Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1910-04-28
The Disseminated
Squirrel
By ETTA SYRETT
tcOpyrisht. BY short Stories Co.. Ltd.I

In the palmy days of fairy-tale. the
profession of a Fairy Godmother was
. pleasant and easy affair. Godchu-
dren then were simple in their tastes,
their wishes so direct and to the point
A. to render their qualification a mat
ter OF little difficulty, and a Godmoth-
er skilled in turning pumpkins into
coaches, with quick eye for the de-
velopment OF lizards into footmen, and
a pretty taste In princes, needed no
further qualifications for her practice.
She was sure of making everyone per-
fectly happy. which, all the world
knows, is the whole duty of a Fairy
GOdmother.
| But as years wore on, the times,
even fairy times, grew out OF joint
Princes developed the disease of
thought. Princesses, not to be out
done. developed that, and nerves into
the bargain. and gradually the life
Of Fairy Godmother ceased to be
worth living. The rat-and-pumpkin
trick no longer pleased a careworn
cynical generation, and for godmoth-
ers ignorant Of mental science, I'M
skilled in the subtleties of their crfft,
there was positively no career what
ever.
Amorette was princess who lived
In this lamentable decadence OF the
fairy age. She was the daughter OF
rich king. BY all the precepts Of
fairy-tale. Anorette should have been
happy. and but Rr the disease Of
thought which for c princess she had
contracted In q somewhat virulent
form, this might have been the case.
AS It was, her Godmother, a singular
ly gifted and subtle fairy, who had
specialized in all the new branches
OF her art. found Amorette the most
difficult OF all her godchildren, and II
was with grave misgiving that one
hne day. in response to an agitated
summons from the princess, she
stopped her coach before the great
gates OF the palace.
The child will soon be beyond me-"
she muttered, as she dismissed the
crowd OF bowling lackeys. with the re-
mark that she would find the princess
herself. She will soon be beyond me,
| In spite Of all my study. / wouldn't
own that to Fredegonde, or to Hide
garde." she went on (Fredegonde and
Hildegarde were rival godmothers),
but It's true, all the same, and what
ever the Processes of the present
day are coming to, don't know"
With this gloomy reflection. she en-
tered the rose garden, and discovered
the princess seated in an arbor of
white roses. crying bitterly.
Just at this moment Amorette lift
ed tearstained face, and her God
mother entered the arbor. 1t really
doesn't matter what her godchild was
crying about. 1t was a matter upon
which, in the good old times, no prin-
cess would have wasted a tear. But
that was before modern maladies had
} prevented Processes from enjoying
/ themselves in this best OF all possible
. worlds.
And now what can you do to helr
me?" she asked piteously. when she
bad told her story.
The Fairy Godmother was silent
while she racked her brains to think
Of some suitable charm A squirrel
ran along the branch of a hazel tree
overhead and paused a moment tC
: peer into the arbor before It sprane
out of sight
81 wish were a squirrel" muir
INJURED the princess.
"Oh. anything simple of that kind
began the Fairy Godmother, great,
relieved. for she had been almos
afraid that the princess would asl
for a changed heart
Dear Godmother, my troubles will
be ended directly forget the miser,
of Aatw,
her. But at this the Godmother mere
ly smiled. Breaking a branch o
hazel, she waved It three times aroun,
the princess head. and a moment lat
er little brown furry creature, witt
bushy tail, and eyes such as n
squirrel ever had before or since, wa
springing from branch to branch of
lime-tree. in its eagerness to reacl
the sky.
For few days there was a delir
ously happy squirrel in the forest
1t exulted IN the Joy OF movement
In the bird-like flight of its own ligh
little body under the canopy of leaves
in the sense of freedom, the pleasan
warmth of the sun, the delicious tast
OF the hazel nuts II cracked with il
sharp white teeth.
she has perfectly mad eyes," sal
one pretty young squirrel to anothe
letting a nut shell fall coQuettishly III
on the head OF her lover, who was ST
ting on a lower branch.
IAN the same, Plushkin is rattle
struck with her. Aren't you, Plusl
kim"
Interesting enough to talk to-" +,
turned Plushkin, twirling his Ion
whiskers, but not TO marry. 1 shout
be afraid of her She's beyond me
And unconsciously Plushkin had h
upon the truth. She was beyond hi
by the whole sense of which he kne
aothing; and that was the cause
loneliness. Shs found no little mat
in the forest; for her there was I
nestful Of tiny creatures with SO
furry heads. She was always so
tayy and In time the birds and beas