University of Virginia Library

9. IX
LOST IN THE DARK WOODS

DID any of you children ever run away? No, I'm sure you never did, and I hope you never will. But you can't always tell what squirrels are going to do, especially when their names are Billie and Johnnie. Of course, I'm not saying that if their names had been something else they wouldn't have run away from Grandma and Grandpa Lightfoot, for I can't be sure of that. Anyhow, Billie and Johnnie Bushytail ran away, and this is how they did it:

In the nest at the top of the big tree everything had been going nicely for some days. Johnnie and Billie went out day by day and

gathered acorns, nuts and grains of corn, or else they got some sweet bark or some chewing gum from wild cherry trees. They practised jumping, and they washed their faces and hands and kept their bushy tails in order. In fact, they were as good squirrels as they could be, until suddenly an idea popped into Billie's head.

One day, when everything was as still and as quiet in the woods as it is in church when nobody is there, Billie said to his brother:

“Let's do something.”

“What shall we do?” asked Johnnie.

“Let's run away,” suggested Billie.

“Where?” asked Johnnie. “I don't want to go down to that park in Newark again, where the fire engines and the trolley cars make so much noise.”

“No, we'll not go there,” agreed Billie.

“Where will we go, then?”

“Oh, let's run off in the woods, and see what happens.”

“What for?” asked Johnnie. “Isn't it nice here? We have a good nest and plenty to eat.”

“Yes, but nothing ever happens here,” complained Billie. “Come on, let's run away. Jennie Chipmunk isn't looking, grandma is taking a nap, and grandpa has gone to the postoffice.”

So the little squirrel brothers ran away. Would you believe it? They did. Yes, sir, they slipped into the nest, got some nut sandwiches to take along in case they got hungry, and ran away.

At first it was lots of fun. They jumped about in the trees and saw many strange sights. They got farther and farther away from home, into a part of the big park on top of Orange Mountain, where they had never

been before. They looked up at the blue sky and they looked down at the earth, which was just getting green, ready for spring, and they shouted and called to each other, they were so happy.

“Let's eat our sandwiches,” suggested Johnnie, after a while, so they sat down on a log and finished them up in less than no time, if you know how long that is. This done, they went on again, playing tag and leaping about, until it began to get dark. Then they were not quite so happy, and Johnnie would have been glad to go home, only he did not like to say so, for fear Billie would think he was afraid. So they kept on, and it was getting darker and darker and darker.

“Where will we stay to-night?” asked Johnnie.

“Oh, we will find a hollow tree somewhere,” said Billie. “We are travelers now,

seeking our fortune, and it does not much matter where we stay.”

They looked and looked, but they couldn't find a hollow tree to stay in, and it got darker and darker, and colder and colder. Pretty soon they heard a noise in a tree over their heads, and a big bird swooped down on them. It almost caught them, only Billie pulled Johnnie away in time. Then a snake tried to catch them, and they had to hide under the leaves. Oh, how frightened they were, and, all at once, just as they were wishing they were safe home, what should they hear but some one calling:

“Who? Who? Who?”

“It's me — Billie Bushytail,” answered Billie, but the voice called again:

“Who? Who? Who?” and Billie told Johnnie to answer, so Johnnie said: “It's me — Johnnie Bushytail.” But the voice

sounded again, “Who? Who? Who?” oh, so loud and shivery. Maybe those little squirrel boys weren't frightened! They cuddled down under the leaves as far as they could cuddle, when all of a sudden they saw two big fiery eyes staring at them. And the eyes came nearer and nearer, and the squirrels were shivering and wondering what was going to eat them up, when what should happen but that they heard a jolly laugh! Oh, such a jolly laugh! And who should the eyes belong to but Jennie Chipmunk. They knew her at once by her laugh. Then she called: “Oh, you poor, frightened little chaps. Lost all alone in the deep, dark woods! My, how worried grandpa and grandma are! I've been hunting everywhere for you, and now I'm going to take you straight home.”

Which she did, leading them through the

forest by the light of a last year's firefly preserved in a bottle. And who do you suppose it was that called to them? Why, of course, you've guessed it — an owl! What do you think of that? Now, provided the doctor says it is all right, you shall hear about Possum Pinktoes to-morrow night.