Fir Tree Farm was the name of the big stone house, so the Squirrels
thought they could not do better than call their house Fir Tree House,
which they did.
There were three of them, Mr. and Mrs. Squirrel and Miss Brighteyes,
their daughter.
Every morning at one o'clock they had lunch on the big branch that was
very high up, because, you see, they knew very well that James and John
were about, and James and John thought it fine fun to chase them. James
and John were a terrible pair of pickles, very different to Joseph, the
black poodle, but then he was a Frenchman, and he could not bear the
ways of James and John, whom he looked upon as common terriers.
They used to bark at him, and make dreadful fun of him when he went out
shopping with his mistress, carrying the basket for her.
James and John longed to make him fight them, but he never did, because
nothing would make him put down the basket, and no dog can fight with a
basket in his mouth.
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Little Miss Brighteyes rather liked the look of the pickles; she thought
James was lovely, with his black and white coat, but she never ventured
to go down and speak to them—she was not brave enough for that—but once
or twice she threw nuts down on the top of them, and this made them very
angry, because they were not at all accustomed to be the ones who were
teased.
They used to get into trouble sometimes, and many a good thrashing the
farmer gave them, especially on the day when they snapped at the
beautiful frills Joseph wore on his legs, and made him drop a basket of
fresh eggs. They were rather sorry for themselves that day, and Joseph
was so pleased that he did not know what to do with himself.
Poor old Jane, the brown cow, found them a terrible worry.
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They used to hide in the big wheelbarrow, where her dinner was put, when
the grass was poor, and jump up and frighten her when she came to eat
it, and they didn't mind a bit when she snorted at them—they rather
enjoyed it.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
But one day Jerry, the old horse, who lived in the paddock with Jane,
spoke to them very gravely about it.
Now James and John had a great respect for Jerry; they thought he was
quite the wisest person they had ever met, and when he explained to them
how very rude it was to sit in Jane's dinner place, they promised not to
do it again.
One day the farmer's daughter came to Fir Tree Farm, and when she went
away she took James with her.
John was very sad at first, and Miss Brighteyes felt dreadfully sorry
for him; even Joseph tried to be nice to him, but it was Jerry who
comforted him best, and gave him good advice.
Then he set to work to be useful, and behaved himself so well that the
farmer used to send him to bring the horses in from the fields.