How the Flying Squirrel Got His Wings

"How the Flying Squirrel Got His Wings" by Julia Darrow Cowles is a charming children's story that explores themes of adventure, transformation, and the beauty of nature. Through the whimsical tale of a squirrel's journey, readers are invited to discover how determination and bravery can lead to extraordinary changes. Illustrated with delightful artwork, this book captivates young readers while imparting valuable lessons about embracing one's uniqueness and the importance of perseverance.

• Children
• Short story

								
LONG ago, in the Indian country, Nuk-da-go was chief of the squirrel
tribe. One day he was passing through the woods to see how all the
little squirrels were faring, and how they prospered in laying up
their store of nuts for the winter.

Now when Nuk-da-go went about the woods he often made himself
invisible, for by this means he heard and saw many things which would
not have been said or done if the woods people had known that he was
near.

On this day Nuk-da-go chanced to pass by the home of a little
squirrel, Jo-nis-gy-ont, who had worked very hard all the autumn
laying up nuts for his winter’s food.

Little Jo-nis-gy-ont lived all alone in a hollow tree close beside a
great pine. On one side, near the edge of a bit of marsh, lived
Brother Frog, and on the other side, under some rocks near the pine,
lived Brother Woodchuck.

Now for some days Jo-nis-gy-ont had been noticing that his stock of
nuts, instead of growing bigger, was growing smaller, though he worked
hard every day.

The big hickory-nut tree, from which he carried his stores, was a
half-hour’s journey away from the hollow tree. To be sure, there were
acorns and cone seeds much nearer home, but, as every one knows, the
hickory nut is the sweetest nut of the woods.

But of late, when Jo-nis-gy-ont returned from one of his long trips
with his cheeks bulging with hickory nuts, he would find fewer nuts
in his storehouse in the hollow tree than he had left there when he
started away. Little Jo-nis-gy-ont had his own ideas, but he thought
it best to be frank and friendly.

One evening, as he and Brother Frog and Brother Woodchuck were sitting
at the doors of their houses, little Brother Squirrel said,
“Neighbors, I have found that there is a thief about. My store of nuts
is being robbed.” Then he looked hard at Brother Frog and Brother
Woodchuck--for in those days, you must know, the frog tribe and the
woodchuck tribe were also eaters of nuts.

Brother Frog tried to look very much surprised as he said, “Who would
be so mean as to steal from little Jo-nis-gy-ont’s store of hickory
nuts? Such a thing would be a shame!” Then he managed to squeeze two
big tears from his eyes and let them roll slowly down his fat cheeks.

And Brother Woodchuck said, “Surely no one in the forest would steal
from you, little Brother Squirrel! There must be some mistake. Should
I see any robber taking your store of nuts, it would go hard with
him!”

But little Jo-nis-gy-ont had his own ideas still,--and so did
Nuk-da-go, chief of the squirrel tribe, who was listening, unseen.

That night Nuk-da-go came back to the forest to look into the matter.
He found little Jo-nis-gy-ont fast asleep; and down beside the rocks,
where Brother Woodchuck had his home, he could see the dirt flying
fast. Brother Woodchuck was digging for dear life. Nuk-da-go watched,
and as soon as the hole was big enough, Brother Woodchuck began
filling it with hickory nuts. Then he ran to the hollow tree, and in a
few minutes was back with more nuts, which he dropped into the hole
and covered carefully from sight.

Then Nuk-da-go went over to the edge of the marsh, where there was a
stirring in the thick moss. Nuk-da-go watched. Soon he saw Brother
Frog carefully lifting the moss, while he pushed under it a quantity
of hickory nuts. Then Brother Frog hopped away in the direction of the
hollow tree, and soon he was back, with his cheeks bulging. Then he
dropped more hickory nuts, which he pushed carefully under the moss.

“The hickory-nut tree is a half-hour’s journey away,” said the wise
Nuk-da-go. “I will look into this matter further.”

The next day Nuk-da-go went about among all the forest people and told
them that little Jo-nis-gy-ont’s store of nuts was being robbed.
“Shall we call a council?” he asked. “Shall we bring all the forest
people together to find out who is the robber?”

And all the forest people said, “Yes, yes.”

That night the council was held, and all the forest people came except
Brother Frog and Brother Woodchuck, who begged to be excused.

“No one can be excused from the council,” declared Nuk-da-go, who had
been appointed Chief. “Jo-nis-gy-ont, as you are their nearest
neighbor, I appoint you to go and bring them.”

Jo-nis-gy-ont hastened back, but when he told his errand, Brother Frog
jumped far out into the marsh and pretended not to hear, and Brother
Woodchuck slipped into his home under the rocks, out of sight.

But Nuk-da-go would be obeyed, so he went after them himself, and,
being Chief of the Council and Chief of the tribe, Brother Frog and
Brother Woodchuck had to come out when he called them, and they
followed him along to the council, looking very meek and very mean
indeed.

Then Nuk-da-go stood up before all the woods people and told them why
he had called them together, and what he had seen. And when he had
finished telling them about little Jo-nis-gy-ont’s store of nuts, and
about the nuts that were under the rocks, and under the moss, the
woods people looked at Brother Frog and Brother Woodchuck and they
said, “We will go and look into this, too.”

So all the company of woods people went to the hollow tree near the
pine and looked at Jo-nis-gy-ont’s poor little pile of nuts. Then they
went and uncovered the nuts by the rock, and the nuts that were tucked
beneath the moss. Then they looked at Brother Woodchuck and Brother
Frog, and asked, “What have you to say?”

But Brother Woodchuck and Brother Frog hadn’t a word to say! They just
looked mean, and ashamed.

Then the woods people decided that Nuk-da-go should be the judge. So
he told Brother Frog to sit before him, and he said, “I pronounce you
guilty of stealing your neighbor’s nuts, and you must be punished. You
are fat and lazy. Your food flies past your door, and you have only to
put out your tongue and catch it. Your little neighbor has to travel
far for his food. You sleep all winter and have no need to store
supplies. Jo-nis-gy-ont stays awake, and must eat. So your crime is
doubly bad, and this shall be your punishment: Hereafter you shall not
be able to eat nuts, for you shall lose all your teeth. Go to your
home now, and steal no more.”

Brother Frog hopped away, very sad and very much ashamed, and with the
first hop every one of his teeth dropped out,--and the frog tribe have
had no teeth from that day to this.

Then Nuk-da-go turned to Brother Woodchuck, and said, “You, too, are
found guilty of stealing your neighbor’s nuts, and you shall be
punished. Like Brother Frog, you are fat and lazy. You sleep through
the winter and need no food, while Jo-nis-gy-ont must work hard for
his. Go home. You shall not lose your teeth--for Brother Woodchuck was
holding his paws tightly over his mouth and quaking with fear--but
from this day on you and your tribe shall live upon leaves and grain
and the growing things of the fields and forests, but no more shall

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