New Britain herald., 1927-02-04
BY THORNTON ". BURGESS He who would not his duties shirk Must learn to plan as well as work.
 -Chatterer the Red Squirrel.

Chatterer the Red Squirrel wasted that he had discovered store of beechnuts safely hidden away in hollow in a tall, dead stump of tree, and that he was certain that tho very beechnuts had been taken from one of his storehouses. Chat terer climbed up and poked his head out of the entrance hole, little round doorway. His head almost filled 1t. He looked this way, he looked that way, he looked up, he looked down, he looked around and around. Then he chuckled. No one was there. He disappeared. In minute he poked his head out again. This time he looked as if he had the humps. Once more those bright eyes of his looked in every direction. Then Chatterer climbed out and ran quickly down that tree.
 He scampered across the snow-a little red spot against it's whiteness. He likes the snow, but just then he would have liked 1t better had there been no snow. He would have liked it better If the ground had merely a covering of dead brown leaves. But he had to make the best of things as they wsre. So he scampered swift ly across the snow and disappeared under some young hemlock trees. Tn moment he was back again, hurry ing to that tall. dead stump. He no longer looked as if he had the humps. Up he climbed, hastily, looked around, then disappeared in- side. It was but moment before he was out again and once more he looked as If he had the humps. He did just as he had done before-he scampered across the snow and dis appeared under the hemlocks. When he reappeared he looked just as a squirrel should look. Of course, you have guessed what he was doing. He was taking those beechnuts out of that hollow in the tall, dead stump, and he was hiding them under those low-srowing hemlocks, where few were likely to venture.
 AS he worked he talked to himself. a way Chatterer has Of doing some times. You know there are people who. when they can get no one else to listen, will listen to themselves. So Chatterer worked and talked to himself, when he didn't have his mouth full.
 "r1l get all these nice beechnuts out of here" said he. "I'Il get them all out and hidden away just as soon as I can. I don't believe anybody will look for them under those hem lock trees, so I'll leave them there only until I can find a really safe place to put them. When I get all these beechnuts out and hidden I'll run over home and see that every thing is all right there. Then I'll come back here and I'll curl up in that bed up in that hollow stump. and I'll wait. Yes, sir, I'll wait. I think ! know now who stole my beechnuts. I wonder I didn't think of him before. But I'll have to waif until dark 10 make sure. That much ] know. When he does come hell get little surprise. II won't be so pleasant surprise for him as the surprise I had when I found these sweet beechhuts. My. but they are good! I would like to sit right down and eat my fll this very min ute. But that would be a silly thing to do. There will he time enough 10 eat after l have all these beech nuts hidden where no one else will find them"
 After while Chatterer reached the bottom of that hollow. Not one single little three-slded beechnut was left When he had made sure of thi., he left the old tree and started for homo It was quite | long way,