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Slicko, the Jumping Squirrel-Richard Barnum · Bully and Bawly No-Tail (the Jumping Frogs)

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  Speaker 1: Chapter one of Slicko the Jumping Squirrel. This is a
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Slicko the Jumping Squirrel by Richard Barnum. Chapter one, Slicko
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: learns to jump halfway up the side of a tall tree.
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  Speaker 1: There was a round hole in the trunk. The hole
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  Speaker 1: was lined with soft, dried leaves and bits of white
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  Speaker 1: fluffy cotton from the milkweed plant. And if you looked
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  Speaker 1: very carefully at the hole, you might see peering from
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  Speaker 1: it a little head like that of a very small kitten,
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  Speaker 1: and a pair of very bright eyes. But it was
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  Speaker 1: not a kitten that looked from the little hole in
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  Speaker 1: the trunk of the tree. Kitties can climb trees, but
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  Speaker 1: they do not like to live in them. They would
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: rather have a warm place behind the stove with a
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  Speaker 1: nice saucer of milk. Now, if I tell you that
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  Speaker 1: the little creatures who lived in this whole nest had
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: big fluffy tails, and that they could sit up on
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  Speaker 1: their hind legs and eat nuts, I'm sure you can
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  Speaker 1: guess what they were squirrels.
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  Speaker 2: That's it.
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  Speaker 1: In the nest halfway up the big tree in the
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  Speaker 1: woods lived a family of gray squirrels, And I'm going
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  Speaker 1: to tell you about them, or, rather more particularly about
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  Speaker 1: one of the little girl squirrels, whose name was Slicko.
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  Speaker 1: One morning, Missus Squirrel, who had gotten up out of
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  Speaker 1: the nest early to go out and get some breakfast
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  Speaker 1: for her little ones, came back very quickly, jumping from
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  Speaker 1: one tree branch to another, and fairly scrambling down into
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  Speaker 1: the nest where the little boy and girl squirrels of
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  Speaker 1: her family were still asleep. Why what's the matter, mother,
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  Speaker 1: asked mister squirrel in the queer chattering language he and
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  Speaker 1: his wife used, Why are you in such a hurry
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  Speaker 1: this morning?
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  Speaker 3: See you?
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  Speaker 1: He dropped a lot of nuts. He looked out over
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  Speaker 1: the edge of the nest down to the ground where
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: he saw some of the nuts Missus Squirrel had dropped.
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  Speaker 1: She had been bringing them home for breakfast. What made
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  Speaker 1: you run, so asked mister squirrel, who had stayed home
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  Speaker 1: with the little ones while his wife went after nuts. Well,
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  Speaker 1: I guess you'd have hurried too, said Mama squirrel if
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  Speaker 1: you saw what I saw? What was it, asked mister squirrel,
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  Speaker 1: And he pulled his head in from the nest hole
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  Speaker 1: so that if any bad animals were down below on
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  Speaker 1: the ground, they could not see him. It was a
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  Speaker 1: man with a dog and a gun, said missus Squirrel.
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  Speaker 1: He was hunting, and I'm almost sure he saw me.
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  Speaker 1: My that would be too bad, exclaimed mister Squirrel. Do
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  Speaker 1: you think he followed you to shoot you? I hope not,
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  Speaker 1: said missus Squirrel. I ran as fast as I could
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  Speaker 1: when I saw him, and I did not hear his
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  Speaker 1: gun go off. But I did hear the dog bark hmm,
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: said mister Squirrel in his own language. And he seemed
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: as worried as your papa might if he heard there
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  Speaker 1: was a bad animal or a runaway horse coming after you.
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  Speaker 1: So the hunter did not shoot his gun, eh, not
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  Speaker 1: that I heard, aunt, answered missus Squirrel. But he may
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  Speaker 1: be trying to find this nest. I'll look out to
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  Speaker 1: see if he's coming, said mister squirrel. Be careful he
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  Speaker 1: doesn't see you, said missus Squirrel. I will, replied her husband.
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  Speaker 1: And then he carefully, carefully peeked out of the hole
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  Speaker 1: of the nest in the hollow trunk of the tree.
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  Speaker 1: Squirrels are smarter than we think. Though they do not
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  Speaker 1: know how to shoot a gun, they know that a
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  Speaker 1: gun can hurt them, and when one is shot off
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  Speaker 1: in the woods, all the squirrels and the birds and
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  Speaker 1: wild creatures are very much frightened and run to hide.
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  Speaker 1: So mister squirrel looked out to see if he could
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  Speaker 1: see a man with a gun and a dog. But
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  Speaker 1: he saw nothing, and he was glad of it. I
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  Speaker 1: guess he didn't see which way he went. Mamma, he
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  Speaker 1: said to his wife. Now he will give the children
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  Speaker 1: their breakfast, and then we must begin teaching them their lessons.
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  Speaker 1: For if hunters with dogs and guns are to come
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  Speaker 1: to our woods, it is time our little ones knew
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  Speaker 1: how to look after themselves and how to hide and
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  Speaker 1: jump to safe places. I think so too, said missus squirrel.
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  Speaker 1: Wake up, children, she cried, Come slicko, hurry up, chatter,
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  Speaker 1: come fluffy and nutto breakfast is ready. Four little squirrels,
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  Speaker 1: two boys and two girls, awoke in the tree nest
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  Speaker 1: and sat up on their hind legs in the soft
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  Speaker 1: leaves and cotton. They saw the nuts their mother had brought,
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  Speaker 1: and at once began eating them. That was all they
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  Speaker 1: had to do to get ready for breakfast. The squirrel
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  Speaker 1: children did not have to dress, for they wore furs
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  Speaker 1: suits all the year round, never taking them off in winter.
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  Speaker 1: They're fur grew much thicker than in the summer to
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  Speaker 1: keep them warmer. The squirrel children did not have to
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  Speaker 1: wash themselves in a basin. All any of them did
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  Speaker 1: was to wet one paw with his little red tongue
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  Speaker 1: and wipe it over his face. Then he was washed.
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  Speaker 1: But you wouldn't like to do that, I'm sure. Come, children,
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  Speaker 1: eat your breakfast, said missus squirrel, and then you're going
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  Speaker 1: to have a new lesson. A new lesson, chattered Slicko,
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  Speaker 1: one of the girl's squirrels, to her mamma, speaking in
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  Speaker 1: a language that you or I could not have understood.
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  Speaker 1: What kind of a lesson is it going to be?
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  Speaker 4: You?
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  Speaker 1: See? The squirrel children had been taught how to gnaw
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  Speaker 1: open hard nuts and to take out the sweet, juicy
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  Speaker 1: kernels inside. They had been taught how to climb trees
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  Speaker 1: and wash their faces, but there were many other things
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  Speaker 1: for them to learn. Slicko was the largest of the
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  Speaker 1: squirrel children, and she asked the most questions. What is
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  Speaker 1: your life lesson going to be? Mother Slicko wanted to know.
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  Speaker 1: I hope it's going to be a sleeping lesson, said Fluffy,
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  Speaker 1: one of the boy squirrels. I'm sleepy yet, and yawned
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  Speaker 1: and stretched himself just like a little monkey. Oh, fie
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  Speaker 1: on you, said Papa. Squirrels should be lively and hop
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  Speaker 1: about when they awaken the morning. Come now, if you've
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  Speaker 1: finished your nuts, your Mama and I will teach you
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  Speaker 1: a new lesson, and one that you must learn well,
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  Speaker 1: or there may be danger for you. Pooh, I'm not
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  Speaker 1: afraid what sort of danger? Asked Nutdo, the other boy squirrel.
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  Speaker 1: He was called Nutto because he was so fond of
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  Speaker 1: eating chestnuts. Oh, I'm afraid, said Chatter. The littlest girls
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  Speaker 1: squirrel don't see such scary things. Nutdo, and Chatter looked
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  Speaker 1: over the edge of the nest as though she might
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  Speaker 1: see a big hawkbird sweeping down for her. Papa and
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  Speaker 1: Mama had told her to always hide when a big
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  Speaker 1: hawk flew over the woods, but no hawk was in sight.
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  Speaker 1: Now you are going to have some jumping lessons, went
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  Speaker 1: on mister squirrel. After you learned to jump, I will
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  Speaker 1: tell you why. You see, the Papa Squirrel did not
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  Speaker 1: want just then to tell the little ones about their
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  Speaker 1: mama having seen a hunter man with a dog and
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  Speaker 1: a gun, for fear, if he did, they might be
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  Speaker 1: too frightened to come out of the nest and learn
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  Speaker 1: to jump. But mister Squirrel knew there was no danger
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  Speaker 1: near just then at any rate, and they wanted his
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  Speaker 1: children to be as brave as they could be. Soon
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  Speaker 1: after the breakfast nuts were eaten, the four little squirrels
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  Speaker 1: went out on a straight branch that stuck out from
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  Speaker 1: the tree trunk near the nest. Papa and Mama Squirrel
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  Speaker 1: stood there with them. Now this is the idea, said
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  Speaker 1: mister Squirrel in his chattering language, that you or I
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  Speaker 1: could not have understood, but which is as plain to
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  Speaker 1: the little squirrels as a pop bud dog's languages to
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  Speaker 1: a puppy, or a mamma cat's mewing to her little kittens.
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  Speaker 1: You are going to learn to jump, said mister squirrel.
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  Speaker 1: What's a jump? Asked Slicko, who, as I have said,
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  Speaker 1: was always asking questions. She asked more questions than her
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  Speaker 1: two brothers and her sister together. But Slicko wanted to
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  Speaker 1: know things. See, exclaimed mister squirrel. This is a jump.
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  Speaker 1: Now I am on this limb beside you. Now watch
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  Speaker 1: he gave a little spring or jump through the air
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  Speaker 1: and landed on a branch of another tree some distance off.
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  Speaker 1: That is a jump, said mister squirrel. It is getting
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  Speaker 1: from one branch to another without running or walking. It's
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  Speaker 1: a quick way of walking. I suppose you could call it.
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  Speaker 1: And when you were in a hurry, as when someone
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  Speaker 1: is chasing you and you have no time to run
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  Speaker 1: or walk, you must jump.
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  Speaker 3: Now.
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  Speaker 1: Let me see you jump down here, just as I did.
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  Speaker 1: Come on, all of you, yes, go on, said Mamma Squirrel,
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  Speaker 1: who was still on the tree limb by the nest.
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  Speaker 1: You little squirrels must learn to jump. That is the
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  Speaker 1: one big lesson left for you to learn. Slicko looked
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  Speaker 1: at Chatter, Fluffy looked at Noddo. They all looked down
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  Speaker 1: at their papa on the lower limb. Come on, don't
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  Speaker 1: be afraid, called mister squirrel. Jump You won't be hurt.
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  Speaker 1: But but I'm afraid, said Neddo, who you remember had
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  Speaker 1: said he was not at all frightened. Oh you mustn't
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  Speaker 1: be afraid, said mister squirrel, there is nothing to hurt you,
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  Speaker 1: and I'm sure you can jump if you try. Give
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  Speaker 1: a good hard spring and you'll land down here on
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  Speaker 1: the limb beside me. Besides, if you do fall, the
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  Speaker 1: ground is covered with soft leaves and you won't be hurt.
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  Speaker 1: Come on, jump, But the little squirrels did not want to.
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  Speaker 1: You go first, said Neddo to Fluffy. No, I'd rather
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  Speaker 1: watch you go first, spoke Fluffy. Maybe Chatter will go,
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  Speaker 1: suggested Nedo. The girls are not as heavy as we are,
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  Speaker 1: and they won't be hurt if they fall. One of
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  Speaker 1: you boys ought to go first, said Slicko. You are
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  Speaker 1: always saying you're not afraid. You jump first, Neddo, and
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  Speaker 1: Chatter and I will come after you. Oh, I don't
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  Speaker 1: want to, said Nedo. And there the four little squirrels
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  Speaker 1: stood on a limb near the neck, each one afraid
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  Speaker 1: to jump. Their papa stood waiting for them, and he
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  Speaker 1: kept thinking that if the hunter and his dog should
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  Speaker 1: come along, then the little squirrels would be in danger
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  Speaker 1: of being shot if they did not know how to
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  Speaker 1: jump out of the way and hide. Come on, you
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  Speaker 1: must learn how to jump, called missus squirrel. Slicko, took
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  Speaker 1: a long breath. After all, she did ask a number
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  Speaker 1: of questions. Slicko was rather brave. I'm going to jump,
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  Speaker 1: she said. That's the girl, cried her father. Come on,
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  Speaker 1: jump down here beside me. Slicko moved over close to
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  Speaker 1: the edge of the tree branch. Then, with another long breath,
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  Speaker 1: such as a boy takes before he dives when he
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  Speaker 1: is swimming, Slicko jumped from the tree branch. She found
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  Speaker 1: herself sailing through the air. At first she was greatly frightened.
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  Speaker 1: She spread out her tail, and then she found that
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  Speaker 1: she was floating through the air, almost as gently as
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  Speaker 1: a bird's feather. Her tail helped her to fall gently,
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  Speaker 1: for it was just like a big open umbrella, and
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  Speaker 1: held her up as the parachute holds up the man
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  Speaker 1: who jumps from a balloon. There go, Slicko, cried her. Mamma,
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  Speaker 1: Slicko is learning to jump, down, down, down through the air,
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  Speaker 1: went Slicko, the jumping squirrel. Would she land on the
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  Speaker 1: tree branch beside her father? Slicko certainly hopes, but still
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: it was her first jump. End of chapter one recording
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: by Laura Stinchcomb.
• 12:07
  Speaker 5: Chapter two of Slicko The Jumping Squirrel. This is a
• 12:12
  Speaker 5: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 12:18
  Speaker 5: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 12:26
  Speaker 5: Recording by Shasta Oakland, California. Slicko The Jumping Squirrel by
• 12:34
  Speaker 5: Richard Barnum, Chapter two, Slicko meets Squinty. That's the way
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  Speaker 5: to do it, cried missus Squirrel as she saw Slicko
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  Speaker 5: sailing down through the air toward the limb on which
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  Speaker 5: was perched. Mister Squirrel. Don't be afraid, You'll get down
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  Speaker 5: all right, called mister Squirrel. Slickos fluffed out her tail
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  Speaker 5: as wide as she could. She felt that it was
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  Speaker 5: her tail which would save her from landing too hard
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  Speaker 5: and hurting her paws. Nearer and nearer she came to
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  Speaker 5: the limb on which was her papa. Here you are,
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  Speaker 5: cried mister Squirrel. A moment later, and with a little
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  Speaker 5: shaking up, Slicko found herself safely beside her dear papa.
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  Speaker 5: Wasn't that nice, asked mister Squirrel, moving over close beside
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  Speaker 5: his little girl. Oh indeed, it once, said Slicko, breathing
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  Speaker 5: a little faster than usual for this was her first jump.
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  Speaker 5: You see now, Chatter, Fluffy and nothou it's your turns,
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  Speaker 5: said missus Squirrel. See Slicko made a good jump, and
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  Speaker 5: you could each do the same. Come on, yes, do,
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  Speaker 5: said mister squirrel. You really must learn to jump, and
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  Speaker 5: then I'll tell you why. Oh is it a secret,
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  Speaker 5: asked Chatter, the other little girl squirrel she was a
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  Speaker 5: sister to Slickle. Yes, it's a secret, answered missus Squirrel.
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  Speaker 5: Now I am not quite sure about it, but I
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  Speaker 5: suppose girl squirrels want to hear a secret just as
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  Speaker 5: much as real girls do. And I have always found
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  Speaker 5: that if you wanted to get a real little girl
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  Speaker 5: to do anything for you, that she would do it
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  Speaker 5: ever so much more quickly if she thought there was
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  Speaker 5: a secret about it. Perhaps that is why Chatter made
• 14:46
  Speaker 5: up her mind to jump as Slickle had done. Mind,
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  Speaker 5: I'm not saying for sure, for I don't know, but
• 14:54
  Speaker 5: maybe it was so. Anyhow, Chatter moved over close to
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  Speaker 5: the air edge of the tree limb. She looked down
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  Speaker 5: to where her Papa and Slickos sat up on their
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  Speaker 5: hind legs watching her. Here, I come catch me, spoke Chatter.
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  Speaker 5: All right, don't be afraid, answered her, Papa, you won't fall.
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  Speaker 5: Chatter gave a jump, and down she went. Almost before
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  Speaker 5: she knew it, she had landed on a smooth place
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  Speaker 5: on the limb, close beside her sister and Papa. There
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  Speaker 5: I did it, cried Chatter in delight. Of course you did,
• 15:36
  Speaker 5: said Slicko. Wasn't it fine? It certainly was, agreed Chatter.
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  Speaker 5: Come now the girls have jumped, and you boys mustn't
• 15:46
  Speaker 5: let them get ahead of you, called mister Squirrel to
• 15:50
  Speaker 5: Nutto and Fluffy, come on jump down here. Well, of
• 15:55
  Speaker 5: course the boy squirrels weren't going to let the girl
• 15:58
  Speaker 5: squirrels beat them, so first not O jump and then Fluffy. There.
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  Speaker 5: Now you have all learned to jump, said missus Squirrel.
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  Speaker 5: Of course this is only the beginning. You must practice
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  Speaker 5: every day, just as you did when you were learning
• 16:16
  Speaker 5: to climb trees, by sticking your sharp toe nails in
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  Speaker 5: the soft bark. Every day you do a little jumping.
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  Speaker 5: But why, mamma asked Slicko, is that the secret? That
• 16:32
  Speaker 5: is the secret? Answered mister Squirrel. You must learn to
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  Speaker 5: jump because your mamma saw a hunter man with a
• 16:41
  Speaker 5: gun and dog in our woods this morning. And we
• 16:45
  Speaker 5: must be ready to run away and hide if he
• 16:49
  Speaker 5: should find our nest. And as you cannot always run
• 16:54
  Speaker 5: or walk and climb trees, you must need to know
• 16:58
  Speaker 5: how to jump so you can jump out of danger.
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  Speaker 5: That is why we gave you jumping lessons today. Now,
• 17:08
  Speaker 5: when you were all rested, you must jump some more,
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  Speaker 5: and you must learn to jump up as well as
• 17:16
  Speaker 5: jump down, though jumping down is easier. The squirrel children
• 17:23
  Speaker 5: asked many questions about the hunterman and his dog and gun,
• 17:28
  Speaker 5: and Papa and Mama Squirrel told their little ones all
• 17:32
  Speaker 5: they knew, warning them always to hide when they saw
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  Speaker 5: a man with a gun. Well, I'm going to learn
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  Speaker 5: to jump farther and higher, said Slicko. No hunter is
• 17:46
  Speaker 5: going to catch me if I can help it. So
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  Speaker 5: Slicko began practicing jumping, going from one tree branch to another,
• 17:55
  Speaker 5: up and down and sideways. The Papa and Mama Squirrel
• 18:00
  Speaker 5: watched on all sides while their children were jumping, to
• 18:05
  Speaker 5: make sure the hunterman did not come. Whether it was
• 18:10
  Speaker 5: because Slicko was larger and stronger than her brothers and sister,
• 18:16
  Speaker 5: or because she practiced harder, I do not know, but
• 18:20
  Speaker 5: it is certain that in a few days. Slicko was
• 18:25
  Speaker 5: the best jumping squirrel in that part of the woods.
• 18:28
  Speaker 5: She could jump farther than could Chatter, And even though
• 18:32
  Speaker 5: Nutto and Fluffy were boy squirrels, Slicko could beat them. Yes,
• 18:39
  Speaker 5: Slicko is certainly a fine jumper, said Missus Squirrel to
• 18:43
  Speaker 5: her husband one day. She can jump almost as far
• 18:48
  Speaker 5: as we can. Well, I hope she's careful, spoke mister squirrel.
• 18:54
  Speaker 5: I was over near the swamp today looking to see
• 18:58
  Speaker 5: if I could find any sweet flo flag root for supper,
• 19:02
  Speaker 5: and I heard a noise like a gun. That hunterman
• 19:06
  Speaker 5: is still in the woods. Maybe it was thunder, you heard,
• 19:10
  Speaker 5: said missus Squirrel. No, I'm sure it was a gun
• 19:15
  Speaker 5: of the hunterman, went on her husband. Well, I'm glad
• 19:19
  Speaker 5: the little ones can jump. It will help them to
• 19:23
  Speaker 5: keep out of his way. Indeed, it will, said missus Squirrel.
• 19:28
  Speaker 5: For a week or so after this, the little squirrels
• 19:32
  Speaker 5: practiced jumping every day. As soon as they had had
• 19:36
  Speaker 5: their breakfast of nuts or oats or wheat which their
• 19:40
  Speaker 5: papa or mamma brought in from the farmer's fields, the
• 19:45
  Speaker 5: little squirrels would begin jumping. Sometimes they would run up
• 19:50
  Speaker 5: and down the tree trunks and a gun. They would
• 19:53
  Speaker 5: pretend to hide under the leaves, for their parents had
• 19:57
  Speaker 5: told them that was a good way to keep out
• 20:01
  Speaker 5: of sight when there was any danger in the forest.
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  Speaker 5: The squirrel family lived in the woods of very nice woods, indeed,
• 20:10
  Speaker 5: with many green trees growing in it. The ground in
• 20:14
  Speaker 5: some places was covered with brown leaves that had fallen
• 20:18
  Speaker 5: off the trees, and in other places there was soft
• 20:22
  Speaker 5: green moss like the velvet carpet in the parlor at
• 20:27
  Speaker 5: your house. And not far from the tree where Slicko
• 20:32
  Speaker 5: and the other squirrels lived was a pretty brook that
• 20:37
  Speaker 5: ran through the wood, making nice music as it trickled
• 20:41
  Speaker 5: over the stones. The water was cool and good to drink,
• 20:46
  Speaker 5: and often Slicko and her brothers and sisters would come
• 20:50
  Speaker 5: to the edge of the brook to bathe or get
• 20:53
  Speaker 5: a drink. One day, after she had practiced her jumping
• 20:57
  Speaker 5: lesson for some time, sick Oh said to her sister Chatter,
• 21:03
  Speaker 5: come on, let's take a little walk in the woods.
• 21:07
  Speaker 5: It's nearly time for chestnuts to be ripe, and we
• 21:11
  Speaker 5: may find some. Oh I don't want to go, Chatter said,
• 21:16
  Speaker 5: I am tired from having jumped so much. I am
• 21:20
  Speaker 5: going to lie down on the green moss and go
• 21:24
  Speaker 5: to sleep. Oh then will you come, nutto, asked Slickout
• 21:29
  Speaker 5: of her brother. No, for fluffy it are are going
• 21:34
  Speaker 5: to hunt hickory nuts, said the boy squirrel. You had
• 21:37
  Speaker 5: better come with us. Chestnuts are not ripe yet. You
• 21:41
  Speaker 5: won't find any. But if you come with us, you'll
• 21:45
  Speaker 5: find some hickory nuts. Oh, I think I can find
• 21:49
  Speaker 5: some chestnuts, spoke Slicko. And then, as neither her brothers
• 21:54
  Speaker 5: nor her sister would come with her, the little girl
• 21:58
  Speaker 5: jumping squirrel stuck heard it off in the woods by herself.
• 22:03
  Speaker 5: She ran along on the ground a little way. Then
• 22:07
  Speaker 5: she climbed up a tree, and running out on a
• 22:10
  Speaker 5: branch of that, she leaped from the end of it
• 22:13
  Speaker 5: to the end of another branch in a tree a
• 22:16
  Speaker 5: little further on. Slicko was a good jumper in this way.
• 22:23
  Speaker 5: She hurried on until she was quite away from her
• 22:26
  Speaker 5: home nest. All of a sudden, Slicko heard a noise
• 22:31
  Speaker 5: in the bushes, as if some big animal were breaking
• 22:35
  Speaker 5: away through them. My I hope that isn't the hunterman
• 22:40
  Speaker 5: and his dog, exclaimed Slicko. In a whisper to herself,
• 22:46
  Speaker 5: I had better be careful and take a look before
• 22:50
  Speaker 5: I go on any farther. So the little jumping squirrel
• 22:55
  Speaker 5: cuddled down under some leaves on the tree branch she
• 23:00
  Speaker 5: was sitting and peered out. At first, she could see
• 23:05
  Speaker 5: nothing except the bushes below her, waving as something pushed
• 23:10
  Speaker 5: through them. Whatever it was, it seemed to be coming
• 23:14
  Speaker 5: nearer and nearer her tree. Slicko felt sure it was
• 23:20
  Speaker 5: the hunter man, and she was getting ready to give
• 23:24
  Speaker 5: a big jump and hurry home to the nest, when
• 23:28
  Speaker 5: all at once she saw something sort of pink and
• 23:31
  Speaker 5: white come out of the bush. As soon as Slicko
• 23:35
  Speaker 5: saw this, she knew it was not a hunter man,
• 23:39
  Speaker 5: for it walked on four feet, whereas a hunter walks
• 23:44
  Speaker 5: on two feet. Why it's a little pig, exclaimed Slicko.
• 23:49
  Speaker 5: Looking down. She knew it was a pig because not
• 23:54
  Speaker 5: far from the woods where she lived there was a farm,
• 23:59
  Speaker 5: and on the fire was a pen of pigs. Slicko
• 24:03
  Speaker 5: had seen them once. Yes, that's a pig. I'm not
• 24:08
  Speaker 5: afraid of him, said the little squirrel girl. Hello, she
• 24:13
  Speaker 5: called down to the pig, who was rooting along in
• 24:16
  Speaker 5: the ground, looking for something to eat. I suppose hello,
• 24:21
  Speaker 5: called Slicko. What's your name? Oh? Hello, how you frightened
• 24:27
  Speaker 5: me calling that way? Answered the pig. My name is Squinty.
• 24:32
  Speaker 5: What's yours? Now? If you had been listening to this
• 24:36
  Speaker 5: talk between the two animals, the squirrel and the pig,
• 24:41
  Speaker 5: all you would have heard would have been something like
• 24:45
  Speaker 5: this chatter chat chat chit chit, chirp cher and then
• 24:51
  Speaker 5: if if wuf wuf uh uh. One was the squirrel
• 24:57
  Speaker 5: talking and the other was the pig answering. Of course,
• 25:02
  Speaker 5: it would not sound like real talk such as you use,
• 25:07
  Speaker 5: but it was real enough for Slicko and Squinty, and
• 25:11
  Speaker 5: they could understand each other very well. They could also
• 25:16
  Speaker 5: understand man talk ear talk also, as I will tell
• 25:22
  Speaker 5: you a little later, But neither Slicko nor Squinty could
• 25:26
  Speaker 5: speak man language. Hah, so your name is Squinty, ah,
• 25:32
  Speaker 5: asked Slicko of the little pig. Why are you called
• 25:37
  Speaker 5: such a funny name? Because one of my eyes squints
• 25:41
  Speaker 5: a little, was the answer. See Squinty looked up to
• 25:45
  Speaker 5: show Slicko and the little pig was such a funny
• 25:49
  Speaker 5: picture as he stood there with one eye partly shut
• 25:53
  Speaker 5: and the other wide open, with his head on one
• 25:57
  Speaker 5: side and one ear cocked forward and the other backward.
• 26:03
  Speaker 5: He was so funny, I say that, Slicko could not
• 26:07
  Speaker 5: help laughing. Huh, what are you laughing at? Asked Squinty
• 26:13
  Speaker 5: in his funny, grunting voice, with his little flat rubbery
• 26:18
  Speaker 5: nose wiggling sideways and also up and down. I am
• 26:24
  Speaker 5: laughing at you, answered Slicko. Excuse me, but I can't
• 26:29
  Speaker 5: help it. You are so funny and you have such
• 26:32
  Speaker 5: a funny name. Oh I don't mind being laughed at,
• 26:37
  Speaker 5: said Squinty with a sort of pig laugh. I am
• 26:41
  Speaker 5: glad if you want to laugh, for it's better to
• 26:44
  Speaker 5: laugh than cry. And I don't mind my funny name,
• 26:49
  Speaker 5: he said. I think that was very nice of Squinty
• 26:53
  Speaker 5: to say, don't you. I am glad I met you,
• 26:57
  Speaker 5: said the little girl Squirrel. At first I thought you
• 27:00
  Speaker 5: were a hunter in the bushes, and I thought you
• 27:04
  Speaker 5: were some one chasing me when you called that way,
• 27:08
  Speaker 5: said Squinty. But you haven't told me your name yet.
• 27:12
  Speaker 5: Then Slicko led the little pig to where there were
• 27:16
  Speaker 5: some acorn nuts, and Squinty ate them. I am Slicko,
• 27:21
  Speaker 5: the jumping squirrel was the answer. And I am hunting
• 27:26
  Speaker 5: in these woods for some chestnuts. What are you doing here?
• 27:31
  Speaker 5: I am here because I have run away, said Squinty.
• 27:35
  Speaker 5: I am looking for something to eat. Are hickory nuts good?
• 27:40
  Speaker 5: Very good? Slicko answered, I'll see if I can find
• 27:44
  Speaker 5: some for each of us. The little squirrel found some
• 27:49
  Speaker 5: hickory nuts, but they were so hard that Squinty, the
• 27:53
  Speaker 5: comical pig, could not eat them. I guess you'd like
• 27:57
  Speaker 5: some acorns, they are softer, slick said. Indeed, I would,
• 28:02
  Speaker 5: thank you, spoke Squinty. Then Slicko led the little pig
• 28:07
  Speaker 5: to where there were some acorn nuts, and Squinty ate them.
• 28:13
  Speaker 5: Very glad He was to get them too, for he
• 28:16
  Speaker 5: was quite hungry. Why are you called Slicko, asked Squinty,
• 28:22
  Speaker 5: when he did not feel so hungry as at first.
• 28:26
  Speaker 5: My mamma called me, that answered the little squirrel, because
• 28:31
  Speaker 5: my fur is so slick and shining. It's a good name,
• 28:36
  Speaker 5: said Squinty. Don't you want to travel along with me
• 28:40
  Speaker 5: through the woods and have adventures? Thank you? No, I
• 28:45
  Speaker 5: guess not, replied Slicko. Hark what's that? They both listened
• 28:52
  Speaker 5: and heard a sound like chatter chatter, chat, chit chat cheer.
• 28:58
  Speaker 5: What is it, asked Squinty in a whisper. That is
• 29:03
  Speaker 5: my mamma calling me, answered Slicko. I must go back
• 29:07
  Speaker 5: to the nest now. Good bye, funny little pig. Good bye,
• 29:13
  Speaker 5: answered Squinty, and he went on looking for adventures. He
• 29:18
  Speaker 5: had many of them, and I have told you about
• 29:21
  Speaker 5: them in the first of these books, called Squinty the
• 29:25
  Speaker 5: Comical Pig. He was bought by a boy, taught to
• 29:30
  Speaker 5: do many tricks, and finally ran back again to his
• 29:35
  Speaker 5: home in the pen on the farm. After Slicko had
• 29:39
  Speaker 5: said goodbye to Squinty the Comical Pig, the little girl
• 29:43
  Speaker 5: Squirrel ran and jumped on through the woods for her
• 29:47
  Speaker 5: mother kept calling her to come to the nest. My,
• 29:51
  Speaker 5: I hope nothing has happened, said Slicko as she hurried on.
• 29:56
  Speaker 5: And I didn't find any chestnuts, she said. She looked
• 30:00
  Speaker 5: at the few hickory notes she was bringing home fluffy
• 30:04
  Speaker 5: and nutto will laugh at me, but I don't care.
• 30:08
  Speaker 5: Pretty soon Slicko reached the nest. My, where have you been,
• 30:14
  Speaker 5: asked her. Mamma, looking for chestnuts, answered Slicko, did you
• 30:20
  Speaker 5: find any asked Nutto, as he and his brother came
• 30:24
  Speaker 5: climbing up the tree just then. No, but I found
• 30:28
  Speaker 5: some hickory nuts and some acorns, and I gave some
• 30:32
  Speaker 5: acorns to a cute little pig, said Slicko, explaining how
• 30:38
  Speaker 5: she had met Squinty. I wish we had gone with you,
• 30:42
  Speaker 5: said Fluffy. I'd like to have seen that pig. Come on, Nutto,
• 30:48
  Speaker 5: let's go out and see if we can find him
• 30:50
  Speaker 5: in the woods. No, you must not go away, chattered
• 30:55
  Speaker 5: Missus Squirrel. I want you all to stay here. Something
• 30:59
  Speaker 5: has happened and we shall have to go away from
• 31:03
  Speaker 5: our nice nest. Go away from our nest, cried Slicko
• 31:09
  Speaker 5: in surprise. Yes, answered Missus Squirrel. It is no longer
• 31:14
  Speaker 5: safe to stay here. But here comes your papa. He
• 31:18
  Speaker 5: will tell you all about it. We are in great danger,
• 31:22
  Speaker 5: and that is why I called you all back. Now
• 31:26
  Speaker 5: listen to what your papa has to say. End of
• 31:31
  Speaker 5: chapter two, Chapter three of Slicko the Jumping Squirrel. This
• 31:44
  Speaker 5: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
• 31:49
  Speaker 5: public domains. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
• 31:54
  Speaker 5: LibriVox dot org. Recording by Shasta, Oakland, California. Slicko The
• 32:03
  Speaker 5: Jumping Squirrel by Richard Barnum, Chapter three, Slicko goes on
• 32:11
  Speaker 5: a visit. Mister squirrel came along, hurrying and jumping through
• 32:16
  Speaker 5: the leafy branches of the trees as fast as he
• 32:20
  Speaker 5: could come. When he was still some distance away from
• 32:24
  Speaker 5: the nest, he took a long jump and landed on
• 32:29
  Speaker 5: the limb near the hole in the tree. Did you
• 32:33
  Speaker 5: see him, asked missus Squirrel. Yes, he is in the woods,
• 32:38
  Speaker 5: chattered mister Squirrel. But he may not be here for
• 32:42
  Speaker 5: some minutes. We have time to run and hide, and
• 32:47
  Speaker 5: we better not keep together. We must all go different ways,
• 32:52
  Speaker 5: and then he will not find us so easily. Oh
• 32:57
  Speaker 5: what is it, cried Slicko. What has happened? Happened? The
• 33:01
  Speaker 5: hunter man and his dog have found out where our
• 33:05
  Speaker 5: nest is, said missus Squirrel. At any minute he may
• 33:09
  Speaker 5: come here to shoot us or catch us. Oh how dreadful,
• 33:15
  Speaker 5: cried chatter. And even Nuttle, who was supposed to be
• 33:19
  Speaker 5: very brave for a squirrel, looked frightened. But don't worry
• 33:25
  Speaker 5: too much, said mister squirrel. I have seen the hunter
• 33:29
  Speaker 5: in time, him and his dog and gun, and we
• 33:34
  Speaker 5: will get safely away from him. Come now we will separate,
• 33:40
  Speaker 5: each going a different way than the hunter will not
• 33:43
  Speaker 5: find us. I hope. But where shall we go, asked Glicko.
• 33:49
  Speaker 5: And what shall we do for something to eat and
• 33:53
  Speaker 5: a place to sleep nights? If we go away from
• 33:56
  Speaker 5: our home nest. Well, you squirrels are old enough now
• 34:01
  Speaker 5: to hunt food for yourselves, said missus squirrel. I am
• 34:05
  Speaker 5: glad of that, for I shall not worry so much
• 34:09
  Speaker 5: about you. And you know how to run and jump.
• 34:14
  Speaker 5: I am glad we learned how to jump in time,
• 34:18
  Speaker 5: said Slicko. Yes, if you had waited and kept on
• 34:23
  Speaker 5: putting it off, said mister squirrel, you would not now
• 34:27
  Speaker 5: be ready to run and hide away from the hunter
• 34:32
  Speaker 5: and be able to take care of yourselves. As for
• 34:36
  Speaker 5: a place to sleep, your mother and I are going
• 34:40
  Speaker 5: to send you all on visits to our friends or relations.
• 34:45
  Speaker 5: You can stay with them for a while until it
• 34:48
  Speaker 5: will be safe for us all to come back to
• 34:51
  Speaker 5: our nest again. Oh, then we are going on a visit,
• 34:55
  Speaker 5: exclaimed Slicko. Something like that, yes, answered her father. And
• 35:02
  Speaker 5: we must hurry too, for the hunter may be here
• 35:05
  Speaker 5: any minute. I passed him in the woods, and he
• 35:09
  Speaker 5: was coming this way. Did he see you, Papa, asked Nettle. No,
• 35:16
  Speaker 5: for I kept well behind the leaves and hurried on
• 35:21
  Speaker 5: my how that dog did bark, though he seemed very savage. Squinty,
• 35:28
  Speaker 5: the comical pig told me of a dog he knew,
• 35:32
  Speaker 5: said Slickle. But he said that dog was kind and gentle.
• 35:38
  Speaker 5: His name was Don. This dog's name wasn't Don. I'm
• 35:43
  Speaker 5: sure of that, spoke mister Squirrel. But we must not
• 35:47
  Speaker 5: stay talking here. Scatter, every one of you, Nuttle and Fluffy,
• 35:53
  Speaker 5: you go over to Grandma's beech nuts nest and stay
• 35:58
  Speaker 5: with him. I don't belie leave. The hunter knows where
• 36:01
  Speaker 5: that is. Chatter. You stay with mister and missus Acorn,
• 36:07
  Speaker 5: the squirrels who live in the hollow stump. Your mother
• 36:11
  Speaker 5: and I will go off in the woods and make
• 36:15
  Speaker 5: a new nest, so if we cannot come back to
• 36:19
  Speaker 5: our old one, we will still have a home when
• 36:22
  Speaker 5: winter comes. But what am I to do, asked Slicko.
• 36:27
  Speaker 5: Where am I to go? I have not forgotten you,
• 36:32
  Speaker 5: said Missus Squirrel. You can go over and stay with
• 36:36
  Speaker 5: your aunt Whitey until it is safe. Your aunt will
• 36:40
  Speaker 5: be glad to have you, for she lives all alone,
• 36:44
  Speaker 5: and she has room for only one small squirrel in
• 36:48
  Speaker 5: her nest besides herself. You run over there and tell
• 36:52
  Speaker 5: her all that has happened, how the hunter has found
• 36:56
  Speaker 5: our nest, and go quickly, suddenly, cried mister squirrel. Here
• 37:01
  Speaker 5: the hunter man comes now with his dog. Just then
• 37:06
  Speaker 5: there sounded through the woods. Who Oh, whoa, that's the dog,
• 37:14
  Speaker 5: said mister squirrel. Hurry, children, and don't forget the lessons
• 37:19
  Speaker 5: we have taught you. We won't, promised Slickoll. Then came
• 37:23
  Speaker 5: another sound, A dreadful noise like thunder bang, sounded through
• 37:30
  Speaker 5: the woods, making the leaves on the trees shake. That's
• 37:34
  Speaker 5: the hunter's gun, exclaimed Nuttle. Run everybody off through the woods,
• 37:40
  Speaker 5: scampered Slickle. Her father and mother, and her brothers and sisters.
• 37:46
  Speaker 5: Slick all climbed up one tree, jumped into another, and
• 37:51
  Speaker 5: still another. I don't believe the hunter and his dogs
• 37:56
  Speaker 5: will get me, thought slick All, as she hurried on
• 38:00
  Speaker 5: toward the nest where her aunt Whitey lived. Pretty soon
• 38:05
  Speaker 5: the hunterman and his dog came to the foot of
• 38:09
  Speaker 5: the tree where Slicko used to live. Ha, there's that squirrel.
• 38:14
  Speaker 5: Nest I saw the other day, said the man to himself,
• 38:19
  Speaker 5: I wonder if there are any in it. I'll wait
• 38:23
  Speaker 5: awhile and see if I can shoot any of them
• 38:27
  Speaker 5: for my dinner. Woo woo, woo woo, barked the dog.
• 38:32
  Speaker 5: Perhaps he too wanted some squirrels for his dinner. All
• 38:38
  Speaker 5: around the foot of the tree ran the dog, barking
• 38:41
  Speaker 5: as loudly as he could. Maybe he was hoping he
• 38:45
  Speaker 5: could scare the squirrels out of the nest so his
• 38:49
  Speaker 5: master could shoot them with his gun. The man waited
• 38:54
  Speaker 5: and waited, looking up at the hole in the trunk
• 38:58
  Speaker 5: of the tree where he knew the squirrels had lived,
• 39:02
  Speaker 5: but he did not know they had gone. That was
• 39:06
  Speaker 5: the time. The squirrels were smarter than the hunter. Several
• 39:12
  Speaker 5: hours passed, and still the man waited. Every now and
• 39:17
  Speaker 5: then he would look up at the hole with his
• 39:20
  Speaker 5: gun all ready to shoot, and the dog, who had
• 39:24
  Speaker 5: been running off in the woods looking for more squirrels,
• 39:29
  Speaker 5: would come back barking louder than ever. Well, I guess
• 39:35
  Speaker 5: those squirrels had gone away. Carlo, the man finally said
• 39:39
  Speaker 5: to his dog, it is of no use for us
• 39:42
  Speaker 5: to stay here. Come we will go look for other
• 39:47
  Speaker 5: squirrels to shoot. Pooh pooh pooh. Whoa, that will be fun,
• 39:53
  Speaker 5: barked Carlo. Of course, being a dog, he did not
• 39:58
  Speaker 5: know any better, and so the hunterman went away from
• 40:03
  Speaker 5: the empty nests where Slickle and the other squirrels had lived.
• 40:08
  Speaker 5: All this while slick all the jumping squirrel, was hurrying
• 40:13
  Speaker 5: along through the woods toward the nest of her Aunt Whitey.
• 40:19
  Speaker 5: Slicko's aunt had that name because there was a white
• 40:23
  Speaker 5: spot on the end of her tail. Missus Whitey and
• 40:28
  Speaker 5: Missus Squirrel were sisters, and of course that made the
• 40:32
  Speaker 5: squirrel with the white on the end of her tail.
• 40:36
  Speaker 5: Slicko's aunt and slick all liked Aunt Whitey very much.
• 40:43
  Speaker 5: There were almost plenty of nuts in Aunt Whitey's nest,
• 40:47
  Speaker 5: and Slickle, as well as her brothers and sisters, liked
• 40:51
  Speaker 5: to come on a visit. But this time Slickle was
• 40:55
  Speaker 5: all alone. Pretty soon the little jumping girls squirrel came
• 41:01
  Speaker 5: to the tall tree where Aunt Whitey lived. Now I
• 41:06
  Speaker 5: must be very careful, thought Slicko. I must wait before
• 41:10
  Speaker 5: running in to see if any hunter men or dogs
• 41:15
  Speaker 5: or other enemies are watching me. For if they are,
• 41:20
  Speaker 5: they would see where I go in, and they could
• 41:23
  Speaker 5: find the nest and maybe catch Aunt Whitey and me. Squirrels,
• 41:29
  Speaker 5: like birds and other hoodland creatures, do not like human
• 41:34
  Speaker 5: beings to know where their nests or homes are, so
• 41:39
  Speaker 5: they take care to make the front doors in such
• 41:42
  Speaker 5: a way they cannot easily be seen. And when the
• 41:47
  Speaker 5: forest creatures go in, they always look around first to
• 41:52
  Speaker 5: see that no enemy is watching. In that way, they
• 41:57
  Speaker 5: keep their homes or nests secret. They have to, for
• 42:01
  Speaker 5: they have so many enemies. Slicko looked all around, and
• 42:07
  Speaker 5: seeing no dogs, wild animals or huntermen on the watch
• 42:13
  Speaker 5: to spy on her aunt's nest, the little squirrel scrambled
• 42:18
  Speaker 5: up the tree, sticking her sharp toe nails in the
• 42:22
  Speaker 5: soft bark as she had been taught to do. When
• 42:26
  Speaker 5: Slicko was half way up, she saw a hole in
• 42:31
  Speaker 5: the tree, just such a hole as at her nest
• 42:34
  Speaker 5: at home. This was the front door to the home
• 42:38
  Speaker 5: of her aunt. Slickow gave two or three taps on
• 42:43
  Speaker 5: the bark with her front paw. The little girl squirrel
• 42:46
  Speaker 5: always did this when she called on Missus Whitey, so
• 42:51
  Speaker 5: the squirrel lady would know it was one of her
• 42:54
  Speaker 5: little friends or relations, and not a bad owl or
• 43:00
  Speaker 5: hawk bird wanting to eat her up. Slicko expected to
• 43:06
  Speaker 5: hear her aunt chatter, as she always did, come in
• 43:09
  Speaker 5: and have some nuts, but there was no answer. Slicko
• 43:14
  Speaker 5: knocked again with her little paw, and then, thinking her
• 43:19
  Speaker 5: aunt might be asleep, the little jumping squirrel gave a
• 43:24
  Speaker 5: little hop down inside the nest. It was just like
• 43:28
  Speaker 5: the nest at home, which she and the others had
• 43:31
  Speaker 5: left because of the danger from the hunterman. At first,
• 43:37
  Speaker 5: coming in the dark nest after having been out in
• 43:40
  Speaker 5: the bright sunlight, Slicko could see nothing, just as when
• 43:46
  Speaker 5: you come into the house after having walked along the
• 43:50
  Speaker 5: snowy road from school, you have to wait until your
• 43:54
  Speaker 5: eyes get used to the darker house. It was that
• 43:58
  Speaker 5: way with Slickoll. Pretty soon, however, she could look about
• 44:03
  Speaker 5: the nest, and then her heart grew sad, for she
• 44:08
  Speaker 5: saw that Aunt Whitey did not live there any more.
• 44:13
  Speaker 5: The nest was deserted and empty. Most of the soft
• 44:18
  Speaker 5: leaves and the cotton from the milkweed plant had been
• 44:23
  Speaker 5: tossed out. The nest was all upset, Most of the
• 44:28
  Speaker 5: nuts were gone, and it looked as though some boy
• 44:32
  Speaker 5: or man or animal had been inside, catching the squirrel
• 44:37
  Speaker 5: lady and taking the nuts she had stored away to eat.
• 44:42
  Speaker 5: Oh dear, thought slickle this is terrible. Aunt Whitey has
• 44:48
  Speaker 5: either run away or been caught. There is no one
• 44:52
  Speaker 5: here to take me. What shall I do? Can I
• 44:57
  Speaker 5: stay here all alone? Oh? Oh dear, isn't it too bad?
• 45:03
  Speaker 5: Slicko cowered down in the empty nest and wondered what
• 45:08
  Speaker 5: she should do now that she had no home to
• 45:12
  Speaker 5: go back to end of chapter three. Chapter four of
• 45:24
  Speaker 5: Slicko the Jumping Squirrel. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 45:31
  Speaker 5: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
• 45:36
  Speaker 5: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by
• 45:42
  Speaker 5: Shasta Oakland, California. Slicko the Jumping Squirrel by Richard Barnum.
• 45:51
  Speaker 5: Chapter four, Slicko sees a circus for a few minutes
• 45:58
  Speaker 5: after jumping down into the emptinst of her Aunt Whitey.
• 46:03
  Speaker 5: Little Slicko did not know what to do it It
• 46:07
  Speaker 5: all happened so suddenly, the breaking up of the family,
• 46:11
  Speaker 5: each one going to a different place to hide, the
• 46:15
  Speaker 5: coming of Slicko to these woods, and the finding of
• 46:19
  Speaker 5: the empty nest that the little squirrel did not know
• 46:24
  Speaker 5: what to think of it. Slicko listened as sharply as
• 46:28
  Speaker 5: she could for any sounds of danger. She bent her
• 46:32
  Speaker 5: two little ears forward, just as her mama had told
• 46:38
  Speaker 5: her to do when she wanted to listen to any
• 46:41
  Speaker 5: far off sounds. But Slicko could hear nothing. That is,
• 46:47
  Speaker 5: she could hear nothing that sounded like danger. Of course,
• 46:51
  Speaker 5: she could hear the wind blowing through the trees, the
• 46:55
  Speaker 5: singing of the grasshoppers, the call of the birds, and
• 47:00
  Speaker 5: noises like that. And none of these sounds meant any
• 47:05
  Speaker 5: harm to the little squirrel. She had heard them all
• 47:09
  Speaker 5: her life. Oh but it is so lonesome, whispered Slicko
• 47:15
  Speaker 5: to herself. She did not want to speak aloud in
• 47:19
  Speaker 5: her queer, little chattering voice, for fear someone like a
• 47:23
  Speaker 5: bad dog or a snake would hear her. And yet
• 47:28
  Speaker 5: Slicko wanted to talk to someone, even if it was
• 47:32
  Speaker 5: only herself. She lifted up her head from where she
• 47:37
  Speaker 5: had nestled it down among the dry leaves in her
• 47:40
  Speaker 5: aunt's nest, and looked about her. The nest was rather dark,
• 47:46
  Speaker 5: but Slicko could see better now, and what she saw
• 47:51
  Speaker 5: made her sure that her aunt had either been taken
• 47:55
  Speaker 5: away by some enemy or had run off in a
• 48:00
  Speaker 5: great hurry, for the nest was all upset. The leaves
• 48:05
  Speaker 5: were scattered about, and most of the nuts were gone. Well,
• 48:11
  Speaker 5: I guess i'd better stay here for a while, thought
• 48:14
  Speaker 5: Slicko to herself. There are a few nuts here, and
• 48:18
  Speaker 5: I can eat them when I get hungry. When I
• 48:22
  Speaker 5: want more, I shall have to go out and get them,
• 48:25
  Speaker 5: But by that time it may be safe. Yes, I'll
• 48:30
  Speaker 5: stay here tonight anyhow, Slicko peeped out of the opening
• 48:36
  Speaker 5: to the nest. It was a sort of front door
• 48:39
  Speaker 5: to the squirrel house. Slicko could see that it was
• 48:43
  Speaker 5: getting dark in the woods. That night was coming on,
• 48:48
  Speaker 5: and night Slicko knew was no time for a little
• 48:53
  Speaker 5: girl's squirrel to be alone in the forest. There were
• 48:56
  Speaker 5: big eyed owls flying about then, and other enemies that
• 49:01
  Speaker 5: might catch her. So I shall be better off staying
• 49:06
  Speaker 5: in the nest. Even if Aunt Whitey isn't at home,
• 49:10
  Speaker 5: thought Slicko. Poor Aunt Whitey, she whispered, I wonder where
• 49:16
  Speaker 5: she can be. Then Slicko happened to think that perhaps
• 49:22
  Speaker 5: her squirrel aunt might be hiding outside somewhere, as wild
• 49:28
  Speaker 5: animals often do hide near their nests or homes whenever
• 49:34
  Speaker 5: they had been frightened away. I'll call to her, said
• 49:39
  Speaker 5: Slicko to herself. Going softly to the opening to the nest,
• 49:44
  Speaker 5: Slicko put out her head and called Auntie, Auntie Whitey,
• 49:49
  Speaker 5: where are you. She listened, but all she heard in
• 49:54
  Speaker 5: reply was the singing of a robin, the call of
• 49:59
  Speaker 5: a grasshop her, and the noise of the wind in
• 50:03
  Speaker 5: the trees. I guess she has gone far off, thought Slickoll. Well,
• 50:10
  Speaker 5: I will stay here until I find some other place
• 50:13
  Speaker 5: to go. Oh dear, If Mamma and Papa only knew
• 50:19
  Speaker 5: I was here all by myself, they would come to
• 50:23
  Speaker 5: me or take me with them. But now I shall
• 50:27
  Speaker 5: have to stay all alone. Oh dear. It was the
• 50:33
  Speaker 5: first time little Slicko had ever been alone at night,
• 50:37
  Speaker 5: but she was going to be brave. Little animals have
• 50:42
  Speaker 5: to be brave, whether they want to or not, and
• 50:46
  Speaker 5: they have to leave their homes and find their own
• 50:49
  Speaker 5: things to eat, much younger than do real children. So
• 50:55
  Speaker 5: in a way, animals do not so much mind being
• 51:00
  Speaker 5: away from their papas and mammas as you children would
• 51:05
  Speaker 5: At first, Slicko was pretty lonesome. She shivered and cuddled
• 51:11
  Speaker 5: down in the leaves of her aunt's nest and wished
• 51:15
  Speaker 5: she had Fluffy and nut All and her sister Chatter
• 51:20
  Speaker 5: to play with. They had always played little jumping or
• 51:24
  Speaker 5: running games before going to sleep nights. But now Slicko
• 51:29
  Speaker 5: was all alone and had no one to play with.
• 51:33
  Speaker 5: But as I have said, Slicko was going to be brave.
• 51:39
  Speaker 5: After the little jumping squirrel got over her first feeling
• 51:43
  Speaker 5: of fright, she began to be hungry. There were a
• 51:48
  Speaker 5: few nuts left in the nest, and Slicko ate some
• 51:51
  Speaker 5: of them and felt better. And now I must make
• 51:56
  Speaker 5: a warm place to sleep. She thought. Her mother had
• 52:01
  Speaker 5: taught her how to make herself a bed in the
• 52:04
  Speaker 5: dry leaves, and now Slicko did this. She smoothed out
• 52:10
  Speaker 5: a little hole and pulled up some leaves that would
• 52:14
  Speaker 5: fall over her and cover her up like a blanket
• 52:19
  Speaker 5: when she went to sleep. For though it was not
• 52:22
  Speaker 5: yet winter, it was very cool in the woods at night.
• 52:28
  Speaker 5: Soon Slicko was fast asleep. Animals go to sleep very
• 52:33
  Speaker 5: easily when they have eaten and are not frightened. They
• 52:38
  Speaker 5: do not have to be sung to nor told stories,
• 52:43
  Speaker 5: and they do not have to have the light turned
• 52:46
  Speaker 5: down low. They always go to bed without a light.
• 52:52
  Speaker 5: Once in the middle of the night, Slicko was awakened.
• 52:57
  Speaker 5: She heard a noise at the opening of the nest,
• 53:01
  Speaker 5: a scratching sort of noise, and it sounded as though
• 53:05
  Speaker 5: someone were trying to come in. Oh, dear, I wonder
• 53:10
  Speaker 5: who it can be, thought Slickle. But I'm not going
• 53:14
  Speaker 5: to get up to look, she went on. No indeed, instead,
• 53:21
  Speaker 5: she covered herself up deeper in the leaves and tried
• 53:25
  Speaker 5: to go to sleep. She could not, though, for the
• 53:29
  Speaker 5: noise kept up. And then all of a sudden something hooted.
• 53:34
  Speaker 5: Oooo oo oo oho. Oh it's an owl, thought Slickle,
• 53:43
  Speaker 5: A big owl. But he can't get in here to
• 53:47
  Speaker 5: eat me. I'm safe. Maybe that's the owl that drove
• 53:51
  Speaker 5: Aunt Whitey out of her nest. Once more, the owl hooted,
• 53:57
  Speaker 5: and then Slickle heard the flapping of its wings as
• 54:02
  Speaker 5: it flew away. He didn't get me at that time,
• 54:07
  Speaker 5: thought Slickle. But I must be very careful, very careful.
• 54:13
  Speaker 5: Soon the little girl squirrel was asleep again, and when
• 54:18
  Speaker 5: next she awakened, the sun was shining down through the
• 54:23
  Speaker 5: hole into the nest. Oh good, it's morning, chattered Slickle.
• 54:29
  Speaker 5: Now the owl can't get me. Slicko knew that owls
• 54:34
  Speaker 5: fly only at night, for they have such funny eyes
• 54:39
  Speaker 5: that sunlight makes them almost blind, and they cannot see
• 54:44
  Speaker 5: to catch little squirrels. So Slicko knew she was safe
• 54:49
  Speaker 5: for a while, at least now for breakfast. Then to
• 54:54
  Speaker 5: wash my face and pause, and we'll see what happens,
• 54:58
  Speaker 5: whispered Slicko to herself. It did not take long to
• 55:03
  Speaker 5: eat the nuts for breakfast. Then Slicko felt thirsty. She
• 55:08
  Speaker 5: knew there was a nice spring of water not far
• 55:12
  Speaker 5: from her aunt's nest, for when she had come visiting
• 55:17
  Speaker 5: other times, she had gone to it to get a drink.
• 55:21
  Speaker 5: And I wonder if it would be safe now, thoughts
• 55:25
  Speaker 5: the girl. I'll take a look and see. She peered
• 55:30
  Speaker 5: from the nest and saw nothing to frighten her. Some
• 55:34
  Speaker 5: birds were flitting through the leafy trees and down on
• 55:39
  Speaker 5: the ground. Some little hot toads were jumping about. Perhaps
• 55:44
  Speaker 5: they were playing some game as you play tag, For
• 55:49
  Speaker 5: you know, animals have fun just as children do, though
• 55:54
  Speaker 5: to be sure, it's a different kind of fun. Yes,
• 55:59
  Speaker 5: I'm going to get a drink, said Slickle, And she
• 56:03
  Speaker 5: slipped out of the nest and began to climb down
• 56:06
  Speaker 5: the side of the tree. But she was very careful
• 56:10
  Speaker 5: how she did it, for she knew danger might be near,
• 56:14
  Speaker 5: though she could not see it. She ran quickly half
• 56:19
  Speaker 5: way round the tree and stayed there a second with
• 56:23
  Speaker 5: her body held flat against the trunk. Slicko was colored gray,
• 56:29
  Speaker 5: and the tree bark was a sort of gray, so
• 56:34
  Speaker 5: unless you had looked very sharply, you might not have
• 56:38
  Speaker 5: seen her yourself until Slickle moved. While she was holding
• 56:44
  Speaker 5: herself there very quietly, Slicko was looking about to see
• 56:49
  Speaker 5: if the owl or any other bad bird or animal
• 56:54
  Speaker 5: were in sight, but she saw nothing, and then she
• 56:58
  Speaker 5: scrambled down to the ground and ran to the spring.
• 57:03
  Speaker 5: Taking a good drink of the cool water, Slickle washed
• 57:08
  Speaker 5: her paws and face in it. Then she combed out
• 57:12
  Speaker 5: her tail with her claws, for all squirrels are very
• 57:17
  Speaker 5: clean and tidy animals. Well, I wonder what I shall
• 57:22
  Speaker 5: do now, thought Slickle. I guess I'll have to stay
• 57:26
  Speaker 5: in Aunt Whitey's nest for a long time. Maybe I
• 57:30
  Speaker 5: had better look about for more nuts, for when those
• 57:34
  Speaker 5: in the nest are gone, I shall need more to eat. Yes,
• 57:39
  Speaker 5: I will look for nuts. She started off through the woods,
• 57:45
  Speaker 5: but she had not gone very far when all of
• 57:48
  Speaker 5: a sudden she saw something brown moving up in a tree.
• 57:54
  Speaker 5: In a second, Slickle hid herself under some leaves and waited.
• 57:59
  Speaker 5: She was in a place where she could watch the
• 58:01
  Speaker 5: brown creature. At first, Slicko thought it might be a
• 58:06
  Speaker 5: big snake, or maybe at the owl that had tried
• 58:11
  Speaker 5: to get her in the night. And as the brown
• 58:14
  Speaker 5: creature moved closer, Slicko saw that it had a long
• 58:19
  Speaker 5: tail and four legs, and the legs had something like
• 58:24
  Speaker 5: hands on the ends. Why it looks just like a
• 58:29
  Speaker 5: brown hairy boy, thought Slickle. And I'm afraid of boys.
• 58:36
  Speaker 5: Mamma said they were dangerous. I wonder what I had
• 58:39
  Speaker 5: better do. Slicko hid deeper down in the leaves, and
• 58:45
  Speaker 5: a little later, as the brown animal came closer, the
• 58:50
  Speaker 5: girl's girl saw that it was not the kind of
• 58:54
  Speaker 5: a boy she had ever seen before. For though boys
• 58:58
  Speaker 5: can climb trees, they cannot climb up and down as
• 59:03
  Speaker 5: fast as the brown animal was doing, nor can they
• 59:08
  Speaker 5: hang by their tails. In fact, as Slicko knew boys
• 59:13
  Speaker 5: have no tails. And then Slicko heard the brown animal say, ha,
• 59:21
  Speaker 5: here are some of those chestnuts. I must get some
• 59:24
  Speaker 5: for though they are not as good as cocoanuts, they
• 59:28
  Speaker 5: will keep me from being hungry. Yes, I'll get some, ha,
• 59:34
  Speaker 5: thought Slicko. That creature is not a boy, that's sure,
• 59:38
  Speaker 5: and it eats nuts just as we squirrels do. I
• 59:42
  Speaker 5: don't believe it will do me any harm. I'm going
• 59:47
  Speaker 5: out and see. Slicko crawled out from under the leaves,
• 59:52
  Speaker 5: and as soon as she moved, the brown creature called out,
• 59:56
  Speaker 5: what is that? Who's there? Who is it? His voice
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 5: was a sort of chatter and chirp, like that of
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 5: some bird, but Slicko could understand it pretty well. It
• 1:00:10
  Speaker 5: is I, if you please, said Slickoll. I am a
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 5: little girl squirrel and I am staying at my aunt's nest,
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 5: but she isn't home. Who are you? If you please,
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 5: I am Mappo, the merry monkey, was the answer. But
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 5: I can't see you. Where are you down in these leaves,
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 5: answered Slicko, and she waved her tail so map out
• 1:00:40
  Speaker 5: could see her. Oh there you are, cried the monkey,
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 5: and down he scrambled beside her. What are you doing here,
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 5: asked Mappo. I am hiding away from a hunter and
• 1:00:53
  Speaker 5: his dog went on the little squirrel. All our family
• 1:00:59
  Speaker 5: ran away from our nest, and I came here. But
• 1:01:03
  Speaker 5: my aunt has gone too, so I am all alone.
• 1:01:08
  Speaker 5: Never mind, said Mapo kindly, I am all alone also,
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 5: so we will keep each other company. Where did you
• 1:01:17
  Speaker 5: come from, asked Slicko, who had never before seen a monkey. Oh.
• 1:01:24
  Speaker 5: I used to live in the big woods with my
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 5: brothers and sisters, said Mappo. But of late I have
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 5: been with a circus. I ran away from my cage
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 5: in the circus, though, and came to these woods, and
• 1:01:39
  Speaker 5: I've had the most fun. I met a comical little
• 1:01:43
  Speaker 5: pig named Oh, I know what he was named, interrupted
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 5: Slickle Oh what was his name, asked Mappo. Squinty, cried
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 5: the little girl squirrel. And he had the funniest nose,
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 5: and one of his eyes was half shut. And that's
• 1:02:03
  Speaker 5: the one, exclaimed Mapo. How did you meet him? Then?
• 1:02:08
  Speaker 5: Slicko told of having talked to Squinty, and Mappo also
• 1:02:13
  Speaker 5: told how he had met the comical little pig, just
• 1:02:17
  Speaker 5: as I have told you in the book about squinty.
• 1:02:20
  Speaker 5: But you said you used to be in a circus,
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 5: spoke Slicko. After a while, so I did, answered Mapo,
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 5: what's a circus? Slicko wanted to know. What have you
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 5: never seen a circus? Asked Mappo. Well, I must show
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 5: it to you. It's not far off, but I am
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 5: not going back to it right away. Come along, Mappo.
• 1:02:49
  Speaker 5: The Merry Monkey started off through the forest with Slicko following.
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 5: Pretty soon they saw a road in front of them,
• 1:02:58
  Speaker 5: and on the other side or some big white things
• 1:03:03
  Speaker 5: that looked like houses people live in. Those are the
• 1:03:08
  Speaker 5: circus tents, exclaimed Mappole. Listen and you can hear the music.
• 1:03:14
  Speaker 5: Slicko sat up on her tail and listened. She heard
• 1:03:18
  Speaker 5: many strange sounds. End of chapter four.
• 1:03:30
  Speaker 6: Chapter five of Slicko the Jumping Squirrel. This is a
• 1:03:35
  Speaker 6: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 1:03:39
  Speaker 6: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 1:03:44
  Speaker 6: Recording by Sunbeard, Slicko the Jumping Squirrel by Richard Barnum,
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 6: Slicko and Tum Tum. Mappo asks Slicko as she sat
• 1:03:54
  Speaker 6: under a shade tree near the road and looked across
• 1:03:57
  Speaker 6: the tents at the vacant lot. Is that what you
• 1:04:00
  Speaker 6: call a circus, Mapo? That is a circus, little Slicko,
• 1:04:04
  Speaker 6: answered the little monkey kindly. Slicko saw the white tents,
• 1:04:08
  Speaker 6: she heard the band's playing music, and she heard men
• 1:04:11
  Speaker 6: and boys calling out strange words such.
• 1:04:13
  Speaker 7: As ice cream, cones, pink lemonade, peanuts. The last word
• 1:04:20
  Speaker 7: was the only one Slicko knew, for she had heard
• 1:04:23
  Speaker 7: that before. Once a squirrel who had lived in a
• 1:04:26
  Speaker 7: city park came to visit Slicko's mama and papa, and
• 1:04:31
  Speaker 7: this city squirrel told how the children used to go
• 1:04:33
  Speaker 7: to the park and feed the squirrel's peanuts. So Slicko
• 1:04:36
  Speaker 7: knew what peanuts were when she heard the circus boys
• 1:04:39
  Speaker 7: and men shouting about them. So that is a circus, is.
• 1:04:44
  Speaker 6: It, asked Little Slicko as she looked at the big
• 1:04:46
  Speaker 6: white tents, all gay with colored flags fluttering in the wind,
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 6: and heard the nice music. Yes, answered Mapo. That is
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 6: a circus, and you ran away from it. You ran
• 1:04:58
  Speaker 6: away from a nice place like that, asked Slicko in surprise. Oh, well,
• 1:05:03
  Speaker 6: I got tired of being in a cage all the while,
• 1:05:07
  Speaker 6: said Mappo the Merry Monkey. I am going back to
• 1:05:10
  Speaker 6: it soon, I guess, as it is no fun to
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 6: have to hunt for things to eat all the while
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 6: in the circus, though I did have to stay in
• 1:05:19
  Speaker 6: a cage, I got all I wanted to eat without
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 6: any trouble. Yes, I think I shall run back again soon.
• 1:05:27
  Speaker 6: I should think if you had run away, they would
• 1:05:30
  Speaker 6: come after you to find you, said Slicko. They did
• 1:05:33
  Speaker 6: come once, spoke Mappo, with a laugh. Once when I
• 1:05:36
  Speaker 6: was in the woods talking to Squinty the Comical Pig,
• 1:05:39
  Speaker 6: some circus men came after me to catch me, but
• 1:05:42
  Speaker 6: I ran away. They haven't caught me yet, and he
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 6: laughed and chattered, showing his many white teeth. For a
• 1:05:49
  Speaker 6: little while, Slicko and Mappo sat in the woods looking
• 1:05:51
  Speaker 6: at the circus, and then all of a sudden, the
• 1:05:55
  Speaker 6: little girl squirrel cried out, Oh, Mappo, what are those
• 1:05:59
  Speaker 6: funny animals as big as houses with two tails? What
• 1:06:02
  Speaker 6: are they? Laughed Mappo the Merry Monkey. Two tails? Oh well,
• 1:06:11
  Speaker 6: they do have two tails, said Slicko. What are they?
• 1:06:15
  Speaker 6: That's just what Squinty the Comical Pig wanted to know.
• 1:06:18
  Speaker 6: Spoke Mapo. He thought they had two tails. Also, well
• 1:06:24
  Speaker 6: haven't they, asked Slippo, frisking her big tail. No, answered Mapo.
• 1:06:29
  Speaker 6: Those are elephants and they only have one tail. The
• 1:06:33
  Speaker 6: short thing is their tail, and the big long thing
• 1:06:36
  Speaker 6: in front of them, hanging down is their nose, their nose,
• 1:06:40
  Speaker 6: cried Slicko. What a funny nose. It's called a trunk,
• 1:06:44
  Speaker 6: explained Mappo. But it is really the elephant's nose. He
• 1:06:49
  Speaker 6: breathes through it, but he can also use it like
• 1:06:51
  Speaker 6: a hand. He picks up what he wants to eat
• 1:06:54
  Speaker 6: in it, and it is hollow, like the hose with
• 1:06:57
  Speaker 6: which they fill the circus tubs. The animals can drink
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 6: through this hollow trunk. The elephant sucks up water, squirting
• 1:07:04
  Speaker 6: it down his throat when he's thirsty. What a funny
• 1:07:07
  Speaker 6: animal the elephant is, exclaimed Slicko. And how big, especially
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 6: that first one with the two big white things sticking
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 6: out of his mouth. What are those? Those are his
• 1:07:20
  Speaker 6: teeth or tusks, explained Mappo. But you need not be
• 1:07:24
  Speaker 6: afraid of that big elephant. Why not, asks Slicko, Because
• 1:07:28
  Speaker 6: he is the kindest and most jolly elephant in the
• 1:07:32
  Speaker 6: whole circus, went on Mapo the monkey. His name is
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 6: Tum Tum, and if you were to meet him, you
• 1:07:37
  Speaker 6: would like him very much. Did Squinty, the comical pid
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 6: meet Tum Tum, asks Slicko. No, Squinty did not have
• 1:07:46
  Speaker 6: a chance, said Mappo, But he saw him. If I can,
• 1:07:50
  Speaker 6: I'll call tom Tum over here to see you. I'm
• 1:07:53
  Speaker 6: sure you'd like him, and he'd give you a ride
• 1:07:55
  Speaker 6: on his back. Oh, I'd be afraid to let him,
• 1:07:58
  Speaker 6: exclaimed Slicko. Pooh, he wouldn't hurt a fly, laughed Mappo.
• 1:08:03
  Speaker 6: Lots of children who come to the circus ride on
• 1:08:06
  Speaker 6: tom Tum's back. He is very kind to them, and
• 1:08:10
  Speaker 6: he would be kind to you only if you should
• 1:08:12
  Speaker 6: see him. Be sure to tell him you're not a
• 1:08:14
  Speaker 6: rat or a mouse. Of course, I'm not a rat
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 6: or a mouse, said Slicho. Why should I tell tom
• 1:08:20
  Speaker 6: Tum the elephant that I am not when he can
• 1:08:23
  Speaker 6: see for himself if he has any eyes. Well, you
• 1:08:27
  Speaker 6: do look a little like a great rat, said Mappo.
• 1:08:31
  Speaker 6: Not that it's any harm, Slicko, But you see, Tum
• 1:08:35
  Speaker 6: Tum and other elephants are very much afraid of rats
• 1:08:38
  Speaker 6: and mice. I don't know why unless they're afraid the
• 1:08:41
  Speaker 6: little creatures will run up inside their trunks and make
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 6: them sneeze. But anyhow, you're not a rat or a mouse.
• 1:08:48
  Speaker 6: And if you see tom Tum, be sure to tell
• 1:08:51
  Speaker 6: him that first thing. I will, promised Slicho. But maybe
• 1:08:56
  Speaker 6: I won't see Tum Tum to speak to. Oh you might, answered, Mappo.
• 1:09:00
  Speaker 6: You can't tell. Just then, the merry little monkey gave
• 1:09:03
  Speaker 6: a jump and cried out, Ha, there comes some circus
• 1:09:06
  Speaker 6: men over this way. I think they're going to hunt
• 1:09:09
  Speaker 6: for me again. I don't want to be caught just
• 1:09:11
  Speaker 6: yet and be put back in my cage, so I'm
• 1:09:14
  Speaker 6: going to run off and hide in the woods again. Goodbye, Slicko,
• 1:09:17
  Speaker 6: I'm glad I met you. Goodbye, Mappo, cried the little
• 1:09:20
  Speaker 6: girl squirrel. I'm glad I met you, and I'm sorry
• 1:09:24
  Speaker 6: you're going to run away again, But I won't tell
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 6: them where you are. I guess i'll go hide too,
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 6: so mappo. The merry monkey ran off through the woods
• 1:09:32
  Speaker 6: one way and Slicko ran another, and they did not
• 1:09:36
  Speaker 6: see each other again for some time. I might say
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 6: that I expect to tell you in a book after
• 1:09:42
  Speaker 6: this one, some of the adventures of Mappo the Merry Monkey,
• 1:09:45
  Speaker 6: But I have no room for him. In this story,
• 1:09:48
  Speaker 6: Slicko ran into the woods, jumping from tree to tree
• 1:09:51
  Speaker 6: as she had been taught. She was all alone again,
• 1:09:55
  Speaker 6: and she was feeling rather lonesome without Mappo or for
• 1:09:58
  Speaker 6: some of her squirrel friends. Slicko made her way back
• 1:10:01
  Speaker 6: to the nest where her aunt had lived. She rather
• 1:10:05
  Speaker 6: hoped missus Whitey might be back there waiting for her,
• 1:10:08
  Speaker 6: but the nests in the tall tree was still empty.
• 1:10:11
  Speaker 6: There was no sign of the nice old lady squirrel. Well,
• 1:10:16
  Speaker 6: I guess I had better gather some nuts and hide
• 1:10:18
  Speaker 6: them away, thought Slicho. I may have to stay in
• 1:10:21
  Speaker 6: this nest a month or more until Papa and Mamma
• 1:10:24
  Speaker 6: make a new home for me and my sister and brothers.
• 1:10:27
  Speaker 6: So Slicko scrambled down to the ground again and began
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 6: to gather nuts and acorns. These she carried up to
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 6: the nest, hiding them away under the leaves. She put
• 1:10:37
  Speaker 6: some in a hollow stump on the ground, not far
• 1:10:40
  Speaker 6: away from the tree where the nest was. When Slicko
• 1:10:43
  Speaker 6: had done this, she sat down on her tail, curling
• 1:10:45
  Speaker 6: it up at her back like a feather to take
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 6: a rest, for she was rather tired my she thought
• 1:10:52
  Speaker 6: as she sat there, What a lot of things have
• 1:10:55
  Speaker 6: happened to me since I had to leave my home.
• 1:10:57
  Speaker 6: An owl got after me. I've seen us circus, I
• 1:11:00
  Speaker 6: met a monkey, and I seen the creature with two
• 1:11:03
  Speaker 6: tails called an elephant. At least an elephant looks as
• 1:11:07
  Speaker 6: though it had two tails, no matter what Mappo says,
• 1:11:10
  Speaker 6: went on Slicko. I wonder if I shall ever meet
• 1:11:14
  Speaker 6: Tum Tum and tell him I am not a rat
• 1:11:17
  Speaker 6: or a mouse. What a funny thing it would be
• 1:11:20
  Speaker 6: if I did. Slicko sat on the edge of the
• 1:11:23
  Speaker 6: nest for some time, and then she began to feel hungry.
• 1:11:27
  Speaker 6: I wish I had some of those peanuts I heard
• 1:11:29
  Speaker 6: them talking about at the circus, said Slicko in a whisper.
• 1:11:32
  Speaker 6: I know they must be good from what that city
• 1:11:35
  Speaker 6: park squirrel said. And I wonder what pink lemonade and
• 1:11:39
  Speaker 6: ice cream cones are. I don't believe they're good to eat.
• 1:11:43
  Speaker 6: You can see that Slicko had many things to learn,
• 1:11:46
  Speaker 6: things that you already know, such as that ice cream
• 1:11:50
  Speaker 6: cones are good to eat. But if Slicko didn't know that,
• 1:11:54
  Speaker 6: she knew other things that you children do not know,
• 1:11:57
  Speaker 6: such as where to find nuts and how to gnaw
• 1:12:00
  Speaker 6: through the shells and get at the meat without using
• 1:12:03
  Speaker 6: a nutcracker. All of a sudden, as Slicko was running
• 1:12:06
  Speaker 6: toward the spring of water to get a drink after
• 1:12:09
  Speaker 6: her dinner, she heard a crashing in the bushes. I
• 1:12:13
  Speaker 6: wonder if that's Mappo coming back, thought Slicko. She looked
• 1:12:16
  Speaker 6: through the trees and saw something almost as large as
• 1:12:19
  Speaker 6: a house and darken color pushing through the bushes. Why
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 6: it's an elephant. It's tum tum, exclaimed Slicko as she
• 1:12:28
  Speaker 6: saw the big creature with his trunk on one end
• 1:12:31
  Speaker 6: and its tail on the other, and two big, long
• 1:12:34
  Speaker 6: white teeth sticking out of its mouth. Yes, that surely
• 1:12:38
  Speaker 6: is tum Tum. Slicko spoke the last words out loud.
• 1:12:42
  Speaker 6: Ha who is calling me? Asked the circus elephant in
• 1:12:46
  Speaker 6: his deep rumbling voice. Who is calling me? I spoke
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 6: your name, tum Tum, said Slicko. Here I am by
• 1:12:55
  Speaker 6: this old stump. Tum Tum. The jolly elephant looked at
• 1:12:58
  Speaker 6: the little squirrel and then he began to shiver and
• 1:13:02
  Speaker 6: shake as hard as he could. He shook so hard
• 1:13:06
  Speaker 6: that he shook a lot of pine cones down off
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 6: of a pine tree up against which he was leaning.
• 1:13:11
  Speaker 6: Oh my, oh dear, this is terrible, cried tom Tum
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 6: in his deep rumbling voice. Oh dear. End of Slicko
• 1:13:22
  Speaker 6: and Tum Tum recording by Sunbeard, Chapter six of Slicko
• 1:13:34
  Speaker 6: the Jumping Squirrel. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
• 1:13:39
  Speaker 6: recordings are in the public domain. For more information or
• 1:13:42
  Speaker 6: to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Sunbeard.
• 1:13:49
  Speaker 6: Slicko the Jumping Squirrel by Richard Barnum. Slicko goes nutting.
• 1:13:56
  Speaker 6: Slicko was so surprised at first by the cries of
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 6: Tomum Tum, and at the fear which the big elephant showed,
• 1:14:03
  Speaker 6: that she did not know what to think. It really
• 1:14:06
  Speaker 6: seemed that Tum Tum was afraid of her, of a
• 1:14:09
  Speaker 6: little jumping squirrel girl. Then Slicko happened to remember what
• 1:14:14
  Speaker 6: Mappo had told her. If ever you see Tum Tum,
• 1:14:17
  Speaker 6: the monkey had said, tell him at once that you're
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 6: not a mouse or a rat. A that's what I
• 1:14:24
  Speaker 6: must do, thought Slicko. Tum Tum must be afraid of me.
• 1:14:28
  Speaker 6: I'll speak to him. Scrambling half way up the trunk
• 1:14:32
  Speaker 6: of a tree to make herself higher and nearer to
• 1:14:35
  Speaker 6: the big ears of Tum Tum, Slicko cried out in
• 1:14:38
  Speaker 6: her chattering voice. I'm not a mouse, Tum Tum, I'm
• 1:14:42
  Speaker 6: not a rat. Huh w what's that? Asked the elephant,
• 1:14:46
  Speaker 6: flapping one of his ears sideway so he could hear better.
• 1:14:50
  Speaker 6: What did you say? I said I was not a
• 1:14:54
  Speaker 6: rat or a mouse. Oh, I'm so glad, cried the elephant,
• 1:15:00
  Speaker 6: and he did not shiver and shake any more, and
• 1:15:04
  Speaker 6: did not knock down any pine tree cones. At first,
• 1:15:08
  Speaker 6: it might seem funny for a squirrel to say she
• 1:15:10
  Speaker 6: would not hurt an elephant because an elephant is so large.
• 1:15:14
  Speaker 6: But I have told you that elephants are sometimes afraid,
• 1:15:17
  Speaker 6: even of such a little thing as a mouse. So
• 1:15:22
  Speaker 6: you're not a rat, eh, asked the elephant of Slicko. No,
• 1:15:26
  Speaker 6: Tom Tum, and I'm not a mouse either, answered the
• 1:15:29
  Speaker 6: little girl squirrel. Huh how do you happen to know
• 1:15:33
  Speaker 6: my name? Asked Tom Tum Mappo, the very monkey told me,
• 1:15:37
  Speaker 6: said the little girl squirrel, And Mappo told me I
• 1:15:40
  Speaker 6: was to tell you I was not a mouse or
• 1:15:42
  Speaker 6: a rat. I won't run up your trunk and scare you.
• 1:15:45
  Speaker 6: Well that's good, said Tom Tum. Now I can see
• 1:15:49
  Speaker 6: clearly that you are a little squirrel. I like you.
• 1:15:53
  Speaker 6: But what about that little rascal Mappo? Where is he?
• 1:15:58
  Speaker 6: I came out to look for him. They want him
• 1:16:01
  Speaker 6: back in his cage to ride around the circus ring
• 1:16:05
  Speaker 6: on the back of a pony and do other tricks
• 1:16:07
  Speaker 6: to make the children laugh. Oh, he ran away, said Slicko.
• 1:16:11
  Speaker 6: He thought he heard some men coming after him. He
• 1:16:14
  Speaker 6: said that he didn't want to go back to the
• 1:16:16
  Speaker 6: cage jest yet, he wants to have some fun in
• 1:16:19
  Speaker 6: the woods. Well, well, he is a funny monkey, said
• 1:16:24
  Speaker 6: Tom Tum. And I came all the way from the
• 1:16:27
  Speaker 6: circus grounds to find him. But if he's gone, I
• 1:16:30
  Speaker 6: won't look any farther. I'll go back to my tent,
• 1:16:33
  Speaker 6: for the men may be coming after me. Oh can't
• 1:16:37
  Speaker 6: you stay here with me a little while? I'm so lonesome,
• 1:16:41
  Speaker 6: spoke Slicho. Well I might stay for a short time,
• 1:16:46
  Speaker 6: Tom Tum, said, but what are you doing in the
• 1:16:49
  Speaker 6: woods all alone, little Slicko. Then the little girl squirrel
• 1:16:53
  Speaker 6: told how she had had to run away from her
• 1:16:55
  Speaker 6: own nest, and how she had not been able to
• 1:16:58
  Speaker 6: find her aunt, and how she was now living all
• 1:17:01
  Speaker 6: by herself in the woods. Well, I wish I could
• 1:17:05
  Speaker 6: stay with you and keep you company, Slicko, said Tum tum.
• 1:17:09
  Speaker 6: But I belong back in the circus, And I guess
• 1:17:13
  Speaker 6: you would rather jump through the tree branches and skip
• 1:17:16
  Speaker 6: about in them, then go as slowly as I have
• 1:17:19
  Speaker 6: to go, crashing through the bushes. And certainly never could
• 1:17:24
  Speaker 6: climb a tree and sleep in a nest as you do,
• 1:17:27
  Speaker 6: went on tom Tum with a jolly laugh. No I
• 1:17:30
  Speaker 6: suppose not, said Slicko. You are too big for a nest. Well,
• 1:17:35
  Speaker 6: if you see Mappo, please send him back to me.
• 1:17:38
  Speaker 6: I am so lonesome. If I see him, I will,
• 1:17:42
  Speaker 6: Tum Tum answered, and then he walked back through the woods.
• 1:17:45
  Speaker 6: Good bye, Slicko, called the Jolly elephant. I have to
• 1:17:49
  Speaker 6: be in the show this afternoon. I have to make
• 1:17:52
  Speaker 6: me leave play ball and eat my dinner at a
• 1:17:55
  Speaker 6: real table, and then I have to play the hand
• 1:17:58
  Speaker 6: organ with my trunk. Those are some of my tricks.
• 1:18:01
  Speaker 6: Oh I met a pig who said he could do tricks,
• 1:18:04
  Speaker 6: cried Slicko. Was his name, Squinty, inquired the jolly elephant. Yes,
• 1:18:09
  Speaker 6: said Slicko, his name was Squinty. Oh I met him too,
• 1:18:13
  Speaker 6: said Tum Tum. He was a comical little pig. But
• 1:18:17
  Speaker 6: now I must hurry back. And on he went, crashing
• 1:18:21
  Speaker 6: his way through the bushes. Some day, in another book,
• 1:18:24
  Speaker 6: I shall tell you all the adventures of Tum Tum
• 1:18:27
  Speaker 6: the Jolly Elephant. Slicko felt more lonesome than ever when
• 1:18:31
  Speaker 6: the elephant had left her. She did not know what
• 1:18:34
  Speaker 6: to do, and she wanted more than ever to see
• 1:18:37
  Speaker 6: her mamma and Papa and sister and brothers again. Then
• 1:18:41
  Speaker 6: all at once Slicko thought of something. Oh I forgot
• 1:18:45
  Speaker 6: to ask Tom Tum to give me a ride on
• 1:18:47
  Speaker 6: his back, exclaimed Slicko. Mapple said he would, as he
• 1:18:51
  Speaker 6: was such a kind elephant. I'm going to call to him,
• 1:18:54
  Speaker 6: So Slicko called, in her chattering voice, Tum Tom Tom Tom, Yes,
• 1:18:59
  Speaker 6: I I hear you.
• 1:19:01
  Speaker 4: What is it?
• 1:19:02
  Speaker 6: Asked the elephant, stopping, Would you please give me a
• 1:19:04
  Speaker 6: ride on your back? Begged Slicko. Mappo, the merry monkey, said,
• 1:19:08
  Speaker 6: you gave children at the circus rides, and I'm so
• 1:19:11
  Speaker 6: little you would hardly feel me. Of course I'll give
• 1:19:14
  Speaker 6: you a ride, cribed Tum Tum. I thought I was
• 1:19:17
  Speaker 6: forgetting something, he went on, as he crashed back through
• 1:19:20
  Speaker 6: the bushes. I meant to invite you for a little
• 1:19:23
  Speaker 6: ride on my back, went on Tum Tum. Why I
• 1:19:27
  Speaker 6: shouldn't feel you any more than I should a feather, Slicko. Besides,
• 1:19:32
  Speaker 6: I am very strong. I could carry ten children on
• 1:19:36
  Speaker 6: my back and hardly know it. Oh, indeed, you must
• 1:19:39
  Speaker 6: be very strong, cried the little squirrel girl Tum Tum,
• 1:19:42
  Speaker 6: with a jolly noise that sounded much like a laugh
• 1:19:44
  Speaker 6: as any elephant can make stood under the branch of
• 1:19:48
  Speaker 6: the tree on which Slicko was perched. Hop down, little
• 1:19:51
  Speaker 6: Squirrel invited the big jolly elephant down, hop Slicko landing
• 1:19:55
  Speaker 6: on the back of Tum Tum, and then what a
• 1:19:58
  Speaker 6: fine ride she had. Tom Tom could step over bushes
• 1:20:01
  Speaker 6: that would have taken Slicko some time to climb, and
• 1:20:04
  Speaker 6: some bushes Tom Tum trampled under his big feet as
• 1:20:07
  Speaker 6: though they were straw. Other bushes the elephant pushed his
• 1:20:10
  Speaker 6: big body through as easily as the clown in the
• 1:20:13
  Speaker 6: circus jumps off the horse's back through the paper hoop.
• 1:20:16
  Speaker 6: Do you like riding on my back? Asked tom Tum,
• 1:20:19
  Speaker 6: swinging along. Oh it's just fine, cried Slicko as she
• 1:20:24
  Speaker 6: sat there with her tail held over her head like
• 1:20:26
  Speaker 6: a sun umbrella. But don't go too far with me,
• 1:20:29
  Speaker 6: tom Tum, Please, I won't, said the elephant, and pretty
• 1:20:33
  Speaker 6: soon he had turned back with Slicko and left her
• 1:20:36
  Speaker 6: on the same branch from which she had jumped, right
• 1:20:39
  Speaker 6: near her aunt's nest. Well, good bye once more, Slicko
• 1:20:43
  Speaker 6: called tom Tum. I may see you again tomorrow. And
• 1:20:47
  Speaker 6: if you meet that Mappo, tell him he's wanted back
• 1:20:50
  Speaker 6: in the circus. I'll tell him, promised Slicko. Once more,
• 1:20:54
  Speaker 6: the little jumping girl squirrel was all alone in the
• 1:20:57
  Speaker 6: big woods. Somewhere in the forest were her father and mother,
• 1:21:01
  Speaker 6: and her sister and brothers were somewhere about, but just
• 1:21:04
  Speaker 6: where Slicko did not know, well, thought the little creature.
• 1:21:08
  Speaker 6: In a way squirrels and other animals have of thinking, well,
• 1:21:12
  Speaker 6: I guess I shall have to stay alone tonight again,
• 1:21:15
  Speaker 6: and perhaps for many more nights and days. I wonder
• 1:21:18
  Speaker 6: what will become of me if I shall ever see
• 1:21:20
  Speaker 6: my folks again. Oh, dear Slicko felt a little sad
• 1:21:24
  Speaker 6: for a moment, but then she knew that she would
• 1:21:26
  Speaker 6: have to be brave and do things for herself, since
• 1:21:29
  Speaker 6: there was no one to help her. I think I'll
• 1:21:31
  Speaker 6: put some more leaves and some cotton from the milkweed
• 1:21:34
  Speaker 6: plant in Aunt Whitey's nest, thought Slicko. That will make
• 1:21:37
  Speaker 6: it warmer. Fixing up the nests so it would be
• 1:21:40
  Speaker 6: nicer to stay in took Slicko until nearly dark. Then,
• 1:21:43
  Speaker 6: after she had carried some nuts up to the nest
• 1:21:46
  Speaker 6: so she would have them ready for the morning, Slicko
• 1:21:49
  Speaker 6: curled up in the soft leaves and went to sleep.
• 1:21:52
  Speaker 6: Nothing bothered her this night. No bad owl with big, round,
• 1:21:55
  Speaker 6: staring eyes tried to get the little squirrel. Perhaps the
• 1:21:58
  Speaker 6: owl which had tried it before, was sure the nest
• 1:22:01
  Speaker 6: was empty and that he could not get anything to
• 1:22:04
  Speaker 6: eat from it. At any rate. The owl did not come,
• 1:22:07
  Speaker 6: and Slicko was glad of it. In the morning, after
• 1:22:10
  Speaker 6: her breakfast, having had a drink and washed at the spring,
• 1:22:13
  Speaker 6: Slicko said, I think I'd better go off in the
• 1:22:15
  Speaker 6: woods nutting today. I shall need many nuts to eat
• 1:22:19
  Speaker 6: if I have to stay here all winter, and I
• 1:22:21
  Speaker 6: had better begin to gather them now before they are
• 1:22:24
  Speaker 6: all gone. Slicko knew, as do all squirrels, the best
• 1:22:28
  Speaker 6: places in the woods to look for nuts. Soon the
• 1:22:31
  Speaker 6: little girl's squirrel had found many chestnuts, acorns, hickory nuts,
• 1:22:35
  Speaker 6: and beech nuts. These she carried a few at a
• 1:22:37
  Speaker 6: time up to her aunt's nest house. If Aunt Whitey
• 1:22:41
  Speaker 6: should come back, they would be enough for her and
• 1:22:44
  Speaker 6: me too, thought Slicko. The storehouse of the nest was
• 1:22:47
  Speaker 6: almost full of nuts, but still Slicko was not satisfied.
• 1:22:51
  Speaker 6: I must get more, she said to herself, for we
• 1:22:53
  Speaker 6: may have a long winter with much snow. Well, Slicko
• 1:22:57
  Speaker 6: knew how hard the winter was for squirrels in all animals,
• 1:23:00
  Speaker 6: So the next day Slicko went off nutting again. She
• 1:23:03
  Speaker 6: had not gone very far through the woods before she
• 1:23:06
  Speaker 6: came to a little grassy place, and there in the
• 1:23:09
  Speaker 6: middle of it Slicko saw a nice pile of nuts,
• 1:23:12
  Speaker 6: all gathered up ready to be taken away. Oh that's
• 1:23:16
  Speaker 6: just fine, thought Slichow to herself. The nuts are all
• 1:23:19
  Speaker 6: in a nice heap, and I don't have to pick
• 1:23:22
  Speaker 6: them up one by one and carry them home. I
• 1:23:24
  Speaker 6: can just take a whole pawful at once. Now, Slicko
• 1:23:29
  Speaker 6: was a wise little squirrel in some ways, but she
• 1:23:32
  Speaker 6: had many things yet to learn. She did not stop
• 1:23:35
  Speaker 6: to think that nuts in the woods never heaped themselves
• 1:23:38
  Speaker 6: up in a pile without some animal or some person
• 1:23:40
  Speaker 6: doing it. Slicko thought the nuts were put there just
• 1:23:43
  Speaker 6: for her, But it was all a trick, as you
• 1:23:46
  Speaker 6: shall soon see. Of course, Slicko did not at once
• 1:23:49
  Speaker 6: jump down to get the nuts. She knew enough not
• 1:23:52
  Speaker 6: to do that, for she had often been told some
• 1:23:55
  Speaker 6: animal might be waiting to grab her. So she looked
• 1:23:58
  Speaker 6: all around, and, seeing nothing down, she scrambled. As Slicko
• 1:24:02
  Speaker 6: came nearer to the pile of nuts and saw how
• 1:24:04
  Speaker 6: nice they looked, she said to herself, Oh, there will
• 1:24:07
  Speaker 6: be enough for all winter. How lovely. But there was
• 1:24:11
  Speaker 6: something else besides the nuts there on the ground, though
• 1:24:14
  Speaker 6: Slicko did not see it. If she had noticed it
• 1:24:18
  Speaker 6: and had kept out of the way, she might not
• 1:24:20
  Speaker 6: have had as many adventures as she did have. But
• 1:24:23
  Speaker 6: little squirrels are not always wise, and smart any more
• 1:24:26
  Speaker 6: than real children are. Right up to the pile of nuts,
• 1:24:29
  Speaker 6: scampered Slicko. She took up some chestnuts in her paws
• 1:24:33
  Speaker 6: that were like little hands, and then all of a
• 1:24:36
  Speaker 6: sudden something clicked and snapped, and Slicko felt herself caught
• 1:24:41
  Speaker 6: by one leg and held tightly. End of chapter six.
• 1:24:46
  Speaker 6: Slicko Goes nutting recording by Sunbeard.
• 1:24:56
  Speaker 2: Chapter seven of Slicko the Jumping Squirrel. This is a
• 1:25:00
  Speaker 2: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 1:25:06
  Speaker 2: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 1:25:14
  Speaker 2: Slicko the Jumping Squirrel by Richard Barnum. Chapter seven, Slicko
• 1:25:21
  Speaker 2: is caught. Poor Slicko was so surprised at first, and
• 1:25:27
  Speaker 2: her leg pained her so much from whatever it was
• 1:25:30
  Speaker 2: that had grasped it, that the little squirrel lay quite
• 1:25:33
  Speaker 2: still for a moment. Her heart beat very fast, and
• 1:25:38
  Speaker 2: she thought of the many dangers which her father and
• 1:25:41
  Speaker 2: mother had told her might happen to little squirrels. And
• 1:25:45
  Speaker 2: I'm sure something dreadful has happened to me, thought Slicko,
• 1:25:50
  Speaker 2: as she looked all around with her bright eyes. Yes,
• 1:25:54
  Speaker 2: something dreadful has happened. I wonder what it is. Can
• 1:25:58
  Speaker 2: it be that an owl, or a hawk or a
• 1:26:02
  Speaker 2: snake has caught me? Slicko tried to think of these
• 1:26:06
  Speaker 2: different birds and the snake, for each one has a
• 1:26:10
  Speaker 2: different way of catching a squirrel, and Slicko wanted to
• 1:26:13
  Speaker 2: make sure which it was that had hold of her. Then,
• 1:26:18
  Speaker 2: as she heard no fluttering of wings, which she would
• 1:26:21
  Speaker 2: have heard had it been a big bird which had
• 1:26:23
  Speaker 2: caught her, and as she did not hear the hiss
• 1:26:27
  Speaker 2: of an angry snake, she felt sure it was none
• 1:26:30
  Speaker 2: of those dangers. But what can it be that has
• 1:26:34
  Speaker 2: hold of my leg? Thought Slicko. She looked down, and there,
• 1:26:40
  Speaker 2: partly hidden under the grass and the pile of nuts,
• 1:26:44
  Speaker 2: where Slicko had not seen it before, was a steel trap.
• 1:26:48
  Speaker 2: And her leg was caught in that trap, between two
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 2: pieces of steel that pressed together as hard as the
• 1:26:55
  Speaker 2: rubber rollers of the ringer press on the clothes on
• 1:26:59
  Speaker 2: wash day. Oh dear, thought poor Slicko. I am caught
• 1:27:05
  Speaker 2: in a trap. Papa and Mamma told me to be
• 1:27:08
  Speaker 2: careful of traps, but I didn't see this one. I
• 1:27:13
  Speaker 2: guess I was thinking too much of the nuts. Oh, dear,
• 1:27:17
  Speaker 2: what shall I do? How can I get out? That
• 1:27:23
  Speaker 2: is what Slicko thought as she lay there, her leg
• 1:27:26
  Speaker 2: in the trap, hurting her very much. All animals, when
• 1:27:31
  Speaker 2: they are caught in a trap at once, begin to
• 1:27:34
  Speaker 2: think of how they can get out. Some think one way,
• 1:27:38
  Speaker 2: and some another, but they all think or else. How
• 1:27:41
  Speaker 2: could some of them get out the way they do?
• 1:27:45
  Speaker 2: Of course, I don't mean to say that animals think
• 1:27:48
  Speaker 2: just the way we do, any more than they talk
• 1:27:51
  Speaker 2: the way we do. But they talk and think in
• 1:27:54
  Speaker 2: a language of their own. Slicko was not a very
• 1:27:59
  Speaker 2: old squirrel, and this was the first time she had
• 1:28:02
  Speaker 2: ever been in a trap. If she had been an
• 1:28:05
  Speaker 2: older squirrel, she would not have gone near the pile
• 1:28:08
  Speaker 2: of nuts, for an older squirrel would have been sure
• 1:28:12
  Speaker 2: they were put there on purpose to fool some animal.
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 2: But Slicko did not think that was why she was
• 1:28:19
  Speaker 2: caught in the trap. Oh, I must get out, chattered,
• 1:28:24
  Speaker 2: poor Slicho. I must get away from here, or some
• 1:28:29
  Speaker 2: one may come and catch me. Slicko tried to pull
• 1:28:32
  Speaker 2: her leg out of the trap, but the strong spring
• 1:28:36
  Speaker 2: of it held the steel jaws tightly together. Some animal
• 1:28:40
  Speaker 2: traps have sharp teeth on the steel jaws that spring together,
• 1:28:44
  Speaker 2: and they hurt very much. But this trap was not
• 1:28:49
  Speaker 2: that kind, and Slicko was glad of it. So the
• 1:28:53
  Speaker 2: only thing that happened to her leg was that it
• 1:28:55
  Speaker 2: was badly pinched and squeezed tightly. Still, she knew that
• 1:29:01
  Speaker 2: if she did not pull herself away, something else dreadful
• 1:29:05
  Speaker 2: might happen to her. Well, said Slicko to herself, when
• 1:29:10
  Speaker 2: she had tried several times to pull her leg out
• 1:29:13
  Speaker 2: and could not. If I can't get loose from the trap,
• 1:29:17
  Speaker 2: maybe I can pull the trap with me off into
• 1:29:20
  Speaker 2: the woods and I can find some other big man's
• 1:29:23
  Speaker 2: squirrel to help me get loose. That's what I'll do.
• 1:29:28
  Speaker 2: But when Slicko tried to run off with the trap
• 1:29:31
  Speaker 2: still fastened to her leg, she found that she could not.
• 1:29:36
  Speaker 2: The trap was chained to a tree and Slicko was
• 1:29:40
  Speaker 2: held fast. Oh dear, cried the little squirrel. I'm never
• 1:29:46
  Speaker 2: going to get loose. I wish my mamma or Papa
• 1:29:50
  Speaker 2: would come. But Papa and Mamma Squirrel were away off
• 1:29:54
  Speaker 2: in the woods, and they thought their little daughter was
• 1:29:58
  Speaker 2: safe with her aunt Whitey. They did not know all
• 1:30:01
  Speaker 2: that had happened Slicko tried and tried again to get
• 1:30:06
  Speaker 2: out of the trap, or to pull the trap away
• 1:30:09
  Speaker 2: with her, but she could not then, as she was
• 1:30:13
  Speaker 2: pretty tired, and as her little heart was beating very fast,
• 1:30:18
  Speaker 2: she lay down to rest. Finding some of the nuts
• 1:30:22
  Speaker 2: close to her nose, she began to eat one, for
• 1:30:25
  Speaker 2: she was quite hungry, even if she was fast in
• 1:30:28
  Speaker 2: a trap. After Slicko had eaten a few nuts, she
• 1:30:33
  Speaker 2: felt better. She was a little stronger too, and she
• 1:30:37
  Speaker 2: thought perhaps now she could get out of the trap.
• 1:30:40
  Speaker 2: But when she tried, the jaws of it held her
• 1:30:44
  Speaker 2: as tightly as ever. Oh dear, Oh dear, Oh dear,
• 1:30:49
  Speaker 2: cried poor Slicko. All at once she heard off in
• 1:30:55
  Speaker 2: the woods the sound of bushes being trampled down. Tweeds
• 1:31:00
  Speaker 2: and branches snapped and broke, and Slicko knew something was coming.
• 1:31:06
  Speaker 2: I hope it isn't a bear or any bad animal
• 1:31:09
  Speaker 2: that will get me, thought the little girl squirrel, with
• 1:31:13
  Speaker 2: her bright eyes snapping. Slicko watched and waited. All of
• 1:31:18
  Speaker 2: a sudden, through the bushes, straight for the place where
• 1:31:22
  Speaker 2: Slicko lay near the pile of nuts, came a boy.
• 1:31:26
  Speaker 2: Slicko knew it was a boy, because he was just
• 1:31:29
  Speaker 2: like the hunterman, only smaller. But the boy had no gun,
• 1:31:35
  Speaker 2: and Slicko was glad of that. However, there was a
• 1:31:39
  Speaker 2: dog with him, and for that Slicko was sorry. Here Rover,
• 1:31:44
  Speaker 2: Rover called the boy to his dog, for Rover was
• 1:31:48
  Speaker 2: running all about sniffing under stones and bushes. Here, Rover,
• 1:31:54
  Speaker 2: let's see if we have anything in our trap. The
• 1:31:56
  Speaker 2: boy called, ah, so he is the one who put
• 1:32:00
  Speaker 2: the trap here to catch me, thought Slicko. She could
• 1:32:05
  Speaker 2: understand some man or boy talk, though she could not
• 1:32:08
  Speaker 2: speak it herself, just as your dog understands how to
• 1:32:12
  Speaker 2: run to you when you say come here. But though
• 1:32:15
  Speaker 2: he understands you, he cannot make you understand him. Rah
• 1:32:21
  Speaker 2: Rah barked the dog with the boy. Rah Rah, yes,
• 1:32:25
  Speaker 2: I hear you. What is it? The boy asked, bar
• 1:32:29
  Speaker 2: Rah rah rah bark the dog, and Slicko saw him
• 1:32:34
  Speaker 2: looking straight at her. I guess the dog was trying
• 1:32:37
  Speaker 2: to tell the boy there was something in the trap,
• 1:32:40
  Speaker 2: but the boy didn't understand dog talk very well. Rah
• 1:32:45
  Speaker 2: Rah barked the dog again, and then as Slicko tried
• 1:32:49
  Speaker 2: to hide herself down under the leaves where the dog
• 1:32:53
  Speaker 2: could not see her. That dog barked louder than ever.
• 1:32:57
  Speaker 2: Rah rah rah rah rah. Well you're making a lot
• 1:33:03
  Speaker 2: of fuss, exclaimed the boy as he pushed his way
• 1:33:06
  Speaker 2: through the bushes. Have you caught something, rover, old boy?
• 1:33:11
  Speaker 2: Rah rah, yes, answered the dog. Then the boy came
• 1:33:16
  Speaker 2: up to the trap. Ha, I have caught something. He cried.
• 1:33:21
  Speaker 2: A squirrel too. I thought I would if I piled
• 1:33:25
  Speaker 2: up those nuts there and hid the trap near them. Ha,
• 1:33:29
  Speaker 2: I've caught a squirrel. Oh what a mean boy you are,
• 1:33:34
  Speaker 2: said Slickos to herself. You set the trap on purpose
• 1:33:38
  Speaker 2: to catch me. Oh how mean? Now this boy was
• 1:33:43
  Speaker 2: not mean exactly, or cruel, as you shall soon see.
• 1:33:46
  Speaker 2: He was only thoughtless, as most boys are. He never
• 1:33:50
  Speaker 2: really intended to hurt their little squirrel. Perhaps he thought
• 1:33:54
  Speaker 2: the fur on a squirrel's leg was so thick that
• 1:33:57
  Speaker 2: the trap springing shut would not hurt. And really Slicko
• 1:34:02
  Speaker 2: was not hurt. Such a terrible lot, but she felt
• 1:34:05
  Speaker 2: badly enough. Let me tell you, Yes, I have a squirrel,
• 1:34:10
  Speaker 2: the boy cried, and he seemed real glad of it.
• 1:34:14
  Speaker 2: Now I can take it home and tame it. Slicko
• 1:34:18
  Speaker 2: did not know what tame meant. But she thought if
• 1:34:21
  Speaker 2: it meant being caught by your leg in a trap,
• 1:34:24
  Speaker 2: that she would not like it at all. Yes, went
• 1:34:28
  Speaker 2: on the boy, I'll take the squirrel home and tame
• 1:34:31
  Speaker 2: it and teach it tricks. Huh, tricks, said Slicko to herself.
• 1:34:37
  Speaker 2: Where have I heard that word before?
• 1:34:40
  Speaker 5: Oh?
• 1:34:41
  Speaker 2: I know, Squinty, the comical pig could do tricks, and
• 1:34:45
  Speaker 2: so could Tum Tum the jolly elephant. Well, maybe if
• 1:34:50
  Speaker 2: this boy teaches me some tricks it will not be
• 1:34:53
  Speaker 2: so bad. Then I could go home and surprise Chatter,
• 1:34:56
  Speaker 2: Fluffy and nutto. I don't believe they can do it tricks.
• 1:35:01
  Speaker 2: Slicko watched the boy and the dog. The dog was
• 1:35:05
  Speaker 2: barking and jumping about in the leaves. He seemed quite
• 1:35:08
  Speaker 2: excited at seeing the squirrel in the trap. Quiet Rover,
• 1:35:13
  Speaker 2: lie down, said the boy, and roverminded like the good
• 1:35:17
  Speaker 2: dog he was. Now, let's see how I'm going to
• 1:35:21
  Speaker 2: get this squirrel home. The boy went on. I ought
• 1:35:25
  Speaker 2: to have brought a box. I wonder if he means
• 1:35:28
  Speaker 2: to take me to his home or my home, thought Slicko.
• 1:35:33
  Speaker 2: I guess he must mean his home, for he doesn't
• 1:35:36
  Speaker 2: know where mine is. I don't know myself. I hope
• 1:35:40
  Speaker 2: the trap didn't break her leg. The boy went on,
• 1:35:44
  Speaker 2: I don't believe it did, for the spring wasn't very strong.
• 1:35:49
  Speaker 2: Oh I'm sure my leg is broken, thought poor Slicko.
• 1:35:53
  Speaker 2: It hurts very much. The boy put out his hand
• 1:35:57
  Speaker 2: very slowly to take the little squirrel out of the trap.
• 1:36:00
  Speaker 1: Up.
• 1:36:01
  Speaker 2: I wonder if you'll bite, he said. Ha, that's so
• 1:36:05
  Speaker 2: I can bite, said Slicko out loud, but to the
• 1:36:09
  Speaker 2: boy her talk only sounded like chattering. Slicko had sharp
• 1:36:14
  Speaker 2: teeth and very strong. They had to be for with
• 1:36:18
  Speaker 2: them she had to gnaw off the shell of hard
• 1:36:20
  Speaker 2: hickory nuts. So Slicko knew she could bite fiercely if
• 1:36:24
  Speaker 2: she wanted to. But I don't know that I want to,
• 1:36:28
  Speaker 2: thought Slicko. If I bite, the boy will be angry
• 1:36:32
  Speaker 2: at me, and if he is to teach me tricks,
• 1:36:35
  Speaker 2: it will be better if we are friends. No, I
• 1:36:39
  Speaker 2: won't bite him, though I could if I wanted to.
• 1:36:43
  Speaker 2: Slowly and carefully, the boy put out his hand towards Slicko.
• 1:36:48
  Speaker 2: I wish I had a thick pair of gloves, he said.
• 1:36:51
  Speaker 2: Then if you bit, it wouldn't hurt I got bit
• 1:36:55
  Speaker 2: by a squirrel once, and I don't want it to
• 1:36:58
  Speaker 2: happen again. I won't bite you, said Slicko, though of
• 1:37:02
  Speaker 2: course the boy could not understand her. Now his hand
• 1:37:06
  Speaker 2: was on the soft fur of Slicko's back, and he
• 1:37:09
  Speaker 2: stroked her gently. Poor little squirrel, said the boy. I'm
• 1:37:14
  Speaker 2: sorry you were caught in the trap, and I hope
• 1:37:17
  Speaker 2: you're not hurt much. I I guess I'm never going
• 1:37:21
  Speaker 2: to set any more traps. The boy felt sorry now
• 1:37:26
  Speaker 2: for poor Slicko looked at him with such a sorrowful
• 1:37:29
  Speaker 2: look in her bright eyes that it really seemed as
• 1:37:32
  Speaker 2: if she were crying tears of pain. That is, if
• 1:37:36
  Speaker 2: squirrels can cry, they can feel pain at any rate.
• 1:37:41
  Speaker 2: So you see, though it was a sad thing for
• 1:37:44
  Speaker 2: Slicko to be caught in a trap, in one way,
• 1:37:47
  Speaker 2: it was a good thing, for it taught the boy
• 1:37:49
  Speaker 2: a lesson and made him more kind hearted. I'll soon
• 1:37:54
  Speaker 2: have you loose, little squirrel, the boy went on. Then
• 1:37:58
  Speaker 2: he quickly pressed on the spring the trap with one
• 1:38:01
  Speaker 2: hand while he held Slicko with the other. The jaw
• 1:38:04
  Speaker 2: of the trap came open, and Slicko's leg was loose,
• 1:38:09
  Speaker 2: And oh how good. It felt not to be squeezed
• 1:38:12
  Speaker 2: as she had been. Then all of a sudden, Slicko
• 1:38:16
  Speaker 2: felt herself lifted up and put into a soft dark place,
• 1:38:22
  Speaker 2: a place as dark as the deepest, darkest part of
• 1:38:24
  Speaker 2: the nest at home, the cellar part where the nuts
• 1:38:28
  Speaker 2: were stored away for winter. End of chapter.
• 1:38:33
  Speaker 3: Seven, Chapter eight of Slicko the Jumping Squirrel. This says
• 1:38:45
  Speaker 3: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 1:38:51
  Speaker 3: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 1:38:57
  Speaker 3: Slicko the Jumping Squirrel by Richard Barney, Chapter eight Slicko's
• 1:39:03
  Speaker 3: new home. Slicko the Jumping Squirrel found herself all huddled
• 1:39:08
  Speaker 3: up in a heap in the soft dark place. She
• 1:39:12
  Speaker 3: did not feel much like jumping just then. Indeed, she
• 1:39:16
  Speaker 3: could not have jumped if she had wished, for there
• 1:39:19
  Speaker 3: was no room besides her leg that had been caught
• 1:39:23
  Speaker 3: in the trap hurt her quite a lot, though not
• 1:39:26
  Speaker 3: so much as it had at first. I I wonder
• 1:39:31
  Speaker 3: where I am, thought Slicko as she tried to look
• 1:39:34
  Speaker 3: about her. Soon she could see better than at first,
• 1:39:37
  Speaker 3: and as a squirrel's eyes are made to see in
• 1:39:41
  Speaker 3: the dark, much as are the eyes of the owlberds,
• 1:39:44
  Speaker 3: Licko could soon make out where she was. She was
• 1:39:49
  Speaker 3: down inside a sort of bag, very soft and cozy,
• 1:39:53
  Speaker 3: but even though it was so soft, Liquor could not
• 1:39:56
  Speaker 3: get out. She tried, but there was no hole. Even
• 1:40:00
  Speaker 3: the top through which she had been put in was
• 1:40:03
  Speaker 3: tightly closed. Slicker tried her teeth on some of the
• 1:40:08
  Speaker 3: soft stuff, but it tickled her little red tongue, so
• 1:40:12
  Speaker 3: she stopped. I wonder where I am, thought Slicko again,
• 1:40:18
  Speaker 3: And though she did not know it, she was in
• 1:40:20
  Speaker 3: the boy's coat pocket, and he had pinned the flap
• 1:40:24
  Speaker 3: down over it, so the little squirrel could not get out. Later,
• 1:40:28
  Speaker 3: Aunt Slicker took many trips in that same pocket and
• 1:40:32
  Speaker 3: was not afraid. But this time her little heart beat
• 1:40:35
  Speaker 3: very fast, for she did not know what was going
• 1:40:38
  Speaker 3: to happen to her. Well, I don't believe I'll try
• 1:40:42
  Speaker 3: to catch any more squirrels, said the boy. I'll take
• 1:40:45
  Speaker 3: this trap home with me. Ah, that's good, thought Slicko.
• 1:40:49
  Speaker 3: If he takes the trap away, no more squirrels would
• 1:40:53
  Speaker 3: be caught. That's very good. And I guess I'll take
• 1:40:56
  Speaker 3: some of these nuts home to feed my new squirrel,
• 1:40:59
  Speaker 3: went on the boy, speaking out loud the way boys
• 1:41:02
  Speaker 3: do sometimes, especially if they have their dogs with them.
• 1:41:07
  Speaker 3: Bow wow, barked Rover the dog, bow wow. That was
• 1:41:11
  Speaker 3: his way of saying that he too, thought it would
• 1:41:14
  Speaker 3: be a good thing to take home some of the nuts.
• 1:41:18
  Speaker 3: Slicko heard the nuts rattling into the other pocket of
• 1:41:21
  Speaker 3: the boy who had caught her, and then she felt
• 1:41:24
  Speaker 3: him walking off with her through the woods. He went,
• 1:41:27
  Speaker 3: as Slicko could tell, for she heard the rattle and
• 1:41:31
  Speaker 3: crack of the bushes as the boy pushed his way
• 1:41:34
  Speaker 3: through them. After what seemed to Slicko a long time,
• 1:41:39
  Speaker 3: she fell asleep in the boy's pocket, and when she awoke,
• 1:41:43
  Speaker 3: she was in such a bright light that it made
• 1:41:46
  Speaker 3: her eyes blink very fast. The boy had opened his
• 1:41:50
  Speaker 3: pocket and had taken Slicko out in his hands. Oh
• 1:41:54
  Speaker 3: what have you got, bob, asked a small girl, one
• 1:41:57
  Speaker 3: of the boy's sisters. A little skin squirrel? He answered,
• 1:42:01
  Speaker 3: where did you get it? Asked another girl. I caught
• 1:42:05
  Speaker 3: it in a trap in the wood, sally. The boy answered, Oh,
• 1:42:09
  Speaker 3: how cruel to catch a port little squirrel in a trap,
• 1:42:13
  Speaker 3: exclaimed the first little girl. Oh, I didn't hurt it,
• 1:42:18
  Speaker 3: said Bob. And when it gets tame, I'm going to
• 1:42:21
  Speaker 3: teach it some tricks. Are you going to put the
• 1:42:24
  Speaker 3: squirrel in a cage with a wheel, asked the girl,
• 1:42:27
  Speaker 3: whose name was Molly. Yes, as soon as Papa gets
• 1:42:30
  Speaker 3: me that kind of a cage, the boy said. But
• 1:42:33
  Speaker 3: until then, I'll let it stay in a box. I
• 1:42:37
  Speaker 3: hope it doesn't get away like Squinty, your pig, did,
• 1:42:40
  Speaker 3: spoke Sallie. Oh no, I won't let the squirrel get away,
• 1:42:44
  Speaker 3: said the boy. Ah thoughts that go Squinty the pig.
• 1:42:48
  Speaker 3: I wonder if this is the boy who made a
• 1:42:50
  Speaker 3: pet of Squinty. If it is the same one, I
• 1:42:53
  Speaker 3: am sure he will be kind to me. Where do
• 1:42:56
  Speaker 3: you suppose Squinty is now, asked Sallie. Back in the
• 1:43:00
  Speaker 3: pen with the other pigs, the boy replied. After he
• 1:43:04
  Speaker 3: got away, he grew too big to keep for a pet,
• 1:43:07
  Speaker 3: But this girl won't grow too big. I'm sorry for that, thought, Slicko,
• 1:43:12
  Speaker 3: for if I grew big enough, I too might be
• 1:43:14
  Speaker 3: allowed to go back to my home. But I will
• 1:43:17
  Speaker 3: wait and see what will happen. I will be as
• 1:43:20
  Speaker 3: good as I can and learn all the tricks I can,
• 1:43:23
  Speaker 3: and the boy and his sisters will love me. Oh,
• 1:43:27
  Speaker 3: isn't she cute? Cried one of the little girls as
• 1:43:30
  Speaker 3: she put her finger on the soft fur of Slicko's back.
• 1:43:34
  Speaker 3: Look Out she might bite, exclaimed the other little girl. Indeed,
• 1:43:39
  Speaker 3: I'll not chattered Slicko. I wouldn't be so impolite as that.
• 1:43:44
  Speaker 3: That is what Slicko said. But of course the boy
• 1:43:47
  Speaker 3: and his sisters could not understand. But they could see
• 1:43:50
  Speaker 3: that Slicko was very gentle, And as she lay there
• 1:43:53
  Speaker 3: in the boy's warm hand, the two little girls petted
• 1:43:57
  Speaker 3: her and loved Slicko. Now I'll put her in a
• 1:44:00
  Speaker 3: box the boys sit and give her some nuts to
• 1:44:02
  Speaker 3: eat and some water to drink. That will be fine,
• 1:44:05
  Speaker 3: thought Slicker, for she was very thirsty and hungry. A
• 1:44:10
  Speaker 3: little later she found herself in a small wooden box,
• 1:44:14
  Speaker 3: in one corner with some nuts, in another a dish
• 1:44:17
  Speaker 3: of water, and in a third corner some nice soft cotton,
• 1:44:20
  Speaker 3: almost like the kind that comes on the inside of
• 1:44:24
  Speaker 3: the pods of the milkweed plant. Well, this isn't like
• 1:44:29
  Speaker 3: my home nest in the tree, nor like Aunt Whitey's nest,
• 1:44:33
  Speaker 3: thought Slicker. But as long as I have to stay here,
• 1:44:36
  Speaker 3: I might as well make the best of it. I
• 1:44:40
  Speaker 3: can eat and drink anyhow, I shall not be hungry
• 1:44:43
  Speaker 3: or thirsty. Slicker took up a hickory nut in her
• 1:44:46
  Speaker 3: paws that were like little hands, and sitting up on
• 1:44:50
  Speaker 3: her hind legs with her tail spread out over her
• 1:44:54
  Speaker 3: like an umbrella, she began to eat the meat of
• 1:44:57
  Speaker 3: the nut. Oh, look, cried one of the girls who
• 1:45:01
  Speaker 3: was watching. Come and see the squirrel eat Sally. Ah,
• 1:45:05
  Speaker 3: it isn't so wonderful just to eat, thought Slicko. I
• 1:45:09
  Speaker 3: wonder how those girls would like it if I came
• 1:45:12
  Speaker 3: to look on every time they ate. Slicko could not
• 1:45:15
  Speaker 3: get away, so she had to eat with the boy's
• 1:45:18
  Speaker 3: sisters looking on. Not that Slicko minded very much, for
• 1:45:22
  Speaker 3: she was beginning to like her new home, and she
• 1:45:25
  Speaker 3: felt sure that she would be in no danger from
• 1:45:27
  Speaker 3: dogs or other animals. And if she got enough to eat,
• 1:45:31
  Speaker 3: water to drink, and had a nice warm place to
• 1:45:34
  Speaker 3: sleep in, what more could a squirrel ask. Slicko's leg
• 1:45:38
  Speaker 3: hurt her a little bit, but it was getting better
• 1:45:41
  Speaker 3: all the while, and she was feeling happier and happier
• 1:45:45
  Speaker 3: every minute. True, she would have been very glad if
• 1:45:49
  Speaker 3: her Papa and Mamma, and her sister and brothers had
• 1:45:52
  Speaker 3: been with her. But then she knew she could not
• 1:45:55
  Speaker 3: have everything she wanted. And it's just wonderful that the
• 1:45:59
  Speaker 3: same boy who has me had Squinty, the comical pig
• 1:46:03
  Speaker 3: for his pet, thought Slicko. Squinty said, the boy was
• 1:46:08
  Speaker 3: good and kind, and I'm sure he'll teach me some
• 1:46:11
  Speaker 3: nice tricks. I should love to learn tricks. For two
• 1:46:15
  Speaker 3: or three days, Slicko stayed in the box where the
• 1:46:17
  Speaker 3: boy had first put her. Every day she was given
• 1:46:21
  Speaker 3: fresh water, and this was what she needed, almost more
• 1:46:24
  Speaker 3: than she did nuts to eat. All animals need water,
• 1:46:28
  Speaker 3: especially in hot weather. So if ever you have a
• 1:46:31
  Speaker 3: squirrel or any other pets, see to it that they
• 1:46:34
  Speaker 3: have all the cool, clean water they wish to drink.
• 1:46:38
  Speaker 3: I wonder when my new cage is to come. Whatever
• 1:46:41
  Speaker 3: our cage is, thought Slicko, after she had been in
• 1:46:45
  Speaker 3: the box about a week. I'm anxious to see it.
• 1:46:47
  Speaker 3: I wonder what that wheel is the boy spoke about.
• 1:46:51
  Speaker 3: Slicker was soon to know. However, one day, when Slicko
• 1:46:55
  Speaker 3: was eating nuts in her box, she looked up at
• 1:46:58
  Speaker 3: the top, over which had been fastened a bit of
• 1:47:01
  Speaker 3: wire so she could not get out, And looking down
• 1:47:05
  Speaker 3: at her, Slicker saw the boy's big dog staring in.
• 1:47:09
  Speaker 3: Bow Wow barked the dog. Chatter chat, chit chat, chatterer,
• 1:47:14
  Speaker 3: went Slicko. That was her way of saying, how do
• 1:47:17
  Speaker 3: you do? She did not feel afraid for it. She
• 1:47:21
  Speaker 3: knew the dog could not get at her in the box. Oh, Bob,
• 1:47:25
  Speaker 3: the dog is after your squirrel, suddenly called Molly. Yes,
• 1:47:29
  Speaker 3: come quickly, shouted Sally. Bow Wow barked the dog, and
• 1:47:34
  Speaker 3: he seemed to say, don't worry. I wouldn't hurt that
• 1:47:37
  Speaker 3: little squirrel for the world. I just want to look
• 1:47:40
  Speaker 3: at her. Oh, Rover won't hurt Slicko, said the boy,
• 1:47:45
  Speaker 3: who had given his new pet the same name as
• 1:47:48
  Speaker 3: had the squirrel's mamma. In fact, Slicko was so smooth
• 1:47:52
  Speaker 3: and slick and so clean that it would have been
• 1:47:55
  Speaker 3: hard to get any other name to fit her as
• 1:47:58
  Speaker 3: well as did Slicko. See the dog and squirrel will
• 1:48:02
  Speaker 3: be good friends, said the boy. With that he reached
• 1:48:05
  Speaker 3: in and lifted Slicker out of the box, holding her
• 1:48:08
  Speaker 3: close to Rover. Rover put out his red tongue and
• 1:48:11
  Speaker 3: touched Slicko with it, and Slicker put out her tiny
• 1:48:15
  Speaker 3: paw and touched Rover. That was her way of shaking hands.
• 1:48:22
  Speaker 3: See they are friends, said the boy. Soon, when Slicker
• 1:48:25
  Speaker 3: gets a little tamer, I'm going to let her run
• 1:48:28
  Speaker 3: out of the cage and go all over the house.
• 1:48:31
  Speaker 3: She may run away like Squinty, the comical pig, said Molly. Oh,
• 1:48:35
  Speaker 3: I don't believe she will, answered the boy. Just then,
• 1:48:38
  Speaker 3: some one called Bob, Bob, where are you come here?
• 1:48:42
  Speaker 3: The new cage for your squirrel has come. Oh it's
• 1:48:46
  Speaker 3: my new home, thought Slickers. I wonder what it is like.
• 1:48:51
  Speaker 3: End of chapter eight.
• 1:48:58
  Speaker 4: Chapter nine of slick Oh the Jumping Squirrel. This is
• 1:49:02
  Speaker 4: a LibriVox recording. All libervox recordings are in the public domain.
• 1:49:05
  Speaker 4: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 1:49:09
  Speaker 4: Recording by Chuck Dissilly. Slicko the Jumping Squirrel by Richard Barnum.
• 1:49:14
  Speaker 4: Slicko does some tricks. Slicko was put back into the
• 1:49:18
  Speaker 4: wooden box and Bob fastened the wire over the top. Again. Hah,
• 1:49:22
  Speaker 4: The boy didn't need to do that, thought the little squirrel.
• 1:49:25
  Speaker 4: I won't run away, at least not until I see
• 1:49:27
  Speaker 4: my new house. The boy and his scissors went to
• 1:49:30
  Speaker 4: where their mamma had called them, and soon they came
• 1:49:32
  Speaker 4: running back again. The boy carried a big wire cage,
• 1:49:35
  Speaker 4: something like the one in which Slicko had once seen
• 1:49:37
  Speaker 4: a canary bird flying about. But this new cage of
• 1:49:40
  Speaker 4: a Slicko was much larger, and at one end was
• 1:49:43
  Speaker 4: a big round wheel of wire, something like a merry
• 1:49:45
  Speaker 4: go round, only at world the other way like a hoop.
• 1:49:48
  Speaker 4: And there were no wooden animals or seats on the
• 1:49:51
  Speaker 4: squirrel wheel. What can it be? For thought Slicko. Bob
• 1:49:55
  Speaker 4: the boy lifted Slicko up out of her little wooden box.
• 1:49:59
  Speaker 4: Let's see how you like your new cage. She said. Oh,
• 1:50:02
  Speaker 4: but there's nothing for her to eat or drink in it,
• 1:50:03
  Speaker 4: cried one of the girls. I'll put in some nuts
• 1:50:06
  Speaker 4: and water. Bob said, Come, Slicko, go into your new cage.
• 1:50:10
  Speaker 4: Bob opened a little wire door and thrust Slicko through
• 1:50:12
  Speaker 4: it into the cage. The door went shut with a
• 1:50:15
  Speaker 4: click and a slam that reminded Slicko of the time
• 1:50:17
  Speaker 4: she had been caught in the trap. She looked around
• 1:50:20
  Speaker 4: quickly wondering if there were a trap near her now.
• 1:50:23
  Speaker 4: But she saw only the clean new wire cage with
• 1:50:26
  Speaker 4: little dishes for nuts and water, a little covered over
• 1:50:28
  Speaker 4: dark place where she could crawl in during the day
• 1:50:31
  Speaker 4: and go to sleep in the dark. And then there
• 1:50:33
  Speaker 4: was that great big wire wheel that spun around very
• 1:50:36
  Speaker 4: easily when Bob touched it with his finger. Oh, I'm
• 1:50:39
  Speaker 4: never going in that, thought Slicko. Somewhat afraid, she crouched
• 1:50:42
  Speaker 4: down and looked carefully all round her new cage. She
• 1:50:45
  Speaker 4: wanted to see if there were any danger near. But
• 1:50:47
  Speaker 4: all she saw through the wires was the boy, his
• 1:50:50
  Speaker 4: two sisters, and Rover, the dog she had grown to
• 1:50:52
  Speaker 4: like very much. Oh, I guess it will be all
• 1:50:55
  Speaker 4: right here, thought Slicko. I will not be afraid. Doesn't
• 1:50:59
  Speaker 4: she look cute in there, asked Mollie, laughing She certainly does, agreed, Sally.
• 1:51:04
  Speaker 4: You wait until I teach her some tricks, spoke the boy.
• 1:51:06
  Speaker 4: Then she'll be worth looking at. Slicko made up her
• 1:51:09
  Speaker 4: mind she would learn the tricks as soon as she could.
• 1:51:11
  Speaker 4: Then I'll be like Squinty, the comical pig, she said
• 1:51:14
  Speaker 4: to herself. Soon Slicko felt quite at home. In her
• 1:51:17
  Speaker 4: new cage. She went inside the little bedroom that was
• 1:51:20
  Speaker 4: pretty dark even in the daytime. Squirrels and all wild
• 1:51:24
  Speaker 4: animals like to be in the dark and off by themselves.
• 1:51:26
  Speaker 4: Once in a while, inside the little bedroom, which was
• 1:51:29
  Speaker 4: made of tin and wire like the rest of the cage,
• 1:51:32
  Speaker 4: was some soft cotton, and in this Slicko could cuddle
• 1:51:35
  Speaker 4: up and keep warm even when winter came. And as
• 1:51:39
  Speaker 4: I have said, there was a dish for nuts in
• 1:51:41
  Speaker 4: another for water. These the boy filled, and soon Slicka
• 1:51:44
  Speaker 4: was eating her first meal in her new home. I
• 1:51:47
  Speaker 4: wish she'd go in the wheel and write it, said Molly.
• 1:51:50
  Speaker 4: She will. After a while the boy said I know
• 1:51:53
  Speaker 4: how to make her. Slicko wondered how he would do it,
• 1:51:56
  Speaker 4: but she could not guess. For several days the little
• 1:51:59
  Speaker 4: jumping squirrel lived in her new cage. The boy and
• 1:52:02
  Speaker 4: his sisters would come to watch her and bring her
• 1:52:04
  Speaker 4: nice things to eat, so Slicko soon became real tame.
• 1:52:08
  Speaker 4: Often other children would come to look at her. Sometimes
• 1:52:11
  Speaker 4: the boy would take her out and put her in
• 1:52:13
  Speaker 4: his pocket, as he had done on the day he
• 1:52:15
  Speaker 4: brought Slicko from the woods after she had been caught
• 1:52:17
  Speaker 4: in the trap. Then Slicko would stick her head out
• 1:52:20
  Speaker 4: just a little bit, and all the children would exclaim, Oh,
• 1:52:24
  Speaker 4: isn't she cute. Slicko did not know exactly what cute meant,
• 1:52:29
  Speaker 4: but she tried to be as nice and polite as
• 1:52:30
  Speaker 4: she could have. You taught your squirrel any tricks yet,
• 1:52:33
  Speaker 4: asked Molly of her brother one day. No, but I
• 1:52:36
  Speaker 4: am going to try one.
• 1:52:37
  Speaker 1: Now.
• 1:52:37
  Speaker 4: Do you want to watch? Indeed, I do, said the
• 1:52:39
  Speaker 4: little girl. Slicko saw the boy take all the nuts
• 1:52:42
  Speaker 4: out of the eating dish. I wonder what he is
• 1:52:45
  Speaker 4: doing that for. The little squirrel thought, I'm hungry and
• 1:52:48
  Speaker 4: I want to eat those nuts. But the boy took
• 1:52:50
  Speaker 4: every one. What are you going to do, asked his sister.
• 1:52:54
  Speaker 4: You'll soon see, he answered, with a laugh. I'm going
• 1:52:57
  Speaker 4: to teach Slicko her first trick. Then the boy placed
• 1:53:01
  Speaker 4: two or three nice, sweet, juicy chestnuts inside the wheel
• 1:53:03
  Speaker 4: of the squirrel cage. This wheel went around and around,
• 1:53:07
  Speaker 4: just as a barrel rolls over the ground. Only the
• 1:53:09
  Speaker 4: wire wheel of the squirrel cage stayed right in the
• 1:53:11
  Speaker 4: same place, whirling about as does a merry go round. Now,
• 1:53:15
  Speaker 4: when Slicko goes in to get the nuts, she'll make
• 1:53:18
  Speaker 4: the wheel go round. The boy said to his sisters.
• 1:53:20
  Speaker 4: The faster she runs, the faster the wheel will go
• 1:53:23
  Speaker 4: and she'll be doing a trick. Oh, let's watch her,
• 1:53:26
  Speaker 4: cried Sally. Well you may watch all you like, said
• 1:53:29
  Speaker 4: Slicko to herself. But I am not going in that wheel.
• 1:53:33
  Speaker 4: I'm afraid. So she stayed in the other part of
• 1:53:36
  Speaker 4: the cage, looking at the chestnuts and wishing she could
• 1:53:39
  Speaker 4: get them, for she was getting more and more hungry
• 1:53:41
  Speaker 4: every minute. Maybe I can pull one out without going
• 1:53:44
  Speaker 4: in the wheel myself, thought Slicko. She reached her paw
• 1:53:47
  Speaker 4: in through the little round hole that led into the
• 1:53:49
  Speaker 4: wheel from her cage. She could almost touch the chestnuts,
• 1:53:52
  Speaker 4: but not quite there. She's going in, cried one of
• 1:53:56
  Speaker 4: the girls softly. But Slicko did not go. She wasn't afraid.
• 1:54:00
  Speaker 4: She'd go in and have a ride. The boy said,
• 1:54:03
  Speaker 4: come on, Slicko, he called, It won't hurt you. Slicko
• 1:54:06
  Speaker 4: did not want to. However, she kept getting more and
• 1:54:09
  Speaker 4: more hungry, and those chestnuts looked so good. I'm going
• 1:54:13
  Speaker 4: to try it, said the little jumping squirrel to herself. Finally,
• 1:54:17
  Speaker 4: I don't believe that boy would do me any harm.
• 1:54:20
  Speaker 4: Very slowly and carefully, Slicko stepped into the moving wheel.
• 1:54:23
  Speaker 4: It rocked gently to and fro. As soon as the
• 1:54:26
  Speaker 4: squirrel was all the way inside, it moved more. She
• 1:54:29
  Speaker 4: felt as though she were falling, and then, so that
• 1:54:32
  Speaker 4: she should not fall, she took two or three little steps.
• 1:54:35
  Speaker 4: The wire wheel seemed to slide out from under her.
• 1:54:37
  Speaker 4: It went whirling around, and the faster Slicko ran, the
• 1:54:40
  Speaker 4: faster the wheel went. The little squirrel stayed right in
• 1:54:43
  Speaker 4: the same place, but the wire wheel went round and
• 1:54:46
  Speaker 4: round under her pattering feet. There she goes, cried Sally.
• 1:54:50
  Speaker 4: Oh see how fast she can run, exclaimed Molly. Yes,
• 1:54:53
  Speaker 4: she has learned to do the trick, said the boy.
• 1:54:55
  Speaker 4: I thought she would get so hungry that she would
• 1:54:57
  Speaker 4: go in after the chestnuts, and then she'd make the
• 1:54:59
  Speaker 4: wheel work girl. And that was just what Slicko had done.
• 1:55:03
  Speaker 4: She was so surprised at the fast motion of the
• 1:55:05
  Speaker 4: wheel that she did not think to eat the nuts inside.
• 1:55:08
  Speaker 4: But now, after whirling about for some time, Slicko did
• 1:55:11
  Speaker 4: not run so fast. The wheel went slower and slower,
• 1:55:14
  Speaker 4: and finally stopped the nuts, which had been rowling around
• 1:55:17
  Speaker 4: with Slicko dropped down beside her, and she began to
• 1:55:20
  Speaker 4: eat them, sitting up on her hind legs and holding
• 1:55:23
  Speaker 4: them in her front paws while she gnawed off the shell.
• 1:55:27
  Speaker 4: Oh isn't she just too cute for anything? Cried Sallie,
• 1:55:30
  Speaker 4: just lovely, said her sister Mollie. Well, that's one trick,
• 1:55:34
  Speaker 4: the boy said. It's the easiest of all. Now that
• 1:55:37
  Speaker 4: she knows the wheel won't hurt her, she'll often take
• 1:55:39
  Speaker 4: a whirl on it. Yes, said Slicko to herself as
• 1:55:43
  Speaker 4: she heard Bob say this, I think I shall. And
• 1:55:47
  Speaker 4: from then on Slicko was no longer afraid of the
• 1:55:49
  Speaker 4: whirling wheel of her cage. Bob did not have to
• 1:55:52
  Speaker 4: put any more nuts in it to get her to
• 1:55:54
  Speaker 4: go in. Slicko liked it and went in herself several
• 1:55:57
  Speaker 4: times a day. It gave her something to do, like
• 1:56:00
  Speaker 4: playing a game. The cage where Slicko was kept was
• 1:56:03
  Speaker 4: too small to let her run about and jump very much,
• 1:56:06
  Speaker 4: and the wheel was just the very thing on that
• 1:56:09
  Speaker 4: Slicko could pretend she was running a race, as she
• 1:56:12
  Speaker 4: used to do with her brothers and sister in the woods. Oh,
• 1:56:15
  Speaker 4: I wonder what has become of chatter? And all the
• 1:56:17
  Speaker 4: rest of them, thought Slicko many times as she thought
• 1:56:20
  Speaker 4: of her former home, and I wonder if I shall
• 1:56:23
  Speaker 4: ever see them again. What are you doing, Bob asked
• 1:56:26
  Speaker 4: Molly one day, as she saw her brother pasting some
• 1:56:29
  Speaker 4: paper over a little wooden hoop. It was just like
• 1:56:31
  Speaker 4: those the men in the circus jump through, only smaller.
• 1:56:35
  Speaker 4: I am getting ready for another trick for Slicko, he said.
• 1:56:38
  Speaker 4: Do you think you can get her to jump through
• 1:56:40
  Speaker 4: one of those paper covered hoops? Asked Sally. I think so,
• 1:56:43
  Speaker 4: replied Bob. I'm going to try. Slicko was quite tame
• 1:56:47
  Speaker 4: by this time and often would be allowed to run
• 1:56:49
  Speaker 4: about the room being let out of her cage. Sometimes
• 1:56:52
  Speaker 4: Bob would sit in a chair and put some nuts
• 1:56:54
  Speaker 4: in his pocket. Then Slicko would run along the floor,
• 1:56:57
  Speaker 4: crawl up Bob's leg, dive down into his pocket and
• 1:57:00
  Speaker 4: pull out the nuts. That's another trick, Bob would say,
• 1:57:03
  Speaker 4: with a laugh. My squirrel is getting to be very smart.
• 1:57:07
  Speaker 4: But how are you going to get her to jump
• 1:57:09
  Speaker 4: through a paper hoop? Asked Molly. I'll soon show you,
• 1:57:12
  Speaker 4: said Bob. By this time he had two or three
• 1:57:15
  Speaker 4: hoops already pasted over with thin, red, white and blue
• 1:57:18
  Speaker 4: paper so that they looked very pretty. Indeed, Now, Slicko
• 1:57:22
  Speaker 4: said Bob as he took the little squirrel out of
• 1:57:24
  Speaker 4: her wire cage. You are going to learn a new
• 1:57:27
  Speaker 4: trick today, and I want you to pay strict attention
• 1:57:30
  Speaker 4: and do as I tell you. Bob took a piece
• 1:57:33
  Speaker 4: of sweet apple, of which Slicko was very fond, and
• 1:57:36
  Speaker 4: put it on top of a little box on the
• 1:57:37
  Speaker 4: dining room table. Then he put Slicko down at the
• 1:57:40
  Speaker 4: other end of the table and stood near her with
• 1:57:43
  Speaker 4: one of the paper hoops in his hand. Now, Slicko,
• 1:57:46
  Speaker 4: said Bob as he pointed at the apple. That is
• 1:57:49
  Speaker 4: for you. If you do as I want you to do,
• 1:57:51
  Speaker 4: go get the apple, Slicko. Slicko knew what apple was.
• 1:57:56
  Speaker 4: She could smell it, and she thought it must be
• 1:57:58
  Speaker 4: meant for her. She scampered to but when she had
• 1:58:01
  Speaker 4: almost reached it, she found Bob holding a paper hoop
• 1:58:04
  Speaker 4: out in front of her. The hoop was between Slicko
• 1:58:06
  Speaker 4: and the apple. Slicko started to go around to one
• 1:58:09
  Speaker 4: side to get out of the way of the hoop,
• 1:58:12
  Speaker 4: but Bob moved it so that it was still in
• 1:58:14
  Speaker 4: front of her. Well I can go the other way,
• 1:58:17
  Speaker 4: thought Slicko. But when she turned the other way, there
• 1:58:20
  Speaker 4: was still the paper hoop in front of her. It
• 1:58:23
  Speaker 4: was between her and the apple. And she wanted that
• 1:58:25
  Speaker 4: apple very much, ha, thought Slicko. If Bob doesn't take
• 1:58:29
  Speaker 4: that paper hoop out of my way, I'll jump right
• 1:58:31
  Speaker 4: through it and get the apple anyhow. End of Slicko
• 1:58:35
  Speaker 4: Does Some Tricks. Recording by Chuck Dissilley.
• 1:58:44
  Speaker 8: Chapter ten of Slicko The Jumping Squirrel. This is a
• 1:58:48
  Speaker 8: libribox recording. All librifox recordings are in the public domain.
• 1:58:52
  Speaker 8: For more information or to volunteer, please visit labrifox dot org.
• 1:58:57
  Speaker 8: Recording by Kathleen Slicko The Jumping Squirrel by Richard Barnum.
• 1:59:03
  Speaker 8: Chapter ten, Slicko runs away. Come on, get the apple,
• 1:59:08
  Speaker 8: Slicko called Bob. Howgenhi, When you keep putting that paper
• 1:59:13
  Speaker 8: hoop in front of her, asked Bob's sister Mollie. She'll
• 1:59:18
  Speaker 8: go right through it, said Sally. That's just what I
• 1:59:21
  Speaker 8: want her to do. Bob answered, with a laugh, it
• 1:59:25
  Speaker 8: will be a fine trick. Slicko did not understand all
• 1:59:29
  Speaker 8: of this talk, but she did want that apple, and
• 1:59:32
  Speaker 8: when she heard Bob say trick. She began to understand that,
• 1:59:37
  Speaker 8: after all, perhaps the hoop was only put in front
• 1:59:41
  Speaker 8: of her for fun. So the next time she ran
• 1:59:44
  Speaker 8: toward the piece of apple on the table, and the
• 1:59:47
  Speaker 8: boy moved the paper hoop in front of her, Slicko
• 1:59:50
  Speaker 8: gave a sudden little jump, and right through the paper
• 1:59:54
  Speaker 8: she went, breaking a hole in it and landing close
• 1:59:58
  Speaker 8: to the piece of apple. Rah, cried the boy, there
• 2:00:02
  Speaker 8: she goes. Oh wasn't that cute, exclaimed Molly. Just too
• 2:00:07
  Speaker 8: sweet for anything, spoke Sally. I hope she didn't hurt herself.
• 2:00:11
  Speaker 8: Hurt herself, of course, not, cried Bob. How could she
• 2:00:15
  Speaker 8: when the paper was so soft and thin? And she
• 2:00:18
  Speaker 8: has learned another trick, now, haven't you, Slicko. Slicko was
• 2:00:22
  Speaker 8: too busy eating the apple to answer, even if she
• 2:00:26
  Speaker 8: could have spoken boy language. She set up on her
• 2:00:29
  Speaker 8: hind legs, with her tails spread out over her head
• 2:00:33
  Speaker 8: and holding the bit of apple in her paws, which
• 2:00:36
  Speaker 8: were like little hands. She nibbled at the sweet pulp.
• 2:00:40
  Speaker 8: Will she do it again? Asked Molly. I guess so,
• 2:00:44
  Speaker 8: answered the boy. I'll try her once more. This time,
• 2:00:47
  Speaker 8: I'll give her a nut. When Slicko had finished eating
• 2:00:50
  Speaker 8: the apple, Bob took her gently up in his hands
• 2:00:54
  Speaker 8: and set her down at one end of the table.
• 2:00:57
  Speaker 8: On the other end, he placed some pieces of hickory
• 2:01:00
  Speaker 8: nutmeats with the shells off. Ah Ha, thought Slicko. They
• 2:01:06
  Speaker 8: look good. I can eat them without stopping to gnaw
• 2:01:09
  Speaker 8: off the hard shell. The little jumping squirrels started toward
• 2:01:13
  Speaker 8: the pile of nutmeats, but before she could reach them,
• 2:01:18
  Speaker 8: Bob put in front of her another hoop covered with paper,
• 2:01:23
  Speaker 8: just as she had done it first. Slicko tried to
• 2:01:26
  Speaker 8: run to one side, but Bob kept the hoop in
• 2:01:29
  Speaker 8: front of her. Slicko had forgotten about jumping through, even
• 2:01:33
  Speaker 8: though she had done it only a little while before.
• 2:01:37
  Speaker 8: Most animals are that way when first they learn a
• 2:01:40
  Speaker 8: new trick, they forget very easily until they have done
• 2:01:44
  Speaker 8: it over and over again. It was this way with Slicko.
• 2:01:49
  Speaker 8: But as Bob kept the hoop in front of her,
• 2:01:52
  Speaker 8: and as she kept smelling the nice nuts at the
• 2:01:54
  Speaker 8: other end of the table, it came into Slicko's head
• 2:01:58
  Speaker 8: that she must jump through through the paper of the
• 2:02:01
  Speaker 8: hoop to get them, just as she had done to
• 2:02:03
  Speaker 8: get the piece of apple. Here I go, thought the
• 2:02:06
  Speaker 8: little squirrel. She gave another little jump, and right through
• 2:02:10
  Speaker 8: the second paper hoop. She went, coming down on the
• 2:02:13
  Speaker 8: table close to the nutmeats, which she began to eat.
• 2:02:18
  Speaker 8: And very good they tasted. Indeed, hah. She did the
• 2:02:22
  Speaker 8: trick again, cried Bob. What a cunning squirrel, exclaimed Molly.
• 2:02:27
  Speaker 8: She's just too dear for anything, said Sallie. Slicko understood
• 2:02:32
  Speaker 8: a little of this talk, and she was glad she
• 2:02:35
  Speaker 8: had pleased the children. She was beginning to be very
• 2:02:38
  Speaker 8: happy in her new home, and she liked Bob and
• 2:02:41
  Speaker 8: his sisters very much. The boy had slickoed jumped through
• 2:02:45
  Speaker 8: the paper hoops several more times that day, and then
• 2:02:49
  Speaker 8: he put her back in the big wire cage and
• 2:02:52
  Speaker 8: let her rest. Wild animals do not like to be
• 2:02:56
  Speaker 8: doing tricks all the while. They get tired, just as
• 2:02:59
  Speaker 8: you do. The next day, Slicko did the hoop tricks again,
• 2:03:03
  Speaker 8: and soon she was so smart that she knew as
• 2:03:06
  Speaker 8: soon as she saw Bob with the paper covered things
• 2:03:10
  Speaker 8: that she was to do her jumping trick. She did
• 2:03:12
  Speaker 8: not have to have a piece of apple placed at
• 2:03:15
  Speaker 8: one end of the table to make her jump now.
• 2:03:18
  Speaker 8: But each time after she was through doing her little tricks,
• 2:03:23
  Speaker 8: she was given something good to eat. That is always
• 2:03:26
  Speaker 8: the way to train wild animals or pets. Be kind
• 2:03:30
  Speaker 8: to them when they have done what she want them
• 2:03:32
  Speaker 8: to do. Slicko lived in the house with the boy
• 2:03:36
  Speaker 8: for several weeks. The weather had gotten colder now, and
• 2:03:40
  Speaker 8: winter would soon be here. Slicko could tell this, for
• 2:03:44
  Speaker 8: sometimes the windows of the room in which her cage
• 2:03:47
  Speaker 8: stood were left open, and she could feel the cold wind.
• 2:03:51
  Speaker 8: But her fur coat was growing warm and thick now,
• 2:03:55
  Speaker 8: and she would not have minded being out doors, no
• 2:03:59
  Speaker 8: matter how how cold it was, if she had plenty
• 2:04:02
  Speaker 8: to eat. But after all, Slicko was rather glad that
• 2:04:07
  Speaker 8: she had a good home for the coming winter. She
• 2:04:10
  Speaker 8: remembered how when she had lived in the home nest,
• 2:04:14
  Speaker 8: she had heard her Papa and Mamma talking in their
• 2:04:18
  Speaker 8: chatter language about how hard it was sometimes to find
• 2:04:23
  Speaker 8: things to eat when the white snow covered the ground.
• 2:04:26
  Speaker 8: Squirrels always store away nuts, but sometimes they cannot get enough,
• 2:04:32
  Speaker 8: and sometimes the winter is so long that they eat
• 2:04:35
  Speaker 8: up all they have in their nest before it is
• 2:04:38
  Speaker 8: time for spring to come and bring other food. But
• 2:04:42
  Speaker 8: that can't happen to me here, thought Slicko. No matter
• 2:04:46
  Speaker 8: how cold it is outside, or how much snow there is,
• 2:04:49
  Speaker 8: I shall be warm in this house, and Bob and
• 2:04:52
  Speaker 8: his sisters will give me enough to eat. After all,
• 2:04:56
  Speaker 8: maybe it is a good thing Bob caught me and
• 2:04:59
  Speaker 8: brought me here. Bob taught his pet squirrel other tricks.
• 2:05:03
  Speaker 8: He taught Slicko to crawl right up to his pocket
• 2:05:07
  Speaker 8: and go to sleep there. He also taught her to
• 2:05:09
  Speaker 8: go into his pockets after lumps of sugar and other
• 2:05:13
  Speaker 8: good things to eat. When she had found them, she
• 2:05:16
  Speaker 8: would come out and sit on his shoulder to eat them.
• 2:05:20
  Speaker 8: This always made the children who saw it laugh, and
• 2:05:23
  Speaker 8: they thought Slicko was a very cute squirrel. Indeed, Bob's
• 2:05:28
  Speaker 8: sisters tried to teach Slicko tricks, but they wanted to
• 2:05:32
  Speaker 8: make a sort of doll of her. And though Slicko
• 2:05:36
  Speaker 8: was a girl squirrel, she knew nothing of dolls. Oh
• 2:05:41
  Speaker 8: wouldn't she look cute dressed up in one of my
• 2:05:43
  Speaker 8: dolls dresses, asked Molly of Salie one day. Yes, indeed,
• 2:05:49
  Speaker 8: let's try it, exclaimed Sallie. They took Slicko out of
• 2:05:52
  Speaker 8: her cage, and though they handled her very gently, the
• 2:05:57
  Speaker 8: little squirrel did not like being put in a doll's dress.
• 2:06:01
  Speaker 8: Oh isn't she too cute, cried Mollie. Yes, said Sallie.
• 2:06:07
  Speaker 8: Now let's put her in the doll carriage and wheel
• 2:06:09
  Speaker 8: her about. But this was too much for Slicko. It
• 2:06:13
  Speaker 8: was bad enough to be dressed up as a doll,
• 2:06:15
  Speaker 8: but when it came to being put in a thing
• 2:06:18
  Speaker 8: on wheels and ridden about the room, that was more
• 2:06:22
  Speaker 8: than Slicko would stand. She did not mind her wire
• 2:06:26
  Speaker 8: wheel in the cage, but she did not like to
• 2:06:29
  Speaker 8: be wheeled in the carriage. Out she jumped, and with
• 2:06:32
  Speaker 8: her paws she pulled off the doll's dress that had
• 2:06:35
  Speaker 8: been tied on her. Then, chattering as loudly as she could,
• 2:06:40
  Speaker 8: she ran to her cage and hid in the little
• 2:06:43
  Speaker 8: place where she slept. There Mollie and Sallie could not
• 2:06:46
  Speaker 8: get her. Oh well, never mind, let's play with our
• 2:06:50
  Speaker 8: real dolls, said Mollie. Maybe Bob wouldn't like us to
• 2:06:54
  Speaker 8: dress up his squirrel. All right, agreed Sallie, and Slicko
• 2:06:59
  Speaker 8: was glad to be left alone. She did not mind
• 2:07:02
  Speaker 8: when Bob taught her tricks if I learn a number
• 2:07:06
  Speaker 8: of them, thought Slicko, I shall be as smart as
• 2:07:09
  Speaker 8: Squinty the comical pig, or as Maple the monkey, or
• 2:07:13
  Speaker 8: tom Tum the jolly elephant. I wonder if I shall
• 2:07:17
  Speaker 8: ever see them again. Slicko felt a little sad when
• 2:07:21
  Speaker 8: she thought of her animal friends. Then she began thinking
• 2:07:24
  Speaker 8: of her father and mother, of her sister and brothers,
• 2:07:29
  Speaker 8: and of Aunt Whitey. I wonder where Aunt Whitey could be,
• 2:07:33
  Speaker 8: thought Slicko, I should like to see her again. At
• 2:07:37
  Speaker 8: these times, Slicko became a little lonesome and homesick. But
• 2:07:42
  Speaker 8: whenever she was beginning to get too sad, Bob would
• 2:07:46
  Speaker 8: come take her out of the cage and either give
• 2:07:49
  Speaker 8: her something good to eat or put her through some
• 2:07:53
  Speaker 8: of her tricks. Then Slicko would be happy once more.
• 2:07:57
  Speaker 8: As the days went on, Slicko became so tame that
• 2:08:01
  Speaker 8: the door of her cage was never shut. She could
• 2:08:03
  Speaker 8: come and go as she pleased, and she roamed all
• 2:08:06
  Speaker 8: about the house. She would come to the dinner table
• 2:08:09
  Speaker 8: and sit up near Bob, who would feed her from
• 2:08:12
  Speaker 8: his plate, and then she would scramble into his pocket
• 2:08:15
  Speaker 8: to get a bit of sugar. The winter came with
• 2:08:18
  Speaker 8: its cold and snow. Slicko stayed in the warm house.
• 2:08:22
  Speaker 8: Then the days began to get warmer. Spring was coming.
• 2:08:26
  Speaker 8: One day it was warm enough for the windows of
• 2:08:28
  Speaker 8: the room where Slicko's cage stood to be opened. The
• 2:08:32
  Speaker 8: little squirrel smelled the fresh air of spring. She seemed
• 2:08:36
  Speaker 8: to smell the cool green woods where the trees were
• 2:08:40
  Speaker 8: just beginning to put on their new green dresses of leaves.
• 2:08:44
  Speaker 8: Something seemed to be calling to Slicko. She heard the
• 2:08:48
  Speaker 8: hum of bees, the song of birds, and the chatter
• 2:08:51
  Speaker 8: of other squirrels. A strange feeling came over a Slicko.
• 2:08:55
  Speaker 8: She wanted to run away to the woods. She looked
• 2:08:59
  Speaker 8: all around the room. No one was there. The door
• 2:09:02
  Speaker 8: of her cage was open softly. On her pattering feet,
• 2:09:07
  Speaker 8: Slicko ran to the window. She climbed to the sill,
• 2:09:10
  Speaker 8: looked out into the garden and off to the woods.
• 2:09:14
  Speaker 8: Then Slicko jumped down into the soft green grass and
• 2:09:19
  Speaker 8: ran away. End of chapter ten, Chapter eleven of Slicko
• 2:09:30
  Speaker 8: the Jumping Squirrel. This is a librifox recording. All LibriVox
• 2:09:34
  Speaker 8: recordings are in the public domain. For more information or
• 2:09:38
  Speaker 8: to volunteer, please visit librifox dot org. Recording by Kathleen Slicko.
• 2:09:44
  Speaker 8: The Jumping Squirrel by Richard Barnum, Chapter eleven, Slicko's Big Adventure.
• 2:09:50
  Speaker 8: Slicko had been a tame squirrel for several months before that,
• 2:09:54
  Speaker 8: and for a longer time she had been just a
• 2:09:57
  Speaker 8: little wild squirrel, living in the woods and doing as
• 2:10:01
  Speaker 8: all wild squirrels do. So when she jumped out of
• 2:10:06
  Speaker 8: the window and ran away, she became, for the time
• 2:10:09
  Speaker 8: being just as wild as she ever had been. For
• 2:10:13
  Speaker 8: a little while, she forgot all the tricks Bob had
• 2:10:16
  Speaker 8: taught her, and she forgot the nice pieces of apples
• 2:10:19
  Speaker 8: and the nuts he used to give her. Slicko was
• 2:10:22
  Speaker 8: just the same now as were her brother's or her sisters,
• 2:10:27
  Speaker 8: a little wild animal. She ran over the grass, crouching
• 2:10:31
  Speaker 8: down low and taking big jumps so no one would
• 2:10:35
  Speaker 8: see her. Most of all, Slicko wanted to keep out
• 2:10:38
  Speaker 8: of the way of Muffins, the big black cat at
• 2:10:42
  Speaker 8: Bob's house. This cat was not a good friend of Slicko's. Often,
• 2:10:47
  Speaker 8: when the little squirrel was not watching, the cat would
• 2:10:50
  Speaker 8: come quietly up close to her and look at Slicko
• 2:10:54
  Speaker 8: with very hungry eyes. Sometimes Bob would see Muffins and
• 2:10:59
  Speaker 8: drive her away. Muffins wouldn't hurt your squirrel, said Mollie,
• 2:11:03
  Speaker 8: who liked the cat very much. Of course she wouldn't,
• 2:11:06
  Speaker 8: said Sally Rover. Your dog wouldn't hurt Slicko, so why
• 2:11:11
  Speaker 8: would our cat. Well, a cat is different from a dog,
• 2:11:15
  Speaker 8: Bob would say. A cat can't help sneaking up and
• 2:11:18
  Speaker 8: wanting to jump on anything he sees moving. But a
• 2:11:22
  Speaker 8: dog only barks and makes a big fuss. He doesn't
• 2:11:25
  Speaker 8: really do any harm. Of Course, I don't mean to
• 2:11:28
  Speaker 8: say Muffins would intend to do Slicko any harm, but
• 2:11:32
  Speaker 8: I won't give Muffins a chance. So Bob never let
• 2:11:36
  Speaker 8: the big cat come near his squirrel, and Slicko was
• 2:11:39
  Speaker 8: glad of it, for Muffins had very hungry eyes. And
• 2:11:43
  Speaker 8: now when Slicko was running away and Bob was not
• 2:11:47
  Speaker 8: there to look after her, and when there was no
• 2:11:49
  Speaker 8: strong wire cage to run and hide in, Slicko was
• 2:11:53
  Speaker 8: very careful. She looked at both sides of her as
• 2:11:56
  Speaker 8: she ran along over the grass. Slicko was not going
• 2:12:00
  Speaker 8: to be caught if she could avoid it. The little
• 2:12:03
  Speaker 8: squirrel came to a tree, and up it she scrambled
• 2:12:06
  Speaker 8: as fast as she could go. It was the first
• 2:12:09
  Speaker 8: tree she had climbed since Bob had caught her in
• 2:12:12
  Speaker 8: the trap, and Slicko was glad to find she had
• 2:12:15
  Speaker 8: not forgotten how her leg that had been pinched in
• 2:12:19
  Speaker 8: the trap was now as strong as the other one's.
• 2:12:22
  Speaker 8: Sticking her claws in the bark of the tree, Slicko
• 2:12:26
  Speaker 8: went up away to the top. There, exclaimed the little squirrel.
• 2:12:31
  Speaker 8: If Muffins comes after me, she'll have trouble in reaching me.
• 2:12:35
  Speaker 8: Cats can climb trees too, almost as well as squirrels can,
• 2:12:40
  Speaker 8: though not as fast. But a cat does not very
• 2:12:43
  Speaker 8: often go way up to the top of a tree,
• 2:12:45
  Speaker 8: as Slicko had done. The little runaway squirrel sat down
• 2:12:49
  Speaker 8: on a tree branch and looked about her. The tree
• 2:12:52
  Speaker 8: was just putting out its first green leaves, and the
• 2:12:56
  Speaker 8: wind was blowing the branches gently to and fro like
• 2:12:59
  Speaker 8: a swing. Oh this is lovely, thought Slicko. It is
• 2:13:04
  Speaker 8: much nicer than my wheel in the cage. I am
• 2:13:07
  Speaker 8: glad I ran away. I'm never going back in that
• 2:13:10
  Speaker 8: big house again. You see, after all, though wild animals
• 2:13:15
  Speaker 8: may seem contented to be pets. They always want to
• 2:13:18
  Speaker 8: be free, as they were. At first, Slicko began to
• 2:13:22
  Speaker 8: look all over the tree to see if any nuts
• 2:13:25
  Speaker 8: grew on it. She was not yet old enough to
• 2:13:28
  Speaker 8: know that there would be no nuts until fall. Nor
• 2:13:31
  Speaker 8: could she tell that the tree she was in was
• 2:13:34
  Speaker 8: a pear tree and never grew nuts. There would be
• 2:13:38
  Speaker 8: no pears either until late in the summer. Slicko was
• 2:13:42
  Speaker 8: beginning to feel hungry. True, she had eaten her breakfast
• 2:13:46
  Speaker 8: before running away, but now she felt hungry again. There
• 2:13:50
  Speaker 8: seemed to be nothing to eat in the tree where
• 2:13:52
  Speaker 8: she was hiding. It was no fun to be hungry.
• 2:13:55
  Speaker 8: I must see about getting something to eat, thought Slicko.
• 2:13:59
  Speaker 8: I'll stay up here awhile, and then I'll go down
• 2:14:02
  Speaker 8: and hunt for some nuts or bits of apple. Oh,
• 2:14:05
  Speaker 8: I'll have a fine time and I won't have to
• 2:14:08
  Speaker 8: jump through paper hoops or do any tricks. Pretty soon, Slicko,
• 2:14:13
  Speaker 8: who sat on a limb of the tree where she
• 2:14:15
  Speaker 8: could look at the window of the room where she
• 2:14:18
  Speaker 8: used to live, heard the voice of Bob, her little master,
• 2:14:23
  Speaker 8: I say, cried Bob. Have any of you seen Slicko?
• 2:14:27
  Speaker 8: She was in her cage a little while ago, said Molly.
• 2:14:31
  Speaker 8: Isn't she there now? No, and her cage is open,
• 2:14:35
  Speaker 8: and so is the window of the room. Went on Bob,
• 2:14:38
  Speaker 8: I'm afraid she has run away, or else maybe Muffins
• 2:14:41
  Speaker 8: has caught her. Oh, you bad boy to say such
• 2:14:45
  Speaker 8: a thing, cried Sallie. Muffins wouldn't take Slicko. More likely
• 2:14:50
  Speaker 8: it's Rover. Rover wouldn't either, said Bob. I wonder where
• 2:14:54
  Speaker 8: Slicko can be here, Slicko, Slicko, he called, Come and
• 2:14:59
  Speaker 8: get nuts, Come and get some sugar. Slicko up in
• 2:15:03
  Speaker 8: the tree, heard Bob. But though she was very hungry,
• 2:15:08
  Speaker 8: she would not go down and get in his pocket
• 2:15:10
  Speaker 8: as she used to do. Slicko made up her little
• 2:15:13
  Speaker 8: squirrel mind that as long as she had run away,
• 2:15:17
  Speaker 8: she would not go back so soon. I want to
• 2:15:20
  Speaker 8: have a little fun, she said to herself. Bob called
• 2:15:23
  Speaker 8: and called again. He looked all over for Slicko, even
• 2:15:28
  Speaker 8: up in the trees, but Slicko managed to hide behind
• 2:15:32
  Speaker 8: a leafy branch and Bob could not see her. Bob
• 2:15:35
  Speaker 8: even called Rober, thinking the dog might be able to
• 2:15:38
  Speaker 8: help him find the lost squirrel. From her perch in
• 2:15:42
  Speaker 8: the tree, Slicko saw Bob and a rover running about.
• 2:15:45
  Speaker 8: The dog barked bow wow, bow wow, bow wow, as
• 2:15:49
  Speaker 8: if he were calling Slicko to come down, but the
• 2:15:52
  Speaker 8: little squirrel was not yet ready. I know what I'll do,
• 2:15:56
  Speaker 8: said Bob. I'll get some nuts and put them where
• 2:15:59
  Speaker 8: Slicko can see them, close by the open window. I'll
• 2:16:02
  Speaker 8: set her cage there too, on a chair in the room.
• 2:16:05
  Speaker 8: Maybe she's lost and can't find her way home, but
• 2:16:08
  Speaker 8: perhaps she can smell the nuts, and when she comes
• 2:16:11
  Speaker 8: for them, she'll see her cage and be glad to
• 2:16:14
  Speaker 8: go back into it. Oh, yes, do that, said Molly. Once,
• 2:16:19
  Speaker 8: when my canary bird flew away. I hung the cage
• 2:16:22
  Speaker 8: on a tree outside and left the door open, and
• 2:16:25
  Speaker 8: pretty soon dick flew back into it. Well, I hope
• 2:16:29
  Speaker 8: Slicko comes back to her cage, said Bob. But Slicko
• 2:16:33
  Speaker 8: had no idea of coming back so soon. In a
• 2:16:36
  Speaker 8: little while, Bob had put some nuts on the ground
• 2:16:39
  Speaker 8: outside the window, and near them on a chair inside
• 2:16:42
  Speaker 8: the room he put the squirrel's cage. Now, I'll hide
• 2:16:46
  Speaker 8: and watch to see if Slicko comes back, said Bob.
• 2:16:49
  Speaker 8: But Slicko did not want to be seen, so she
• 2:16:52
  Speaker 8: stayed up in the tree. She was more hungry than ever,
• 2:16:56
  Speaker 8: but she would not go down and get the nuts.
• 2:16:58
  Speaker 8: After a while, Bob got tired of hiding and waiting.
• 2:17:02
  Speaker 8: I'll just go off and play ball, he said to
• 2:17:04
  Speaker 8: his sisters. When I come back, maybe Slicko would be
• 2:17:07
  Speaker 8: in her cage. Slicko waited until Bob had gone. The
• 2:17:11
  Speaker 8: little squirrel looked down, and seeing Molly and Sally off
• 2:17:14
  Speaker 8: on the front porch playing with their dolls, she thought
• 2:17:18
  Speaker 8: it would be safe to go down and get a
• 2:17:19
  Speaker 8: few nuts. Very carefully, Slicko climbed down the tree, stopping
• 2:17:25
  Speaker 8: now and then to make sure there was no danger.
• 2:17:28
  Speaker 8: She reached the pile of nuts. She ate some, and
• 2:17:31
  Speaker 8: oh how good they tasted. Then, all at once Slicko
• 2:17:36
  Speaker 8: heard something coming softly through the glass behind her. It
• 2:17:40
  Speaker 8: was so soft that it sounded only like the wind blowing,
• 2:17:44
  Speaker 8: but Slicko knew that it was not the wind. Slicko
• 2:17:47
  Speaker 8: turned quickly, just in time to see Muffins the cat
• 2:17:51
  Speaker 8: make a spring for her. Oh my, cried Slicko, and
• 2:17:56
  Speaker 8: turning quickly, the little squirrel made a mad dash for
• 2:17:59
  Speaker 8: the pear tree. She had a nut in her paws,
• 2:18:02
  Speaker 8: but she dropped that in running now, wow, snarl Muffins,
• 2:18:07
  Speaker 8: the big black cat. She gave a spring, sticking out
• 2:18:11
  Speaker 8: her claws and trying to catch Slicko, but she was
• 2:18:15
  Speaker 8: just too late. Slicko reached the tree and up it
• 2:18:18
  Speaker 8: she went almost to the very tip top. Muffins followed
• 2:18:22
  Speaker 8: and ran up the tree drunk a little way, but
• 2:18:24
  Speaker 8: she did not go as far as Slicko had gone. My,
• 2:18:27
  Speaker 8: that was the time she almost caught me, thought Slicko,
• 2:18:31
  Speaker 8: her little heart beating very fast. I must be more
• 2:18:34
  Speaker 8: careful after this. And oh, those nuts were so good.
• 2:18:39
  Speaker 8: But I won't dare go down after them again until
• 2:18:41
  Speaker 8: it's dark when Muffins can't see me. Slicko stayed in
• 2:18:45
  Speaker 8: the tree all the rest of that day. She could
• 2:18:48
  Speaker 8: not see the pile of nuts on the ground, but
• 2:18:51
  Speaker 8: though she was very, very hungry, she did not dare
• 2:18:54
  Speaker 8: go down to get any for fear of Muffins. Slicko
• 2:18:57
  Speaker 8: saw Bob come and look at the nuts. The boy
• 2:19:01
  Speaker 8: cried out, oh, my squirrel has been here. Some of
• 2:19:04
  Speaker 8: the nuts are gone. Slicko is somewhere around here, But
• 2:19:08
  Speaker 8: though Bob looked in all the trees around the house,
• 2:19:11
  Speaker 8: he could not find Slicko. Slicko saw Bob, though the
• 2:19:16
  Speaker 8: little squirrel stayed in the tree all that night, but
• 2:19:18
  Speaker 8: she did not have a very good time. It was
• 2:19:21
  Speaker 8: cold and it rained, and there was no hole and
• 2:19:25
  Speaker 8: no nest into which Slicko could crawl to keep warm.
• 2:19:28
  Speaker 8: She just had to shiver, and she was more hungry
• 2:19:31
  Speaker 8: than ever too. Oh, dear, running away isn't as much
• 2:19:36
  Speaker 8: fun as I thought it would be, said Slicko. Tomorrow,
• 2:19:39
  Speaker 8: when Bob puts out the nuts again and leaves the
• 2:19:42
  Speaker 8: cage open, I'm going to run back into it. I
• 2:19:45
  Speaker 8: have had enough of living like this. I had rather
• 2:19:48
  Speaker 8: do tricks such as jumping through paper hoops than be
• 2:19:53
  Speaker 8: cold and hungry. But the next day Bob went away
• 2:19:56
  Speaker 8: and did not put out any nuts for his little squirrel,
• 2:19:59
  Speaker 8: and those he put out were carried away by the rats,
• 2:20:02
  Speaker 8: so Slicko got very few of them to eat, and
• 2:20:05
  Speaker 8: she was quite hungry. She managed to find a few
• 2:20:08
  Speaker 8: old acorns in the woods, but they were not so
• 2:20:11
  Speaker 8: good as the nuts, apples, and sugar Bob and his
• 2:20:15
  Speaker 8: sisters used to feed her. And as the window of
• 2:20:19
  Speaker 8: the room was not open, and as the cage was
• 2:20:22
  Speaker 8: not put out, Slicko could not run back home again.
• 2:20:25
  Speaker 8: Isn't Bob going to try to catch his squirrel, asked
• 2:20:29
  Speaker 8: Molly of Sally on the second day. No, I heard
• 2:20:33
  Speaker 8: him say. He guessed she was gone for good, said Sallie.
• 2:20:36
  Speaker 8: Well I haven't. I'm here yet, and I'm coming back
• 2:20:40
  Speaker 8: to my cage. That is when I see it, Slicko
• 2:20:44
  Speaker 8: said to herself. That afternoon, Slicko perched in the top
• 2:20:48
  Speaker 8: of her tree, saw one of the attic windows of
• 2:20:51
  Speaker 8: Bob's house open. Ha exclaimed the little squirrel. I can
• 2:20:55
  Speaker 8: jump in there from my tree. I'll do it. Slicko
• 2:20:59
  Speaker 8: scrambled up the highest branch. From there she could easily
• 2:21:02
  Speaker 8: jump in through the attic window, and this she did.
• 2:21:06
  Speaker 8: She looked around, and she was glad when she saw
• 2:21:09
  Speaker 8: some butternuts on the floor of the attic. Slicko soon
• 2:21:12
  Speaker 8: gnawed a hole in one and ate out the sweet meat,
• 2:21:15
  Speaker 8: and she felt much better. It was nice and warm
• 2:21:18
  Speaker 8: in the attic, and there was a pile of old
• 2:21:20
  Speaker 8: clothes there. On these, Slicko lay down and went to sleep.
• 2:21:24
  Speaker 8: When Slicko awoke, it was all dark. She had slept
• 2:21:27
  Speaker 8: until it was night. She sat up on her hind
• 2:21:30
  Speaker 8: legs and listened. She could hear nothing. The house was
• 2:21:33
  Speaker 8: very quiet. Slicko looked at the window by which she
• 2:21:37
  Speaker 8: had entered. It was tightly shut. Now all of a sudden,
• 2:21:40
  Speaker 8: Slicko fell thirsty. She knew there was no water up
• 2:21:43
  Speaker 8: in the attic, but there was plenty downstairs in the kitchen.
• 2:21:47
  Speaker 8: Bob always left a pan full there on the floor
• 2:21:50
  Speaker 8: for his pet. I'll go downstairs and get a drink
• 2:21:53
  Speaker 8: in the kitchen, said Slicko to herself. Squirrels can see
• 2:21:56
  Speaker 8: in the dark almost as well as canowls, as I
• 2:22:00
  Speaker 8: told you before. Soon Slicko was making her way safely
• 2:22:04
  Speaker 8: down the front stairs. As she got to the kitchen,
• 2:22:07
  Speaker 8: she saw a light burning low, and by this light
• 2:22:10
  Speaker 8: Slicko could see a man with a piece of black
• 2:22:13
  Speaker 8: cloth over his face, taking knives and forks and spoons
• 2:22:17
  Speaker 8: from the table and putting them into his pocket. Slicko,
• 2:22:20
  Speaker 8: of course, did not know that the things were knives
• 2:22:24
  Speaker 8: and forks and spoons. She only knew that they were
• 2:22:27
  Speaker 8: the things Bob and his sisters and father and mother
• 2:22:31
  Speaker 8: ate with, And when she saw the man putting them
• 2:22:34
  Speaker 8: into his pocket, Slicko thought they might be something good
• 2:22:38
  Speaker 8: for her. To eat. That must be Bob's papa, thought Slicko. Well,
• 2:22:43
  Speaker 8: I'll give him a surprise. I'll run up his leg
• 2:22:46
  Speaker 8: and go into his pocket. Then he'll know I'm home again.
• 2:22:50
  Speaker 8: End of chapter eleven. Chapter twelve of Slicko the Jumping Squirrel.
• 2:23:01
  Speaker 8: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 2:23:04
  Speaker 8: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 2:23:08
  Speaker 8: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Kathleen Slicko The Jumping
• 2:23:13
  Speaker 8: Squirrel by Richard Barnum. Chapter twelve, Slicko finds her nest
• 2:23:19
  Speaker 8: scampering softly over the oilcloth of the kitchen floor. Slicko
• 2:23:24
  Speaker 8: came close to the man. Slicko thought it was Bob's papa,
• 2:23:27
  Speaker 8: but it was not. I'll soon tell you who the
• 2:23:30
  Speaker 8: man was. I do hope he has some sugar for me,
• 2:23:33
  Speaker 8: thought Slicko. For sometimes Bob's Papa would play at tricks
• 2:23:38
  Speaker 8: and games with the little squirrel and do, just as
• 2:23:41
  Speaker 8: Bob did, hide things in his pocket. Slicko was almost
• 2:23:45
  Speaker 8: at the man's leg. Her little claws made a patter,
• 2:23:48
  Speaker 8: patter pat sound on the floor oilcloth. The man heard
• 2:23:52
  Speaker 8: it and started a rat. He cried, I don't like rats.
• 2:23:57
  Speaker 8: The idea of calling me a rat, thoughts Slicko. I'll
• 2:24:01
  Speaker 8: soon show you who I am, mister Bob's papa. The
• 2:24:04
  Speaker 8: next moment, Slicko scrambled up the man's leg, sticking her
• 2:24:07
  Speaker 8: claws in the soft cloth of his trousers. Get away
• 2:24:11
  Speaker 8: from me, Get away from me, The man cried, very
• 2:24:14
  Speaker 8: much excited, and he struck at Slicko. Get off me.
• 2:24:18
  Speaker 8: And the man was fairly screaming, now get away. I
• 2:24:21
  Speaker 8: hate rats. I'm afraid of em. Why he's worse than
• 2:24:25
  Speaker 8: Tom Tum the elephant, said Slicko to herself. But maybe
• 2:24:30
  Speaker 8: he's only fooling. I'll climb up on his shoulder and
• 2:24:33
  Speaker 8: sit there. Then maybe he'll give me something to eat. Quickly,
• 2:24:37
  Speaker 8: Slicko scrambled up to the man's shoulder. She put her soft,
• 2:24:41
  Speaker 8: cold nose on his neck. Oh oh, go away a rat,
• 2:24:46
  Speaker 8: it'll bite me, cried the man. He leaped aside and
• 2:24:50
  Speaker 8: with his hand brushed Slicko away. She fell on the
• 2:24:53
  Speaker 8: kitchen table, and then all of a sudden the whole
• 2:24:56
  Speaker 8: house was filled with light. Slicko set up on the
• 2:24:59
  Speaker 8: tab in time to see the man give a jump
• 2:25:02
  Speaker 8: through the window, while from his pocket fell a shower
• 2:25:05
  Speaker 8: of knives and forks and spoons. For the man was
• 2:25:08
  Speaker 8: a burglar, a thief, and he had come in the
• 2:25:10
  Speaker 8: night to rob out of the window. He jumped. Slicko
• 2:25:14
  Speaker 8: could see him very well, for the electric lights were
• 2:25:17
  Speaker 8: turned on. Now upstairs, Bob's papa had heard the burglar
• 2:25:21
  Speaker 8: cry out, and he had switched on the lights. What
• 2:25:25
  Speaker 8: a funny man, thought Slicko. Of the burglar to jump
• 2:25:29
  Speaker 8: out of the window as I did. I wonder why
• 2:25:31
  Speaker 8: he is running away. Slicko saw a pan of water
• 2:25:34
  Speaker 8: on the floor. She scrambled down and took a long drink,
• 2:25:37
  Speaker 8: for she was quite thirsty, but she was not at
• 2:25:39
  Speaker 8: all afraid. I wish that man had let me sit
• 2:25:43
  Speaker 8: on his shoulder, she said to herself. He might have
• 2:25:46
  Speaker 8: given me a nut or a piece of sugar, and
• 2:25:48
  Speaker 8: he called me a rat. I don't like that. After
• 2:25:51
  Speaker 8: getting her drink, Slicko sat up on the table again
• 2:25:55
  Speaker 8: and waited. She heard voices talking and people coming downstairs.
• 2:26:00
  Speaker 8: Bob and his father came into the kitchen. Oh look,
• 2:26:04
  Speaker 8: there's my squirrel, Slicko cried Bob. She's come back. Chat
• 2:26:08
  Speaker 8: chat chat er er er, er chirped Slicko. Of course,
• 2:26:13
  Speaker 8: I'm your little pets. Squirrel come back again. I'm sorry
• 2:26:16
  Speaker 8: I ran away only of course Bob did not understand this.
• 2:26:21
  Speaker 8: What has happened, asked the voice of Bob's mother. Slicko
• 2:26:25
  Speaker 8: has come back, said Bob. Is that all? No, something
• 2:26:28
  Speaker 8: else happened, said Bob's father. And I guess we have
• 2:26:32
  Speaker 8: Slicko to think that our house was not robbed. Our
• 2:26:35
  Speaker 8: house robbed. What do you mean why the kitchen window
• 2:26:39
  Speaker 8: had been broken open, and here is some of our
• 2:26:42
  Speaker 8: silver scattered about, said Bob's father. I heard a man
• 2:26:46
  Speaker 8: yell something about a rat, and I turned on the lights.
• 2:26:49
  Speaker 8: He must have been a burglar, but he got away.
• 2:26:52
  Speaker 8: What frightened him? Asked Bob. By this time, Slicko was
• 2:26:55
  Speaker 8: sitting on Bob's shoulder, eating a lump of sugar he
• 2:26:58
  Speaker 8: had gotten for her from the pantry. I think, Slicko,
• 2:27:02
  Speaker 8: your squirrel frightened him, said the boy's father. That must
• 2:27:07
  Speaker 8: have been it. The burglar came in here to rob
• 2:27:09
  Speaker 8: us in the night. Slicko came back somehow, and probably
• 2:27:13
  Speaker 8: she tried to make friends with him, as she does
• 2:27:16
  Speaker 8: with you, Not knowing who he was, The man must
• 2:27:19
  Speaker 8: have thought Slicko was a rat, and being afraid, he
• 2:27:23
  Speaker 8: ran off. Slicko saved us from being robbed. For see,
• 2:27:27
  Speaker 8: the man dropped most of the things he took. Your
• 2:27:30
  Speaker 8: squirrel is very smart, Bob. She scared away the thief.
• 2:27:35
  Speaker 8: She is a good little squirrel, said Bob. I am
• 2:27:37
  Speaker 8: glad she came back to me. Slicko was put back
• 2:27:40
  Speaker 8: into her cage for the rest of the night. She
• 2:27:43
  Speaker 8: was glad that she had come back to Bob. Everybody
• 2:27:46
  Speaker 8: went to bed. The next day, Slicko did her tricks
• 2:27:49
  Speaker 8: again and learned some new ones. She had many nuts
• 2:27:52
  Speaker 8: and apples to eat. Still, Slicko was not happy. The
• 2:27:56
  Speaker 8: weather grew warmer. It was very warm in the house,
• 2:27:59
  Speaker 8: but slick was not allowed to be out of her cage.
• 2:28:02
  Speaker 8: I don't want her to run away again, said Bob.
• 2:28:05
  Speaker 8: Poor Slicko was now very mournful as the warm days came.
• 2:28:09
  Speaker 8: She wanted to be free to run in the shady woods.
• 2:28:12
  Speaker 8: She would rather have sat swinging on the branch of
• 2:28:14
  Speaker 8: a tree than whirl around in the wire wheel of
• 2:28:17
  Speaker 8: her cage. Bob said the boy's father to him one day,
• 2:28:21
  Speaker 8: don't you think your squirrel would be happier if you
• 2:28:24
  Speaker 8: let it go out in the woods to live. What
• 2:28:27
  Speaker 8: let my pet squirrel go, asked Bob in surprise. Yes,
• 2:28:32
  Speaker 8: answered his father. Slicko is not happy in her cage now.
• 2:28:36
  Speaker 8: She might have been in the winter, but now it
• 2:28:39
  Speaker 8: is summer, and she ought to be out in the open.
• 2:28:41
  Speaker 8: I think she wants to go home. Oh how much
• 2:28:44
  Speaker 8: Slicko hoped she could go. Her little heart beat very
• 2:28:48
  Speaker 8: fast as she looked through the bars of her cage.
• 2:28:51
  Speaker 8: Let Slicko go, said Bob softly. Oh, I can't do that.
• 2:28:57
  Speaker 8: Slicko did us a very great favor, said Bob, Bob's father.
• 2:29:01
  Speaker 8: She frightened away the burglar. I think as a reward
• 2:29:04
  Speaker 8: you ought to let her go, Bob. Bob said nothing
• 2:29:07
  Speaker 8: for a long while. Then he spoke softly, very well, father,
• 2:29:11
  Speaker 8: he said, I'll let Slicko go free. Bob took the
• 2:29:15
  Speaker 8: cage with his pat in it, to the edge of
• 2:29:18
  Speaker 8: the woods. He opened the little wire door. You may go, Slicko,
• 2:29:22
  Speaker 8: said Bob. Go off to the woods where you belong.
• 2:29:26
  Speaker 8: I'll set you free, but I hope you will come
• 2:29:28
  Speaker 8: and see me sometime. Chatter chatter, chatter, er, er chirped Slicko.
• 2:29:34
  Speaker 8: She sprang out of the cage and stood upright for
• 2:29:36
  Speaker 8: a moment on the ground. Then she scrambled up on
• 2:29:40
  Speaker 8: Bob's shoulder and put her cold, soft nose on his cheek.
• 2:29:44
  Speaker 8: That was her way of kissing him goodbye. Down scrambled Slicko,
• 2:29:48
  Speaker 8: and off to the woods she ran. Goodbye Slicko, my
• 2:29:51
  Speaker 8: little jumping squirrel, called Bob as he went back to
• 2:29:55
  Speaker 8: the house with the empty cage. And yet after all
• 2:29:59
  Speaker 8: he I felt happy that he had let Slicko go.
• 2:30:02
  Speaker 8: Slicko ran on and on through the woods all that day.
• 2:30:05
  Speaker 8: She wandered about. She found a spring and got a
• 2:30:08
  Speaker 8: drink of water. And in a field she found an
• 2:30:11
  Speaker 8: early apple tree and ate an apple. The next day,
• 2:30:15
  Speaker 8: as Slicko was jumping through the woods, she came to
• 2:30:18
  Speaker 8: a tree that she was sure she had seen before.
• 2:30:21
  Speaker 8: Half Way up was a big lump on which she
• 2:30:24
  Speaker 8: knew she had often sat. A little farther up was
• 2:30:27
  Speaker 8: a broken limb, and close to that limb was a hole.
• 2:30:31
  Speaker 8: Why that's the nest where I used to live, said Slicko.
• 2:30:35
  Speaker 8: I wonder if Papa and Mamma and Chatter and Fluffy
• 2:30:39
  Speaker 8: and Netu have come back. I'm going up to see
• 2:30:43
  Speaker 8: up the tree, scrambled Slicko. She looked in her old nest.
• 2:30:46
  Speaker 8: Something inside it moved, Hello, said Slicko. Why why why
• 2:30:52
  Speaker 8: it's Slicko come back, cried chatter. Papa, Mamma, Nettu, Fluffy,
• 2:30:58
  Speaker 8: come here. Slicko has come back out of the nest,
• 2:31:01
  Speaker 8: rushed all the squirrel family. They sat on their tails
• 2:31:04
  Speaker 8: and looked at Slicko. My how she has grown, cried
• 2:31:08
  Speaker 8: her mother, patting Slicko with her paws. How long have
• 2:31:12
  Speaker 8: you been here, asked Slicko. That time you sent me
• 2:31:15
  Speaker 8: to Aunt Whitey's I couldn't find her. She wasn't home, No, Slicko,
• 2:31:20
  Speaker 8: said her Papa, Your aunt had hurriedly moved to another nest.
• 2:31:24
  Speaker 8: We didn't know it when we sent you there. And
• 2:31:28
  Speaker 8: not long ago we all came back here, for it
• 2:31:31
  Speaker 8: is safe now. The hunter man and his dog have
• 2:31:34
  Speaker 8: gone from these woods, and so we are all together again,
• 2:31:38
  Speaker 8: said Fluffy. I'm glad, so am, I exclaimed Slicko. But
• 2:31:44
  Speaker 8: where have you been and what happened to you? Asked
• 2:31:47
  Speaker 8: the mamma squirrel. Oh I have had so many adventures,
• 2:31:50
  Speaker 8: cried Slicko. I can jump through paper hoops. I can
• 2:31:54
  Speaker 8: crawl in Bob's pocket and get sugar, and I scared
• 2:31:57
  Speaker 8: away a burglar. I and have some adventures, said missus Squirrel.
• 2:32:03
  Speaker 8: But come in now and have some dinner. And so
• 2:32:06
  Speaker 8: that was the end of Slicko's adventures for a while.
• 2:32:10
  Speaker 8: She got safely back to her nest, and she lived
• 2:32:13
  Speaker 8: there with her father and mother and sister and brothers
• 2:32:17
  Speaker 8: for many years. Sometimes she would meet Squinty the Comical Pig,
• 2:32:22
  Speaker 8: or Mappo the Merry Monkey, and that reminds me. I
• 2:32:25
  Speaker 8: have some stories to tell you about him, but I
• 2:32:28
  Speaker 8: shall have to put them in another book. It will
• 2:32:31
  Speaker 8: be named Mappo the Merry Monkey, and in it you
• 2:32:34
  Speaker 8: may read all about his many adventures. Are you going
• 2:32:37
  Speaker 8: to run away again, Slicko asked Nettu one day, about
• 2:32:41
  Speaker 8: a week after his sister came back. No, I am
• 2:32:45
  Speaker 8: only going to run up to the top of this
• 2:32:48
  Speaker 8: tree and down again, said the little squirrel, and she
• 2:32:51
  Speaker 8: did the end end of chapter twelve. End of Slicko
• 2:32:56
  Speaker 8: the Jumping Squirrel by Richard Barnum sa