The Nevada County picayune., 1920-01-08
RaH Jsck Squind Moves
Happy Jack Squirrel was moving It
1y Thornton W. Brugsss.

WdSn that ne wanted to move. dCOu- ness. no! Moving Is bad enough at any season, but to have to do it right fin the middle of the harvest season is enough 10 drive almost any right-mind- ed thrifty squirrel almost crazy, and Happy Jack is nothing if not thrifty, But he just had 10 do it because as he explained to Peter Rabbit if he didn't he never would know another minute of peace.
 You baa@. Pe.en" said Happy Jack. 1T hefieve- thrIet"
 Peter r=ar.z el aaaalE. .tat-la nose a hat zaaraftg "Iz ##n't Ea9W it
 bad .t aver.
 If ..a# y H,t sH @ rk 't aF F =o f Has bee 70 Rm .#es g.sas .hHt l taf sa drop eFF and move riHly now lH 5.a a#.atfa If mv hg=z saae0a. l cou.da8 afford ta risk losing what I've alreais got just for the sake of adding g IssJle to it. Do you think I 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 T don't know what you're talking about, but if you say it's so l guess so it is" said he.
 of course 1t is, !" retorted Happy Jack You know I've been living in ;he attic of that house over there He pointed to a house Peter could just see through the trees
 Peter looked at the house, then looked at Happy Jack. You may be able to stuff lot down me. but you can't make me swallow that house." said he.
 Why men live in that house!"
 "Of course they do" replied Happy Jack. with a chuckle "Sat I've been living there. too Do you sec that limb of tree just touching the roof of that house"
 Peter odded. Well, one day" con. tinued Happy Jack, 'I ran out on that limb and on the roof Then discov- cred place where I could gnaw & hole, and did it."
 What for?" demanded Peter.
 "To find out what Was inside" re- enough to crawl through I got into the attic and 1t was the most wonder. ful place. There was the greatest lot of stuff up there you ever saw. piles of old papers, old clothes, old furniture. boxes-goodness, l couldn't begin to tell you of all the stuff Tn that attic. It didn't take me long to find out that nobody ever came up there excepting once fin a great while to put some more stuff there.
 So made a nest in a box. nest of paper which I tore up and old rags, and decided to live there. It was the most comfortable home I've ever had, and was looking forward to spend. ing the winter there It was a won derful place to live It certainly was" Happy Jack said this very wistfully.
 Then why don't you stay there?" demanded Peter
 "Hecause I've just discovered 1t isn't safe, declared Happy Jack "No. str, 1t isn't safe, and safety is the first law of life. as you very well know"
 Again Peter nodded, and Happy Jack continued. One night was awakened by some one in the attic f vas a hoy and he was looking for something with n Hghtai match. It burned close to his fingers and then he droFpe t II fell on a piece of old paper and It blazed right up. That boy vas quick I'll say that much for him He stamped hat fire out quick. er than a "fnk Then he went off down stairs
 "The rest ol that night didn't sleep much l kept thinking supposing that match had dropped in one of the big piles of paper and he hadn't been able to stamp it out The Red Terror would have just raced through that stuff and that whole hoHse would have been afIro in no time So decided to move. l couldn't afford 70 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 caTeiessness. Besides, I made up my mind that I had been living with thriftless people No one truly thrifty would ever have allowed such a mass of old stuff 10 collect They would have sold it for Thrift Stamps and so got some good from it. You know. Peter there isn't anything that cant be made use of in some way
 "I cant stand thriftlessnesr That in itsel; is bad enough, but thrittless people are also apt to be careless So I'm moving to s hollow tree Now feel rested and must get 10 work again and save the rest of my winter sup plies before the Red Terror burns up that house. l feel 1t in my bones that that is going to happen some day Good-by, Peter
 Happy Jack scampered away in the ,f