Stories of Humble Friends

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902. Excerpt: ... the south, and the maple trees were green with winged seeds, the children rather sadly opened the door of the cage and set the wild geese free. And that was the best ending to the story, the father said. THE FLYING SQUIRREL One of the branches of Mr. Whiting's great poplar tree had died, and Mr. Whiting told Tim, the hired man, to saw it off. Billy Whiting and his cousin Joe followed Tim out on the lawn and watched him climb the tree, settle himself among the branches, and begin to saw. Billy and Joe were about the same age, but Billy was the taller by almost half a head. He was rather a fat boy, and something of a bully. Ever since his cousin Joe had come to visit him, he had been teasing and daring him. Ho, he would say, you can't do what / do; or, You'd be afraid, but Tm not; or, you daren't do it, but / can. Now as they stood watching Tim up in the tree, sawing away, Billy began boasting again: You ought to see me climb. You couldn't climb up there and saw that limb, could you? I don't know, said Joe doubtfully. 'Course you couldn't; I could though. Yes, sir, I'd just climb up there as easy as anything and saw that limb off. I wouldn't be afraid. Suddenly from the shaking branch a flying squirrel came sailing down directly at Billy. It must have been too badly frightened to know where it was going. When Billy saw the thing skimming down at him, he was so terrified that he spread his arms out and fell flat on his back on the ground, howling. The flying squirrel scarcely touched him and was gone in a moment, but the boy still lay there, crying so loudly that his mother came out on the piazza. What's the matter, Billy? she asked. Tim up in the tree had seen it all, and he laughed so hard that he had to stop sawing. When Joe told his aunt ...