"The spicy wind blows full and free,
And the nuts come rattling down
On green moss, where the great trees grow,
With their golden leaves and brown."
"Indeed, it is fine," said the owl teacher. "Now scatter about, and see who can find the first nuts. But don't get lost."
Of course Billie and Johnnie Bushytail, the squirrels, at once scrambled up the trees, and, naturally, they found the first nuts, but they kindly shared them with the others. Then Sammie and Susie Littletail went off one way, and Buddy and Brighteyes Pigg in another direction, and Lulu and Alice and Jimmie Wibblewobble, the duck children, in still another. And Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow, the puppy dogs, took a path right through the bramble bushes, looking for butternuts to spread on their bread, I guess.
"Come on," said Jacko to Jumpo, as the two monkey boys walked side by side, "we'll go down by the little brook. I think there is a hickory nut tree there."
"Are you sure there are no wolves or foxes there?" asked the green monkey.
"I don't believe there are any," said the red monkey. "We'll get a lot of nuts and give the others some."
So away they went through the forest, sometimes hanging by their tails from the low branches, sometimes turning somersaults and sometimes swinging by their feet, for they could hold on by their toes as well as you can by your fingers.
"Oh, there's a nut tree!" suddenly exclaimed Jacko, as they got down by the little brook.
"And see all the nuts!" cried Jumpo, for the ground was just covered with them. Then the monkey boys began filling their pockets.
They had almost as many nuts as they could carry, and they were thinking of going back to join the others, for they could hear the teacher calling to the pupils some distance off in the woods. And then, all of a sudden, Jacko looked toward a big stump, and he exclaimed in a whisper to Jumpo: