Mexico weekly ledger., 1919-12-25
Happy Jack Squirrel Moves
BY Thornton w. Bruaess.

ASfAhb 10 Dau CLOu6H at
any season. but to have to do it right
In the middle Of the harvest season is
enough to drive almost any right-mind-
ed thrifty squirrel almost crazy, and
tiappy Jack is nothing II not thrifty.
But he Just had to do 1t because, as he
explained to Peter Rabbit, il he didn't
ne never would know another minute
OF peace.
1ou know, Peter" said Happy
Jack, Il believe in thrift"
Peter w~riggled his wobbly little nose
a bit s%cornfully, "If don't know it
1t isn't because l haven't had it ever
lastIngly preached to me-" said he.
Happy Jack took no notice of
PETERS scorn. Yes, sir, | believe in
thrift" he continued. 1.-THE truly
thrifty person is the one who will get
on fastest and farthest in life. Think
IL over Peter. So it was because |
am truly thrifty that l had to drop
everything else and move right now
IN the middle of my busy season. /
couldn't afford to risk losing what I've
already got just for the sake of adding
a little to it. Do you think | could.
Peter?"
Peter Rabbit scratched one long ear
with a long hindfoot, then the other
long ear with the other long hindfoot,
and looked puzzled. II don't know
what you're talking about, but II you
say it's so l guess so It u.s." said he.
0 course It is," retorted Happy
Jack. You know I've been living in
the attic Of that house over there" He
pointed to q house Peter could Just
see through the trees.
Peter looked at the house, then
looked at Happy Jack. "You may be
able to stuff a lot down me, but you
can't make me swallow that house"
said he.
Why men live in that housed"
. course they do" replied Happy
Jack, with a chuckle. But I've been
living there. too. Do you see that
limb of a tree Just touching the roof
Of that house"
Peter nodded. well, one day" con.
tinued Happy Jack, 81 ran out on that
limb and on the roof. Then | dfscov.
cred a place where I could gnaw a
hole, and | did it."
What for?" demanded Peter.
TO find out what was inside" re-
piled Happy Jack. When / got 1t big
enough to crawl through | got into
the attic and 1t was the most wonder.
full place. There was the greatest lot
OF stuff up there you ever saw. piles of
old papers, old clothes, old furniture,
boxes-goodness. | couldn't begin to
tell you of all the stuff in that attic
1t didn't take me long to find out that
nobody ever came up there excepting
once In a great while to put some
more stuff there.
80 l made a nest In a box. a nest
OF paper which tore up and old rags,
and decided to live there. 1t vas the
most comfortable home I've ever had.
and / was looking forward to spend.
ing the winter there. 1t was a won
derful place to live. It certainly was"
Happy Jack said this very w~istfully.
Then why don't you stay there7"
demanded Peter.
Because I've Just discovered It isn't
SAFE" declared Happy Jack. mo, sir.
1t isn't safe. and safety is the first law
Of life, as got very well know"
Again Peter nodded, and Happy
Jack continued: "One night was
awakened by some one in the attic.
1t was q boy and he was looking for
something with a light ID match. It
burned close to his fingers and then
he dropped It. It fell on a piece of
old paper and It bia2ed right up. That
boy was quick. III say that much for
him. He stamped hist fire out quick.
er than a wink. ten he went off
down stairs.
The rest OF that night I didn't sleep
much. kept thinking supposing that
match had dropped in one of the big
piles OF paper and he hadn't been able
to stamp 1t out. The Red Terror would
have Just raced through that stuff and
that whole house would have been
afire in no time. So I decided to move.
| couldn't afford 10 lose ny winter
supply of nuts stored there, to say
nothing Of running the risk Of being
burned to death because Of some
body's carelessness. Besides, made
up my mind that I had been living
with thriftless people. No one truly
thrifty would eve have allowed such
a mass of old stuff to collect. They
would have sold 1t for Thrift Stamps
and SO got some good from 1t. You
know, Peter there isn't anything that
can't be made use Q. In some way.
Il can't stand thriftlessness. That
In ITSELF is bad enough, but thriftless
people are also apt to be careless. 30
I'm moving to a hollow tree. Now I
feel rested and must get to work again
and save the rest OF my winter sup
plies before the Red Terror burns up
that house. feel it In my bones that
that Is going to happen some day.
Good-by. Peter"
Happy Jack scampered away in the
direction of the house where he had
been living and where the thriftless,
careless people lived. Then Peter
turned towards the dear old briar
patch. ut certainly is funny" said he
to himself as he hoped along, "how
thriftless some people are and don't
know it. and what a lot of different
kinds OF thriftlessness there are"