Evening star., 1948-05-07
This and That
Bu Charles E. Trdce,reu

II you like squirrels, you will enjoy this
letter about Chatty, friend of Mrs. j. w.
Of Arlington, Va
For over two years. she writes, my hus-
pano and l have read your column eyery
evening with great enjoyment. IT makes us
feel closer to the little boys and eirs of the
woods and fields that come begging at our
kitchen window every day.
1T is hard for me to realize that some OF
your readers have trouble coaxing birds to
their feeding stations. From the time we
opened ours it has had heavy traffic, and at
first I thought was going to have to spend
my time refereeing wrestling matches, but as
the months went on, and the eager customers
realized that the cafeteria was there to stay
with plenty OF food for ALL they began lining
up and taking their turns calmly without
jostling.
II clean the feeding station every day, fill
the trays to their capacity with raisns chicken
feed and peanuts, and include custard cup
filled with fresh water. The food Is little
expensive, but never amounts to more than
the cost of a neighborhood movie per week
And We find it much more exciting than the
trite Hollywood themes.
*x*
"And above all, there is Chatty, the gray
squirrel We don't know who tanned Chatty
but some human must have been kind to him
when he was baby.
II met him when he was all eyes with
stringy piece of tail Even then he would
side up close to my lawn chair and almost
run over my feet
After We built the ledge, he Immediately
attached himself to us. 1t was soon evident
he was accustomed to civilized life, for he
liked to eat out OF dish and always licked
1t until it shone.
when the food wasn't there he invariably
scratched on the window as gentle reminder
that he had Sharpened his teeth and was ready
for breakfast.
In the summer made little seat for him
on a high stool, and he came in and sat
quietly while I did my canning.
When the pressure canner blew its steam,
he beat a hasty retreat. Now, whenever
bake dessert with nuts, there he is smiling
the air and demanding a sample.
Although Chatty eats out Of our hands, he
draws the line at cuddling. When try to pet
him, he usually jumps and strikes out play
fully at me.
Hes no longer q waif, but sturdy fellow
with soft, glistening fur and q full plume OF
q tail.
1--WE can't bear to think Of the time when
we won't hear Chatty's plump on the sill or
the insistent scratching At the window. When
he misses q day, I worry about him as If he
were one Of the family. After all, he does
belong to us As much as any wild creature
can be said to belong to any one"
90 you see, lOlkS IL Tealy ISL necessary 70
have read How to Make Friends and influence
People" to achieve real results along those
lines
Chatty the squirrel, has mastered all the
fundamentals, evidently, just by being himself
He offers an object lesson to many straining,
striving humans who do, indeed, as Shake
speare put it, protest too much. one way or
another.
Just be yourself, and the world will come
to your door, or, If you don't want such crowd
ing, may leave you alone to enjoy . few good
friends
Chatty with good rodent wisdom, has man
aged to bridge the gap between two worlds
He perches on his high stool, and never
misses thing.
Our correspondent has an excellent friend.
but We would advise her not to try to pet him
Squirrels no matter how well-tamed, or how
long, must always be approached with extreme
circumspection, for they are still wild creatures
Some OF them yield at last, and will submit
to close holding, but a few never will
One needs no camera to see the picture
drawn of Chatty snufing the nut pudding.
Probably few pufis of steam in world history
cause as much merriment as when Mrs Es
pressure Gamer lets loose with blast all Of
a sudden
Our correspondents idea of cleaning the bird
feeding station every day is not q bad one.
but perhaps an advice of perfection that not
all Of us viii carry out.
The need for some water should never be
forgotten. This may be near the food or at
some little distance, probably 10 feet away. The
line OF birds hopping back and forth is always
pleasing. An old pie pan, or similar shallow
utensil. will serve nicely.
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