Freddie the Naughty Squirrel

      Once upon a time there was a little squirrel named Freddie.  He was born in a tree near the Tiny Wood by Mr. and Mrs. Craig's house.  He was the only child of Mrs. Nutshell and was spoiled like some only children are

      Freddie's mother loved her little squirrel and tried to keep him close to her, but he liked to wander off.  Mrs. Nutshell told her son, "You must stay out of Mr. and Mrs. Craig's yard.  There are two fierce dogs who live there and would like nothing better than to catch a little squirrel like you."

      Freddie tried to obey his mother, but also in Mr. and Mrs. Craig's yard was a large pond where he saw them swimming on occasion.  Freddie thought it would be fun to go swimming in the pond.   Freddie liked to tease the big black and brown dogs in the yard also.  He would run back and forth along the top of the wooden fence with the dogs barking underneath him.  He thought that was so much fun.  Sometimes he did this at night and the dogs would wake up Mr. and Mrs. Craig with their barking.   "I wonder what the dogs were barking at last night?" Mr. Craig asked Mrs. Craig.

        One day when the backyard was quiet and Freddie knew the dogs were sleeping under the deck because it was a very hot day, he thought a swim in the pond would be nice.  He jumped from branch to branch and then onto the fence.   A quick jump off the fence and across the yard and splash, he was in the pond.  " Ahhh," he thought to himself as he swam around and around.  It was fun for a while but before long he became tired and wanted to get out.  Then was when he noticed the sides of the pond were steep and slippery and he couldn't get out.  Just then he noticed the big brown dog was watching him from the edge of the pond licking his lips.

          What to do, what to do?  He was getting so tired and now he was feeling waterlogged.  He began to panic.  Suddenly, Mrs. Craig appeared at the edge of the pond and noticed her dog watching something.  "It's a rat!" she thought to herself and then looked closer and saw it was a little squirrel swimming around and around looking panicked.  Now both big dogs were standing by the pond watching Freddie go around and around.  Mrs. Craig ran and got the pool skimmer and tried scooping Freddie out.  "No, no," cried Freddie and jumped off the skimmer.  Once again Mrs. Craig tried scooping him up and this time Freddie grabbed ahold of the pole and quickly she carried him up and over the dogs and over the fence into the trees.  He fell to the ground and began to run.  He was free!

           Freddie ran as fast as he could to his home in a hole in the tree.  His mother looked up from cracking nuts and cried, "Why are you so wet?"  Freddie looked sheepish and then told his mother what he had done.  "You naughty squirrel," Mrs. Nutshell said.  "It's to bed with you without your supper."

       Freddie didn't care.  He was safe at home and had escaped a horrible death by drowning or by being gobbled up by a big dog.  He curled up in his little bed and with a sigh went fast asleep and when he awoke there was a plate of nuts by his bed. 

      This story is true except for the made up part. Bye.