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chamber for something, and she thought she heard 

 an odc| little noise from the washstand. She went 

 over and looked in the pitcher. The maid had 

 partly filled it with water that morning and there, 

 still swimming desperately, but almost exhausted, 

 was the poor little squirrel. She was just in time 

 to save him. He must have come for his usual 

 play, and jumped into the pitcher without looking 

 to see whether it was empty or not. 



Dicky's life, though a happy one, was not very 

 long. Perhaps he had too many nuts. Perhaps it 

 is not healthy for squirrels to be petted so much 

 or to sleep in little boy's pockets. 



One day Dicky seemed very subdued ; he would 

 not eat, and he spent his time lying stretched out 

 flat on top of the library bookcase, out of reach. 



The next morning he was still lying there. Joe 

 called him, but he did not stir, and when the boy 

 climbed up and touched him, he found the little 

 thing quite stiff and cold. Dicky's short life was 

 ended. 



