A Sleepy-Time Tale
By Arthur Scott Bailey
Copyright 1916
I’ve always enjoyed anthropomorphism in children’s
books. Giving animals human emotions and
actions is an imaginative way to tell a story.
Even I have my limits, though. I
recently picked up a new picture book about some forest animal friends. A little rabbit was in trouble and the other
animals weren’t sure how to help her. No
worries! Along came Mr. Owl who snatched
up Little Rabbit in his claws and lifted her to safety. The picture of the little rabbit happily
flying along while grasped in sharp talons was just a little too much.
This little Tale of Sandy Chipmunk was much different. Sure, Sandy Chipmunk wore clothing and went
shopping at Uncle Sammy Coon’s store.
The difference was the educational value of his shopping trip. Sandy paid for the coveted beechnuts,
butternuts, and chestnuts in Sammy’s preferred means of payment: ears of green corn.
Sandy then worked diligently digging out his new house,
being careful to carry the loose dirt away from the openings so predators
cannot find them. He left plenty of room
for storage of nuts, seeds, and grains to carry him through the winter. I even learned a new fact: chipmunks like to eat bird eggs!
Humor is not lacking in this story. Sandy is curious about the farmer’s
mailbox. After climbing up and seeing a
letter with a picture of a chipmunk on it, Sandy assumes the letter is his and
carries it away. Unfortunately, neither
he nor the other animals can read, so he doesn’t know what the letter
says. Later, Farmer Green is confused as
to why he never got the letter that all of his neighbors received about an
effective new poison to get rid of those pesky chipmunks, squirrels, and
mice. Good going, Sandy!
This book is just one of a series of ten, each telling a
tale of a different wild animal. I’m
curious to read The Tale of Jimmy Rabbit.
My guess is that he never enjoyed a pleasant ride in an owl’s
talons.
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