Frisky Squirrel was just a bit angry at this remark about his tail.

"What about your ears?" he asked. "Not one of the forest-people--except
rabbits--wears his ears so long as you do. I must say that they look
very queer. How'd you like to have me trim them for you?"

"Tell you what we'll do," Jimmy Rabbit said. "I'll cut off your tail
and you'll cut off my ears. What do you say?"

Somehow or other, Frisky did not quite like the idea of losing his
tail. He was so used to having it that he was afraid he might miss it
dreadfully. And he even thought that he would rather keep it--even if
it _was_ out of fashion.

But Jimmy Rabbit ran home to get his mother's shears. And when he came
back with them Frisky couldn't think of any good excuse for not
letting Jimmy cut off his tail for him. As Jimmy came hopping up with
the shears, Frisky Squirrel put out his paw.

"What do you want?" asked Jimmy.

"The shears!" Frisky said. "I'm going to trim your ears, you know."

"Oh--yes!" Jimmy answered. "But I thought of this _first_, you
remember. So I'll cut your tail off first. Then you'll have your
turn--see?" He kept a firm hold on the shears. And almost before Frisky
knew what was happening Jimmy had stepped behind him and had placed
Frisky's tail between the big shears.

"Will it hurt?" Frisky asked, as he looked behind him.