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Little Jack Rabbit and Danny Fox

Chapter 28: SQUIRREL NUTCRACKER
By David Cory
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About This Book

An episodic children's tale traces a small rabbit whose ill-advised visit to a cunning fox sets off a string of short adventures. Each chapter presents a particular incident—chases involving a farmer's boy and his dog, hideouts, traps, winter frolics, and rescues—where wit, community help, and quick escapes turn danger into learning moments. Repeated motifs of bravery, resourcefulness, and friendship among woodland creatures guide the narrative, balancing light suspense with reassuring resolutions and a recurring return to home.

SQUIRREL NUTCRACKER

Heigh ho, how the winds blow!
Billy Breeze plays baseball in the snow.
Over the fences and over the wall
He makes a home run with a little snowball.

The Sunny Meadow was white with snow, and the Shady Forest dressed in snowy laces. All the little Fourfooted Folk were either sound asleep in their winter homes or tucked away safely from the storm.

Little Jack Rabbit hopped over to the window of his little house in the Old Bramble Patch and drew a picture of Danny Fox on the frosty pane. Just then, all of a sudden, who should come sneaking along the Old Rail Fence but that old robber himself.

“What is he after?” thought the little bunny, running to the kitchen door to peek through the keyhole. But he didn’t open the door, let me tell you. It was but a few feet over to the Old Rail Fence, and he wasn’t going to give Danny Fox a chance to jump right into the kitchen without first knocking on the door.

But Danny Fox was too busy with something else. Yes, sir, that’s what he was. He didn’t take his eyes off the ground, but crept along, oh so carefully, until he came to the Big Chestnut Tree. Then he stopped and looked up.

Old Squirrel Nutcracker sat in his tree,
While down in the bushes sat Chick-a-dee-dee;
But when Danny Fox came creeping along
Chick-a-dee-dee stopped singing his song,
As Squirrel Nutcracker ran out on a limb
And hit Danny Fox on his old hat brim.

“Stop throwing nuts at me!” shouted Danny Fox, opening wide his mouth to show all his long, white teeth.

But that didn’t frighten Squirrel Nutcracker. Oh, my no! He just curled his long, bushy tail over his back and began to chatter. But Chick-a-dee-dee flew away. He didn’t wish to be there if there was to be a fight. Of course that could never happen, for Danny Fox didn’t know how to climb a tree and Squirrel Nutcracker knew too much to come down to the ground.

“If you don’t go away from here,
And do it pretty soon,
Maybe I’ll reach up to the sky
And hit you with the moon,”

shouted the old squirrel, which so frightened Danny Fox that he ran home to his den.