Old Rough the miser

The news brought by the bat Flipwing was correct,—the youngest of the squirrel family, little Fluff, was indeed missing, and great was the distress of his family in consequence. The first day of freedom,—that on which the two young crows had discovered the new dwellings of the field-mouse and squirrels, when the young squirrels had ventured out alone for the first time in their lives,—proved to be a most disastrous event, for it awoke in their young natures a taste for adventure that was most dangerous.

So delightful was this new experience, that it became the custom of the young squirrels daily, in the absence of their parents, to venture out boldly, and enjoy the freedom of the woods. Bobtilla’s children, possessing more timid natures, dared not join their neighbors in their adventures, but remained quietly at home; while their fearless playmates, made confident by the seclusion and solitude about them, became constantly bolder, and each day ventured farther out.

Such a vigilant old fellow as the miser Rough, who was now bent on discovering the new retreat of his enemies, as he chose to consider the harmless little field-mouse and squirrels, could not fail before long to find them out.

One day, hidden behind a moss-covered stump, old Rough discovered the young squirrels frisking merrily about among the trees and over the rocks; and he soon learned that it was the habit of these active young creatures to venture out daily, as soon as their parents had departed in search of food, and pursue their innocent gambols.

Then did the old water-rat set his wicked mind to work, and he soon formed a plan of revenge that afforded him perfect satisfaction.

Beneath the very stump that had served as a hiding-place whence he could watch his unsuspecting victims, he dug a long and deep den, and skilfully concealed the opening with moss and leaves. To this cavern he conducted his wife, giving her minute directions as to her part of the programme.

Ruffina promised to obey in every particular; and indeed a much bolder nature than the water-rat’s submissive wife’s might have quailed under the direful consequences which the old miser vowed would follow the slightest disregard of his directions.

Thus was Ruffina installed within the den, and before the opening was placed a fine acorn, while just within lay several more of unusually fine size and quality.

Meanwhile the young squirrels frisked and gambolled in their beautiful playground among the trees with not a suspicion of the plot laid for their destruction. A very venturesome squirrel was little Fluff, the youngest and most promising of the family, and his bold spirit led him into places where his more cautious brothers and sister dared not follow. His bright eyes were always spying out objects they never thought of finding, and his inquisitive little nose was constantly poking itself where it had no business to go.

The time for which old Rough had long waited at last arrived. Fluff’s curious eyes espied the tempting acorn that the old miser had placed to entrap him, and in a moment he had it in his little forepaws, and his sharp teeth soon penetrated the thin shell. Selfishness was not one of Fluff’s faults, and he generously divided the delicate morsel with his companions.

The acorn did not go very far, to be sure, and when the small share that fell to each was eaten, they looked at each other wistfully.

“What a pity there are no more!” said one.

“Ah, that was good,” replied another, carefully examining the empty shells, in the hope that some crumbs might have been overlooked.

“There must be more,” asserted Fluff, positively. “It isn’t likely just one nut would be left here. It was dropped by mistake, and the rest, probably a big pile, must be near;” and Fluff’s inquisitive nose and bright eyes began their investigations.

It was not long before the opening so ingeniously concealed by old Rough was brought to light, and in went Master Fluff.

“See here!” he soon called out, “what did I tell you? Here are some more of them, and you may be sure that that dark den beyond is full. Come on, and help yourselves!”

The more cautious brothers and sister, however, did not think it prudent to venture into the dark entrance to the cavern, but looked longingly in, while the bolder Fluff brought them some of the fine acorns, which, if possible, were even larger and of finer flavor than the one found outside.

These, too, were soon eaten, and then came the natural desire for more. The first peep into the dark cavern, however, had been sufficient to keep all but Fluff at a safe distance; but this venturesome young squirrel soon decided on the course he intended to pursue.

“I’ve made up my mind,” said Fluff, boldly, “that there are plenty more acorns in that dark hole, and I’m going in.”

“Going in!” exclaimed his horrified companions.

“Yes; what is there so strange in that?” laughed Fluff. “It’s evident to me that that dark cave is the hiding-place of some old miser, and on the way he dropped a few of his nuts. There must be a pile of them, or he wouldn’t have let such fine nuts lie there.”

“Oh, don’t go in!” pleaded little Flossie. “Suppose some great horrid creature with long, sharp teeth and claws lives there!”

“If I find any such thing there, I shall come right back, of course. Do you think I am so foolish as to allow myself to be nabbed?”

But Flossie’s gentle little heart was not satisfied, and she continued to plead with her venturesome brother. The others, it must be confessed, did not oppose so many objections to Fluff’s plans as did his tender-hearted little sister, for they greatly desired the savory nuts, and Fluff had always come off with such flying colors from the many risks he had run, that they had great confidence in his powers; so it was with some inward satisfaction that they saw him enter the passage-way that led into the dark cave.

For an instant all was still, and the little squirrels waiting outside huddled together, listening breathlessly for some signal from their brother; but all at once arose in Fluff’s well-known voice a sharp cry of pain, and then followed immediately repeated calls for help.

The timid creatures, terrified, scampered off as fast as they could go, leaving their courageous brother to his fate. When at a safe distance, they stopped, their hearts beating wildly and their sides palpitating, and looked timidly back at the dark cavern into which poor Fluff had disappeared.

Nothing was to be seen, and all was still; and soon came the dreadful thought,—how should they account to their parents for Fluff’s absence?

Too cowardly to tell the truth, which would reveal their own disobedience, they resolved to assert boldly that Fluff had disappeared suddenly when they were at play, and they could find no traces of him.

In vain did gentle Flossie plead with them to allow her to tell the whole truth; but she was threatened with the most dreadful consequences if she did not do as they wished.

“I’ll set ‘Old Dead’ after you, Floss, if you tell,” said her oldest brother, when all other arguments had failed.

Who “Old Dead” was, Flossie hadn’t the least idea; but she knew he must be somebody to be dreaded, for the name alone struck terror to her gentle soul; and even Fluff, bold as he was, had often submitted to his older brothers, when they threatened to summon “Old Dead.”

Thus, much against her will, Flossie yielded, and promised to help her brothers deceive their kind parents in regard to her poor lost brother; and when Squirrella and Squirrello returned, the sad story was told them that Fluff had suddenly disappeared, and that they thought the fierce Blinkeye must have carried him off.

“In the daytime?” asked Squirrello. “How can that be? He sleeps all day long.”

“Any way, we heard a great noise, and thought it must be Blinkeye,” asserted the little squirrels, boldly.

But in spite of their success in deceiving their parents, the cowardly little creatures were far from being satisfied with themselves; and as for little Flossie, she mourned more and more, as day after day passed, and no tidings came from her favorite brother.

Poor Fluff! he was in the power of old Rough, who was keeping him a prisoner, in order to revenge himself on Squirrello and Squirrella for giving assistance to Bobtilla. Ruffina was his jailor, and heard without pity his prayers to be released.

The old miser himself occasionally visited his captive in order to enjoy his misery. Poor little Fluff! One who had seen him in his days of freedom, with his bushy tail tilted saucily over his striped back, and his bright eyes glancing roguishly about, would never recognize him in the drooping little figure with lustreless eyes that now crouched in one corner of old Rough’s prison, day and night under Ruffina’s sharp eyes, as she sat ready to pounce upon him at the first effort he made to escape.

Very meagre was poor Fluff’s fare, and the plump sides that once bulged out under his generous feed of nuts were now sunken and hollow.

At first the little prisoner, relying on his swift movements, made many attempts to escape when he thought the attention of his watchful jailor was withdrawn; but he was soon undeceived, and her strong paws reminded him that she was as vigilant as ever.

Courageous as was Fluff’s spirit, it was fast becoming subdued from imprisonment and starvation; but through it all came the thought that his loving parents would find some means to release him, and this thought cheered him through many a lonely hour.

Little did Fluff dream, frank and fearless as he was, to what base methods cowardly natures can be led; and shut up in this dark cavern, his mind pictured his brothers and sister lurking near his prison, watching for an opportunity to defend him, and his parents laying plans for his release. Every sound made his heart beat fast with expectation, but each time it fell with disappointment as his hopes deceived him.

While poor Fluff waited and watched for his release, his friends outside were busily employed in discovering traces of him. In vain did Squirrello and Squirrella search for some trace of their lost child, and Bobtilla joined in the search.

That shrewd fellow, the swallow Swift, flew hither and thither, looking into hollow trees and dark holes; but not a clew to the missing Fluff did he discover.

That experienced detective, Flipwing, was on the watch, too, and at night prowled silently about, hoping to gain some clew to the whereabouts of Fluff. At times some slight information, that to the inexperienced would seem of no value, the shrewd Flipwing would seize on, and by skilfully weaving together the news he had obtained, the hope that he had at last found a clew to the mystery would encourage him; but when the chain of evidence was nearly complete, a missing link would overthrow the whole, and Flipwing’s patient work become useless.

At last, however, when the detective’s final hope had disappeared, an unexpected event set his heart beating with renewed courage.