Alabama, ipi8. 



37 



times the friskiest one would start a game of tag. Immediately all 

 five would be whisking up and down the trees, jumping from branch 

 to branch, darting over the grass as light as thistledown. Again, 

 the two biggest brothers would have a mock quarrel, chasing each 

 other and scolding noisily — 'Chip, chip, chip, chip !' — until they tired 

 of that and went to gathering beechnuts or acorns. 



"They were all inquisitive, as squirrels are apt to be, and very 

 much interested in other people's affairs. They liked to tease, too, 

 now and then, though, on the whole, the five were good friends with 

 nearly every one. They had many neighbors in the lane and in the 

 fields and woods beyond. In their own tree there was a bluejay 

 family, while in a hollow at the foot some rabbits had their home. 

 Woodpeckers, bluebirds, and thrushes were all about. Over in the 

 field meadow larks built their nests, and many other furry creatures 

 besides themselves lived near by. 



"The youngest squirrel, however, had a great and curious 

 admiration for his bird neighbors. He would leave the j oiliest game 

 of tag to talk to the bluejay or the robin, and he never tired of 

 asking questions about wings and flying. 'How does it feel to go so 

 fast and far through the air ?' he asked the robin one morning. 'Do 

 you never fall or forget how to do it ?' 



" 'Goodness, no!' answered the robin. 'It's just as easy as eat- 

 ing cherries. Why, if you had any wings to spread, you could fly ! 

 You do pretty well, anyway, for a four-legged creature, with that 

 tail of yours. It's almost feathery, indeed!' 



"The squirrel was very much pleased at this. He made up his 

 mind that he would jump just as far as he could. Really, once, 

 when the wind was helping him, he made a longer leap than his 

 biggest brother ever had dared. Still, it was not flying, and the 

 youngest squirrel was not satisfied. 



"One day he interviewed a swallow, who had a nest under the 

 eaves of a barn. 'O, it is the finest thing in the world!' cried the 

 swallow. 'There is nothing so delightful as flying ! It is no wonder 

 that even a squirrel should wish to do it. Perhaps, since you are 

 small and light, if you spread your legs out as flat as possible, you 

 might do better. They would be a little like wings. But you really 

 need feathers,' she concluded ; 'feathers were made for flying.' 



"The little squirrel thanked her and tried faithfully to follow 

 her suggestion. He found that it did indeed help. 'Surely,' he 

 thought, 'with practice I can make a flying leap from our tree to 



