Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-11-30
Little Stories for Bedtime.
Happy Jack Squirrels Sad Mistake.
By Thornton w. Burgess.

Let me go. Let me co. yelled
Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel as he
backed out of the hollow stump where
fhe had just found wonderful supply
of good things to eat-thines which be-
longed to some one else, but which Hap
Ply Jack had intended to help himself
TO- He backed out faster than he had
gone ina great deal faster. Can you
guess why? I'll tell you. 1t was be-
cause he was being pulled out Yes.
sir. Happy Jack Squirrel was being
pulled out by his big. bushy tail.
Happy Jack was more frightened
than hurt To be sure, ii IS not at all
comfortable to have ones tail pulled.
hut Happy Jack wouldn't have minded
this so much had 1t not been SO unex-
pected or II he could have seen who
was pulling II. And then right inside
Happy Jack didn't feel a bit good.
Why? Well. because he was doing a
dreadful thing and he knew that 1T was
q dreadful thing He had broken into
somebody's storehouse to steal. He
was sure that il was Striped Chip
munk's storehouse and he wouldn't adj
nit to himself that he was going to
steal. actually steal. But all the time
tight down deep in his heart, he knew
that II he took any of those nuts ii
would be stealing. You see, IL was like
this: Happy Jack had quarreled with
his cousin over some big, fat hickory
nuts. and while they were quarreling
the nuts had disappeared. Happy Jack
had suspected his little cousin. Striped
'hdpmunk; of taking them away.
klnunk to his hollow stump. Now of
course. Striped Chipmunk had d per-
feet right to those nuts IL he found
hem on the ground. but Happy Jack
had tried To make himself believe that
because ne had found them first in the
tree top they belonged to him. ard he
had broken into the old stump to get
them.
When he had made the doorway big
enough for him to crawl inside he had
left his tail hanging outside. Some one
had very. very softly stolen up and
grabbed II and begun to pull. 1t was
so sudden and unexpected that Happy
Jack had yelled with fright. When
he could get his wits together he
thought that. OF course. ii must be
that Striped Chipmunk had come back
and was pulling his tail. When he
thought that he got over his fright right
away. for striped Chipmun< Is such a
little fellow that Happy Jack knew that
lie had nothing to fear from him.
so fast he could Happy Jack
lacked out OF the hole aud whiried about
OF course. he expected TO face a very
angry little chipmunk. But he didn't I.
No. sir. he didn't. Instead he looked
right into the angry face of his other
cousin, Chatterer the Red Squirrel And
Chatterer was angry, Oh, my, nv. how
angry Chatterer was. For a minute he
couldn't find his voice because his anger
fairly choked him. And when he did
how mis- tongue did fly,
''You thief! You robber. What are yo,,
doing in my storehouse?' he shrieked
Happy Jack backed away hurr1edly, for
though he is much bigger than Chatterer
lie has a very Wholesome respect for Chat
tcrer's sharp teeth, and when he IS very
angry Chatterer Is great fighter.
II didn't know it was your store
i"use.' said Happy Jack, backing away
sill farther
1t doesn't make any difference II
yoI didn't, you're thief just the e.'
tnstterer screamed and rushed at Happy
Jack. And what do you think Happy