Then Johnnie Jones behaved like a silly little boy, although he was four years old, quite old enough to know better.  He fussed and fumed until Mother said:  “I am sorry, but I can’t wait any longer.”  She went on down town and left Johnnie Jones.

Sammy Smith did not come over to play after all, because he had gone shopping with his mother.  Johnnie Jones soon grew tired of playing alone and wished he had not been so foolish.

That night the north wind blew and blew, so that, next morning, it was very cold when Johnnie Jones awoke.  Of course he could not go to kindergarten nor out to play, because he had no heavy coat to wear.  He begged his mother to wrap him in a shawl, and take him down town in the carriage, but she was too busy.  So poor little Johnnie Jones had to stay in the house all day.

That evening when it was time for his story, Mother said:  “I shall have to tell you the story of the foolish squirrel, because you reminded me of him to-day.”

This is the story.

Once upon a time, there lived in the woods a little squirrel whose name was Silver.  All summer long he played about with the other squirrels and had a very good time indeed.  Then, by and by, the days began to grow shorter and cooler.  The trees began to drop their brightly colored leaves and their nuts, and the soft green grass turned brown.  The wise old mother squirrels knew what these things meant, and they said to all the young ones: 

  “Winter is coming, so hurry away,
  You have no longer time to play. 
  Gather the nuts with all your might
  Before the ground with snow is white. 
  When winter comes there’s naught to eat
  Except the roots and nuts so sweet,
  Which you must gather in the fall. 
  So frisk away and store them all.”

The squirrels, large and small, went to work.  They found holes in the trees and old logs in which to hide their winter provisions, and they scampered away to find their favorite food.

All except little Silver.  He said to himself:  “Humph!  I don’t believe winter is coming so very soon, and besides, I’d rather just play, and eat the nuts, than work as these other squirrels are doing.”

So he played as he had all summer long, and he kept so warm frisking about in the sunshine that he did not realize how short and cold the days were growing.

At last winter really came.  Oh! how cold it was then.  Silver said:  “Perhaps I had better begin gathering some nuts for winter.”  But very few nuts could he find, not nearly enough to store away.  The other squirrels, and the people who lived near the woods, had been working while he was playing, and had gathered in the harvest.

Poor little Silver did not know what to do.  Winter was here and he had no provisions.  He went to all the other squirrels and begged for some of their nuts.  They only said:  “You were playing while we were working, now you must work while we rest and eat.”