Onceuponatimetherewasalittlefatcomfortablegreysquirrel,calledTimmyTiptoes.Hehadanestthatchedwithleavesinthetopofatalltree;andhehadalittlesquirrelwifecalledGoody. TimmyTiptoessatout,enjoyingthebreeze;hewhiskedhistailandchuckled—“LittlewifeGoody,thenutsareripe;wemustlayupastoreforwinterandspring.” GoodyTiptoeswasbusypushingmossunderthethatch—“Thenestissosnug,weshallbesoundasleepallwinter.” “Thenweshallwakeupallthethinner,whenthereisnothingtoeatinspring-time,”repliedprudentTimothy. WhenTimmyandGoodyTiptoescametothenutthicket,theyfoundothersquirrelsweretherealready. Timmytookoffhisjacketandhungitonatwig;theyworkedawayquietlybythemselves. Everydaytheymadeseveraljourneysandpickedquantitiesofnuts.Theycarriedthemawayinbags,andstoredtheminseveralhollowstumpsnearthetreewheretheyhadbuilttheirnest. Whenthesestumpswerefull,theybegantoemptythebagsintoaholehighupatree,thathadbelongedtoawoodpecker;thenutsrattleddown—down—downinside. “Howshallyouevergetthemoutagain?Itislikeamoneybox!”saidGoody. “Ishallbemuchthinnerbeforespringtime,mylove,”saidTimmyTiptoes,peepingintothehole. Theydidcollectquantities—becausetheydidnotlosethem!Squirrelswhoburytheirnutsinthegroundlosemorethanhalf,becausetheycannotremembertheplace. ThemostforgetfulsquirrelinthewoodwascalledSilvertail. Hebegantodig,andhecouldnotremember. Andthenhedugagainandfoundsomenutsthatdidnotbelongtohim;andtherewasafight. Andothersquirrelsbegantodig,—thewholewoodwasincommotion! Unfortunately,justatthistimeaflockoflittlebirdsflewby,frombushtobush,searchingforgreencaterpillarsandspiders.Therewereseveralsortsoflittlebirds,twitteringdifferentsongs. Thefirstonesang—“Who’sbeendigging-upMYnuts?Who’s-been-digging-upMYnuts?” Andanothersang—“Littlebitabreadand-NO-cheese!Littlebit-a-breadan’-NO-cheese!” Thesquirrelsfollowedandlistened.ThefirstlittlebirdflewintothebushwhereTimmyandGoodyTiptoeswerequietlytyinguptheirbags,anditsang—“Who’s-beendigging-upMYnuts?Who’sbeendigging-upMY-nuts?” TimmyTiptoeswentonwithhisworkwithoutreplying;indeed,thelittlebirddidnotexpectananswer.Itwasonlysingingitsnaturalsong,anditmeantnothingatall. Butwhentheothersquirrelsheardthatsong,theyrusheduponTimmyTiptoesandcuffedandscratchedhim,andupsethisbagofnuts. Theinnocentlittlebirdwhichhadcausedallthemischief,flewawayinafright! Timmyrolledoverandover,andthenturnedtailandfledtowardshisnest,followedbyacrowdofsquirrelsshouting—“Who’s-beendigging-upMY-nuts?” Theycaughthimanddraggedhimuptheverysametree,wheretherewasthelittleroundhole,andtheypushedhimin. TheholewasmuchtoosmallforTimmyTiptoes’figure. Theysqueezedhimdreadfully,itwasawondertheydidnotbreakhisribs. “Wewillleavehimheretillheconfesses,”saidSilvertailSquirrelandheshoutedintothehole—“Who’s-been-digging-upMY-nuts?” TimmyTiptoesmadenoreply;hehadtumbleddowninsidethetree,uponhalfapeckofnutsbelongingtohimself.Helayquitestunnedandstill. GoodyTiptoespickedupthenutbagsandwenthome.ShemadeacupofteaforTimmy;buthedidn’tcomeanddidn’tcome. GoodyTiptoespassedalonelyandunhappynight.Nextmorningsheventuredbacktothenutbushestolookforhim;buttheotherunkindsquirrelsdroveheraway. Shewanderedalloverthewood,calling— “TimmyTiptoes!TimmyTip-toes!Oh,whereisTimmyTiptoes?” InthemeantimeTimmyTiptoescametohissenses. Hefoundhimselftuckedupinalittlemossbed,verymuchinthedark,feelingsore;itseemedtobeunderground. Timmycoughedandgroaned,becausehisribshurthim. Therewasachirpynoise,andasmallstripedChipmunkappearedwithanightlight,andhopedhefeltbetter? ItwasmostkindtoTimmyTiptoes;itlenthimitsnightcap;andthehousewasfullofprovisions. TheChipmunkexplainedthatithadrainednutsthroughthetopofthetree—“Besides,Ifoundafewburied!” ItlaughedandchuckledwhenitheardTimmy’sstory. WhileTimmywasconfinedtobed,it‘ticedhimtoeatquantities—“ButhowshallIevergetoutthroughthatholeunlessIthinmyself?Mywifewillbeanxious!” “Justanothernut—ortwonuts;letmecrackthemforyou,”saidtheChipmunk.TimmyTiptoesgrewfatterandfatter! NowGoodyTiptoeshadsettoworkagainbyherself. Shedidnotputanymorenutsintothewoodpecker’shole,becauseshehadalwaysdoubtedhowtheycouldbegotoutagain. Shehidthemunderatreeroot;theyrattleddown,down,down. OncewhenGoodyemptiedanextrabigbagful,therewasadecidedsqueak;andnexttimeGoodybroughtanotherbagful,alittlestripedChipmunkscrambledoutinahurry. “Itisgettingperfectlyfull-updownstairs;thesittingroomisfull,andtheyarerollingalongthepassage;andmyhusband,ChippyHackee,hasrunawayandleftme. Whatistheexplanationoftheseshowersofnuts?” “IamsureIbegyourpardon;Ididnotknowthatanybodylivedhere,”saidMrs.GoodyTiptoes;“butwhereisChippyHackee?Myhusband,TimmyTiptoes,hasrunawaytoo.” “IknowwhereChippyis;alittlebirdtoldme,”saidMrs.ChippyHackee. Sheledthewaytothewoodpecker’stree,andtheylistenedatthehole. Downbelowtherewasanoiseofnutcrackers,andafatsquirrelvoiceandathinsquirrelvoiceweresingingtogether— “MylittleoldmanandIfellout, Howshallwebringthismatterabout? Bringitaboutaswellasyoucan, Andgetyougone,youlittleoldman!” “Youcouldsqueezein,throughthatlittleroundhole,”saidGoodyTiptoes.“Yes,Icould,”saidtheChipmunk,“butmyhusband,ChippyHackee,bites!” Downbelowtherewasanoiseofcrackingnutsandnibbling;andthenthefatsquirrelvoiceandthethinsquirrelvoicesang— ThenGoodypeepedinatthehole,andcalleddown—“TimmyTiptoes!Ohfie,TimmyTiptoes!”AndTimmyreplied,“Isthatyou,GoodyTiptoes?Why,certainly!” HecameupandkissedGoodythroughthehole;buthewassofatthathecouldnotgetout. ChippyHackeewasnottoofat,buthedidnotwanttocome;hestayeddownbelowandchuckled. Andsoitwentonforafort-night;tillabigwindblewoffthetopofthetree,andopeneduptheholeandletintherain. ThenTimmyTiptoescameout,andwenthomewithanumbrella. ButChippyHackeecontinuedtocampoutforanotherweek,althoughitwasuncomfortable. Atlastalargebearcamewalkingthroughthewood.Perhapshealsowaslookingfornuts;heseemedtobesniffingaround. ChippyHackeewenthomeinahurry! AndwhenChippyHackeegothome,hefoundhehadcaughtacoldinhishead;andhewasmoreuncomfortablestill. AndnowTimmyandGoodyTiptoeskeeptheirnutstorefastenedupwithalittlepadlock. AndwheneverthatlittlebirdseestheChipmunks,hesings—“Who’s-been-digging-upMY-nuts?Who’sbeendig-ging-upMY-nuts?”Butnobodyeveranswers! 
