Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1913-05-08
Why The Squirrels Moved.

refer SQulrfei anu Ills IdIDliy ndo llFSu
many years at The Oaks. He had gone
there when he was young, because there
were so many good things to eat, and he
had never been far away from if since
then. Four children still lived with their
father and mother-Hazel and her three
brothers, Bob. Rags and Skinny.
Happy were the hours they spent to-
gether, chasing one another up and down
the trunks of the great trees. There
were such good things to eat And the
only hard work they had TO do was to
gather and store away the shagbarks for
the winter, and to collect feathers and
soft grasses and tough leaves to line the
home where they spent their winters, in
the hollow heart of the great tree that
they had heard people speak OF as the
"Grandfather Oak" Those things meant
going back and forth many times when
they wished to play; but old Peter Squlr-
rel and his wife would not let them be
idle, for they were wise, and knew that a
time would come when they would need
the warm grasses and feathers, and the
nuts and acorns.
The family had already put away apart
of its winter stores, when one day Rags
came home to tell of discovery he had
made. In one of the attic windows OF the
great house he had found hole, and by
going through il he had come upon Won
derful things. Hanging overhead was a
great store of corn, and on the floor were
baskets and bags of nuts-so many that
the whole family could live on them for
years, and not have TO work at all.
More wonderful still, there was in the
attic the finest straw house that any one
had ever seen-big enough for the whole
family, and near by ii he saw things much
better for beds than leaves and feathers
could ever be.
Rags said so much about his discovery
that they all ran after him, to see. 1t was
just as he had said, and the younger
members OF the family were for moving
in at once; but old Peter shook his
head.
THE people might come back, and
then we should be put out" he said; but
all the others talked so fast and the chill
dren teased so hard that at last he decid
ed to move in.
owe shall have a real bungalow, " said
Hazel.
In the little straw house Rags and his
brothers cut two doors, one in the center
and the other at the end, and then they
began to move the bedding in. Hazel
chose blue bed with yellow stripes, and
Skinny purple one with white dots, and
Mr.. and Mrs. Squirrel large soft red
one.
Then began delightful time. Nomore
need Of carrying acorns or nuts, Tor here,
close at hand, were all they could eat,
just for the taking. On pleasant days
they could 90 out through the hole in the
attic window and play in the sun, and on
stormy days they could stay in and chase
one another round the chimney and down
the long floor and back; and at night no
cold winds reached them in their snug
house and warm beds.
Is it any wonder that the whole family
grew proud, and were no longer willing
to do any work !?
But one sad day terrible thing hap
pened. The family had gone TO bed.
They were awakened by great noise,
sound of heavy feet stamping up the
stairs, and loud voices.
"Quickl Quickl" cried old Peter, and
they had just time to dash out through the
attic window and perch, trembling, on
the edge of the roof, in the winter cold,
when the door burst open and giant
strobe across the room with a great light
in his hand. He picked up their bunga-
low as easily as if il had been hand
bag, and then they heard him call out:
Here, come and see what those raS-
cally squirrels have done They have
gnawed holes in my straw suit case, and
dragged three or four OF my neckties into
il for nest, and have been living here
like kings u
And then they heard great pounding,
so near that they all scurried away to the
ridge pole and when it had stopped,
and the light had gone away, and all was
Still again, they crept back, and found
that the hole in the window had been
closed with heavy board, and that there
was no way to get back to their warm
beds and the corn and nuts.
That was long, hard winter for the
Squirrel family. They had TO 90 back to
their old home in the Grandfather Oak
and dig the snow and wet leaves out OF
the nest Then they had to line it again,
and all winter they had TO paw under the
grass and leaves and snow in the woods,
and gnaw frozen apples in the orchard,
to get enough to eat. They were aSham-
ed TO ask their cousins, the Rufus squir-
rels, for even single acorn, and were
glad enough when spring came again.
The next year they began early, ard
put the old nest in order, and laid IN
great store OF good things, so that no one