  One morning, as Father Thrift was sitting in front of his cave sunning himself, he heard some one crying. It was a squeaky sort of cry. Father Thrift could not imagine who it could be that was in trouble. He looked around, but saw no one. Then he listened. The sound came from behind a large tree near by. He walked over to the spot. And there sat—who do you suppose? Little Gray Squirrel, crying into his maple-leaf handkerchief as though his very heart would break! “What is the matter, Gray Squirrel?” asked Father Thrift. “Oh, Father Thrift,” sobbed Little Gray Squirrel, “let me tell you what some bad boys did to me! “I live in the big old oak tree near the edge of the forest. I have a nest in the old tree’s trunk. There I live with my baby squirrels. There, too, I have gathered and stored nuts for food. “And now some boys have stolen all my nuts! “Soon the cold days of winter will come. Then what shall I do for food for my babies and myself?” And the poor little squirrel cried until he almost choked, and fresh tears ran down his cheeks. Father Thrift looked angry. He said: “This is very bad. I am sorry to hear all this, good Gray Squirrel. While I cannot give you back the nuts which the boys stole, I “There are still some nuts on the ground, and we’ll help you to find them.” Little Gray Squirrel thanked Father Thrift for his kind words. Then he dried his tears and started for home. And the queer little old man sat watching the bushy tail as it whisked down the crooked path and out of sight. Then all of a sudden he heard a sharp “Tap-tap-tap!” Without even looking up Father Thrift knew who it was. “A friend in need,” he said to himself. Then he called to the woodpecker that was doing the knocking. “I wish to talk with you,” he said. Woodpecker flew down, and Father Thrift told him all about Little Gray Squirrel. “Oh, we will help him gather a fresh store of nuts,” said Mr. Woodpecker. “Indeed, we will help!” And he flew away. Within a very short time a whole flock of woodpeckers was flying toward Little Gray Squirrel’s home. Soon Little Gray Squirrel’s troubles were over, for the woodpeckers filled his winter storeroom full of the choicest nuts. Now he was sure of having plenty to eat all winter for himself and his family. And how thankful he was! But that is not all. When the woodpeckers were through No, indeed! One woodpecker who was older than the others got up on the topmost branch of the tree and said: “Dear brothers, do you realize now how foolish we have been all our lives? “In the summer we feed on bugs and beetles and ants and seeds. “Then in the winter, because we know no better, some of us go South. Some of us go hungry, and some of us die, because we cannot find enough to eat. “Why cannot we, too, store up nuts and have food for the winter as the squirrels do?” “The very thing!” cried the other woodpeckers. So they all began gathering acorns and beechnuts and storing them in the bark of the trees. Some of the nuts they would drop beneath the bark of the tree. And some they would The trees which were old and worm-eaten were, of course, the easiest into which to drive the nuts. Knotholes, too, were good places in which to store food. When the woodpeckers had many, many nuts stored away, one of them said: “Isn’t it strange that we didn’t think of this before! We need not go South to find a new home this winter. We can stay right here and still have plenty to eat.” And that is what they did. So, while the woodpeckers helped Little Gray Squirrel out of his trouble, they helped themselves into the good habit of learning to save. And they have not forgotten it to this day. |
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