Charley's Songs

Chapter Six

Chips and Charley were hopping along a path that followed Silver Stream. Up about them, in the trees, they began to hear quite a racket. It was the squirrels. They were playing tag up in the trees. Chips and Charley wanted to join them, but they were not able to climb the trees and scurry through the branches like the squirrels could. Inst Chips and Charley were hopping along a path that followed Silver Stream. Up about them, in the trees, they began to hear quite a racket. It was the squirrels. They were playing tag up in the trees. Chips and Charley wanted to join them, but they were not able to climb thetrees and scurry through the branches like the squirrels could. Instead, they decided to follow them under the trees to watch their game.

"Hi, Chips and Charley," called a squirrel.

"Hi," they called back.

It was fun to watch the squirrels play tag. Thy moved so quickly in the branches that the leaves shook wildly. Leaves, nuts, and apples fell to the ground. Chips and Charley had to hop quickly to follow the squirrels as they leaped from branch to branch and tree to tree.

A little squirrel was now "it". He leaped and scurried almost as well as the bigger squirrels. He caught a brown squirrel and then quickly leaped away from him. He missed the branch, and he tumbled down onto a lower branch. He tried to clutch the branch, but he was unable to get a good grasp. He screeched, and fell to the ground. The other squirrels were so caught up in the game, they did not notice what happened. They leapt from tree to tree away from the fallen squirrel.

Chips and Charley hurried over to the little squirrel. He was on his back whimpering.

Chips asked, "Are you okay?"

"My back leg really hurts," the squirrel cried.

Charley tried to call out for the other squirrels, but they were already many trees away.

"Are you able to walk?" asked Chips.

"No, it hurts too much."

"Where do you live?" asked Chips. "Maybe we an find your mom and dad and have them come to get you."

"I live in the hollow tree near Roly-Poly Hill."

"I know that tree. I will hop there and see if I can find them. Charley, why don't you wait here with the squirrel?"

Charley nodded his head and sat near the squirrel. Chips started hopping as fast as he could toward Roly-Poly Hill. After he left, the squirrel started crying.

Charley said, "Now don't worry. We will find your mom and dad. My name is Charley. What is your name?"

"Carl ."

"I like that name."

"I'm cold, " Carl said.

"Let me cover you with some leaves."

Charley gathered some leaves and gently laid them on Carl.

Carl started to cry again.

Charley felt sorry for Carl. He decided to sing some silly songs to keep Carl from thinking about his pain.

"Listen to this silly song," he said.

Willy Winky lived on the moon.
Willy Winky had a big spoon.
He dug a big crater
sat down in the hole
and charged the by passers
a very large toll.

Carl smiled and Charley sang another song.

Cindy had a dinosaur
that sent her to the grocery store.
Cindy bought all the meat
and bought all the bread
and found her hungry dinosaur
had eaten all the pillows from her bed

Cindy's little dinosaur
isn't little anymore
He is full of bread
and full of meat
and he broke his tiny dinosaur seat.

Carl started laughing,"Those are silly. Where did you learn those songs?"

"I made them up all by myself."

"Could you make up one about me?"

So Charley sang:

Carl, the squirrel, fell from a tree.
He thought he broke his tail,
but he really hurt his knee.
He thought he'd never climb again,
but then he said, "Oh, gee!
Next time I'll choose a stickier tree.

Carl started to laugh again, and Charley began to laugh too.

"Hey," said a loud voice. "I thought you were hurt!"

"Oh, Daddy. I am hurt. Charley is singing silly songs and they are making me laugh."

Carl's mom was there too, and she ran to Carl and gave him a big hug.

"I think I hurt my leg," he said.

Carl's big brother was there too. He spread out a big blanket.

"We will put you in here and carry you back home," he explained.

They gently picked Carl up and placed him on the blanket. The squirrel and Chips help part of the blanket and began carrying Carl to his house.

Charley hopped along and continued to sing silly songs to keep Carl happy until he was home.

All of a sudden, there was a lot of noise and movement overhead. It was the silly squirrels. They were still playing tag. When they Card, they came down to the ground to see what had happened. When they found out that Carl fell, they felt bad that they didn't notice. They said they were sorry, and then they scurried up into the trees to continue their game of tag.

That made Charley think of lone last song:

Up in the tree
wiggling the leaves
silly little squirrels,
listen to me please!
As you leap from tree to tree,
look below and you will see
that you are dropping nuts
all over me.
Ouch!
Ouch!
Ouch!