Stories from Queer Little Folks by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Chapter 11 The Squirrels That Live in a House.
Once upon a time an elderly gentleman went out into a great forest.
He cut away the trees and built a very nice little retirement cottage for him and his wife.
It had very large windows.
The windows were so large that the gentleman could see through on every side and know what was going on in the forest.
He could see the shadows of the fern leaves as they shifted over the ground.
He could see the red partridge berries and winter green plums that fell to the ground beside the trees.
He could see the bright spots of sunshine that fell through the branches.
He could see the chirping sparrows, robins, and bluebirds building their nests.
He watched them as they laid their eggs and hatched their young.
He could also see the red squirrels, gray squirrels and little striped chip squirrels scampering around the forest.
They raced one another from tree limb to tree limb.
They chattered happily with one another all day long.
Now, a house for a human was a strange thing for all the creatures in the wood.
They were very curious about it.
While it was being built, the older forest creatures felt very disturbed.
Every creature had an opinion about what they thought was going on.
Old Mrs. Rabbit declared that the hammering and pounding made her nervous.
She predicted evil times ahead.
"'Be sure of it, children,' she warned her long-eared little ones.
"'No good will come to us from this cottage building.
"'Wherever humans are, there's trouble for us rabbits.'
The squirrels that lived in the old chestnut tree were also quite sure that the new cottage spelled trouble for them all.
"'It's clear that the humans will spoil everything for us.
"'They will take all the nuts from our tree and use them for themselves.' warned Old Father Gray Squirrel.
Old Ground Mole had to agree.
It will bring down the value of our homes in the forest, he declared.
Every decent-minded creature will want to move away now that the humans are here.
I know that's what I will do.
The bluebirds and bubbling birds had more positive thoughts about the humans, but old Mrs Ground Mole remarked that they were a silly bunch of birds.
They flew here and there and were not settled.
They could not be expected to understand the forest creature's attachment to their neighborhood, and their opinions were not taken seriously.
Humans never stop in their war against nature.
They create ruin that would take hundreds of years to repair.
Humans can destroy in a few hours what it has taken.
Nature ages to produce, complained the old chestnut tree.
I'd like to see the best of the humans create anything as magnificent as the old oak tree, the chestnut tree continued.
Who among these foolish humans could make a tree?
And the noise they make, it's ridiculous.
In the forest we do everything quietly.
Quietly.
A tree would be ashamed if it made even half the noise these humans do while it grew.
Our manners are perfect.
Humans are rude and selfish, the chestnut tree complained.
The little cottage was finished, even with all the disagreement from the forest creatures.
Its walls were covered with pretty paper.
Its floors were laid with pretty carpets.
Once it was all done and the garden paths were paved and pretty flowers were planted, even the most doubtful forest creatures changed their minds.
The cottage was not so bad after all.
One day a black ant went in and explored the cottage.
The ant crawled over chairs and tables.
It crawled on walls and ceilings.
The ant reported in the Cricket's Gazette that the cottage was like a palace on the inside.
Several butterflies sailed through the windows and fluttered about.
They said the cottage was delightful.
Some bees buzzed through and were enchanted by the cottage, especially by its garden.
In fact, it became clear that the humans in this cottage loved nature as much as the creatures did.
The humans watched over and saved the wildflowers and weeds.
They watched with great interest as the birds built their nests.
They never allowed anything to threaten the creatures around them.
Soon enough, every insect and bird and beast in the forest praised the humans.
Mama, asked Little Bit, a young and curious squirrel.
Why won't you let Frisky and me go into that pretty new cottage to play?
My dear, said Old Mama Squirrel, humans set many dangerous traps for us creatures.
If you had wings, like the butterflies and the bees, you could safely enter the cottage and leave whenever you wanted.
But since you do not, it's best if you keep out of the humans' way.
But Mama, protested Little Bit, I have seen the woman who lives in the cottage.
She's like a good fairy.
She seems to love us creatures.
She sits in the big window and watches us for hours.
She scatters corn around the tree roots for us to eat.
She is nice enough, as long as you keep your distance, warned Mama Squirrel.
You can't be too careful around humans.
The good fairy who was watching the squirrel was a little old lady.
All the woodland creatures called Aunt Esther.
She dearly loved all animals.
Each day she scattered crumbs for the sparrows.
She set out little bits of bread and wool and cotton to help the birds build their nests.
She tossed out corn and nuts for the squirrels.
She sat at her window and would smile and wave at the animals.
After a while the birds grew so comfortable that they would hop onto the window and eat the squirrels' crumbs.
Mama, said Little Bit and Frisky, Ginny Wren and Red Robin have been at the window.
They didn't get hurt.
Can't we go too?
Please?
Well, my dears said Mama Squirrel, not wanting to disappoint her little ones, if you go, you must be very careful.
Remember, you don't have wings like Ginny Wren and Red Robin.
The next day Aunt Esther laid a path of corn for the animals.
It went from the roots of the trees to her window and from the window to her work basket, which was on the floor beside her.
Then she put a handful of corn in her work basket.
She sat down by the basket and began to work on her sewing.
She didn't look around.
She concentrated only on the needle and thread in her lap.
Very soon Frisky and Little Bit came creeping up to the window.
Then, as quiet as could be, they crept into the room.
And Esther sat as still as a statue.
She did not want to frighten the squirrels.
The little squirrels looked around the cottage with delight.
When they came to the basket, it seemed like a wonderful thing for them to play in.
They put their noses inside it.
They turned over the scissors and the packet of needles.
They took a nibble at her white thread.
They played with spools and thimbles.
As they played, they stored up the corn bits on either side of their mouths.
They both had huge lumps in their cheeks.
Aunt Esther put her hand out to touch them.
She couldn't help it.
The squirrels ran out the window and up the trees as quickly as they could move.
They were up in the branches, chattering and laughing before Aunt Esther could even blink.
After that, the two little squirrels visited Aunt Esther every day.
Eventually, they felt comfortable enough to eat corn right out of her hand.
One day, they actually jumped right into her hand.
Aunt Esther quickly closed her hand over the two squirrels.
Frisky and Little Bit were caught.
Their hearts beat fast with fear, but the old woman spoke gently to them.
Soon she opened her hand and let them go.
Day after day they grew closer to her.
They would climb into her work basket, sit on her shoulder, or snuggle in her lap as she sewed.
They made long trips to explore all over the house.
The house was amazing.
They climbed up the stairs and into all the rooms, and when they returned to the chestnut tree they told all the other squirrels about their adventures.
Then, one winter, the good fairy and the gentleman who had built the house passed away.
The squirrel's mother told them that the couple had gone to a land where flowers never fade and birds always sing.
The young squirrels continued to go to the cottage, their favorite place.
A new family had moved in.
You know, my dear, said Mama Squirrel to her husband.
What is the use of living in this cold hollow tree when there's a pretty little cottage right next door?
There's plenty of room for us and the humans, she went on.
We can store our nuts right below the roof and be warm and cozy in the winter.
And we can move around as we like.
We won't even disturb the humans.
So Mr. and Mrs. Squirrel set up house under the roof of the cottage.
They stored all their nuts and things up there.
However, there was one small problem.
Mrs. Squirrel was a busy creature.
She woke up early every morning to make sure that all the children were fed bathed, dressed and ready for the day.
Sometimes Mrs. Squirrel would scold her poor husband late at night.
He would then scurry off to another part of the cottage to get some sleep.
This greatly disturbed the new family that had come to live in the cottage.
They did not like the noise the squirrels made during the early mornings and late nights.
But when the good people would look out their windows on a cold winter morning, they saw the squirrels dancing and frisking down the trees.
The animals chased each other so merrily over the garden chair between them, or sat with their bold tails swooped over their backs.
The squirrels looked so jolly and pretty that the humans almost forgave them for disturbing their night of rest.
Each person secretly thought Hmm, perhaps I will not do anything to drive the poor creatures out of the attic today.
But how long will the squirrels get to live in the cottage this way?
Well, I suppose it's anyone's guess.
What should they do?
What would you do?
Would you let the squirrels live in your house?
