A Guest Author: The Three Squirrels

Before blogs were en vogue, my father amassed a group of fans who received his "Randoms" via email comprised of his musings and observations on a life he had lived as well as the life developing before him. The topics ranged from Vietnam to lost socks. One day he recounted the tale of "The Three Squirrels", a childhood story he told me to prepare me for the two little squirrels who would eventually join our family. Now that I am growing my own squirrel, I thought it was the right time to share this story.

My dad and his first squirrel

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The Three Squirrels

by Peter Krause

This is a story I made up for my older daughter just before her third birthday to prepare her for my wife’s upcoming delivery of twins.  As the months went by, the story evolved a little bit to accommodate new developments.

Now, nearly seventeen years after the story was first told, I am glad that the allegory has continued to be very true.  It was a favorite for many years in our house, when stories were in vogue. ...

Once upon a time there were three squirrels who lived in the forest. There was a momma squirrel, a papa squirrel, and a cute little squirrel named Jaimie. And they all lived together in a tree where they had lots of rooms. There was a family room, a kitchen room, an acorn storage room, a play room, a bedroom for momma and papa, and Jaimie’s own room.

One day, momma squirrel came to Jaimie squirrel and said, "We have to make two new rooms." "Why?" asked Jaimie squirrel. "Because you are going to have a new brother and sister squirrel to play with, and teach how to be good little squirrels," momma squirrel answered.  So everybody helped build the new rooms, especially Jaimie squirrel, who spent a lot of time carving out nice closets and shelves in the new bedrooms. And when the rooms were finished, Jaimie squirrel put some of her own toys in it to share with her new family, plus some new ones which she made.

One day momma squirrel went to the forest hospital and brought back two new baby squirrels. Jaimie squirrel put them in the squirrel cribs which she had built, and tucked them in for a nap. She decided to name them Phillip squirrel and Ashley squirrel.

Jaimie squirrel helped to take care of her younger brother and sister.  She sang to them and fed them. Jaimie squirrel taught her brother and sister about squirrel talk and squirrel games such as "kick the acorn" and "hide and seek".  She told them squirrel stories too.  When the twins got a little older, Jaimie squirrel showed Phillip and Ashley squirrel all the good places in the forest to hide and play, and where to find acorns and get good stuff to drink.   And Jaimie squirrel proudly introduced her brother and sister to all the other animals and birds in the forest.

Phillip squirrel and Ashley squirrel loved their big sister squirrel.  They played all the time in the forest, and the whole family lived together happily ever after.