Evening star., 1920-05-14
lT1IIEE;S!10RlES z
%rbEDTInE
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.
What Chatterer Knew About
Happy Jack.
Twere better that you he unheard
II you can say no kindly word.

1Were Oattef that you ne Nnhear0
III you can say no kindly word.
| Chatterer the Red Squirrel sulked.
You see he was in a bad temper. But
he didn't dare sulk long. Old Mother
Nature had told him to tell all that
he knew about Happy Jack the Gray
Squirrel. and he was afraid to disobey.
| Il don't know much good about him, .
! he mumbled at last.
/! And you don't know much bad
about me, either" retorted Happy Jack
sharply. Old Mother Nature held up a
warning hand. THAT will do! said
she sternly. "The way you two cous-
ins quarrel is a disgrace to the Green
Forest. Now. Chatterer. go on"
| Happy Jack is more than twice my
size. but at that I'm not afraid OF
Happy Jack. He is all gray except
ing underneath; there he is white. He
has q tremendously big tail and is so
proud Of it that he shows it off every
time he gets chance. l wouldn't
\ have such q tail myself"
You wouldn't because you couldn't '
interrupted Happy Jack.
chatterer pretended that he didn't
hear this. when he sits up he has
way of folding his arms on his
he does it for l haven't the least idea
unless it is to keep his hands warm
in cold weather. He builds a nest
| very much like mine. Sometimes it is
! in hollow tree. but quite as often
| it is in the branches Of a tree. Some
times he has both kinds of nests He
is fairly good traveller in the tree
tops. but he spends a great deal OF
time on the ground. much more than
] do. He likes open woods best. espe-
| cially where there are many nut
treets. He has a storehouse, where he
| puts away nuts for winter, but he
buries In the ground and under fallen
leaves more than he stores away. In
| winter, when he is hungry, he hunts
4 for those buried nuts and, somehow
! manages to find them even when they
are buried under snow. When it comes
| to stealing he Is no better than l am
| have seen him steal birds eggs, and
! wouldn't trust him unmatched near
i one of my storehouses."
! 1t was Happy Jacks turn to become
indignant Il may have taken a few
eggs when l accidentally ran across
them, but | never go looking for
them" said he. Il don't. take them
! other food. l don't make a business
| Of robbing birds as you do, and you
know 1t. Everybody loves me. and
that is more than you can say"
| That's enough" declared Old Moth
never have agreed. and l am afraid
never Will. Have you told me all you
know about Happy Jack. Chatterer?'
| Chatterer nodded. He was still mum
bling to himself angrily and wasn't
polite enough to reply. Old Mother
Nature took no notice Of this. What
you have told US is good as far as IT
goes" said she. You said that Hap
py Jack is all gray excepting under
meath. Usually this is true. but some
times a Gray Squirrel isn't gray at all
but all black"
Peter Rabbits long ears flew up
with astonishment. "How can a
Squirrel that is gray be black?" ne
demanded.
Old Mother Nature smiled. THAT
is a fair question" said she. Gray
Squirrel is simply name for Happy
Jacks family. Sometimes some of
| the babies are born with black coats.
OF course, they are the same kind
Of Squirrels only they look differ
ent. In some parts Of the country
there are many Of these black-coaNd d
Squirrels. and people think they are
a different kind. They are not. They
are simply black-coated Gray Squir-
! rels. Just remember this. Now ]
think this will do for the lesson on
Happy Jack"
Copyright. 1920 by T. W. Burgess)