The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes
Once
upon
a
time
there
was
a
little
fat
comfortable
grey
squirrel,
called
Timmy
Tiptoes.
He
had
a
nest
thatched
with
leaves
in
the
top
of
a
tall
tree;
and
he
had
a
little
squirrel
wife
called
Goody.
Timmy
Tiptoes
sat
out,
enjoying
the
breeze;
he
whisked
his
tail
and
chuckled
“Little
wife
Goody,
the
nuts
are
ripe;
we
must
lay
up
a
store
for
winter
and
spring.”
Goody
Tiptoes
was
busy
pushing
moss
under
the
thatch.
“The
nest
is
so
snug,
we
shall
be
sound
asleep
all
winter.”
“Then
we
shall
wake
up
all
the
thinner,
when
there
is
nothing
to
eat
in
spring
time,”
replied
prudent
Timothy.
When
Timmy
and
Goody
Tiptoes
came
to
the
nut
thicket,
they
found
other
squirrels
were
there
already.
Timmy
took
off
his
jacket
and
hung
it
on
a
twig;
they
worked
away
quietly
by
themselves.
Every
day
they
made
several
journeys
and
picked
quantities
of
nuts.
They
carried
them
away
in
bags,
and
stored
them
in
several
hollow
stumps
near
the
tree
where
they
had
built
their
nest.
When
these
stumps
were
full,
they
began
to
empty
the
bags
into
a
hole
high
up
a
tree,
that
had
belonged
to
a
woodpecker;
the
nuts
rattled
down
down
down
inside.
“How
shall
you
ever
get
them
out
again?
It
is
like
a
money
box!”
said
Goody.
“I
shall
be
much
thinner
before
springtime,
my
love,”
said
Timmy
Tiptoes,
peeping
into
the
hole.
They
did
collect
quantities
because
they
did
not
lose
them!
Squirrels
who
bury
their
nuts
in
the
ground
lose
more
than
half,
because
they
cannot
remember
the
place.
The
most
forgetful
squirrel
in
the
wood
was
called
Silvertail.
He
began
to
dig,
and
he
could
not
remember.
And
then
he
dug
again
and
found
some
nuts
that
did
not
belong
to
him;
and
there
was
a
fight.
And
other
squirrels
began
to
dig,
the
whole
wood
was
in
commotion!
Unfortunately,
just
at
this
time
a
flock
of
little
birds
flew
by,
from
bush
to
bush,
searching
for
green
caterpillars
and
spiders.
There
were
several
sorts
of
little
birds,
twittering
different
songs.
The
first
one
sang
“Who’s
been
digging
up
MY
nuts?
Who’s
been
digging
up
MY
nuts?”
And
another
sang
”Little
bit
a
bread
and
NO
cheese!
Little
bit
a
bread
an’
NO
cheese!”
The
squirrels
followed
and
listened.
The
first
little
bird
flew
into
the
bush
where
Timmy
and
Goody
Tiptoes
were
quietly
tying
up
their
bags,
and
it
sang
“Who’s
been
digging
up
MY
nuts?
Who’s
been
digging
up
MY
nuts?”
Timmy
Tiptoes
went
on
with
his
work
without
replying;
indeed,
the
little
bird
did
not
expect
an
answer.
It
was
only
singing
its
natural
song,
and
it
meant
nothing
at
all.
But
when
the
other
squirrels
heard
that
song,
they
rushed
upon
Timmy
Tiptoes
and
cuffed
and
scratched
him,
and
upset
his
bag
of
nuts.
The
innocent
little
bird
which
had
caused
all
the
mischief,
flew
away
in
a
fright!
Timmy
rolled
over
and
over,
and
then
turned
tail
and
fled
towards
his
nest,
followed
by
a
crowd
of
squirrels
shouting
“Who’s
been
digging
up
MY
nuts?”
They
caught
him
and
dragged
him
up
the
very
same
tree,
where
there
was
the
little
round
hole,
and
they
pushed
him
in.
The
hole
was
much
too
small
for
Timmy
Tiptoes’
figure.
They
squeezed
him
dreadfully,
it
was
a
wonder
they
did
not
break
his
ribs.
“We
will
leave
him
here
till
he
confesses,”
said
Silvertail
Squirrel
and
he
shouted
into
the
hole
“Who’s
been
digging
up
MY
nuts?”
Timmy
Tiptoes
made
no
reply;
he
had
tumbled
down
inside
the
tree,
upon
half
a
peck
of
nuts
belonging
to
himself.
He
lay
quite
stunned
and
still.
Goody
Tiptoes
picked
up
the
nut
bags
and
went
home.
She
made
a
cup
of
tea
for
Timmy;
but
he
didn’t
come
and
didn’t
come.
Goody
Tiptoes
passed
a
lonely
and
unhappy
night.
Next
morning
she
ventured
back
to
the
nut
bushes
to
look
for
him;
but
the
other
unkind
squirrels
drove
her
away.
She
wandered
all
over
the
wood,
calling
“Timmy
Tiptoes!
Timmy
Tip
toes!
Oh,
where
is
Timmy
Tiptoes?”
In
the
meantime
Timmy
Tiptoes
came
to
his
senses.
He
found
himself
tucked
up
in
a
little
moss
bed,
very
much
in
the
dark,
feeling
sore;
it
seemed
to
be
underground.
Timmy
coughed
and
groaned,
because
his
ribs
hurt
him.
There
was
a
chirpy
noise,
and
a
small
striped
Chipmunk
appeared
with
a
night
light,
and
hoped
he
felt
better?
It
was
most
kind
to
Timmy
Tiptoes;
it
lent
him
its
nightcap;
and
the
house
was
full
of
provisions.
The
Chipmunk
explained
that
it
had
rained
nuts
through
the
top
of
the
tree
“Besides,
I
found
a
few
buried!”
It
laughed
and
chuckled
when
it
heard
Timmy’s
story.
While
Timmy
was
confined
to
bed,
it
‘ticed
him
to
eat
quantities
“But
how
shall
I
ever
get
out
through
that
hole
unless
I
thin
myself?
My
wife
will
be
anxious!”
“Just
another
nut
or
two
nuts;
let
me
crack
them
for
you,”
said
the
Chipmunk.
Timmy
Tiptoes
grew
fatter
and
fatter!
Now
Goody
Tiptoes
had
set
to
work
again
by
herself.
She
did
not
put
any
more
nuts
into
the
woodpecker’s
hole,
because
she
had
always
doubted
how
they
could
be
got
out
again.
She
hid
them
under
a
tree
root;
they
rattled
down,
down,
down.
Once
when
Goody
emptied
an
extra
big
bagful,
there
was
a
decided
squeak;
and
next
time
Goody
brought
another
bagful,
a
little
striped
Chipmunk
scrambled
out
in
a
hurry.
“It
is
getting
perfectly
full
up
downstairs;
the
sitting
room
is
full,
and
they
are
rolling
along
the
passage;
and
my
husband,
Chippy
Hackee,
has
run
away
and
left
me.
What
is
the
explanation
of
these
showers
of
nuts?”
“I
am
sure
I
beg
your
pardon;
I
did
not
know
that
anybody
lived
here,”
said
Mrs.
Goody
Tiptoes;
“but
where
is
Chippy
Hackee?
My
husband,
Timmy
Tiptoes,
has
run
away
too.”
“I
know
where
Chippy
is;
a
little
bird
told
me,”
said
Mrs.
Chippy
Hackee.
She
led
the
way
to
the
woodpecker’s
tree,
and
they
listened
at
the
hole.
Down
below
there
was
a
noise
of
nutcrackers,
and
a
fat
squirrel
voice
and
a
thin
squirrel
voice
were
singing
together
“My
little
old
man
and
I
fell
out,
How
shall
we
bring
this
matter
about?
Bring
it
about
as
well
as
you
can,
And
get
you
gone,
you
little
old
man!”
“You
could
squeeze
in,
through
that
little
round
hole,”
said
Goody
Tiptoes.
“Yes,
I
could,”
said
the
Chipmunk,
“but
my
husband,
Chippy
Hackee,
bites!”
Down
below
there
was
a
noise
of
cracking
nuts
and
nibbling;
and
then
the
fat
squirrel
voice
and
the
thin
squirrel
voice
sang
“For
the
diddlum
day
Day
diddle
durn
di!
Day
diddle
diddle
dum
day!”
Then
Goody
peeped
in
at
the
hole,
and
called
down
“Timmy
Tiptoes!
Oh
fie,
Timmy
Tiptoes!”
And
Timmy
replied,
“Is
that
you,
Goody
Tiptoes?
Why,
certainly!”
He
came
up
and
kissed
Goody
through
the
hole;
but
he
was
so
fat
that
he
could
not
get
out.
Chippy
Hackee
was
not
too
fat,
but
he
did
not
want
to
come;
he
stayed
down
below
and
chuckled.
And
so
it
went
on
for
a
fort
night;
till
a
big
wind
blew
off
the
top
of
the
tree,
and
opened
up
the
hole
and
let
in
the
rain.
Then
Timmy
Tiptoes
came
out,
and
went
home
with
an
umbrella.
But
Chippy
Hackee
continued
to
camp
out
for
another
week,
although
it
was
uncomfortable.
At
last
a
large
bear
came
walking
through
the
wood.
Perhaps
he
also
was
looking
for
nuts;
he
seemed
to
be
sniffing
around.
Chippy
Hackee
went
home
in
a
hurry!
And
when
Chippy
Hackee
got
home,
he
found
he
had
caught
a
cold
in
his
head;
and
he
was
more
uncomfortable
still.
And
now
Timmy
and
Goody
Tiptoes
keep
their
nut
store
fastened
up
with
a
little
padlock.
And
whenever
that
little
bird
sees
the
Chipmunks,
he
sings
“Who’s
been
digging
up
MY
nuts?
Who’s
been
digging
up
MY
nuts?”
But
nobody
ever
answers!
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