IRREL MAKES A FIND

Happy Jack Squirrel had had a wonderful day. He had found some big
chestnut-trees that he had never seen before, and which promised to
give him all the nuts he would want for all the next winter. Now he
was thinking of going home, for it was getting late in the afternoon.
He looked out across the open field where Mr. Goshawk had nearly
caught him that morning. His home was on the other side.

"It's a long way 'round," said Happy Jack to himself, "but it is best
to be safe and sure."

So Happy Jack started on his long journey around the open field. Now,
Happy Jack's eyes are bright, and there is very little that Happy Jack
does not see. So, as he was jumping from one tree to another, he spied
something down on the ground which excited his curiosity.

"I must stop and see what that is," said Happy Jack. So down the tree
he ran, and in a few minutes he had found the queer thing, which had
caught his eyes. It was smooth and black and white, and at one end it
was very sharp with a tiny little barb. Happy Jack found it out by
pricking himself with it.

"Ooch," he cried, and dropped the queer thing. Pretty soon he noticed
there were a lot more on the ground.

"I wonder what they are," said Happy Jack. "They don't grow, for they
haven't any roots. They are not thorns, for there is no plant from
which they could come. They are not alive, so what can they be?"

Now, Happy Jack's eyes are bright, but sometimes he doesn't use them
to the very best advantage. He was so busy examining the queer things
on the ground that he never once thought to look up in the tops of the
trees. If he had, perhaps he would not have been so much puzzled. As
it was he just gathered up three or four of the queer things and
started on again. On the way he met Peter Rabbit and showed Peter what
he had. Now, you know Peter Rabbit is very curious. He just couldn't
sit still, but must scamper over to the place Happy Jack Squirrel told
him about.

"You'd better be careful, Peter Rabbit; they're very sharp," shouted
Happy Jack.

But as usual, Peter was in too much of a hurry to heed what was said
to him. Lipperty-lipperty-lip, lipperty-lipperty-lip, went Peter
Rabbit through the woods, as fast as his long legs would take him.
Then suddenly he squealed and sat down to nurse one of his feet. But
he was up again in a flash with another squeal louder than before.
Peter Rabbit had found the queer things that Happy Jack Squirrel had