Analy High School - Azalea Yearbook (Sebastopol, CA)

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in an old mossy, hollow tree. Stripes often thought of his home with Mrs. Ashley, but although he loved her, his love was not strong enough to make him go back to her and leave Prim. Every morning she came to the edge of the woods and called him, and he i an to take the nuts and fruit she brought him. Gradually he coaxed Prim to go with him and share the good things, but still they did not go to live at her house, for the love of the little brown squirrel babies in the soft bark lined nest kept them in the woods. 24

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off. Oh, how badly he felt ! Although he took a great deal of pains, with it afterwards it never looked quite the same again. As spring approached his blood ran quicker and he barked and chattered merrily. Sometimes he heard other squirrels calling in the woods, and stopped to listen. Something told him to go, but still he stayed. Day by day the desire grew stronger, until at last he went out to the edge of the woods and sat there for hours listen¬ ing. He sniffed the fragrance of the moist warm earth and it seemed to him that the woods had never been so beautiful before. Here the ground was white with toothwort and forget-me-nots, and just be¬ yond was a patch of shooting stars. Far away in the woods he heard a squirrel bark, and with a sort of answering call he bounded off to¬ wards the direction from which it came. The chattering grew louder and at last he saw two other squirrels sitting on a limb above him. One had a nut and as she whisked down to the ground to bury it in the dry leaves, Stripes thought he had never seen such a lovely squir¬ rel before. Never had he seen such fine fur and such a long, hand¬ some tail. (Here he thought of his own with a sigh of regret.) 1 le knew now why he had come and he was just going to tell her about it, when she hurried off deeper into the woods. He followed close behind and at last she climbed a tree which hung over a deep ravine. The water tumbled over mossy rocks and the white spray sprinkled the maiden-hair fern and the delicate saxifrage which grew close by. Stripes ran up the tree behind her and began to tell her how pretty she wasi but she would not listen, and only scolded him. That night he did not go back to his nest in the bureau drawer at Mrs. Ashley’s house, but slept in the open. All the next day he carried on his courtship, but it was of no avail. He heard Mrs. Ashley calling at the edge of the woods, and although he liked her very much, he could not leave I’rim, the ob¬ ject of his affections. On the third day Stripes won his suit; telling her how nice Mrs. Ashley was and what lovely things he had to eat, he at last coaxed Prim to come to the edge of the woods with him and then, bit by bit, he coaxed her to Mrs. Ashley ' s front yard, but she refused to go inside and share his nest there. He left her in the farthest end of the garden and went into the house to get her some almonds. When he came out he saw a strange squir¬ rel talking to his wife. With a pang of jealousy he saw how hand¬ some the intruder was, and with a squeal of anger he rushed at the stranger, who ran off as fast as he could. Stripes quickly decided it was best to do as his bride wished, and build a nest in the woods. The next day they went back and began to build a cozy home 23

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In English Class I stood before the English class, The fatal clay had come When I must make a little speech, A speech, while they sat mum. I spake and spake of this and that. Ah, me, what had I done ! My teacher marked me with a glance, Oh, I was fain to rim. I gasped, I stopped and silence fell; I sought my seat in shame. They glanced at me on every side. The teacher called my name. “-quoth she, “you needs must know As any Senior should, That you must quote to prove your point. Or else it is not good. ' ’ And thus spoke on the learned one I could not choose but hear, “You must repeat it o’er and o’er And make it very clear. “For people’s brains are very dull, Their sense is very small And even the brightest people have Almost no sense at all.” R- H., 13. -5