Johnnie and Billie Bushytail

by Howard R. Garis

  Well, after they had become tired of such play, the squirrels sat in a row on a straight limb and looked down at the ground.

  “What shall we do next?” asked Jacko, the tame squirrel. “It seems to me we have done everything we can do.”

  “Oh, there are lots more things to do,” spoke Johnnie Bushytail. “We can jump over stumps, and we can race up and down the tree trunk, and we can hide in the dry leaves and find each other.”

  “I don't think that is much fun,” said Jacko. “If I were in a city park now, I would be on the watch for some boy or girl to come along with peanuts for me.”

  “Hickory nuts are as good as peanuts,” said Billie, “and if a boy or girl should come here we would be very frightened.”

  “I would not,” answered Jacko. “Besides, I think peanuts are better than hickory nuts. The shells are not so hard.”

  “Well, there aren't any boys or girls here,” said Johnnie, “but I can ask Jennie Chipmunk for some black walnuts. They are very nice. She does them up in maple sugar for the winter.”

  “Humph! Maybe they would be nice,” admitted Jacko, so Johnnie got some.

  “Didn't you want Jennie to play with us?” asked Billie, after they had eaten nuts. “She is very jolly.”

  “She is a girl,” objected Jacko.

  “Well, I think Jennie is very nice,” said Billie.

  Then the three squirrels looked down at the ground again, and all at once Jacko cried out:

  “Well, I declare, if there isn't a boy! I'm going right down. Maybe he has some peanuts.”

  “No, don't,” cried Billie. “He might catch you.”

  “I am a tame squirrel,” said Jacko, “and it doesn't much matter whether or not he catches me. So I am going down. I am hungry for peanuts.”

  So, though Johnnie and Billie asked him not to, Jacko scrambled down the tree, and ran right up to that boy, who was out walking in the woods to see what he could find. Well, you can imagine how surprised that boy was, to have a squirrel run right up to him in the woods. Jacko perched upon his shoulder, and made a funny little noise. He was really asking for some peanuts, but the boy did not know what. He tried to catch Jacko in his hands, but the tame squirrel did not like that, and hopped down off the boy's shoulder.

  Then, all at once, the boy called out:

  “Hey, fellers, come over here. I've struck the funniest thing! A squirrel came up on my shoulder, and there are two more sitting on the branch. Let's climb up and get them. Come on.”

  Then, before Johnnie and Billie or Jacko could say a word, what should happen but that a lot of boys came running up where the first one stood. By this time even Jacko was frightened, and he scrambled up into the tree again. But this made no difference to the boys. One of them climbed right up that tree, and saw the nest where the squirrels lived. Grandpa and Grandma Lightfoot were just sitting down to a quiet acorn- cup of oak tea, when the boy looked in on them. Johnnie, Billie and Jacko had run to the very top of the tree, to be out of danger, and had forgotten to tell the old squirrels what was happening.

  But Jennie Chipmunk was on the watch, and as soon as she saw that boy reach his hand in the nest to catch grandpa and grandma she ran up and bit him on the finger. Oh, what a sharp nip she gave him. That boy was glad enough, I tell you, to slide down the tree again.

  “Did you get the squirrels?” asked the other boys.

  “No,” said the first one, “I didn't, and I wouldn't advise you to try it,“ and he put his bitten finger in his mouth because it hurt him, and he did not know what else to do with it. The boys stayed under the tree for some time, but the squirrels went and hid under the leaves, and pretty soon the boys went home. The tame squirrel was very sorry he had put his friends in such danger, and he did not get any peanuts after all. Now, let me see, what shall I tell you about to-morrow night? Oh, I know; it will be about how Billie went up in a balloon.

  VI

  BILLIE IN A BALLOON

  BILLIE BUSHYTAIL was lost. There was no doubt about it, he did not know how to get home. You see, it was this way: Billie had been sent by his Grandpa Lightfoot to the drug store for some powdreed wild cherry bark, because Grandpa Lightfoot had a cough that troubled him very much. The drug store was kept by an old crow who lived in a nest on top of a dried-up hemlock tree, and Billie managed to find his way there all right. But when he wanted to go back, that was a different matter.

  He started off all right, but he took the wrong path through the trees. Instead of turning to the left, he went the other way when he got to the toadstool corner, and then he was lost. It did not take him long to find this out, and then he was very much frightened. Of course, if Billie had taken Johnnie Bushytail, his brother, with him, he might not have been so frightened, but there he was, a little squirrel, all alone in the woods.

  When he made sure that he was lost, the first thing he did was to climb a tree. He thought that he might possibly see his nest, where he lived with his grandpa and his grandma, and Jennie, the little orphan chipmunk, who used to wash and dry the dishes and laugh while she was doing them. But though Billie climbed the tallest tree he could find, he could not see his nest. He was just scrambling down when he heard a whirr of wings, and he was more frightened than ever, for he knew there must be a big bird near him.

  Sure enough, there was. A great big bird, with sharp eyes and a sharp beak and sharp claws, and with great flapping wings, settled down on a limb close to where Billie Bushytail was crouching. Billie tried to hide behind a piece of bark that stuck out on the branch, but the bird saw him.

  “Hello,” said the bird.

  Billie didn't say anything.

  “Can't you talk?” asked the bird.

  “Ye--yes,” said Billie.

  “Then why don't you?” asked the bird.

  “Well, I--I'm afraid,” answered Billie.

  “Of what?” inquired the bird.

  “Of you,” replied Billie. “Aren't you a hawk?”

  “Of course I'm a hawk,” went on the big bird.

  “Well, I'm always afraid of hawks,” said Billie. “Hawks always eat squirrels.”

  “No, you're mistaken,” said the big bird in as gentle a voice as possible. “You are very much mistaken. I know what you mean, though. You mean that some hawks eat squirrels, but I am a different kind of hawk. I am a fishhawk, and I only eat fishes.”

  “Then why are you here?” asked Billie. “There are no fishes around here; at least, not such fishes as you would eat.”

  “I know,” went on the hawk. “You see, I flew inland from the seacoast. I live down near Atlantic Highlands, where there are plenty of fish. But this weather is so cold that they go down to the bottom of the ocean, and I can't catch them. So I went off on a little trip. But what are you crying about?”

  “I am lost,” said Billie.

  “Tut, tut! You must not cry about that,” said the fishhawk. “Now, be a good boy. You know I am not going to eat you, for I eat only fish, and there are so many of them in the sea that they don't mind it in the least, I assure you. Now I will help you find your home. Were you ever up in a balloon?”

  “No,” said Billie, “I never was. What is a balloon?”

  “A balloon,” said the hawk, “is something that goes up in the air. I go up in the air. I am a balloon.”

  “Really?” asked Billie.

  “Really,” answered the fishhawk. “You shall soon see. Now if you will get on my back I will take you up in the air, and you can look down. And when you see your house you can call to me and I will fly down with you to it.”

  “That is very kind of you,” said Billie.

  So he tucked the powdered wild cherry bark under his paw and climbed upon the hawk's back. Then the big bird rose up in the air just like a balloon and circled around. Billie was a trifle dizzy, but he soon got over this. He kept looking down, and pretty soon he saw his nest. And there was Grandpa and Grandma Lightfoot, and Johnnie and Jennie Chipmunk looking for him. Only they were looking towar
d the ground and not up in the air. Then Billie called to the fishhawk, and she came down with him just as gently, and he jumped off her back into the nest. And, oh, how glad he was to get home, even if he did have to ride in a balloon! Grandpa Lightfoot at once took some of the cherry bark for his cough, and felt better, while Billie told of his adventure. Now to-morrow night I hope to tell you how Billie and Johnnie made a trip to a city called Newark with the tame squirrel.

  VII

  JOHNNIE AND BILLIE IN THE CITY

  JOHNNIE and Billie Bushytail and Jacko, the tame squirrel, sat on the branch of the tree where the nest was built. Grandpa Lightfoot was smoking his pipe, and reading the paper, and Grandma Lightfoot was mending some stockings--what's that? You didn't know squirrels wore stockings? Well, that's because you never saw the little fellows put them on and take them off. The stockings are hard to see, I admit that, but you must not interrupt me again, if you please. Well, then, Grandma Lightfoot was darning stockings, and Jennie Chipmunk was washing the dishes and singing. She always sang when she washed the dishes, just as she always laughed when she made the beds, and swept the nest.

  “I don't call this much fun, do you?” asked Jacko, the tame squirrel, of Johnnie when they had sat there ten minutes.

  “Well, it isn't so bad,” replied Johnnie. “See, there is a little bird, getting some grass to build a new nest. I think it's lots of fun to watch her.”

  “I don't, do you?” asked the tame squirrel of Billie.

  “No; but it's fun to see that toad hopping along,” said Billie. Why, I can go ten times as fast as he can, and not hurry, either. It's fun to watch him.''

  “You wood-squirrels have queer ideas of fun,” spoke Jacko.

  “What do you call fun?” asked Billie.

  “Why, going about and seeing things. There is nothing to see here. Now down in the park, in Newark, where I was, why there was something exciting going on every minute. Yes, sir, think of that, every single minute in the day, and sometimes at night.”

  “Oh, I'd rather sleep at night,” said Johnnie.

  “So would I,” added Billie.

  “Pooh! You don't know what life is,” exclaimed the tame squirrel. “Now, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll take you two down to Newark with me, and show you the sights, if you like! How is that for something exciting?”

  “Will you really?” cried Johnnie.

  “Of course I will. Come on.”

  “We'd better ask grandma or grandpa,” objected Billie.

  “Oh, never mind bothering them. Come along,” urged Jacko. “If you tell them, they may stop you. We'll go and hurry back before they miss you.”

  “But how can we go?” asked Billie. “Isn't Newark a long way from the Orange Mountains?”

  “Well, it is quite a distance admitted Jacko, ``but----”

  “I'll take you!” exclaimed a voice high up in the tree, and who do you suppose it was? Why, of course, the fish-hawk that had brought the little lost squirrel home. There he was, sitting up on top of the tree, looking off toward the ocean. “I'll take you to Newark,” he said, just as kind as could be. “I'm going down that way, and you all three can ride on my back. I sha'n't mind it a bit.”

  “Will you bring us home?” asked Billie.

  “Of course,” answered the fish-hawk, “you shall be back here by night.”

  So Billie and Johnnie and Jacko all got upon the broad back of the fish-hawk, and Grandma and Grandpa Lightfoot never knew a thing about it. Now, what do you think of that? Of course, Jennie Chipmunk knew, for she was looking out of the window; but then she was sure the fish-hawk would be kind to the squirrels, so she said nothing. Well, after a while the three squirrels came to Lincoln Park, where Jacko used to live. He knew it at once, though it was not so nice as in the summer time.

  “Now you boys will see some excitement,” said Jacko, when he got off the fish-hawk's back. The big bird sailed away, after promising to stop for them on his return.

  “Come on, let's have some fun!” cried Jacko, and he began racing up and down a tree.

  Then, all at once, there was a dreadful noise, and something big and yellow dashed down the street.

  “What was that?” cried Johnnie.

  “That,” said Jacko, “was a trolley car. Don't be afraid, silly.”

  But Johnnie was, and so was Billie. Then pretty soon something big and shiny, with sparks shooting out from it, dashed by with a clang of bells.

  “What's that?” cried Billie.

  “That,” said Jacko, “is a fire engine. Don't be afraid of that, silly.”

  But Billie was, and so was Johnnie. Then after a while some boys saw the squirrels in the tree.

  “Oh, come on!” they cried. “Here are some squirrels! Let's throw stones at 'em!” And they did, and Billie was nearly hit. And a big dog barked at them. Oh, how loudly he barked, and more boys came, and girls, too, and looked at the little squirrels until a policeman hurried up and drove the crowd away. All that day Billie and Johnnie and Jacko stayed up in the tree, and they didn't dare go down for fear of being hurt. So they didn't have a nice time at all, and were glad when the fish-hawk came to take them home. To-morrow night you shall hear about Billie and Johnnie and the toads.

  VIII

  AT THE TOAD SCHOOL

  GRANDMA and Grandpa Lightfoot were quite surprised when Johnnie and Billie Bushytail and Jacko, the tame squirrel, came home from Newark on the back of the fish-hawk. Grandpa was so surprised that he put his bottle of wild cherry bark cough medicine on the mantel, and could not find it for ever so long. You see, the squirrels' grandparents did not know they had gone to the city, but supposed they were off playing in the woods.

  Johnnie and Billie told waht they had seen, and how frightened they were, and how glad they were to get back home, and they said they would never go away again. But they did, as you shall hear, perhaps, in a few nights.

  “I wouldn't go with Jacko any more,” said Jennie Chipmunk to Johnnie and Billie that night when she was washing the dishes, and she laughed so she showed all her teeth. “He might get you into trouble.”

  “I guess he won't come after us any more,” said Billie. “He said he was going to travel and see things. But I've seen all I want to for some time. Come on, Johnnie, let's go to bed now, and we'll get up early in the morning, and see if we can find some ears of corn to eat.”

  So Johnnie and Billie got up early the next morning, and they were just starting off, when Grandma Lightfoot called to them:

  “Why don't you take Jennie with you?” she asked, for she wanted the little orphan chipmunk to have a good time.

  “Oh, because,” answered Billie, just like that.

  “That's no reason,” said grandma. “Jennie has the beds all made, and the work done, and I want you boys to take her with you, off into the woods to play.”

  At first Johnnie and Billie did not want to do this, but when they thought how kind Jennie always had been to them, and what a jolly little creature she was, always smiling and happy, no matter what happened, they were sorry that they had not at first asked her.

  “Come along, Jennie,” called Johnnie, and then the three started off through the forest, leaping from tree to tree, and sometimes running along the ground. They went on and on and on, and pretty soon they came to a place in the woods where there were no trees. It was a very nice place, all covered with grass, and in the grass were a number of toad stools.

  “Oh, I know what let's do,” said Billie.

  “What?” asked Johnnie.

  “Let's play leapfrog over these toad stools. They will be fine for that, and the grass is so soft to fall on.”

  “Just the thing!” cried Johnnie. “We'll see who can jump over the most. Come on, Jennie. We'll leave the small ones for you? because you're a girl.”

  “You don't need to,” answered Jennie, and she laughed right out loud; yes, that's exactly what she did; I'm not making this up at all. Well, you should have seen those squirrels and Jennie jumping over t
hose toad stools. Over they went, one after the other, landing on the soft grass, and Jennie leaping just as high as Johnnie and Billie, if not higher. But a funny thing happened. The toad stools were so tender, probably from being baked in the sun too long, that every one broke off.

  Would you believe it, children? Well, anyway, every one did break off, close to the ground, as fast as the squirrels and Jennie leaped over them, and pretty soon there was not one left. But the squirrels had lots of fun.

  Then, all at once, what should happen but that a lot of toads came hopping through the woods to the grassy spot. They were led by a great big toad, who had an immense wart right on the end of his nose, and lots of warts all over his body, and some even on his legs. As soon as the squirrels and Jennie saw the big toad, and all the other toads, Johnnie cried:

  “What's this?”

  The big toad heard him, and replied:

  “This is the school for toads, and I'm the teacher. But, goodness me, sakes alive, and a penny and a half! What has happened?” he cried out, just like that. “All our toad stools are broken! There is no place for the pupils to sit down, not even a little toad stool left for the kindergarten children. Oh! Oh! Oh! and a three-cent piece! Our school is spoiled!”

  Then Johnnie and Billie, and Jennie Chipmunk felt very bad indeed for breaking the toad stools by playing leapfrog over them. They wouldn't have done it for the world, if they had known. And they told the big toad, with the wart on his nose, how sorry they were. And what do you think they did? Those squirrels, I mean. Why, they went up in the trees and gnawed off some branches and out of them made benches for the toad scholars, and the benches were even nicer than the toad stools had been. At least the big toad with the wart on his nose said so. Then school began, and one little toad couldn't spell “fly”, now, what do you think of that? But Jennie could, and did. Then she and Johnnie and Billie went home, and if there is no skating to-morrow, I will tell you how Johnnie and Billie ran away.