The angry red squirrel pushed poor Silvy out of her granary, and she was
glad to crawl away, and hide herself in a hole at the root of a
neighbouring tree, where she lay in great pain and terror, licking her
wounds, and crying to think how cruel it was of her brother and sister to
leave her to the mercy of the red squirrel. It was surely very cowardly of
Foot-foot and Velvet-paw to forsake her in such a time of need; nor was
this the only danger that befel poor Silvy. One morning, when she put her
nose out of the hole, to look about her before venturing out, she saw
seated on a branch, close beside the tree she was under, a racoon, staring
full at her, with his sharp cunning black eyes. She was very much afraid
of him, for she thought he looked very hungry; but as she knew that
racoons are very fond of nuts and fruit, she said to herself, "Perhaps if
I show him where the red squirrel's granary in the beech-tree is, he will
not kill me." Then she said very softly to him, "Good Mister Coon, if you
want a very nice breakfast, and will promise to do me no hurt, I will tell
you where to find plenty of nuts."

The coon eyed her with a sly grin, and said, "If I can get anything more
to my taste than a pretty grey squirrel, I will take it, my dear, and not
lay a paw upon your soft back."

"Ah! but you must promise not to touch me, if I come out and show yon
where to find the nuts," said Silvy.

"Upon the word and honour of a coon!" replied the racoon, laying one
black paw upon his breast; "but if you do not come out of your hole, I
shall soon come and dig you out, so you had best be quick; and if you
trust me, you shall come to no hurt."

Then Silvy thought it wisest to seem to trust the racoon's word, and she