NURSERY DAYS OF THE YOUNG ONES


CHAPTER XXI

NURSERY DAYS OF THE YOUNG ONES

SQUIRRELS do not name their babies as we do; they do not think of them by names; and yet each one is itself, has individual looks or ways that stand for that one in the mother's mind, so is in some sort its name. Thus the biggest one had a very brown head and a very gray coat. He was stronger than the others, could leap just a little farther and was not so ready to bite when playing with the rest. The second brother was not so big as Brownhead, and he had an impatient way of rebelling at any little thing that did not please him. He would explode into a shrill "Cray!" which was a well-known Squirrel exclamation, only he made it very thin and angry. Even to father and mother he would shriek "Cray!" if they did in the least a thing that was not to his wish.