"You had better do as we do, and make hay while the sun shines," said the
red squirrel.

"I would rather play in the sunshine, and eat what I want here," said
idle Velvet-paw, setting up her fine tail like a feather over her back, as
she ate an ear of corn.

"You are a foolish, idle thing, and will come to no good," said the red
squirrel. "I wonder where you were brought up?"

I am very sorry to relate that Velvet-paw did not come to a good end, for
she did not take the advice of her red cousin, to lay up provisions during
the harvest; but instead of that, she ate all day long, and grew fat and
lazy; and after the fields were all cleared, she went to the mill one day,
when the mill was grinding, and seeing a quantity of wheat in the feeder
of the mill, she ran up a beam and jumped down, thinking to make a good
dinner from the grain she saw; but it kept sliding down and sliding down
so fast, that she could not get one grain, so at last she began to be
frightened, and tried to get up again, but, alas! this was not possible.
She cried out to Nimble to help her; and while he ran to look for a stick
for her to raise herself up by, the mill-wheel kept on turning, and the
great stones went round faster and faster, till poor Velvet-paw was
crushed to death between them. Nimble was now left all alone, and sad
enough he was, you may suppose.

"Ah," said he, "idleness is the ruin of grey squirrels, as well as men,
so I will go away from this place, and try and earn an honest living in
the forest. I wish I had not believed all the fine tales my cousin the
black squirrel told me."