Hazel Squirrel and Other Stories

Bushy-Tail dreams of a tree bearing several kinds of nuts, and little Hazel Squirrel joins him in looking for it. The two live in a city park, where a keeper supplies peanuts and friendly visitors offer more. Their search takes them along unfamiliar fences and into gardens, bringing both pleasure and trouble. When they lose their way and fall asleep inside a hat, a man carries them home to his daughter Alice, who makes a bed for them in her doll's cradle.

Other stories extend this talking animal world beyond the park. Pinkie Whiskers and his brothers, Twinkle and Winkle, come from a cheese factory and meet Sammy Woodchuck in a meadow. Their conversation about Uncle Whiskers connects politeness with kindness, while Pinkie's attempt to use a farmer's axe shows his eagerness to try unfamiliar tasks. These short adventures use ordinary objects, family habits and animal characters to make curiosity and care for others understandable to young readers.