chosen hurriedly in his excitement, from which, 

 later on, he would collect his spoil for storage in 

 some secret hollow. I am not certain, however, 

 that Chickaree has a barn, a winter storehouse. 

 I have often found collections of pignuts in old 

 tree-hollows that looked as if Chickaree had 

 stored them there. Still they were always shells 

 only. The whole nuts may have been carried 

 into the hollows for safety and convenience, a 

 few at a time, as they were to be eaten. 



Yet, more than once I have caught Chickaree 

 stuf&ng hollow rails with corn. Perhaps he in- 

 tended to keep this store against the winter. I 

 suspect, for I know Chickaree, that it was more 

 mischief and itching for occupation, than pro- 

 vision against need. 



He never finished the stuffing. Long before 

 the cavity was full the little scatterbrain would 

 be off at some other active but useless task, leav- 

 ing his store to be found and devoured by 

 the jays or the mice. Chickaree will never re- 

 member that the second rail from the bottom, 

 in the section between the stump and the sas- 

 safras-tree, holds a pint of golden corn. 



All wild animals are mere children. They all 

 [243] 



