“We will!” sang the birds. So they flew here and there, peering down through the tree branches. But they did not get a glimpse of any of the woodchucks. For, truth to tell, the other four ground-hogs had run away at the time Winkie had, and now they were all scattered. Blinkie, Blunk and Mr. and Mrs. Woodchuck were separated one far from the other, and as much lost as was Winkie herself.
Later on the four woodchucks found each other and made a new home for themselves, but Winkie did not know this for a long time, and not until after she had had many adventures about which I must tell you.
For several days Winkie wandered through the woods, all alone except that once or twice she met Toto, and again, she spied Don. But the dog was walking with his master and he did not come near Winkie. For this the woodchuck girl was glad, for she was afraid of men, even of one as kind as Don’s master seemed to be.
Look as the fluttering birds did, they found no trace of Winkie’s relatives, and they told the woodchuck girl this.
One day, as Winkie was wandering about, she suddenly heard a noise in the bushes. She was going to run and hide, thinking it might be a wolf or a fox, when a jolly voice grunted:
“Don’t be afraid, little ground-hog girl, I won’t hurt you!”
“Who are you?” asked Winkie.
“Squinty, the comical pig,” was the answer.
“Oh, I have heard Don speak of you,” said Winkie, as the pig came rooting his way through the underbrush.
“Yes, Don and I are friends,” Squinty replied. “But you had better find a good place to stay to-night, Winkie.”