Williams news., 1915-04-01
THE SQUIRREL FAMILY.
coPsRroHr IIrtscuuec NuoaAPeR SSnotcATENd

MY QeaT, l nave lOuuu tue ulCSSI place you ever saw for our home this winter. Take the children and fol- low me and I will show you where it is."
 There were three little squirrels, and they ran along the limb of the tree after their father and mother to the top of a house over which the tree hung.
 Do you see that hole?" said the father. That is where our home is to be-in the roof of the house. It will be nice and warm. And now we must begin gathering nuts for the winter"
 In the house the squirrels had se- lected for their home lived three chil- dren-Jack, Dick and Helen-and one day when it was showing very fast and they could not go out they went to their playroom at the top of the house. There was a rocking horse which looked like truly horse, and a swing hung from the beams. There were roller skates and a croquet set on table, and all sorts of things for children to play with. Now the squir- rel family had made an opening in this room and the little squirrels Chick, Gray and Flash-had often wondered about all the strange things they saw there. Today, when they heard voices, Flash darted to the open ing and looked into the room. Gray and Chick followed, and they were so inquisitive and eager to see that they pushed poor Flash out of the hole, and down he went into the room.
 "Oh! here is squirrel" said Dick, jumping up. Let us get the old bird cage and catch him." said Jack. And you get some nuts," they told Helen. AS soon as the children were out of sight, Flash ran up the brick chimney, which was built in the room, and back into the hole, where Gray and Chick sat trembling with their father and mother, who were scolding them. When the children returned they looked everywhere for the squirrel. He must have run up the chimney through the fireplace" they said, "and we will leave the cage here and put nuts in it''
 He will come for the nuts, I am sure,'' said Dick
 That night when everybody was in bed and father and mother squirrel were dreaming of forests filled with nuts, Flash awakened Chick and Gray and told them to follow him. Well have some fun," he told them, as they ran down the chimney to the play ground
 q saw Dick on this horse,' said Gray. T should like to ride horse back"
 But l can't make it rock" he said. You get on one end of the rocker, Flash. and Chick on the other" "Oh! you are having all the fun," they told him after awhile. We are going to play croquet" And away they scam pered.
 They rolled the balls around and ran through the wickets and over them, when all at once they did not see Gray on the horse. He was eating nuts in the cage the children had left.
 "Oh! you pig" they called to him, Don't eat all the nuts," but Gray had eaten every one.
 You are selfish fellow" they told him. We won't let you play croquet with us.'' T don't want to-" replied Gray. 'I'd rather skate," so he ran and jumped 1n one of the roller skates, which slid with him across the floor. Flash and Chick ran over to the swing, and up and down the ropes they went until it began to swing They sat on tha nd fo h,,t hou having too good time to stop.
 He is having more fun than we are," said Chick There are more skates; let us skate, too" In a few minutes all three were rolling in all directions and making such racket that they awakened their father and mother, and they looked out of the hole. Mother squirrel almost fell out when she saw her children rolling over the floor on the skates.
 What are you doing?" called the father Come back to your beds at once'' They did not dare disobey their father, so they went very slowly back to their beds and were soon sleeping soundly.
 The next morning when the chil- dren came to the playroom, they looked with surprise at the skates, which were scattered around the floor. And look," said Helen, "the nuts are gone. That squirrel came back and ran all over this room"
 If that bird cage had been trap" said Jack, we would have caught him."
 Perhaps he will come again and we can tame him. That will be better than catching him." Dick replied.