THE NUTCRACKERS OF NUTCRACKER LODGE. 23 



&quot; But I hope, my son, you are careful to be honest in 

 your dealings,&quot; said old Nutcracker, who was a very moral 

 squirrel. 



With that, young Featherhead threw his tail saucily over 

 one shoulder, winked knowingly at his brothers, and said, 

 &quot; Certainly, sir ! If honesty consists in getting what you can 

 while it is going, I mean to be honest.&quot; 



Very soon Featherhead appeared to his admiring com 

 panions in the height of prosperity. He had a splendid 

 hole in the midst of a heap of chestnuts, and he literally 

 seemed to be rolling in wealth ; he never came home with 

 out showering lavish gifts on his mother and sisters ; he 

 wore his tail over his back with a buckish air, and patron 

 ized Tip Chipmunk with a gracious nod whenever he met 

 him, and thought that the world was going well with him. 



But one luckless day, as Featherhead was lolling in his 

 hole, up came two boys with the friskiest, wiriest Scotch ter 

 rier you ever saw. His eyes blazed like torches, and poor 

 Featherhead s heart died within him as he heard the boys 

 say, &quot; Now we 11 see if we can t catch the rascal that eats 

 our grain.&quot; 



Featherhead tried to slink out at the hole he had gnawed 

 to come in by, but found it stopped. 



&quot; O, you are there, are you, Mister ? &quot; said the boy. &quot; Well, 

 you don t get out ; and now for a chase ! &quot; 



And, sure enough, poor Featherhead ran distracted with 



