THE SQUIRREL'S PARTY.
In due time the company arrived, and all were in such good spirits, and
so polite, that Minnie thought she had never known a more charming
party.
On each side of herself sat the birds; a blue-bird and yellow-bird
first, then a thrush and an oriole, then--cunning little creatures!--a
wren and an indigo-bird. The robins and bobolinks were not invited,
because they were such gluttons. The crows could not come, because they
were so quarrelsome, and the cherry-birds were too great thieves.
Then came a whole row of squirrels, that sat with their bushy tails up
in the air, and paws folded quietly, notwithstanding the nuts before
them, while they made themselves agreeable to the meek mice and moles,
that were all a-tremble, not often finding themselves in such grand
company.
One large gray squirrel came in his rough hunting-coat; but he talked so
loud and boastfully, and seemed to look down upon all the others with
such contempt, they were not sorry when he said, at last, that he had
promised to take a walk with his distinguished friend the rabbit, and
must therefore go home.
Several toads were invited, and Minnie had even taken pains to roll some
round stones into the room for their seats. They came, and were chatting
gayly, when their eyes, that wandered over the delicious feast, fell
upon the dish of frogs' feet, and home they hopped at once, offended. It
was a great mistake, on the squirrel's part, to bring such guests and
such a dish together; for who could be expected to relish seeing his
cousin chopped up into souse?
The butterflies came, but declined taking seats at the table, as they
never ate anything. They fluttered above, with their beautiful velvet
wings, and clung to the flowers, bending them down with their weight;
and, when Minnie observed how wistfully the birds were eying them, she
thought perhaps the butterflies had a better reason than they gave for
keeping at a distance.
After eating all they wanted, squirrel proposed that his guests should
go to the brook for a drink. It was not far, and Minnie had swept the
path nicely with her broom, and spread new moss wherever the ground was
bare; so they seemed to be walking on a strip of green velvet carpeting,
as, two by two, they started for the water-side.
Some little green, graceful snakes followed on from curiosity, while
over the heads of the party fluttered all the butterflies; and a rabbit,
chancing to see them, very politely asked squirrel if he might join the
guests.
Meantime the toads, that had crept into a corner to mutter about their
insult, hopped back to the table, and, along with a swarm of flies and
ants, and greedy robins, crows, and bobolinks, soon finished all that
the company had left.