Mr. Bushy Tail

I peered curiously into the hollow in the old oak tree and saw piles of acorns. Suddenly, something hit my head, and I heard a tiny voice from above.

“Get away from my acorns!”

Immediately I looked up, saw an angry gray squirrel, only to have another acorn pelted at me.

“I said, get away from my acorns!”

His fluffy gray tail twitched with rage.

“Well, grumpy, I was just looking. What would I want with your measly stash of acorns anyway, Mr. Bushy Tail?”

“Exactly, measly, and don't call me Mr. Bushy Tail! I have been slaving away day after day, trying to get enough food for the winter. Then, every night I return to find someone has been stealing from me. It was you, wasn't it?”

“Sorry, not me. This is the first time I've seen your stash.”

The squirrel's tail drooped in disappointment. I almost thought he was going to cry.

“What am I going to do? How will I ever get enough stored up?”

His voice was sounding weak and pitiful now, all the bravado gone. It tugged at my heart. I racked my brain trying to figure out a way to help.

“I've got a trail camera I can set up to watch your store. Tomorrow, I'll come back, and we will see who has been stealing from you.”

I set up the camera, sure to point it at the hallow in the old oak tree.

“See you tomorrow, Mr. Bushy Tail!”

“Don't call me Mr. Bushy Tail, my name is Fred!”

Waking to the bright morning sun, I hopped out of bed, dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, and topped that with a warm blue plaid flannel shirt. With socks and tennis shoes on, I raced downstairs, the fragrance of freshly baked apple muffins drawing me on. Grabbing a muffin, I yelled.

“Thanks, mom, I'm going out to check the trail cam!”

“Don't be too long, Sarah, I need you to help pick more apples.”

Anxious to see what the trail cam had recorded, I rushed down the trail, kicking through the thick blanket of leaves, hardly noticing the beauty of the forest. Mister Bushy Tail was waiting impatiently for me.

“What took you so long?”

“Keep your britches on shorty.”

The squirrel perched on my shoulder as I played back the footage, fast forwarding it until a figure appeared, then stopping and reversing it a bit.

“Well, there is your culprit!”

The squirrel's eyes seemed to widen.

“Where did she come from? I've never seen her in the forest before.”

He stared hypnotically at the footage, unable to take his eyes off the little squirrel.

“She sure is pretty!”

“Thank you,” came a tiny, definitely female voice, from behind us.

Mr. Squirrel fell off my shoulder, as I turned around. He scampered over to the tiny girl squirrel.

“Hello...who might you be? My...my name is Fred.”

He was obviously enamored of the diminutive squirrel.

“Pleased to meet you, Fred. My name is Tina” looking over Fred's shoulder she asked, “And who is your big friend?”

“My what?”

“Her,” Tina said nodding toward me.

“Oh, her? Her name is ah...ah...” he stammered.

“Sarah...nice to met you, Tina.”

“It's nice to meet you, too, Sarah. So what are you two doing?”

“Oh, I set up this trail cam to see who has been stea...ah visiting, Mr. Bushy Tail's acorn store.”

The little squirrel looked uncomfortable, it almost seemed like she was blushing.

“That was me...I was so hungry and afraid. I was forced out of my home by an old eagle. Every time I tried to go back to my nest or my storage hole, where he was, waiting to attack me.”

Fred sidled up to Tina, wrapping his tail around her.

“You're safe here, you can live with me, Tina, I'll protect you from that nasty old eagle.”

Tina wrapped her tail around Fred as they looked into each other's eyes.

“My hero!”

I realized it was time for me to leave.

“Goodbye Tina, Goodbye Mr. Bushy Tail!” I called as I walked back down the trail toward home.

“Don't call me Mr. Bushy Tail!” echoed down the trail behind me.

Reviews

[Diane]

Hahah That was adorable! You do well with talking animals. I will have to read this to the girls this weekend. I think Jessica will really love this story. She finds anything with talking animals / rodents hilarious.

Jasmine watched a few minutes of a movie called Up at the doctors office and when the dog started talking she cracked up. Everyone was looking in out direction, like we were disturbing them from their sickness.

[Wendy Seames Garner]

I hope they like it! I was thinking about more stories with Mr. Bushy Tail.

[Diane]

Or maybe finish the story about the bonfire? hahah

[Wendy Seames Garner]

Or tease you instead.

[Diane]

No teasing........