ong stick "Wouldn't ye like t' see 'im run?" Then she punched him until
he got up an' run 'round the cave fer his life. Happened one day et a
very benevolent swift come int' the cave.

'"'S a pity t' keep the boy here," said he; "he looks bad."

'"But he makes fun fer the children," said the swift.

'"Fun that makes misery is only fit fer a fool," said the visitor.

'They let him go thet day. Soon as he got hum he thought o' the
squirrels an' was tickled t' find 'em alive. He tak 'em off to an
island, in the middle of a big lake, thet very day, an' set the cage on
the shore n' opened it He thought he would come back sometime an' see
how they was ginin' along. The cage was made of light wire an' hed a
tin bottom fastened to a big piece o' plank. At fust they was 'fraid t'
leave it an' peeked out o' the door an' scratched their heads's if they
thought it a resky business. After awhile one stepped out careful an'
then the other followed. They tried t' climb a tree, but their nails was
wore off an' they kep' fallin' back. Then they went off 'n the brush t'
find some nuts. There was only pines an' poppies an' white birch an' a
few berry bushes on the island. They went t' the water's edge on every
side, but there was nuthin there a squirrel ud give a flirt uv his
tail fer. 'Twas near dark when they come back t' the cage hungry as tew
bears. They found a few crumbs o' bread in the cup an' divided 'em even.
Then they went t' bed 'n their ol' nest.

'It hed been rainin' a week in the mount'ins. Thet night the lake rose
a foot er more an' 'fore mornin' the cage begun t' rock a teenty bit as
the water lifted the plank. They slep' all the better fer thet an' they
dreamed they was up in a tree at the end uv a big bough. The cage begun
t' sway sideways and then it let go o' the shore an' spun 'round once er
twice an' sailed out 'n the deep water. There was a light breeze blowin'
offshore an' purty soon it was pitchin' like a ship in the sea. But the
two squirrels was very tired an' never woke up 'til sunrise. They got a
terrible scare when they see the water 'round 'em an' felt the motion
o' the ship. Both on 'em ran into the wire wheel an' that bore down the
stern o' the ship so the under wires touched the water. They made it
spin like a buzz saw an' got their clothes all wet. The ship went faster
when they worked the wheel, an' bime bye they got tired an' come out
on the main deck. The water washed over it a little so they clim