after frisky squirrel had enjoyed a hearty meal of beechnuts he began to make hurried trips to a hollow tree nearby. he lived in that tree. it had a fine big storeroom. and there he carried beechnuts in his cheeks. frisky did not intend to go hungry when winter came.
meanwhile he watched reddy woodpecker out of the corner of his eye. he still hoped to catch reddy unawares. and at last frisky saw something that he hadn't expected to see. it made him stop short and stare.
he saw reddy woodpecker loosen a bit of bark and hide a beechnut under it. soon he beheld reddy stowing beechnuts away in a hole in an old stump.
frisky squirrel was wild with rage.
"i told you you might eat as many nuts as you pleased, if only you wouldn't mention beechnuts to jasper jay. i didn't say you might hide beechnuts. but i've caught you hoarding them!"
reddy woodpecker was not ruffled—not even a single feather.
"i'm putting away a few nuts," he admitted. "i expect to spend the winter here. and of course i shall need something to eat."
"don't you dare hide another nut!" frisky squirrel scolded.
"you're hoarding nuts yourself!"
"that's different," frisky blustered.
all at once a loud, harsh voice squalled right above their heads. it belonged to jasper jay. "a quarrel!" he bawled. "a quarrel over beechnuts! i must do what i can to stop it. i'll gather as many beechnuts as i can; because when they're all gone there won't be anything to quarrel about."
"another hoarder!" chattered frisky.
and jasper jay was not the last to appear. for johnnie green soon came hurrying up with a basket. and frisky regarded him with great disfavor.
"another hoarder!" frisky groaned. and he began to scold johnnie. "go away!" he cried. "we don't want you here." to his great disgust johnnie green shied a stone at him and told him not to be saucy.
jasper jay jeered loudly at frisky.
"that's what you get for being a pig," he told him. and turning to reddy woodpecker, jasper added, "you see the pigs aren't all in the pigsty!"
frisky squirrel pretended that he didn't hear any of jasper jay's remarks. he set to work again to gather beechnuts enough to last him all winter and never once stopped to dash at reddy woodpecker nor even look at him.
that was only the first of many busy days for reddy. having made up his mind to spend the winter at farmer green's place he hid nuts everywhere.
no doubt he never could remember all of his hiding places. but he found enough of them when winter came. and though frisky squirrel had stowed away all the nuts he could possibly need, he never could bear to watch reddy woodpecker pull out a beechnut from beneath a strip of bark.
he said he never did like to see a bird eat nuts.
