel that the Miller’s Boy was a dangerous person.

  “Let’s tell all our friends,” said Woody Chuck, so off the three started and by and by, not so very far, they came to the Shady Forest Pond where Busy Beaver lived.

  “Pooh, pooh!” he said, when he heard the news. “I’m safe in the water. He can’t get a shot at me.”

  “Don’t be too sure,” answered Little Jack Rabbit, as he ran down to the Old Duck Pond to tell Granddaddy ”

  . Now the old gentleman frog was half asleep on his log, his chin resting on his gray waistcoat and his eyes closed, for he had just eaten a big dinner of flies.

  “Helloa, there, Granddaddy Bullfrog,” shouted the little rabbit. The old frog opened his eyes and took out his watch to see the time, for he thought at first it was Mrs. Bullfrog calling him home.

  “Oh, it’s you, is it?” he said to the little rabbit. “Gracious me, I must have fallen asleep, for I had a dream.

  “I thought I’d caught a thousand flies,

  All on this summer day.

  But now that you’ve awakened me

  They all have flown away.

  “Oh, it was such a pleasant dream,

  I fear I shall grow thinner.

  You should have let me slumber on

  Until I’d finished dinner.”

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  * * *

  POOR JIMMY MINK

  As soon as Little Rabbit had told the old gentleman frog to watch out for the Miller’s Boy, he hopped along by the Bubbling Brook, as it wound in and out among the trees of the Shady Forest or went splashing over rocks and fallen logs. All of a sudden he met Jimmy Mink. But, oh dear me! What was the matter with Jimmy Mink? He was hobbling on three legs. What could be the matter?

  “Helloa, there, Jimmy Mink,” shouted the little rabbit.

  “What makes you walk on three legs,

  When you can walk on four?

  I didn’t know that you had been

  A soldier in the war.”

  “I haven’t,” replied Jimmy Mink. “I got caught in a trap,” and he lifted up his right foreleg.

  “Why, your foot’s gone!” gasped the little rabbit. “Isn’t that dreadful?”

  “Yes, it’s pretty bad,” answered Jimmy Mink. “But the only way I could free myself was to bite off my foot.”

  “Oh! oh! oh!” cried the little rabbit, sorrowfully. “Tell me how it happened.” So Jimmy Mink explained how one day when he had crept out of his little house under the bank of the Bubbling Brook, he had seen a nice fat trout on an old log. “There was a queer looking iron thing there, too,” he said, “but I didn’t think anything about that. But, oh dear me! When I picked up the trout, something snapped and my leg was caught fast. Oh, how it pinched! I pulled and pulled. But I couldn’t get away. Then I tried to bite the iron thing that held my foot, but I couldn’t break it. So at last I gnawed off my foot.”

  “Whew!” whistled the little bunny through his teeth. “I never could do that. My, but you’re a brave fellow.”

  “There’s the iron thing over there,” said Jimmy Mink, pointing to a trap that lay on an old log close to the bank. The little rabbit hopped over and looked at it. And, sure enough, pinched in between the jaws of the cruel trap was Jimmy Mink’s little black foot.

  “But I’ve learned my lesson,” said Jimmy Mink. “Next time if I want trout, I’ll catch him in the water, not on top of a log,” and he jumped into the pool and swam away. Then the little rabbit hopped along the Shady Forest Trail, but he couldn’t forget poor little Jimmy Mink.

 

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