Chapter III: Part 3

The squirrels looked on in perfect indifference, and absolutely refused to touch the dainty morsel. Puss was surprised, but a few days later she brought in a bird; but when they paid not the slightest attention to it she was in despair. Had she, then, brought up a family which was to be of no use to the world? For a day or two she tried everything--meat, bits of fish, pieces of cold potato, until some happy inspiration led her to take them an almond which had fallen from the dinner table. After that she carried them bits of bread, corn, and nuts, until they grew large enough to come to the house themselves. Then they ranged the place from cellar to garret, dropping asleep in mother's work-basket, in father's pockets, and in bureau drawer, until they became a perfect nuisance. At last the crisis came: one of them went to sleep in father's boot, and bit his toe severely when he went to put it on; the squirrels were sent to New York to be sold, and Charlie and I each had a pair of skates from the proceeds of the sale.

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End of Project Gutenberg's Harper's Young People, October 24, 1882, by Various