dragged it up the crust came off, letting the loaf 

 tumble back into the water. He ran away, to 

 hide the crust, then came back quickly to the 

 pool. 



It was fun to see him fish for that queer piece 

 of bread. He would catch it in his paws, take 

 it in his mouth, scoop aud pull and root, but 

 each time get only crumbs. The provoking 

 stuff had suddenly gone soft— or bewitched. It 

 would not come out. 



But Chickaree was not bewitched. ■ He was 

 angry— plain old- Adam anger. Up on the log 

 he jumped, flipped his tail, clawed the bark, 

 and, with a burst of passion, gave the whole 

 mountain a furious upbraiding. It was the 

 mountain, for he looked at nothing in particular, 

 nothing smaller. He railed. After one terrible 

 minute he came back to us, coughing and husky 

 and sore in the throat. 



"When he reached the box, how quickly his 

 spirit changed ! No April sky ever broke more 

 suddenly into rainy sunshine than Chickaree on 

 picking up one of the molasses cookies. He was 

 surprised and delighted. Never had he tasted 

 its like. Birch catkins and beechnuts ? Flat ! 

 16 [241] 



