About two weeks before the close of school, Miss Hare met with a misfortune. Because of the great amount of work she had to do, grading examination papers, her eyes became so weak that she scarcely could use them. Tiny felt sorry for the patient, hard-working teacher, and offered to be of assistance to her.

“You may come into the schoolroom and help me,” she said to him one Saturday morning. “I have a number of important letters to write. You are very painstaking, and I shall be glad to have your assistance.”

Tiny followed her into the room and sat down beside the desk, very happy to be of some use to one he so thoroughly respected. The material upon which he wrote was not so white and smooth as the paper used in schoolrooms nowadays. It was simply birch bark that could be rolled up and tied with heavy grass. The ink he used was the juice of the pokeberry, and his pen was a goose quill.

As soon as he had written a letter, he rolled it neatly, addressed it carefully, and gave it to Billy Beaver, who called a carrier pigeon to take it to its place of destination.

During the hour that Tiny spent in the schoolroom that morning, he learned about money orders and drafts, for it is said that at one time the more enlightened residents of Animal Kingdom made use of them.

Here are a few letters that Tiny either wrote or read for Miss Hare:

“This has been a very pleasant task, I assure you,” said Tiny, when his work was done. “I have learned how to write a business letter, which is an important thing to know. I never before had heard of money orders and drafts. You know we do not have those things, nor money, nor stores, at Squirreltown.”

“Only a few of the more intelligent animals know anything about business,” replied Miss Hare. “I know of only two large department stores and three banks in Animal Kingdom. I have heard that the ancient human beings used shells for money; but, finally, they established the use of coins, because they were valued by all classes of people. If the hunters would not molest us, Animal Kingdom would imitate the human race and become very much enlightened. Some day I hope you may visit the department store of Sheep, Goat & Co., and see for yourself how animals are advancing in knowledge. I understand that this great store employs almost a dozen clerks.”

“I have also learned how to write an invitation and notes of regret and acceptance. They seem to be very simple in their construction,” said Tiny, placing the quill in a shell filled with sand.

“No self-respecting animal should neglect his correspondence, no matter how busy he may be,” said Miss Hare. “As a rule, one who hates to write letters is one who cannot write them well. It is necessary that one should write social and business letters, and learn how to make them clear and forceful. Now you may rest. I thank you for your services, Tiny.”

The red squirrel, with a polite bow, returned to his room, much pleased because he had pleased some one else.