Slicko’s leg hurt her a little bit, but it was getting better all the while, and she was feeling happier and happier every minute. True, she would have been very glad if her papa and mamma and her sister and brothers had been with her, but then she knew she could not have everything she wanted.
“And it’s just wonderful that the same boy who has me had Squinty, the comical pig, for his pet,” thought Slicko. “Squinty said the boy was good and kind, and I’m sure he’ll teach me some nice tricks. I shall love to learn tricks.”
For two or three days Slicko stayed in the box where the boy had first put her. Every day she was given fresh water, and this was what she needed almost more than she did nuts to eat. All animals need water, especially in hot weather, so if ever you have a squirrel, or any other pets, see to it that they have all the cool, clean water they wish to drink.
“I wonder when my new cage is to come, whatever a cage is,” thought Slicko, after she had been in the box about a week. “I am anxious to see it, and I wonder what that wheel is the boy spoke about.”
Slicko was soon to know, however.
One day, when Slicko was eating nuts in her box, she looked up at the top, over which had been fastened a bit of wire so she could not get out, and, looking down at her, Slicko saw the boy’s big dog staring in.
“Bow wow!” barked the dog.
“Chatter-chat! Chit-chat-chatter-r-r-r-r-r-r!” went Slicko.
That was her way of saying: “How do you do?”
She did not feel afraid, for she knew the dog could not get at her in the box.