The Elbert County tribune., 1906-01-18
A Calamity in
Squirrelville


Frisk. Frolic, Fluff and Chatterbox.
were seated at dinner with their par
ents, Father Squirrel remarked. Il
heard a curious sound in the forest
today"
What did It sound like?" cried the
little squirrels all together.
II cannot say" said their father. 1T
beat the air and rang in my ears. Then
came splintering sound followed by
a crash that shook the woods
DO you suppose some new animal
has come to our woods?" asked Moth
er Bright Eyes, anxiously. 1T must be
an immense beast"
This made great impression upon
the children, and they agreed private
ly to find out the cause of this strange
sound.
Early next morning before the rest
of Bright Eyes family were astir four
little gray shadows stole through the
woods. Once out of sight of their own
tree they frolicked joyously, leaping
from branch to branch ald chattering
saucily.
Suddenly upon the stiffness fell
clear, sharp sound, the ringing stroke
of an AK.
The little squirrels plucked one
another's fur in fear.
-srolic, the boldest. urged the others
on. Presently they came to a clearing
Uttered with stumps and fallen trees.
There were the woodmen, great
brawny armed fellows, each swinging
his ak. The chips of wood flew as they
rained stroke after stroke on a tall
hemlork. Suddenly the woodmen
jumped back, the tree trembled,
paused moment. then, splintering and
groaning, crashed to the ground.
The squirrels, who never before had
seen a man, shivered with terror.
Their little hearts hammered against
their ribs and their eyes filmed over
with distress. It was a dreadful sight.
A hemlock was to them home In
deed, their parents had lived in one
when they first began housekeeping
With one accord they turned and fed.
The account of their adventure did
not lessen the parents anxiety.
The next morning Frolic. who went
out to play before breakfast, was late
in returning. The family seated them
selves at the table without him. Sud
denly muffied sound smote their
ears. the dread stroke of the AK, and
this time it was their own tree, The
poor little squirrels sat frozen with
terror Not one moved a whisker
Then the table lurched forward, send
ing the acorn cups and plates spin
ming across the rooms, the chairs
tipped over. and the squirrels found
tn emselves lying, bruised and beaten,
under piles of their own broken furni-
ture. They were deafened by great
noise and half frightened to death. 1t
was totally dark and the air was full
of dust. The tree had fallen.
When the squirrels dared at last to
stir, and had found that no one was
injpxed beyond few bruises, they
started to look over the house. The
tree had fallen on its side so that the
side walls served as a floor and cell
ing.
I'VE must get out of this" said
Father Squirrel. They made thei- way
cautiously to the door leading through
the knot hole to the open air. Alas!
1t was closed. The tree had fallen SO
that the knothole was on the under
side, pressed close to the ground, thus
cutting off the only means of escape
for the squirrels. They were prison
ers in their own home.
There was but one thing to do-to
tunnel away the earth from the knot
hole and with claws and teeth win a
way to the daylight. They all took
turns, but 1t was wearisome work.
Fortunately Mother Bright Eyes found
a few nuts. which, with the assistance
of Blunder. the servant squirrel. she
served in frugal portions to the work
ers.
But what was happening in the
meantime TO Frolic, who was playing
outside when the calamity occurred?
He had wandered further than usual
into the wood and had met little Sam
my Squirrel cooking porridge in a
kettle hung on three crossed sticks.
with jolly little blaze beneath. Little
Sammy politely invited Frolic to break
fast and he gladly accepted. They
were just emptying their porridge
bowls when they heard the great
crash.
Both Frolic and Sammy bounded To
the spot, only to see their dear home
tree lying with broken boughs, on the
ground. They did not dare approach
the woodmen, but, skirting around in
the near treetops. made out that the
knot hole was on the under side of the
tree. and the family was, of course.
imprisoned in its trunk.
Frolic and Sammy knew at once
what to do. They ran through the for
.est, stopping at every tree dwelling.
warning red and gray SQUIRRELS chin