CHAPTER V.
A SQUIRREL-BACK RIDE.
Minnie had only half believed what the squirrel said, and was surprised and almost frightened when she felt herself growing smaller in every limb. Did you ever drop a kid glove into boiling water? It will keep its former shape, but shrink together so as to be hardly large enough for a doll. Thus Minnie's whole form shrank, until she was no taller than squirrel himself, and not half so stout, and her hands were as tiny as his paws.
"Now we'll have plenty of fun," said squirrel; and they started together for the woods.
But Minnie walked so slowly, with her little feet, that her guide soon lost his patience. He would dart on out of sight, and come back for her, again and again; he would wait to eat nuts, and dig holes in the ground to bury some against winter-time; and still Minnie, for all her hurrying, lagged behind.
At last squirrel said, "This will never do; seat yourself on my back, and I'll carry you faster than any steam-car that ever you saw. Here we go!"
It was a pretty sight--the little rider and her frisky steed, bounding so gracefully over the road. They had not gone far, however, when Minnie called,
"O, squirrel, pray, pray stop!"
"What's the trouble now?"