Hazel Squirrel and Other Stories Part 8

"You certainly have had a very hard time and I am glad that we could help you out of your prison," said Uncle Whiskers.

"Why are you called a Tree-Fairy if you have only lived in a tree here on Earth?" inquired Pinkie Whiskers.

The Tree-Fairy laughed merrily as she replied: "Bless your heart, I have always lived in a tree. My home was in a tree in Fairyland, but the tree was hollow and I had several rooms. As I told you I even had a door and a window."

"Fairyland must be a wonderful place," sighed Twinkle. "I wish that I could make you a visit when you are back in your own home once more."

The Tree-Fairy put her arms about him and said, "I would love to have you but it is impossible. You could never reach there. I must be going now, but I will never forget your kindness to me and I will always watch over you all and turn your trouble into happiness. In fact, I will tell all of the good Fairies to help you."

"Pinkie Whiskers, you shall always be protected in time of need. Some day when you are in danger, I will save you as you have saved me and now good-bye, dear friends, good-bye."

CHAPTER VIII

When Pinkie Whiskers reached home, he told Mother and Father Gray all about how he chopped down the tree and how the beautiful Tree-Fairy was freed from her prison. Mother Gray said:

"My son, you have had a very wonderful experience, but please be careful what you do and where you go. Country life is very different from city life and you are very young."

"Yes, mother, I will be careful, but I want to do everything that anyone else does," replied Pinkie Whiskers.

"Now, now," spoke Uncle Whiskers, "let the boy have his way. I am sure that he is a genius. If Pinkie Whiskers does all of the things which he longs to do, he will be ready for anything. Why, he may be able to write a book about the wonderful things he sees and hears or perhaps he may paint a beautiful picture."

"That sounds very nice," replied Mother Gray, "but I am afraid something dreadful will happen to him, while he is doing all of these things."

Just then Billy Jay flew onto the window-sill and called out, "I invite you all to come with me down to the creek. I want to show you city rats something that you have never seen before."

"Oh, goodie!" cried Twinkle.

"Oh, goodie!" cried Winkle.

"Hurrah! hurrah!" shouted Pinkie Whiskers.

"Now, children, please stop shouting while I tell you my plan," begged Mother Gray. "It will soon be supper time, so how would you like to take our supper with us and eat it down by the creek?"

"Oh, yes, a picnic, a picnic! Let us have a picnic!" shouted the three little brothers at once.

They all hurried about and helped Mother Gray put up the lunch and very soon they were all scampering off to the creek for their picnic.

Billy Jay flew ahead of them and they followed him to a place in the creek, where the sh.o.r.e curved and the rocks sheltered the water so that it was as quiet and as still as a pond.

Pinkie Whiskers, Winkle and Twinkle raced down to the creek and looked down into the water. To their amazement, they saw their faces reflected: Pinkie Whiskers cried out:

"Is this the surprise? Is this what you wished to show us?"

"No," laughed Billy Jay. "You look again and forget about your reflection and tell me what you see."

They all looked again and this time they saw funny little creatures wiggling and swimming about. Pinkie Whiskers asked:

"What are they and where are they going?"

Mother Gray and Father Gray looked and they also were surprised, for they had never seen or heard of anything like them.

Billy Jay was thoroughly enjoying himself, for it is always fun to show something strange to your friends. He laughed as he answered:

"They are tadpoles and they are not going anywhere. They just swim around and around here near the sh.o.r.e, for this is their home just as the cheese factory is your home."

"Will they always be small like this?" inquired Pinkie Whiskers.

"Bless your heart, no," replied Billy Jay. "They will grow into great, big frogs."

They all watched the tadpoles swim about until Mother Gray said: "Come, children, we will have our supper now."

They found a very nice place to eat and everyone was so hungry that they began to eat at once.

Pinkie Whiskers kept thinking of the tadpoles and without saying a word he slipped away from the others and went back to the creek. Right beside a big rock, he found a fish rod and net.

He picked them up and began to fish. In a moment a tadpole swallowed the hook. Pinkie Whiskers jerked him out of the water and put the net under him.

"You are the little tadpole I have been fishing for," he cried.

The little tadpole was so amazed that he could not speak. He just hung and flopped on the hook.

CHAPTER IX

The longer that Pinkie Whiskers looked at the tadpole, the more proud he grew to think that he had caught him.

At last the tadpole found his voice and said, "Oh, please put me back in the water. I want to go home."

Pinkie Whiskers jumped when the tadpole spoke. Someway he had not thought about a tadpole having a voice or being able to talk.

"No, my little tadpole. I am not going to let you go back home. I am going to take you to my home. I will put you in a gla.s.s of water and you can swim as much as you please," replied Pinkie Whiskers.

"I have a mother and father just as you have and I do not want to leave them. I want to stay here and I will stay here," said the tadpole and he jumped about so lively that Pinkie Whiskers had all he could do to keep from falling off the stone.

"Stop pulling my fish line. Stop pulling it, I say," cried Pinkie Whiskers.

The little tadpole paid no heed to Pinkie Whiskers' demand. In fact he jumped and pulled all the harder and faster.

The first thing Pinkie Whiskers knew, he had slipped off from the stone and was up to his neck in the water.

But Pinkie Whiskers was not the kind to give up a prize easily. My, no!