Evening star., 1916-05-13
lI1IILES10R!Es l1I
.%rBE1DTInTE B1
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.
Copyright. 1915. by T. W. Burees,o
Chatterer Loses His Appetite
for Eggs.

When Chatterer the Red Squirrel
thrust his head in the hole in the old
apple tree in the Old Orchard without
thing to do he received one of the very
worst surprises of his whole life. Yes.
sir. he did. 1t isn't often that Chat
terer is really badly frightened, but he
was this time. He was so frightened
that he screeched as he pulled his head
back out of that hole and at the same
time he quite forgot that he was UP in
a tree and tried to jump backward
The result was that Chatterer fell in
the most undignified way He fell from
that old apple tree to the ground, and
the instant he touched the ground he
raced for the old stone wall as fast as
his legs could take him.
His fall from the tree hurt him not a I
all unless 1t was in his dignity. and at
the time he was too frightened to
think Of this. He had just one thought
and that was to get away as soon as
possible. From the doorway of Drum
mer the Woodpeckers old home, which
was the doorway in which Chatterer
had so care1ess1y thrust his head an
other head was now thrust out. 1t was
a nat. smooth black head and from the
mouth slender. forked tongue kept
dartlng out and in. Two sharp eyes
which never winked nor blinked
"atched Chatterer and if ever there is
laughter in eyes it was in those.
Old Mr.. Toad happened to be under
that old apple tree and Chatterer verv
nearly fell on him. 1t gave him such a
start that he lost his temper for lust a
minute. He opened his mouth to tell
thatterer his opinion Of him. but before
ne could find his voicA Chatterer was
100 Tar away to hear him Then Old
Mr.. Toad glanced up to see what had
frightened Chatterer 50. When he saw
that black head thrust out from the old
nome OF Drummer the Woodpecker he
seemed to Just shrink right up. His
big pop-eyes popped out more than
ever He flattened himself down close
TO the ground and held his breath. He
knew now why Chatterer had fallen
from the tree and then run with al! his
might. He wished with "A mighty wish
that he could run as Chatterer can.
Presently that black head disannear-
ed back inside the hollow in the tree
O!d Mr.. Toad waited a few minutes
ihen' with his eyes rolled up at the
mole where the head had been, he stole
softiy back of the tree. Once sure
that he couldn't be seen from that hole
ne began to hop for all he was worth
and those hops would have been "a
cfedlt to Grandfather Frog. All the
time he kept his eyes rolled back. and
been III the eyes of Chatterer when he
fell from the tree. At last Old Mr.
Toad had to stop for breath. He crawl
ed under a piece of board. LAS | live
that was Mr.. Blacksnake" he gasped.
he was right, was Old Mr. Toad
chatterer was not the only one who
had taken il into his head that some
fresh eggs would taste good that day
Mr.. Blacksnake knew just as well as
did Chatterer that it was high time
that Winsome Bluebird should have set
up housekeeping. Being a very good
tree climber he had decided that he
would have look in some of the holes
in the trees of the Old Orchard If he
FOUND some eggs well and good, and if
he found the owners of the eggs at
home so much the better. He had had
no success and when he reached the big
hollow which had been the old home
Of Drummer the Woodpecker. he had
curled up in it far nap, for he was
ured. He had walked at the sound of
Chatterers claws as he climbed the
tree and when Chatterer had poked his
head in at the doorway he had almost
poked it into the mouth of Mr.. Black
snake DO you wonder that Chatterer
had tumbied out of the tree?
Once he had reached the stone wall
Chatterer hurried home. Somehow he
dldnt want eggs. The very thought
of eggs gave him sick shivery feel
ing. He had no desire to explore any
more holes in the trees of the Old Or
chard. He was perfectly content with
other food. of which he had plenty. The
very thought of eggs made him shud-
der and gave him a creepy feeling. As
for Mr.. Blacksnake, he once more curled
up for a. nap and chuckled as he
thought of the fright he had given
thatterer the Red Squirrel To him 1t
had been very. very funny.