It was most kind to Timmy Tiptoes; it lent him its night-cap; and the house was full of provisions.

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The Chipmunk explained that it had rained nuts through the top of the tree—­“Besides, I found a few buried!” It laughed and chuckled when it heard Timmy’s story.  While Timmy was confined to bed, it ’ticed him to eat quantities—­“But how shall I ever get out through that hole unless I thin myself?  My wife will be anxious!” “Just another nut—­or two nuts; let me crack them for you,” said the Chipmunk.  Timmy Tiptoes grew fatter and fatter!

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Now Goody Tiptoes had set to work again by herself.  She did not put any more nuts into the woodpecker’s hole, because she had always doubted how they could be got out again.  She hid them under a tree root; they rattled down, down, down.  Once when Goody emptied an extra big bagful, there was a decided squeak; and next time Goody brought another bagful, a little striped Chipmunk scrambled out in a hurry.

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“It is getting perfectly full-up down-stairs; the sitting-room is full, and they are rolling along the passage; and my husband, Chippy Hackee, has run away and left me.  What is the explanation of these showers of nuts?”

“I am sure I beg your pardon; I did not know that anybody lived here,” said Mrs. Goody Tiptoes; “but where is Chippy Hackee?  My husband, Timmy Tiptoes, has run away too.”  “I know where Chippy is; a little bird told me,” said Mrs. Chippy Hackee.

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She led the way to the woodpecker’s tree, and they listened at the hole.

Down below there was a noise of nut crackers, and a fat squirrel voice and a thin squirrel voice were singing together—­

    “My little old man and I fell out,
     How shall we bring this matter about? 
     Bring it about as well as you can,
     And get you gone, you little old man!”

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“You could squeeze in, through that little round hole,” said Goody Tiptoes.  “Yes, I could,” said the Chipmunk, “but my husband, Chippy Hackee, bites!”

Down below there was a noise of cracking nuts and nibbling; and then the fat squirrel voice and the thin squirrel voice sang—­

    “For the diddlum day
     Day diddle dum di! 
     Day diddle diddle dum day!”

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Then Goody peeped in at the hole, and called down—­“Timmy Tiptoes!  Oh fie, Timmy Tiptoes!” And Timmy replied, “Is that you, Goody Tiptoes?  Why, certainly!”

He came up and kissed Goody through the hole; but he was so fat that he could not get out.

Chippy Hackee was not too fat, but he did not want to come; he stayed down below and chuckled.

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And so it went on for a fortnight; till a big wind blew off the top of the tree, and opened up the hole and let in the rain.