ght,
But wise is he who knows when he
Should run with all his might.

_Happy Jack._

It isn't cowardly to run away when it is quite useless to stay and
fight. So it wasn't so cowardly of Happy Jack Squirrel to turn tail and
run the instant he caught sight of Shadow the Weasel. No, Sir, it wasn't
cowardly at all, although it might have looked so to you had you been
there to see, for Happy Jack is bigger than Shadow. But when it comes to
a fight, Happy Jack is no match at all for Shadow the Weasel, and he
knows it. Shadow is too quick for him, and though Happy Jack were ever
so brave, he would have no chance at all in a fight with Shadow.

And so the very instant he saw the cruel face of Shadow with its fierce
red eyes glaring at him from his own doorway, Happy Jack turned tail and
ran. Yes, Sir, that is just what he did, and it was the wisest thing he
could have done. He hoped with a mighty hope that Shadow would not
follow him, but he hoped in vain. Shadow had made up his mind to dine on
Squirrel, and he didn't propose to see his dinner run away without
trying to catch it. So the instant Happy Jack started, Shadow started
after him, stopping only long enough to snarl an ugly threat at Tommy
Tit the Chickadee, because Tommy had warned Happy Jack that Shadow was
waiting for him.

But Tommy didn't mind that threat. Oh, my, no! Tommy didn't mind it at
all. He can fly, and so he had no fear of Shadow the Weasel. But he was
terribly afraid for Happy Jack. He knew, just as Happy Jack knew, that
there wasn't a single place where Happy Jack could hide into which
Shadow could not follow him. So Tommy flitted from tree to tree behind
Happy Jack, hoping that in some way he might be able to help him.

From tree to tree raced Happy Jack, making desperately long leaps.
Shadow the Weasel followed, and though he ran swiftly, he didn't appear
to be hurrying, and he took no chances on those long leaps. If the leap
was too long to take safely, Shadow simply ran back down the tree,
across to the next one and up that. It didn't worry him at all that
Happy Jack was so far ahead that he was out of sight. He knew that he
could trust his nose to follow the scent of Happy Jack. In fact, it
rather pleased him to have Happy Jack race away in such fright, for in
that way he would soon tire himself out.

And this is just what Happy Jack did do. He ran and jumped and jumped
and ran as fast as he could until he was so out of brea