76 DAN BEARD'S ANIMAL BOOK 



around, he ran through the hot ashes in the open 

 fireplace of the dining-room, he jumped hurdles, 

 and at last catching sight of the cook, ran up the 

 outside of her dress and before she was aware of 

 his intentions, sunk his chisel-like teeth through the 

 nail of her thumb, biting into the bone. 



This was going too far even for a drunken 

 rodent, so the squirrel was grasped roughly by the 

 nape of his neck and thrust back into his cage, 

 where he curled up and slept off the effects of his 

 too generous libations. 



Then a wonderful thing happened, Robin the 

 savage, Robin the ill-natured, from that time be- 

 came one of the most gentle and lovable of little 

 pets which I have ever possessed. It may have 

 been that he was shamed into gentleness by the 

 memory of his disgraceful behavior, or it may have 

 been that he felt grateful for the care he received 

 after his soaking in the rain, or it may be that 

 the strong drink rearranged the gray matter in 

 his little brain, destroyed the wicked thoughts and 

 developed the good ones. But whatever the reason, 

 Robin had a change of heart. At the end of the 

 season, when the reformed red squirrel was given 

 his freedom, he seemed to leave us with real regret, 

 and, as if reluctant to part with his human friends, 

 he several times returned to his cage at the log 

 house before finally disappearing with a whisk of 

 his tail down in the swail where he was first 

 caught. 



