In a dark winter’s evening a Squirrel was sitting himself snugly up in his house. All that day it had been snowing heavily, and in the branches of the trees, and upon the ground, the snow lay thick and deep.
In his nest, however, the Squirrel was well off, for he had made up a good store of provisions for the winter. As he looked out through the door of his house upon the ground far below, he suddenly noticed a little grey-brown creature, whom he soon recognised as a mouse that he often saw creeping about in summer-time, but whom he had never yet had a conversation with. To-day the little stranger seemed to be strangely lost for a mouse, and as far as the Squirrel could see, he had nothing to eat that would help to support life.
“Dear me,” thought the Squirrel. “This little creature is worse off than I am! I will invite him to share my dinner.”
With this noble intention, he whisked his plumed tail into his face, and went to sleep, for as yet it was not dinner-time. But what the Squirrel had not thought of was, that if he encroached upon the little mouse’s time for getting food, by inviting him out to supper, it would take him some time to get ready first. So the Squirrel slept on till he was awakened by a gentle knocking at the door.
When he opened it, the Mouse was standing outside, that it was no easy matter for him to get in, he seemed loaded with provisions. The Squirrel, however, with great generosity pushed part of them aside, and begged his visitor to partake of what he proposed.
“Though, my friend,” he added, “I’m afraid it is very meagre fare we can offer you. Winter comes quite unexpectedly, and I finished the last of my provision last week.”
“But I should have no right to touch them, but for your kind permission, Pater,” said the Mouse. Then, without further ceremony, the two guests got to work: the Squirrel partook of the Mouse’s provision, and so they got very closely accommodated with each other.
Warmed by the food and good cheer, the Squirrel felt inclined to tell stories of his own adventures during the summer months, and to inquire where so very silent and bashful a little animal as his guest had sheltered himself each night.
So the Squirrel told at least fifty stories; and when he thought it was high time that the Mouse should begin, the latter, on the other hand, asked his new acquaintance whether he was not grieved to find himself so much alone in his old age?
And who can be more sure to excite regrets for the past, than a grey mouse who has safely got through so many winters, and finds himself safe and sound this year also? So beneath the influence of the good food and the comfortable surroundings, the Squirrel with tears in his eyes related all his past life.
And this is what returning charity frequently leads to. The Squirrel had fun and pleasure all the following evening in listening to the Mouse’s gossip about men and women, and about all that is going on in the woods. So they each resolved to live in friendship with each other as long as they were now alive.