fall, or we shan’t have more than a bushel, and every one will
laugh at us if we don’t.”
“The naughty quillies tarn’t have ’em. I’ll pick fast and run and put
’em in the barn twick,” said Teddy, frowning at little Frisky, who
chattered and whisked his tail indignantly.
That night a high wind blew down hundreds of nuts, and when
Mrs. Jo came to wake her little sons, she said, briskly,
“Come, my laddies, the squirrels are hard at it, and you will have
to work well to-day, or they will have every nut on the ground.”
“No, they won’t,” and Robby tumbled up in a great hurry, gobbled
his breakfast, and rushed out to save his property.
Teddy went too, and worked like a little beaver, trotting to and fro
with full and empty baskets. Another bushel was soon put away in
the corn-barn, and they were scrambling among the leaves for
more nuts when the bell rang for school.
“O father! let me stay out and pick. Those horrid squirrels will
have my nuts if you don’t. I’ll do my lessons by and by,” cried Rob,
running into the school-room, flushed and tousled by the fresh cold
wind and his eager work.
“If you had been up early and done a little every morning there
would be no hurry now. I told you that, Rob, and you never
minded. I cannot have the lessons neglected as the work has been.
The squirrels will get more than their share this year, and they
deserve it, for they have worked best. You may go an hour earlier,
but that is all,” and Mr. Bhaer led Rob to his place where the little
man dashed at his books as if bent on making sure of the precious
hour promised him.
It was almost maddening to sit still and see the wind shaking down
the last nuts, and the lively thieves flying about, pausing now and
then to eat one in his face, and flirt their tails, as if they said,
saucily, “We’ll have them in spite of you, lazy Rob.” The only
thing that sustained the poor child in this trying moment was the
sight of Teddy working away all alone. It was really splendid the
pluck and perseverance of the little lad. He picked and picked till
his back ached; he trudged to and fro till his small legs were tired;
and he defied wind, weariness, and wicked “quillies,” till his
mother left her work and did the carrying for him, full of
admiration for the kind little fellow who tried to help his brother.
When Rob was dismissed, he found Teddy reposing in the
bushel-basket quite used up, but unwilling to quit the field; for he
flapped his hat at the thieves with one grubby little hand, while he
refreshed himself with the big apple held in the other.
Rob fell to work and the ground was cleared before two o’clock,
the nuts safely in the corn-barn loft, and the weary workers exulted
in their success. But Frisky and his wife were not to be vanquished
so easily; and when Rob went up to look at his nuts a few days
later he was amazed to see how many had vanished. None of the
boys could have stolen them, because the door had been locked;
the doves could not have eaten them, and there were no rats about.
There was great lamentation among the young Bhaers till Dick
said
“I saw Frisky on the roof of the corn-barn, may be he took them.”
“I know he did! I’ll have a trap, and kill him dead,” cried Rob,
disgusted with Frisky’s grasping nature.
“Perhaps if you watch, you can find out where he puts them, and I
may be able to get them back for you,” said Dan, who was much
amused by the fight between the boys and squirrels.
So Rob watched and saw Mr. and Mrs. Frisky drop from the
drooping elm boughs on to the roof of the corn-barn, dodge in at
one of the little doors, much to the disturbance of the doves, and
come out with a nut in each mouth. So laden they could not get