Snappy and the Nuts
Snappy was a busy, happy squirrel. All day long in the fall he searched through the leaves on the forest floor for tasty nuts to store for the long winter. He squeaked with excitement each time he found a nut and quickly buried it where he was sure he'd find it in the coming months. He had to hide them because other animals wanted to eat them, too.
The Nuts
Sometimes the Deer brothers trampled them and broke the nut shells. Often the naughty Chipmunk family stole them. Sometimes, Snappy couldn't quite remember where he put the piles of nuts. Snappy had been working for a long time and had saved many nuts. They would taste so good all winter when the ground is covered with snow.
Auntie Pip
Snappy thought for a long time about the best place to store them safely where no one could break or steal the nuts. Finally he smiled happily, thinking: "I'll ask Auntie Pip. She knows all kinds of interesting things."
A Safe Box
Auntie Pip told Snappy that the forest has lots of good places to store his property. "If you want them back within the next year or so, they'll have to be where we can find them easily but will be held safe from other Forest creatures. I'd suggest Owl's Forest Bank. You can put them in his safe box where he can watch it all the time. Lots of animals store their things with Owl. He is awake all night and during the day he has several salamanders who watch what is held in the bank."
Mr. Fox
Mr. Fox, who always seemed interested in other peoples’ business, ambled over to Snappy and Auntie Pip. “I have a bank as well, much better than Owl’s. It’s called ‘Fox’s Friends’ Bank’. I will give you three pine nuts for every acorn that you deposit in my bank.”
A Sharp Customer
Auntie Pip looked severely at Fox. “Mr. Fox, I know very well that you make this offer to everyone. I also know that you will not allow Snappy to take his nuts back until a whole year has passed. And you say you give more pine nuts, but you won’t let Snappy have those either until the year has passed. It’s not quite fair.”
A Better Bank
Mr. Fox walked away in a huff. Auntie Pip looked kindly at Snappy. “Many banks want you to deposit your property with them so that they can use it to buy other things, but you have to be careful. Owl is a good banker and won’t take advantage of you. He will give you only two pine nuts for each acorn, but you can get your acorns back any time and you get your pine nuts right away.”
A Deposit
Snappy thought that this sounded like a great plan. He worked hard all day digging up his nuts and carrying them to Owl’s Bank. Finally he had a large pile of nuts ready for Owl to take, and knocked at the bank’s door in Owl’s big tree stump. Owl put on his spectacles and turned his head this way and that to look at the beautiful pile of nuts. “You’re welcome to store these nuts in my bank, Snappy,” said Owl, “but you’ll need to open an account.”
Safe
Snappy wrote his name on the leaf that Owl showed him. Owl accepted it and signed it carefully. Together with Aunt Pip, Snappy and Owl carried the nuts to a safe storeroom in the base of Owl’s tree stump. “Now,” Snappy thought, “my property is safe from the Chipmunks and the Deer brothers - and Mr. Fox as well!”