191 



" It's a flying squirrel ; a young flying squirrel," 

 Joe answered, almost crying with excitement. 



He ran to his aunt, followed by Billy. "Aunt 

 Lucy, look ! look ! It's a young squirrel ; oh, may 

 I keep it ? I found it on the lawn." 



Aunt Lucy peeped into the hollow of his hands. 

 " Why, so it is," she said : " a little squirrel." 



She was almost as much interested as the boys. 

 She said that of course Joe might keep it, and she 

 would get a box for him to put it in. 



Billy complained, and said that he ought to have 

 the squirrel — it was on his father's lawn and came 

 out of his father's tree ; but his mother said she 

 was surprised at him — that of course it belonged 

 to Joe, since he had found it. 



She got a box for Joe and gave him something 

 soft to put in it, so that the little squirrel might 

 have a comfortable nest. She also gave him some 

 wire netting to put over the top of the box, that 

 the little animal might not get away. 



Joe fed it and then put it in the box, and he and 

 Billy watched it and played with it until supper time. 



While they went to supper, the box was left on 

 a bench on the porch. They could see it through 

 the open door as they sat at the table. 



