Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-06-20
The Nut Which
Was Not
(By Abbie Farwell Brown.)

(By Abbie Farwell Brown.)
Goodness gracious!" exclaimed the
Gray Squirrel to himself, as he tried
to bite into the funny kind of nut
which he had just found In the mall.
my teeth! My teeth! This il the
toughest nut ever had to crack. What
Is the matter with it?", ..,...
Gray Squirrel turned the little object
over in his paws and tried again and
again to make some impression upon
the outside of it. But it was too much
for him. 1t "a rough and yellow and
shiny, and looked like a perfect GOOD
walnut. But it was hard-my! It was
hard! It had a seam running. around
its waist, as all walnuts do. But try
all he could, Gray Squirrtl could not
get it open and pick out the kernel
which he could hear rafting around
inside. 1t was maddening!
owl" said Gray Squirrel, 1T has set
my teeth to aching. never saw such
a nut! Hear that kernel rattle-it
must be a nice, fat one! Wouldn't it
make o hungry? I say! I will bury
this nut in one OF my storehouses and
leave it to ripen. Maybe I can get it
open later. Ow! My teeth! MY
SSOIA. luigi j all. ! WISH HOn0-
body would come along and give me q
sensible kind of nut, So do. l am al.
most starved to DEATH"
Gray Squirrel sat up on his hind
legs with the queer nut in his paws.
and looked across the comman. Away
down at the end of a long path he
spied a familiar figure approaching-a
little girl in a blue dress with a gray
c0at and a hiu muH
There comes little Mollie now!"
cried Gray Squirrel, happily. "And I:
believe she has some rich, juicy. flavor
some nuts for me in that big muf of
hers. How kind she is! She never
once forgets. / wish l could do some
thing for her some time. Hello! Why,
I'll give her this strange. hard nut.
that I cannot crack. She is so much
bigger than l, that surely she will be
able to get the kernel out. And she
shall keep it for herself"
Gray Squirrel took the nut in his
mouth and bounded to meet little Mol
lie. Over the frozen lawn he went,
never minding the Keep OF" signs.
which look SO silly In winter. He
went tn long leaps. his bushy tail
whisking gayly. for he was pleased
with his great idea. Little Mollie saw
him coming, and, stopping short began
to tumble In her muf for tho bag Of
nuts which she forgot to bring
Gray Squirrel whenever she crossed
the common.
Hop! Up went Gray Squirrel to the
top Of the post beside her. Hopl
Again, he landed on her shoulder.
Hop! He was down on top Of her
fluffy muff, and vas poking his head in
to the pocket other gray coat before
she had time to see the nut In his
mouth.
Greedy! The nuts aren't there,"
said little Mollie, laughing. But l
have them here In my muff." And
she pulled out a big, fat walnut.
Gray Squirrel drew his head out Of
little Mollie's pocket. He had nothing
in his mouth now. 80 she seized the
walnut and cracked 1t eagerly. Mollie
laughed to see how greedily he
munched the fat kernel.
Poor fellow!" she said; you seem
awfully hungry. I I'M glad I brought
you q good handful of nuts this time
Gray Squirrel had a feast indeed,
which he enjoyed all the 20 ~ he
thought. chuckling, Of the surprise
which he had left in little Mollie's
pocket.
When little Mollie got home that
afternoon she put her hand In her
pocket for her latchkey, and there she
felt something round and hard. why,
it must be a nut" she said, pulling It
out. How did It get there? Gray
Squirrel must have dropped It when
he poked his head into my pocket
Sure enough. There was the nut,
big and yellow and hard, with the
seam around its waist.
ooh, 1t isn't a real nut at ALL" ex-
claimed Mollie, examining It. 1T
looks like gold. And It opens!' She
pressed a tiny spring which Gray
Squirrel had not been bright enough
to see. And 10! the nut flew open.
and there lay a little silver thimble.
This was the kernel which Gray SPUR.
rel had heard rafting. It just fitted
Mollie's middle finger.
Mother! Mother!" cried Mollie,
hurrying upstairs. "See what Gray
Squirrel gave me-! It is just what
have been wanting for a long time
a silver thimble. Mother, Mother,
wasn't he a dear, kind SQUIRREL"
You may be sure that after this
little .Mollie saw that Gray Squirrel
had all the nuts he wanted, and the
two became better friends than ever.
But because they could not speak the
same language, Mollie could never
tell him what was inside the golden
nut he had given, her. Gray Squirrel
often wondered whether she had eat
en- it already, or had buried It In q
little hole in the ground against
hungry time. How surprised he would
have beer to know what she really
did with it!
Tx,n ;+%1o Dot TolvoS ond q