white powder that covered him tasted very good. It reminded him of
wheat. And that is not surprising, since the flour was made of wheat
which Farmer Green had grown in his own fields, and which had been
ground into flour by the miller who lived further up Swift River.

Though the flour tasted good, Frisky did not like it as well as the
cake. He wished he had been covered with that sweet, snowlike
frosting.

[Illustration: "The Picnic"]

V

Some Lively Dodging

Frisky Squirrel was having his usual fun, leaping through the tree-tops.
He went skipping and scrambling among the boughs as if a hundred jays
were after him. But they were only make-believe enemies. And after a
while Frisky grew tired of playing all alone. He wished he could find
Jasper Jay again. He would have liked to tease the rude fellow, until
Jasper chased him.

As Frisky paused for a moment to catch his breath he heard a long-drawn,
squealing whistle, somewhat like the sound of escaping steam.

"There's Jasper Jay right now!" he exclaimed. "And he's trying to make
people think he's a red-tailed hawk. But he can't fool me that way.
I'll just go and find him. And then maybe I won't tease him!"

Frisky started toward the place where he had heard that whistle. He
called to Jasper Jay; but there was no answer. Nor did he hear the
whistle again. He hunted all around; but no Jasper Jay could he find.
And he was just going to give up the search when there was a sudden
rush through the air.

Frisky dodged just in time; and a big body, grayish-brown, with a
rusty-red tail, went tearing past him. He had been mistaken. It wasn't
Jasper Jay he had heard whistling, but this fierce red-tailed hawk.
Here was even more fun than Frisky had hoped for!

As soon as Mr. Hawk could stop his swift flight he turned and came
back again. And there followed the liveliest sort of dodging for
Frisky Squirrel. It was well for him that he had had plenty of
practice all the spring, or I am afraid he would never have escaped.

He was not afraid. And now and then he laughed at Mr. Hawk. And now
and then he shouted "Robber!" at him, and "Thief!" And he asked him
how many of Farmer Green's chickens he had stolen lately.

But Mr. Hawk never once answered--except to whistle sometimes as he
went sailing past. He paid strict attention to what he was doing. And
he seemed to have no idea of stopping until he got Frisky Squirrel in
his claws.

After a while Frisky began to t