The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-12-24
A SMART SQUIRREL.

Mr.. N. P. Willis tells a squirrel story in tn,
last Home Journal. He and two editoria
guests, 1t seems, we're enjoying an autumn
ramble in the woods, when in the midst O
their walking and talking appeared the hero o.
the following narrative, seating himself not fal
away sin his auto easy chair of q tall:
! Whether frightened at the liveliness of our
friends well known powers of description, or al
the slight French accent that still fingers in his
wonderful Auency of English, the squirrel at
the first rush of emphasis in the Baron's tale,
started from his. Down went those enviable
limbs, that serve alike the purposes of legs or
arms, and away he scudded up the bank. But
the bank was steep, aud the gesticulating arms
OF the tall foreigner looked formidably prehen.
sile. There was but one alternative-the bridge
across the chasm. But alas with his loss of
confidence, the little corn monger's usual fore
sight had forsaken him. He did not look
ahead tar enough to see that, instead of taking
him to the safe side of the glen, that narrow
| bridge ended in the very centre of slarge
town in Cappadocia.' Dana was astride of the
tar end OF that single plank, his formidable lap
presenting tollgate that there was no manner
OF getting round. Twothirds across before he
discovered this, the fugitive turned to go back.
But, with the quickness of practiced sports
man. De Trobriand had closed up the retreat.
stopping in his story at the sight of the SOUR.
rePs blunder, he sprapg to the bridge, dropped
his farlsian boots on either side of the plank
and there sat the two--a parentbesis of editors
enclosing very reasonably frightened topic OF
discussion
4" And now comes phenomenon of natural
history, to which / beg to call the attention OF
Prof. Agassiz
After running backward and forward in
terrified perplexity, for two or three minutes.
TIE little JXstim pa9as Jtq stand still and
first at one side, and then at the other. The
two ends of the plank were laid on the lodges
OF the two opposite banks, AMI. by jumping
across the barricade Of the Tribune, on one
side, or that of the Courier des Etats Unis on
the other, he might at least land on rocky
precipice, with the danger only of slipping off
as he should aGght, and 30 falling into the
torrent below.
"And this he decided to do; but observe
the almost human reason shown in his two or
three subsequent expedients
"His two cheekpouches (he was ground
squirrel, you understand, one of the tamias
lysteri, with pockets in his face) we're swollen
to their utmost distension with his mornings
pick up of provender. With knowing alter
nation of his sharp eyes from one desperate
outlet to the other, he evidently made up his
mind that it would he easier to overleap the
Frenchman than the Yankee but he came to
the conclusion also, after carefully measuring
the jump, that he could not do it and carry
weight. He quietly disgorged, therefore, upon
the centre of the plank, eight OF ten kernels of
corn, and, thus lightened, ran to the edge. But
here a new thought occurred to him.
I" You recollect the long hickory sapling
which serves as q balustrade to that otherwse
giddy bridge over the torrent. Up one of the
pine cleats which support the slight railing
ran the squirrel, evidently seeing that he could
jump to more advantage from this higher point
But sitting here for moment, to gather his
courage and his forces, he bethought himself,
that, with the jump thus made easier, he might
carry more weight; and, descending again to.
the bridge, he picked up onehalf Of bis pre-
viously -disgorged corn, stored it safely in his
cheek pockets, assembled again to the top of the
railing, and made the leap he had previously
projected. To my great relief he slghted
safely, and, with the wreck he had saved from
his threatened bankruptcy, he ran up the slant
ing ledge of the precipice and disappeared. .
"Here were certainly evidence OF uncommon
intelligence in this little animal-his sudden
command of GOODNESS in emergency, his DELHI,
crate choice between two evils, his prudential
lessening of hindrance, his reconsideration of
plan after q new light upon the matter, and the
final proof how wisely he had calculated the
possible savings from his first over hasty as
sigument,' and how well he had measured his
powers for the less.desperate leap. 1t is sto
~ worthy of perusal in all street. or of copying
into Thompson's Bank Note Reporter"
DANA large town of Cappadocia classical Die.