Whitefootwasbeginningtofeelquiteathome.Hewouldhavebeenwhollycontentedbutforonething,—hehadnowell-filledstorehouse.Thismeantthateachdayhemusthuntforhisfood. Itwasn’tthatWhitefootmindedhuntingforfood. Hewouldhavedonethatanyway,eventhoughhehadhadcloseathandastore-housewithplentyinit. Buthewouldhavefelteasierinhismind. Hewouldhavehadthecomfortablefeelingthatiftheweatherturnedsobadthathecouldnoteasilygetoutandabout,hewouldnothavetogohungry. ButWhitefootisahappylittlefellowandwiselymadethebestofthings. Atfirsthecameoutverylittlebyday. Heknewthatthereweremanysharpeyeswatchingforhim,andthathewasmorelikelytobeseeninthelightofdaythanwhentheBlackShadowshadcreptallthroughtheGreenForest. Hewouldpeekoutofhisdoorwayandwatchforchancevisitorsinthedaytime. TwicehesawButchertheShrikealightashortdistancefromthetreeinwhichTimmylived. HeknewButcherhadnotforgottenthathehadchasedabadlyfrightenedMouseintoaholeinthattree. OncehesawWhiteytheSnowyOwlandsoknewthatWhiteyhadnotyetreturnedtotheFarNorth. OnceReddyFoxtrottedalongrightpastthefootoftheoldstubinwhichWhitefootlived,anddidn’tevensuspectthathewasanywherenear. TwicehesawOldManCoyotetrottingpast,andonceTerrortheGoshawkalightedonthatverystub,andsatthereforhalfanhour. SoWhitefootformedthehabitofdoingjustwhatTimmytheFlyingSquirreldid;heremainedinhishouseformostofthedayandcameoutwhentheBlackShadowsbegantocreepinamongthetrees. Timmycameoutaboutthesametime,andtheyhadbecomethebestoffriends. NowWhitefootisnotmuchgiventoenvyingothers,butasnightafternighthewatchedTimmyalittleenvycreptintohisheartinspiteofallhecoulddo. Timmywouldnimblyclimbtothetopofatreeandthenjump. Downhewouldcomeinalongbeautifulglide,foralltheworldasifhewereslidingontheair. ThefirsttimeWhitefootsawhimdoitheheldhisbreath. Hereallydidn’tknowwhattomakeofit. ThenearesttreetotheonefromwhichTimmyhadjumpedwassofarawaythatitdidn’tseempossibleanyonewithoutwingscouldreachitwithoutfirstgoingtotheground. “Oh!”squeakedWhitefoot.“Oh!he’llkillhimself!Hesurelywillkillhimself!He’llbreakhisneck!”ButTimmydidnothingofthekind. Hesaileddown,down,downandalightedonthatdistanttreeafootortwofromthebottom;andwithoutstoppingasecondscampereduptothetopofthattreeandoncemorejumped. Whitefoothadhardworktobelievehisowneyes. Timmyseemedtobejumpingjustforthepleasureofit.Asamatteroffact,hewas.Hewasgettinghiseveningexercise. Whitefootsighed.“IwishIcouldjumplikethat,”saidhetohimself.“Iwouldn’teverbeafraidofanybodyifIcouldjumplikethat.IenvyTimmy.Idoso.” 
