One fine Fall day in Oak forest, Sammy the Squirrel danced round and round a tree in the greatest excitement. Now, a squirrel’s dance is certainly worth seeing. He doesn’t hold out his arms as we do, but hops round and round with his little feet as fast as he can go, each moment looking up, to see if he cannot catch sight of a lovely prize which he expects to find.
All the friends of Sammy stopped their work to watch his joy. At last down fell Sammy in front of them, holding in his hand an acorn with a fine golden cup, and the little crown above the cup was covered with shining rubies, and all the kernel was a rich creamy white.
“Look! look!” screamed Sammy with all his might, holding it up. “The most beautiful acorn that ever grew in the forest! Do you see those rubies? Do you see that shining white? Isn’t it lovely?”
“Where did you find it?” asked Buzzy the Bee, looking up from trying to mend his torn wing.
“Ah,” said Sammy, “that’s the point; I can’t, for the life of me, remember. But I’ll soon find out.” So up he went to the top of the tree, but there he could find no trace of it at all, and down he came again in great trouble. Up and down, round and round he jumped; in the air and on the ground he turned his bright black eyes; but all in vain; it was quite lost and he could not find it.
Meanwhile all his friends tried to comfort him. He really was a fine little fellow, and they were all glad that he had the precious acorn. One thing, however, was certain, he could not eat it; and that, as it was treasure-trove, was very sad for the finder. So, while they were all talking about it, some of the larger squirrels came by, gravely giving each other the news of the day; and one of them said:—
“I met Olly the Owl just now. He is sadly troubled by his lost spectacles. He’s heard all kinds of stories about them; but can’t find them anywhere. If some of you would only go with me, we’d soon find them, I’m sure.”
So Sammy and his friends brought the whole band that were with them, sent one party in the direction towards where Olly was, and soon found him waiting for them in great excitement:—
“Fifty elves have come by with a shoe over the shoulder, dancing merrily,” said he, “and have stopped before my door; and so, of course, I went out to see what the magic song was. For a piece of money,' said one, we’ll dance here from Justus till New-year’s day;’ and I was just about to give it them, when up jumped “Wanderer the Wildcat, who doesn’t understand elf-dancing at all, and in the scuffle I lost my spectacles.”
“Heathen!” said one of the squirrels, “something must be given him. I have this mouthful of acorn; if each of us gives a little piece, it will do some good.” So they put the acorn pieces together, and, sure enough, Olly got something to eat.
Then they all started off to look for the lost spectacles, and sent to them now one party and now another; Sammy himself, of course, taking care of the case and the precious acorn.
But when they had gone a whole day journey, and had not yet met with the spectacles, Olly got a little melancholy, and said:—
“Somebody else ought to take care of that splendid prize. Tell me, who is it that lives on acorns more than you squirrels do?”
“Oh, the hogs!—the civilised people! they are never to be forgotten,” was all that Sammy answered.
They walked the same way, and the next day met the trapped hogs coming to town. The Squire was just giving them the last-bit-pampered butcher’s meat, when Olly walked in very softly, and said:—
“Will you only tell me where you found my spectacles? If you give me the news I’ll stop here six months.” And the wild hogs declared that they had seen them in the very morning in the wood over the hill, lying in the middle of a high road in the full sun; and as they grudged that all good that the sun would tell them, they took them up with their mouths and brought them along with them; only they were still sore in their mouths.
And so Olly got the loan of his spectacles as well as Sammy the Squirrel his lost acorn. Each went home in full enjoyment of his prize, and thought it couldn’t be a better story, nor told better.