Slicko took a long breath. After all, though she did ask a number of questions, Slicko was rather brave.
“I’m going to jump,” she said.
“That’s the girl!” cried her father. “Come on; jump down here beside me!”
Slicko moved over close to the edge of the tree branch. Then, with another long breath, such as a boy takes before he dives, when he is in swimming, Slicko jumped from the tree branch.
She found herself sailing through the air. At first she was greatly frightened. She spread out her tail, and then she found that she was floating through the air almost as gently as a bird’s feather. Her tail helped her to fall gently, for it was just like a big, open umbrella, and held her up, as the parachute holds up the man who jumps from a balloon.
“There goes Slicko!” cried her mamma. “Slicko is learning to jump!”
Down, down, down through the air went Slicko, the jumping squirrel. Would she land on the tree branch beside her father? Slicko certainly hoped so, but still it was her first jump.