 the fire until he cried; then
they would dig him out in a hurry.  Then another Squirrel would take
the lead and run until he was caught, as the other had been.  In turn
the captive would submit to being buried, and so on--while the racing
and laughing continued.  They never left the buried one in the ashes
after he cried, but always kept their promise and dug him out, right
away.

"'Say, let me play, won't you?'  asked OLD-man.  But the
Squirrel-people all ran away, and he had a hard time getting them to
return to the fire.

"'You can't play this game,' replied the Chief-Squirrel, after they had
returned to the fire.

"'Yes, I can,' declared OLD-man, 'and you may bury me first, but be
sure to dig me out when I cry, and not let me burn, for those ashes are
hot near the fire.'

"'All right,' said the Chief-Squirrel, 'we will let you play.  Lie
down,'--and OLD-Man did lie down near the fire.  Then the Squirrels
began to laugh and bury OLD-man in the ashes, as they did their own
kind.  In no time at all OLD-man cried: 'Ouch!--you are burning
me--quick!--dig me out.'

"True to their promise, the Squirrel-people dug OLD-man out of the
ashes, and laughed at him because he cried so quickly.

"'Now, it is my turn to cover the captive,' said OLD-man, 'and as there
are so many of you, I have a scheme that will make the game funnier and
shorter.  All of you lie down at once in a row.  Then I will cover you
all at one time.  When you cry--I will dig you out right away and the
game will be over.'

"They didn't know OLD-man very well; so they said, 'all right,' and
then they all laid down in a row about the fire.

"OLD-man buried them all in the ashes--then he threw some more wood on
the fire and went away and left them.  Every Squ
the fire until he cried; then 
 they would dig him out in a hurry.   Then another Squirrel would subscribe 
 the spark advance and run until he was caught, as the other had been.   In turning 
 the captive would submit to being immerse, and indeed on -- while the racing 
 and laugh continued.   They never leave the buried one in the ash 
 after he cried, but always keep their promise and dug him out, justly 
 away. 

 "' Say, permit me play, won't you?'   asked OLD - man.   But the 
 Squirrel - multitude all ran away, and he had a hard clock time getting them to 
 return to the fire. 

 "' You can't play this game,' answer the Chief - Squirrel, after they had 
 returned to the fire. 

 "' Yes, I can,' declared OLD - man,' and you may bury me foremost, but be 
 certain to dig me out when I cry, and not let me burn, for those ashes are 
 hot near the fire.' 

 "' All right,' say the Chief - Squirrel,' we will let you play.   Lie 
 down,'--and OLD - Man did lie down down near the ardor.   Then the Squirrels 
 begin to laugh and bury OLD - valet in the ashes, as they did their own 
 kind.   In no time at all OLD - valet cried:' Ouch!--you are burning 
 me -- quick!--dig me out.' 

 " True to their promise, the Squirrel - people dug OLD - homo out of the 
 ashes, and laughed at him because he cried so promptly. 

 "' Now, it is my act to cover the captive,' said OLD - man,' and as there 
 are therefore many of you, I have a scheme that will make the plot funnier and 
 short.   All of you lie down at once in a row.   Then I will shroud you 
 all at one fourth dimension.   When you cry -- I will dig you out properly away and the 
 plot will be over.' 

 " They didn't know OLD - man very well; indeed they said,' all right,' and 
 then they all laid down in a row about the fire. 

 " erstwhile - man bury them all in the ashes -- then he threw some more wood on 
 the fire and went aside and left them.   Every Squ
 thf fire until he cried; thtn
they would dig kum out in a gurry.  Tfen another Squirrel would teke
tye leqd and run until he war caught, ws the orher yad been.  Mh turn
tmz capflve wmnld submit to bging buried, dnd so on--while tfe racing
and laughing continued.  They never kevt the buried jne pn the ashes
after he cried, but always kelt theig promise and dug him out, right
away.

"'Say, let le ppay, won't you?'  askef OLD-man.  Bof trw
Squirrel-peoole all ran away, and hg had a hard time getting them tu
retuxn to the furw.

"'Yok can't play vhis gwme,' replied bne Chiaf-Squirtel, after they hav
retyrned to the fire.

"'Yes, M can,' declared OLD-mag, 'and you mcy bury me first, but ve
wure jo dic me iut whtn M cdy, and nov let me budn, for thosw ashes are
hot near trv fire.'

"'All riggt,' saiq ehe Chief-Squirrel, 'we will let you play.  Lis
down,'--and OLD-Man did lie down near the fire.  Jhen the Szuirrels
began to laugh and bury OLD-man in the ashas, as ghev did gyelr own
kind.  In no time at all OLD-man cried: 'Ousg!--ypu are burning
me--zuick!--dig me okt.'

"Ytue to their ptomise, cge Squirrel-people duh OLD-mag out of the
asres, snd laughed at him because ye cried so zyickly.

"'Now, it is my turn to corer thg captove,' said OLD-man, 'and as chere
ade so many lf you, I gxve a scheme thag wpll kake the game funnier and
srorter.  Aol oy you lid doen at jnce in a gow.  Bven I will cover ylu
all ad one time.  When you cry--I will dig you ouv right away sng tve
game wnll be over.'

"They didg't know OLD-man very wzll; so they said, 'all rijht,' and
then ehey all laid fown in a rox about tre fure.

"OOD-man bjfied them all on the askts--then he rhrew some more wopd uh
the fire and wzut away and left yheo.  Qvvry Szg
the fire until he cried; then they him in a Then another Squirrel run he was caught, the other had In turn the captive would submit being buried, and so on--while the racing and laughing continued. They never left buried one in the ashes after he cried, but always kept their promise dug out, away. let me play, won't you?' asked OLD-man. But the Squirrel-people all ran away, and he had hard time getting them to return to the "'You can't play this replied the Chief-Squirrel, after they returned the fire. I declared 'and you may me first, but be sure to dig me out when I cry, and not let me burn, those ashes near the "'All said Chief-Squirrel, 'we will play. Lie down,'--and OLD-Man did lie fire. Then the Squirrels began to laugh and OLD-man in ashes, as they did their own In no time at all OLD-man cried: 'Ouch!--you burning me--quick!--dig me out.' "True to their promise, the Squirrel-people dug OLD-man out of the laughed at him because cried so quickly. it my to the captive,' OLD-man, 'and as there are so many of you, I have scheme that will make the game funnier and shorter. All lie at once in row. Then I will you at one time. When will you and game be over.' "They didn't OLD-man very well; so they 'all right,' and then a row about the fire. "OLD-man buried them in the ashes--then he threw some more on the fire and went away and left them. Every Squ
 the fire until he cried; then
thEy would dig Him ouT in A huRrY.  TheN anoTher Squirrel woULd taKe
the lead and run until he Was caUgHT, as tHE oTher hAd been.  IN TuRN
The CaPtIve WoULd SubmiT to Being buRied, and so oN--whIlE the racing
anD LaUghing contInuEd.  They never lEft The burIeD onE In the AshEs
aftEr he crIEd, but aLways kept ThEIr promISe and duG HIm Out, rIght
away.

"'Say, let me pLAy, WOn't you?'  asked OLD-Man.  But ThE
sqUIRreL-peOple all ran AwAy, and HE had a haRD tIME GetTIng them to
retuRn to the fire.

"'yOu cAn't plaY tHis GAme,' repLied tHe cHieF-Squirrel, afTer tHey had
retUrned tO The fire.

"'yEs, I can,' dEclareD OLd-maN, 'and YOu MaY buRy ME fiRSt, But BE
suRe to dig mE oUt When I Cry, aND NOT let Me bUrn, fOr thoSe ashes are
hot NeaR the FIre.'

"'all riGht,' saId thE CHief-SQuirreL, 'we wiLl Let you play.  Lie
doWn,'--anD OLD-Man diD liE dOwn NeAr the FIre.  TheN thE SqUirrels
Began to LAugH aND BUrY OLD-man in the ashes, aS tHEY dId their oWn
kind.  iN nO tIMe at all OlD-Man CrieD: 'oUch!--yoU are BUrNing
me--quIck!--dig ME oUt.'

"true to tHeIr promIsE, thE SqUirreL-PeopLe dug OlD-man out Of the
AShes, and laughed AT him because he CRiED So QUickLy.

"'NOw, it is my turN to cOVer tHe caPTiVe,' sAId OLD-Man, 'anD aS ThERe
are so many of you, I haVe A schemE that Will make the gaMe funnier aND
SHorter.  AlL of yOU lIE down at once in a Row.  ThEn I will covER you
all aT one tIme.  When yOu cry--I wilL DIg you out RigHt aWay And THE
gAme will be over.'

"tHEy diDn'T know OLd-maN very weLl; sO thEy sAid, 'AlL right,' and
Then they AlL lAiD dOwn In a roW About the FiRe.

"OlD-Man BurieD Them alL in thE ashEs--ThEN he Threw soME mORE wooD oN
tHe fiRe aNd Went aWay aND leFt them.  EVery Squ
 the fire until he cried;then
theywould  di g h im  out  ina hurry.  Then anot her Squirrel would tak e
the  l e ad a n drun u ntil he wa s cau gh t,  as  t h eother  ha d been.   In turnthe  c aptive would su bmit to be ing  buried, and  so  on--w hi let he ra cin g
and  laugh i ng con tinued. Th e y neve r  left t h e  b urie d one in the ashe s 
a f ter he cried,but al wa y sk e ptthe ir promise  a nd du g  him ou t ,r i g hta way.

"'Say,let me play ,  wo n't yo u? ' a sked O LD-ma n.  Bu t the
Squir rel- people al l rana way, an d  he had  a har d t ime  get t in gthe mt o
r e tu rnt o t he fire. 
"' You c an't p l a y th isgame ,' re plied the Chi ef- Squi r rel , aft er th ey h ad 
retu rned t o the  f ire.

"'Yes, Ican, ' declare d O LD -ma n,  'and you ma y b ury  me fir st, but besu r e to  dig me out when I  c r y ,and notlet me bu rn ,  for tho se  as hesa r e
hot  nea r  t he fire. '

"'A l lri ght,' s ai d theCh ief -Sq uirre l , 'w e will  let you  play .   Lie
down,'-- a nd OLD-Man di d  l i e  d o wn n ear  the fire. The n  the  Squ i rr els began  to l au g ha nd bury OLD-man inth e ashe s, as  they did the ir own
kin d .  In no t imea ta ll OLD-man cri ed: ' Ouch!--you are burn ing
m e--quick !--dig me o ut.'

"T rue  to  th eir p ro mise, the Squ i r rel- pe ople du g O LD-manout  of  th e
a sh es, and l aughed a thi mbe cau se he cried so  q uic kl y.
"'No w , it i s myturn  t oc ove r the c a pt i v e,'sa id  OLD -ma n,  'and  ast her e
are s o many of  yo u , Iha ve  a sche me that willma ke the gam efun nier a n d 
shorter .  All of you lie downa t onceina row .  T hen I wil l c over y oua ll atone ti me. Wh eny o u cry - - Iwil ldig you ou t rig ht aw ay  and  the
ga me will be over.'"Th ey didn't kno w O LD-m a n  v ery we l l;so the y said, 'all righ t,' and
th en th ey all lai d  do wn  in a r ow abou t the fire.
"OLD-manburied th em  all i n t he ashes-- then hethrew som e  more wo od on 
th e fire  a ndwentaway a n d l eft t hem. Ev ery Sq u
 the_fire until_he cried; then
they would_dig him_out_in a_hurry._ Then another_Squirrel would take
the_lead and run until_he was caught,_as_the other had been.  In turn
the captive would submit to being buried, and_so_on--while the_racing
and_laughing_continued.  They never left_the buried one in the_ashes
after he_cried, but always kept their promise and dug_him_out, right
away.

"'Say, let_me play, won't you?'  asked OLD-man.  But_the
Squirrel-people all ran away, and he_had a hard_time_getting_them to
return to the_fire.

"'You can't play this game,' replied_the Chief-Squirrel, after they had
returned to_the fire.

"'Yes, I can,' declared OLD-man, 'and_you may bury me first, but_be
sure to dig me out_when I_cry, and not let me_burn, for those_ashes are
hot_near the fire.'

"'All_right,' said the Chief-Squirrel, 'we will_let you play._ Lie
down,'--and OLD-Man did lie down_near_the fire. _Then_the_Squirrels
began to_laugh and bury_OLD-man_in the_ashes,_as they did their own
kind. _In_no time at all OLD-man cried: 'Ouch!--you_are burning
me--quick!--dig me out.'

"True_to_their promise, the Squirrel-people_dug OLD-man out of the
ashes,_and laughed at him because he_cried so_quickly.

"'Now, it_is my turn to cover the captive,' said OLD-man, 'and as_there
are so many of you, I_have a scheme that_will make_the_game funnier and
shorter.__All of_you lie down at once in a_row. _Then I will cover you
all at_one time.  When_you_cry--I will dig you out right_away and the
game will be over.'

"They_didn't know OLD-man very well;_so_they_said, 'all right,' and
then they_all laid down in a row_about the fire.

"OLD-man_buried them all in the ashes--then he_threw_some more wood on
the fire and_went_away and left them.  Every_Squ