HAPPY JACK SQUIRREL 25 



entirely different light on this business," began Jack, 

 defensively, "something that you don't know, and 

 no one else for that matter. Fact is, I didn't under- 

 stand it myself until you mentioned the trouble. 

 Blackbird Jim and Tom the catbird had their nests 

 in the red haw tree over by the fence, didn't they?" 



"Yes/' assented Cock Robin. 



"All right, and the young ash tree leans over the 

 fence with its limbs touching those of the haw tree, 

 doesn't it?" 



"Yes," agreed Cock Robin. 



"Well, one warm day last summer, when I was 

 lying on one of the limbs of the big maple, just get- 

 ting ready to take a nap in the shade of my sleep- 

 ing porch, I happened to glance down and whom do 

 you suppose I saw crawling up the leaning ash tree? 

 No one but Slippery the black snake. He crawled 

 on over to the haw tree. Owing to the leaves, I 

 couldn't just see what took place, but in a short time 

 Slippery returned to the ground, and I could see from 

 his appearance that he had filled up on something. 

 In a few moments Blackbird Jim returned and was 

 making a terrible fuss about something, but I never 

 learned just what was the cause. 



"However, I am not saying that Slippery broke 

 up the nests, but I would advise your friends to be 



