“Not that I heard,” answered Mrs. Squirrel. “But he may be trying to find this nest.”
“I’ll look out and see if he is coming,” said Mr. Squirrel.
“Be careful he doesn’t see you,” said Mrs. Squirrel.
“I will,” replied her husband. And then he carefully, carefully peeked out of the hole of the nest in the hollow trunk of the tree. Squirrels are smarter than we think. Though they do not know how to shoot a gun, they know that a gun can hurt them, and when one is shot off in the woods, all the squirrels, and the birds and wild creatures, are very much frightened, and run to hide.
So Mr. Squirrel looked out to see if he could see a man with a gun and a dog. But he saw nothing, and he was glad of it.
“I guess he didn’t see which way you went, Mamma,” he said to his wife. “Now we will give the children their breakfast, and then we must begin teaching them their lessons. For if hunters, with dogs and guns, are to come to our woods, it is time our little ones knew how to look after themselves, and how to hide, and jump to safe places.”
“I think so, too,” said Mrs. Squirrel. “Wake up, children!” she cried. “Come, Slicko! Hurry up, Chatter! Come, Fluffy and Nutto! Breakfast is ready!”
Four little squirrels—two boys and two girls—awoke in the tree-nest and sat up on their hind legs in the soft leaves and cotton. They saw the nuts their mother had brought, and at once began eating them. That was all they had to do to get ready for breakfast.
The squirrel children did not have to dress, for they wore their fur suits all the year ’round, never taking them off. In winter their fur grew much thicker than in summer, to keep them warmer.