146 BEYOND THE PASTURE BARS 



perience was sure to come to them ; and with wits 

 and experience there is nothing known among 

 squirrels of their kind that these two would not 

 learn for themselves. 



And there was not much known to squirrels that 

 these two did not know, apparently without even 

 learning. As they grew in size they increased ex- 

 ceedingly in naughtiness, and were banished 

 shortly from the kitchen to an ell or back wood- 

 shed. They celebrated this change in their for- 

 tunes by dropping some hickory nuts into a rubber 

 boot hanging on the wall, and then gnawing a hole 

 through the toe of the boot in order to extract the 

 hidden nuts. Was it mischief that led them to 

 gnaw through rather than go down the top! Or 

 did something get stuffed into the top of the boot 

 after the nuts were dropped in? And did the 

 squirrels remember that the nuts were in there, or 

 did they smell them through the rubber? 



The squirrels took possession of the woodshed 

 for the winter. Their first nest had been built 

 behind the hot-water tank. They knew how to 

 build without any teaching. But knowing how is 

 not all there is to know about building; knowing 

 where is very important, and this they had to 

 learn. 



