The Tale of Frisky Squirrel | Page 6

could see that he always wore a bright
red crown. He was very modest about his crown, and generally wore it
so that only a little of it showed. But whenever he went out to fight, as
the forest-people are often obliged to, that beautiful red crown might be
seen as plain as could be.

Now, it happened that Mrs. Kinglet heard Mr. and Mrs. Hawk talking
to each other, as they tried to capture Frisky Squirrel, and she heard the
other forest-people shouting, too. So she called to Mr. Kinglet that
somebody seemed to be in trouble; and he came hurrying up at once.
When the little frightened wren screamed, Mr. Kinglet made up his
mind that it was time for him to do something. And he pushed his red
crown up on the top of his head where it would show better and he flew
straight toward Mr. Hawk.
Mr. Kinglet flew up over Mr. Hawk's head, and then he darted down
and lighted right in the middle of Mr. Hawk's broad back, and began
pecking him as hard as he could with his sharp little bill.
Mr. Hawk stopped trying to catch Frisky. He had all he wanted to do to
shake that bold little fellow off his back. And though Mrs. Hawk still
swooped down at Frisky Squirrel, brave Mr. Kinglet's brave little wife
began to fly at her so fiercely that Mrs. Hawk couldn't keep Frisky
from reaching the tree where he lived.
He was very glad to get home, you may be sure. And he dived in
through the door and was out of sight in no time. But pretty soon he
stuck his head out again to see what was happening. Mr. and Mrs.
Hawk had vanished. And all the forest-people were thanking Mr. and
Mrs. Kinglet for driving them away. Frisky Squirrel thanked them, too.
And when he remembered how he had sometimes teased Mrs. Kinglet
by visiting her nest he felt very much ashamed, and he promised
himself that he would never trouble her again.

VIII
Uncle Sammy Coon
One day Frisky Squirrel was looking for something to eat in the woods,
when whom should he meet but Uncle Sammy Coon, a
good-for-nothing old fellow who lived over in the swamp.

"Well, young man!" said Uncle Sammy, "what are you doing here?"
"I'm trying to find a few seeds to eat," Frisky explained.
"I know where there's some corn," said Uncle Sammy Coon. "It's last
year's corn, to be sure; but it's good, just the same."
"Where is it?" Frisky asked him.
"Hm--" said Uncle Sammy. "If I told you would you get some of it for
me? It would be easy for a spry young chap like you to take all you
wanted of it. But I've a lame knee, you know, and I can't climb so well
as I used to."
"Of course I'll get some corn for you," Frisky promised. "Where is it?"
"I'll take you to it," said Uncle Sammy--"this very night." He was a
suspicious old chap--which means that he was afraid that if he told
Frisky then, Frisky would go off alone and take what corn he wanted
without giving Uncle Sammy any.
"To-night!" Frisky exclaimed. "Oh, I don't stay out late at night, you
know, as you do." Uncle Sammy Coon was known to keep very late
hours.
"Well--right after sundown, then," the old rascal said. "We'll meet over
by the brook. Don't tell your mother. It will be a pleasant surprise for
her, when you bring home a fine bagful of corn."
"All right! I'll be there," Frisky told him.
And sure enough! Just as the sun sank out of sight that evening, Frisky
appeared on the bank of the brook. And he hadn't told his mother what
he was going to do, either.
Pretty soon Uncle Sammy Coon came along. He had an old sack slung
over his shoulder and a wide grin on his face.
"Come on, young man!" he said, "and we'll go over to Farmer Green's

place."
"Farmer Green's!" Frisky cried. "I don't want to go there." He
remembered the fright he had had when he fell into the flour-barrel in
Farmer Green's kitchen.
"You promised," Uncle Sammy reminded him. "And unless you want
something you won't like nearly so well as corn, you had better march
right along with me."
He was so cross that Frisky Squirrel thought he had better mind him.
But Frisky wished he had not come. And he wished he had told his
mother what he was going to do, too. But he trotted along with Uncle
Sammy--only he was careful not to get too close to the tricky old
gentleman, for there was no knowing when Uncle Sammy might
suddenly decide that he would rather