Snuffy the tree top squirrel was busy on a tree-top branch in Hazeldeen wood collecting nuts for the winter because there is very little food around in the winter months for Snuffy and his friends. Snuffy was happily skipping along, putting the nuts into his bag that he had hung on one of the tree-top branches, when he was suddenly startled by a noise below, which made Snuffy drop three nuts that he was about to put in his bag.

As the nuts were falling to the ground, they hit little Alice Butterworth on the head, one after the other, caus-ing Alice to shout out, “Ouch, Ouch, Ouch, what ever was that,“ Alice cried.

Snuffy couldn’t help laughing when he looked down and saw little Alice rubbing her sore head. He hurried down to one of the lower branches to get a better look at Alice. “Sorry about that,” said Snuffy. “You star-tled me. I do hope I didn’t hurt you too much I really am sorry.”

Alice looked up to see just where the voice was coming from, but to her amazement, all she could see was a small Squirrel sitting on a branch above her head. ‘Surely it couldn’t be a talking squirrel?’ she thought to herself. “Its all right it didn’t hurt that much,” said Alice.

Snuffy did a summersault; a handstand and a little dance on the branch. “Oh I am pleased,” said Snuffy.

“Why, you really can talk,” said Alice.

“Of course I can talk, of course I can talk,” Snuffy replied, repeating himself. “All of us squirrels can talk, silly.”

“Well, I’ve never heard of a talking squirrel before,” explained Alice.

“Well, I’ve never heard of a talking little girl before. Why, if I told my squirrel friends, they would think that I had gone completely mad, so they would, so there,” Snuffy told Alice.

Alice was astonished as she wondered to herself just how this could be. She then asked Snuffy, “Where do you live then?”

“Why, at number seven Acorn Close, Tree Top House, Hazeldeen Wood, of course,” Snuffy told Alice.

“You mean that you’ve got a real address,” asked Alice.

“Of course I have, of course I have,” Snuffy repeated. “How else would the tree top postman fetch my let-ters silly?”

“And who lives at Tree Top House with you?” asked Alice.

“Just me and Pop at the moment, unless we get some visitors,” replied Snuffy. “You ask a lot of questions for a silly little girl.”

“Stop calling me a silly little girl,” said Alice. “My name is Alice. I’m not a little girl, and I’m not silly, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh well! We are touchy aren’t we.” replied Snuffy.

“Sorry,” said Alice, “I didn’t mean to be. Will you forgive me Snuffy?”

“Ok then, I don’t mind you asking me questions, so I don’t Alice. But I can’t sit here talking to you all day; I have to gather enough nuts to see me and Pop don’t go hungry when the winter comes.”

“But it’s summer time now, Snuffy,” said Alice.

“I know that,” said Snuffy. “We have to gather them while they’re here and put them away until later.”

“Oh, I see,” said Alice. “Do you have furniture in your house Snuffy?”

“Of course we do. Why, Pop has the best acorn armchair in the whole of Hazeldeen Wood. Well, I must dash, Alice.” Snuffy then ran back up to the top of the tree to carry on gathering his nuts.

“Goodbye,” shouted Alice. “When will I see you again, Snuffy?”

“Oh you will,” Snuffy shouted back, as he waved his bushy tail to Alice. “I’ll find you. Don’t worry, just come to the same tree the next time you visit Hazeldeen Wood.”

Alice picked up her basket that she had been carrying. She was to pick blackberries for her Grandma to make a blackberry pie.

Snuffy filled his bag with the nuts and went home to show his Pop just how many nuts that he had collected. When Snuffy reached his house, his Pop was sat in his favourite acorn armchair reading the Tree Top Times with his spectacles perched on the end of his nose. “ It's only me,” said Snuffy.

Pop put down his newspaper and pushed his spectacles back onto his face. “Did you get many nuts?” Pop asked Snuffy.

“Yes lots,” replied Snuffy.

“Anything exciting happened while you were out Snuffy,” asked his Pop.

“No, not a thing,” replied Snuffy.

The end

Maddie Bourke © 2007

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Category: Children's Stories