IN THE WOODS.
A number of trees stood so closely together that they seemed like a
solid wood; but, when the squirrel had made a way for Minnie to pass
under the heavy boughs, she found inside a circle, covered only with
fine soft grass and moss, a few wild flowers nodding across it, and the
leaves, with their low, pleasant rustle, closing around it like a wall.
"Now," said the old squirrels, who were too wise to be proud and
boastful like their son, "now, Minnie, you know better than we what is
proper, and you must tell us how everything shall be arranged."
Nothing could please Miss Minnie better than this. Her mother had not
even allowed her to go into the supper-room before company came; and
here she was to order all things, and be herself the little mistress of
the feast!
They decided to have their party in the afternoon, because at that time
the sunshine always slanted so pleasantly through the wood. If they
waited till evening, the dew would begin to rise, and there was no
depending on the moon for light; and their children, besides, would be
needing them at home.
First, Minnie said, they must have a more convenient entrance to the
supper-room. On one side stood a large azalea, or wild honeysuckle, in
full flower, and near it a sweet-brier; between these were some
whortleberry bushes, around the roots of which last Minnie made the
squirrels burrow till she could drag them away.
Then, smoothing the broken earth, she covered it with sods of fresh
moss, while overhead the sweet-brier and azalia met in a beautiful
archway of fragrant leaves and flowers.
And it was so much prettier to have flowers growing in the ground than
if they had been cut and brought from some green-house! Both Minnie and
the squirrels were delighted with their dining-hall.
Next they spread shining oak-leaves for a table-cloth, which was better
so than if it had all been in one piece, because now, wherever a tuft of
violets grew, or any of the slight starry flowers that dotted over the
grass, they could remain there, and save the trouble of arranging vases.
Then came a great variety of food,--nuts, honey, grain and berries,
apple and quince seeds, bits of gum, and strips of fragrant bark. Minnie
was shocked when she saw among the game a dish of dead ants, and one of
frogs' feet, and another of red spiders; but the squirrel said she must
have something to suit all tastes, and the birds would be disappointed
if they had not animal food.
Then she begged Minnie to slice some cold meat for her, and brought a
big black beetle to be shaved up like dried beef, and an angle-worm to
be cut in slices for tongue.
"O, dear!" exclaimed Minnie, as the little round slices of this last
fell into the plate, "can this be what I mistook for tongue, and
relished so heartily last night?"
"Very likely," squirrel answered; "it is one of the tenderest meats we
have."
Minnie resolved to eat no more dainties in the wood, until she had first
found out their names; but she had not time to grieve much over her
mistake, for the father-squirrel came to tell that he had promised his
oldest children a race in the woods, and invited her to make one of the
party.
She was glad to take lessons in running of such a quick little body as
he; and, while his young ones frisked and bounded, and chased each
other, he was very patient in teaching her all his arts. Before many
such lessons, Minnie could balance herself on the most uneven and
unsteady place; could climb slippery boughs, skip without stopping over
the crookedest places, and even leap from branch to branch, so nimbly
that squirrel was proud of his pupil.
He would not let her go very far that day, because she must be fresh for
the afternoon, when his guests would come.