The Tale of Three Squirrels
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The Tale of Three Squirrels
by Jennifer Carlat
Once upon a time there were three squirrel kittens: Hinekin, Minekin, and Moe. They lived with their father, Squire Squirrel, and mother, Perky Pearl.
Now Hinekin and Minekin were busy little kittens, and were always on the go. But Moe moved a bit slow, and had to think before making a move to go.
One day Perky Pearl said to her squirrel kittens, "Hinekin, Minekin, and Moe, you may go outside to play, but don't go any farther than the soil of clay. Stay close to the tree, so that I can see where you may be."
"Yes, Mother dear," they said sincerely.
Perky Pearl went inside to make supper, and the three squirrel kittens, without a doubt began to scamper about. They played close by for a while, then hide and seek, but soon reached their peak and thought rest was best.
Just then a stranger walked by. He looked a bit sly. He was a handsome gentleman, quite sleek, with pricked ears and sharp looking teeth."I wonder how nuts are cracked with those funny teeth he has packed?" thought Moe, who began to move slow. He looked at the gentleman from side to side, making sure he was right.
Hinekin and Minekin thought nothing of the stranger, and they saw no danger. They immediately began to talk. "Who are you, and what do you do?"
"Why, me?" said the stranger as he made a slow move. "I am searching for food. That is, nuts, of course." His voice suddenly became hoarse. "There, beyond the soil of clay, is a bushel full of nuts in the shade. Would you like to come with me over to that shady tree?"
"Oh, yes!" said Hinekin.
"Oh, yes!" said Minekin. And they began to run down the tree as fast as they could flee.
Just then a sharp voice called out, "No!" It was Moe. "Mother said stay close to the tree. Have you thought who this stranger might be? Why, he has a bushy long tail, beady little eyes, sharp teeth and a mouth that opens wide! His ears are pricked, and his tongue he does lick. Why, look how he walks. He must be a ... fox!" Hinekin and Minekin quickly dashed up the tree, as high as they could be. They yelled down to the fox, "You can't trick us, you naughty fox. Be off with you before we throw rocks!"
So the fox ran off. The three squirrel kittens, Hinekin, Minekin, and Moe, walked into the house quite slow. They were almost taken by a gentleman mistaken, and they will never do that again.