192 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Jlounjs |!fO|lc's |a()C. 



THE SQUmREL AND HIS FRIENDS. 



A FEW days ago, I saw a beautiful red squirrel come out 

 of his winter's nests, and run up to the top of the tree to 

 get a breath of fresh air, and have a look at his neighbors. 

 His eves were bright, and his coat was shining, and he 

 looked as if the nuts and apples he had laid up for the 

 season were likely to hold out. Now, all the children in 

 the city love squirrels ; there is not one whose eyes would 

 not brighten at this little friend of theirs and mine. And 

 yet the first boy who saw him began pelting him with 

 gnow-balls ; you would have thought he was a rebel, and 

 yet I am sure he was true to the striped flag. Children 

 are very apt to tease and torment all these beautiful wild 

 Ot-eatures, but they can not tell why they do it. I would 

 like to offer a prize for a boy who never threw a stone at 

 a chipmunk, but I am afraid it would beditficult to find 

 him. You all like the funny rogue, but you have a strange 

 way of showing it. Why don't you teach him to be glad 

 to see you, and make him feel, when you gather around 

 him, that he is only among friends ? 



He is a good deal like you in many respects. He is fond 

 of play, but I never heard of his trying to frighten child- 

 ren, as he easily might, and he knows they are always 

 frightening him. He loves nuts and apples, but he gath- 

 ers them himself, and packs them away very carefully, 

 and isn't apt to eat too many. He will not touch the corn 

 till it is ripe, and then if the farmer neglects to gather it, 

 he meets him in the field some bright morning, and says, 

 « Neighbor Two-legs, winter is coming. Isn't it about 

 time to get this crop under cover ?" Indeed, the worst 

 fault that you can find with him is that he sometimes de- 

 stroys ez"^ and young birds, but he is not half as much 

 to blame as boys who do the same. He takes them be- 

 cause he is hungry, and you only take them just for fun, 

 forgetting that every bird loves her little ones just as you 

 love the baby in the cradle. I have lately read of a boy 

 who had the charge of cows and horses, and was so cruel 

 to them that they trembled when they saw him coming. 

 I wish all my young readers would make pets of the 

 animals they know, until every creature, whether wild 

 or tame, would learn ,to regard them as playmates and 

 friends. ^ ^ ^ 



The Echo.— a little boy knew nothing about an echo ; 

 but one day he cried out, as he jumped about in the grass, 

 " Ho? H o-p I" and immediately from a little wall close at 

 hand, he heard, " Ho ! H-o-p !" Astonished, he called 

 out, "Who are yow.'" The voice at once answered, 

 " Who are you /'^ " You're a stupid little fool!" cried 

 the boy, beginning to be angry. "Stupid little fool!" 

 came back from the wall. 



The boy grew enraged, aud in his passion shouted all 

 manner of abusive names ; the wall gave them all faith- 

 fully back again. Then the child searched all over for 

 the mocking boy, that he might take vengeance on him ; 

 but no creature could he fiud but a harmless pussy hunt- 

 ing sparrows. 



Indignant and surprised, the child ran home, and com- 



plained bitterly how a wicked boy, hidden somewhe 

 bihind the old wall, had been calling him hard names. 



" There," said his mother, " you have betrayed you 

 self. You heard only your own words reflected from tl 

 wall, as you have seen your own face, sometimes, reflec 

 ed from a glass. If you had given kind tones and frien 

 ly words, kind tones and friendly words would have i 

 turned to you again. Aud so it always is ; the condu 

 of others is but the echo of our own. If we treat otbe 

 kindly and considerately, they will treat us kindly ai 

 considerately in return ; but if we are rough aud rude 

 them, we must expect nothing more ourselves." 



THE MOUSE THAT GRUMBLED. 



A LITTLE mouse once found fault with its supper, 

 wanted what it could not have. " My child," said its c 

 mother, " your supper is better than many little mice g 

 Many little mice get nothing." This did not make it a' 

 better pleased or more thankful. " It did not care wl 

 ther other little mice went hungry or not," it said ; " i 

 its part, it wanted cheese ;'' and because it could not ha 

 it, it ran up into a corner of the hole, turned its ba( 

 and pouted. Ah, I'm afraid there are other naugh 

 children who do just so. 



" Can't I go aud get some mi/self? " cried the fooli 

 little mouse. "My child," said the patient mother, "y ' 

 know not the traps that are set in our way. Have y i 

 forgotten that terrible enemy of our race, the great yn 

 low cat, that ate up your cousins? Remember how W'l 

 you are off, and let well enough alone, before y^ 

 leave our snug hole for the uncertainties of life on 1 1 

 premises. We are near enough to the granary to 3atis< 

 every reasonable want, and there's your fine playgroui 

 among the rafters." More good words were said, ai 

 she then left the little mouse to its own reflections, wh: 

 she went out for a short walk under the burdock leaves 



No sooner was her back turned than out came the lit) 

 mouse from the corner, left itself down the hole, aii 

 scampered in the direction of fhe pantry. On its way 

 met a dashing young rat, and asked bis advice. "N 

 thing dare, nothing have," said the rat. That advi 

 pleased the little mouse, and it marched boldly on- 

 know where, for it had often heard the old rats describe 



At length it reached a secret opening into the pantr 

 and found it— stopped up! How angry the little mou 

 was; while the savory smells that came through ti 

 walls only aggravated it the more. Heedless of dnngr 

 it began to gnaw, gnaw, gnaw, without stopping to liste. 

 A rich nibble and a belly full were all it thought of. . 

 last it contrived to squeeze in, as tickled as could be, an 

 laughing in its sleeve at its cautious old mother. In th 

 state of mind, just rounding a firkin, a couple of gin- 

 eyes, a huge mouth, and monstrous whiskers confront 

 it. A terrible fright seized its whole body. Where 

 go and what to do, it knew not; but it took to its leji 

 got out of a door, then ran again, the yellow cat at i 

 heels. Did she catch it ? Some time after she was 3e« 

 licking her chops, but she kept dark, answering i 

 questions. 



Its mother came in from her walk under the burdd 

 leaves, and never saw her mouse again. " Ah, it is 

 sorry sign when children find fault with what is set b 

 fore them," she said and sighed. 



