one day as twinkle tail was taking a walk through the treetops, he met a young lady squirrel. she was anxiously looking here and there as if in search of something.

“are you looking for anybody?” asked twinkle tail, lifting his little fur cap and bowing politely.

“not exactly,” she replied, “i’m looking for a furnished apartment. do you know of one?”

twinkle tail didn’t answer at once. he wanted to say something, but as he was a bashful little squirrel, it took him some time to make up his mind. miss squirrel, however, was not the least impatient, but curled her beautiful bushy tail up over her back and looked her prettiest.

at last he said: “why don’t you share my house? it’s a very nice sort of a place since i fixed it up. it once belonged to grandmother magpie, you know.”

after little miss squirrel had looked it over, she seemed greatly pleased, especially with the kitchenette, in which were stored lots of beech nuts, hazels and fir-cones. and i think she was even more pleased with twinkle tail, for she agreed to get married to him at once. so off he started for parson owl and a little gold ring, while she went into the kitchenette to get the wedding supper.

on his way he met little jack rabbit.

“i’m going to get married to-day! come to my house this afternoon at five,” shouted twinkle tail.

“all right,” answered the little rabbit. “i’ll run home to tell mother.”

pretty soon twinkle tail met squirrel nutcracker.

“i knew there was going to be a wedding,” he exclaimed, when he heard the news. “i saw three magpies this very morning, and that’s a sure sign.” then he patted the little squirrel’s head and promised that he and mrs. nutcracker would surely come.

by the time twinkle tail reached the parsonage at the top of the old oak tree it was quite late. “have you got the wedding ring?” asked parson owl as the little squirrel turned to go.

“goodness gracious meebus!” exclaimed twinkle tail, “i’ve forgotten all about it.”

parson owl yawned, for it’s only in the night-time that owls are wide awake, you know, and replied:

“can’t marry you without a ring. no, indeed. who ever heard of a wedding without a ring?”

(parson owl was wide awake enough to know that! goodness me! i hope the little squirrel will find a jewelry store somewhere in the shady forest.)