HAPPY JACK SQUIRREL'S SAD MISTAKE
A Squirrel always is thrifty. Be as wise as a Squirrel.
_Happy Jack._
"Let me go! Let me go!" yelled Happy Jack, as he backed out of the
hollow stump faster than he had gone in, a great deal faster. Can you
guess why? I'll tell you. It was because he was being pulled out. Yes,
Sir, Happy Jack Squirrel was being pulled out by his big, bushy tail.
Happy Jack was more frightened than hurt. To be sure, it is not at all
comfortable to have one's tail pulled, but Happy Jack wouldn't have
minded this so much had it not been so unexpected, or if he could have
seen who was pulling it. And then, right inside Happy Jack didn't feel a
bit good. Why? Well, because he was doing a dreadful thing, and he
_knew_ that it was a dreadful thing. He had broken into somebody's
storehouse to steal. He was sure that it was Striped Chipmunk's
storehouse, and he wouldn't admit to himself that he was going to steal,
actually _steal_. But all the time, right down deep in his heart, he
knew that if he took any of those hickory nuts it would be stealing.
But Happy Jack had been careless. When he had made the doorway big
enough for him to crawl inside, he had left his tail hanging outside.
Some one had very, very softly stolen up and grabbed it and begun to
pull. It was so sudden and unexpected that Happy Jack yelled with
fright. When he could get his wits together, he thought of course
Striped Chipmunk had come back and was pulling his tail. When he thought
that, he got over his fright right away, for Striped Chipmunk is such a
little fellow that Happy Jack knew that he had nothing; to fear from
him.
So as fast as he could, Happy Jack backed out of the hole and whirled
around. Of course he expected to face a very angry little Chipmunk. But
he didn't. No, Sir, he didn't. Instead, he looked right into the angry
face of his other cousin, Chatterer the Red Squirrel. And Chatterer
_was_ angry! Oh my, my, how angry Chatterer was! For a minute he
couldn't find his voice, because his anger fairly choked him. And when
he did, how his tongue did fly!
"You thief! You robber! What are you doing in my storehouse?" he
shrieked.
Happy Jack backed away hurriedly, for though he is much bigger than
Chatterer, he has a very wholesome respect for Chatterer's sharp teeth,
and when he is very angry, Chatterer is a great fighter.
"I--I didn't know it was your storehouse," said Happy Jack, backing
away still further.
"It doesn't make any difference if you didn't; you're a thief just the
same!" screamed Chatterer and rushed at Happy Jack. And what do you
think Happy Jack did? Why, he just turned tail and ran, Chatterer after
him, crying "Thief! Robber! Coward!" at the top of his lungs, so that
every one in the Green Forest could hear.