One sunny noon, Tommy the Squirrel was sitting in the big oak tree having a nice lunch of acorn pie and nuts. His father and mother and all his brothers and sisters were busy eating too, until Mrs. Squirrel said:
“Don’t you think we had better stop this happy little dinner? It is so beautiful out of doors that I do believe we had better have a picnic down in the sunny meadow.”
“I think so too,” said Mr. Squirrel. “You don’t know how happy a picnic sounds to me! But perhaps we had better not delay it by all coming down together, for fear we may frighten the nice food away; so, happy family, run down as quickly as you can, and maybe you may find a few olives ready for breakfast.”
Off they all scampered, owing to their excited state of mind. Each opened the green space before him, thinking he had alone found it, when all at once a big gray goose came waddle-waddle-waddle!
“Hullo!” said Tommy. “Don’t you remember me, Mr. Goose? It was only last year we went picnicking the same meadow together. Well, here I am again,’ added Tommy, hopping to and fro in a very friendly way.
But the goose did not at all like this turn-up, but began lowering its wings and stretching out its neck, and, oh dear me! Tommy was so frightened that he jumped on to the table, for such it was, and, giving his brother’s tails a great pull for to hurry them, he shouted clear and shrill:
“Picnic, picnic! All baggage on board and be off as quickly as you can.”
Now his brother was already out, and the pilgrim family wee all ready with their luggage packed. So off they ran.
The goose was amazed to see Tommy championing by the side of the white-hooded pilgrims, and he made after him to peck at Tommy’s little head, but Tommy was so quick and had taken the lead so cleverly that he came safe and sound to the big oak tree again long before the goose had reached it, too tired and out-of-breath to even hiss.
In the meanwhile they had all of them left picnic baskets in their pockets, more vast than any lunch baskets you ever saw. Some released acorn cakes and jam-pans, tarts, and watermelons, etc., and all distributed to each what came first; some looked wise–wise, and thinked the other too common kitchen–and set off for the pasture to forage for their picnic dinner.
“We are not exactly so united as we might be,” said Tommy.
“No, that is true,” said Mrs. Jerry, the hen-leading goose; “but mind,” added she, “if you see an adventurer on the pathway talking to my family, don’t you come running from breakfast like the father of my family.”
The minutes ran on, and the sun sank down and the moon rose up; but behold Tommy’s family were all so busy feeding that, anxious not to lose another blissful minute, few hunted food or vessels shops for the next day. So off marched the maiden families. When, however, after a next hour, the goose’s family got back, Tommy began to change his mind about an eggs; so said providence otherwise, so off they marched to the inn near the hometown together.