_CHAPTER II._
When night came I found myself very hungry, so ventured to comedown. My chain rattling at my heels, hindered me from running;but, however I got, on a good way, when I felt myself stopped,and found I was entangled in a gooseberry bush, in a very handsomegarden. Fortunately, the owner used to walk in it every morningbefore breakfast; I saw her pass me once or twice, (for I waitedvery patiently till morning,) but one time, as she was walking by,I made an effort to get loose, which made her turn, and perceivingme, she called her servant to extricate me. She then carried meinto the parlour, and put me into a cage; not such a one as I hadinhabited before, it was a very nice one, without any bells. Inthe parlour was a young lady about fourteen years old; betweenwhom and the lady I heard the following dialogue.
_I made an effort to get loose._]
_Niece._ Dear, aunt! what have you got another squirrel? What apretty one it is! where did you get it?
_Aunt._ I found it in the garden, entangled in a bush. If I hadnot been walking in the garden, very likely he might have died.I should have been very sorry to have found him dead.
_Niece._ How fortunate this is: but I cannot help pitying poorTom--what a pretty fellow he was, and how sad a death it was tobe devoured by the cat. I think he was the prettiest squirrel Iever saw.
_Aunt._ Well, now really, I think this much prettier. Poor fellow!how he trembles.
_Niece._ What a pretty chain. I dare say some young lady has losthim, by his having such a nice chain.
_Aunt._ Well, then all we have to do, is to feed him well, and,if we find the owner, return him.
_Niece._ I hope we may never find out who it belongs to.
_Aunt._ You should not say so, my dear. Now suppose, Nancy, youhad a squirrel and it ran away from you, how should you likenever to see it again? and should not you think it wrong, if anybody had found it, and knew who it belonged to, and would notreturn it? To be sure you would.
_Niece._ True, madam, but I did not think of that. But Aunt, verylikely he is hungry: shall I get him something to eat?
_Aunt._ Do, my love.--Nancy then ran, but presently returned witha nice mess of bread and milk, which I eat very heartily. She thenput some clean hay, and a handful of nuts into my cage. A knock atthe door called off the attention of Nancy, and presently enteredtwo young ladies and a young gentleman. One of the young ladieswas Miss Fanny Hudson; the other was Miss Kitty Bell; and theyoung gentleman, Master Henry Hudson, brother to Fanny. As soonas they entered the room, they paid the usual compliments to Mrs.Greville, (which was the name of the good lady who found me,) buthad their eye upon me all the time. The following discourse I canpretty well remember, as it began concerning me; and we usuallylisten with greater attention when the conversation is concerningourselves.
_Fanny._ What a pretty squirrel you have got, Miss Greville: whatis become of the other?
_Nancy._ Oh dear, Fanny! if I have not told you, you have adreadful piece of news to hear. Oh dear! how my heart did jumpup and down for two hours after it. The cat had no dinner onThursday. I was playing with my squirrel, when the maid enteredthe room, and did not see the cat till my poor Tom was in hermouth; and what was almost as bad, I flung my work-bag at her ina rage, it caught in the lock of the door, and tore this largehole in it. I was so vexed.
_Kitty._ Enough to make you vexed, indeed. But you seem to havegot a squirrel just as pretty as Tom was.
_Nancy._ And we got it in the oddest manner. My aunt was walkingin the garden, and found it, with its chain on, entangled in thebushes.
_Henry._ Exactly the way I found my dog. He was in the garden witha great stick tied to his tail, all over mud and dirt; but Icleaned him, and now I would not part with him for a guinea.
_Kitty._ Suppose, Nancy, we let him out: I think he seems verytame.
_Nancy._ I really do not think he is very tame; we have not hadhim a day yet.
_Fanny._ Well! but if he was to be let out, tame or not tame, whatdo you think he would do?
_Henry._ Why jump off, and run away, to be sure. Are you such astupid creature, not to know that?
Here the conversation was interrupted by a squeak from the furthercorner of the room. The case was this: Kitty, like an obstinategirl, had come to my cage, and, while Nancy was looking anotherway, opened my door; upon which I walked out very composedly, andshould have staid on the table, had she not screamed in such amanner as quite startled me. I jumped off, and ran under herchair. The whole company started up, and ran toward Kitty, whobegan to cry, conscious of its being her fault; but presentlyNancy desired her not to cry, as there was no harm done; for Ihad run into the dear girl's hand, the moment she stooped to tryto catch me. The young folks now departed. When I was put intomy cage again, (after having received two kisses from Nancy,for being so tame,) she brought me some food, and let me take alittle rest after my fright. In short, I lived a fortnight inthe happiest manner I could have wished. But, alas! one day, asNancy was playing with me, (without my chain,) the murderer of mypredecessor entered. I was so shocked, that in two jumps I was outof the window, which two jumps I shall regret as long as I live;for I never was happier than at the good Mrs. Grevilles. I ran,as fast as I possibly could, close by the wall, till I came tosome fields, where I climbed up a tree, and stayed in it tillnight; when a company of thieves coming to divide their spoils,laid a cloth and went to supper, which, when they had finished,they went to sleep on their backs, all in a row. I then venturedto come down, and see what I could find to eat; which was nothingbut a piece of bread, which I carried into the tree, and eat veryheartily.