The Squirrel's Goblet: 56 Tales of Nature's Wonders & Antics

By Phyllis Ann Muzeroll and Jeannette St. Hilaire Muzeroll

From the poor duck that was mystified by her own egg-laying abilities to finding snow ghosts, The Squirrels Goblet is a heart-warming collection of 56 true-life stories of natures wonders and antics. Highlighted by photos, the tales include funny, often touching, anecdotes about drunken birds, a disappearing rope, fireflies, a delicate loop of snow, thunderstorm sideshows, a frog and his feather and much more. In the tradition of Aesops Fables, each story is followed by a modern-day moral. A relaxing book for adults and young adults; easy to read to and enjoy with children.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 16, 2002
• ISBN: 9781465332257

Phyllis Ann Muzeroll

The authors, an essayist and a journalist/photographer, are also mother (Jeannette) and daughter (Phyllis). Over the years, they’ve enjoyed many adventures together: going on jaunts to find new places to explore, gardening, bird-watching, studying the intricacies that give the world its color and personality. Now, they’ve embarked on one more great adventure together, that of writing The Squirrel’s Goblet. They introduce readers to a collection of touching animal and nature tales, sharing their adventures found in the rural beauty of Northern New England. They remind us that “the greatest moments in life can be appreciated in the smallest wonders all around.”

Book preview

The Squirrel’s Goblet

56 Tales of Nature’s

Wonders & Antics

Phyllis Ann Muzeroll

Jeannette St. Hilaire Muzeroll

Copyright © 2001 by Ms. Phyllis Ann Muzeroll.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form

or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any

information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright

owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-7-XLIBRIS

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

Contents

Authors’ Notes

Story One

The Melee

Story Two

Frog Pond

Story Three

The New Puppy

Story Four

Fire And Brimstone

Story Five

The Diner

Story Six

Twins

Story Seven

Courage And Friendship

Story Eight

Fussy Plants

Story Nine

A Bird In The Antenna Is Worth . . .

Story Ten

The Fossilized Surprise

Story Eleven

In-Love Robin

Story Twelve

The Disappearing Rope Trick

Story Thirteen

Getting To Know Her

Story Fourteen

Har-umph!

Story Fifteen

Sadie

Story Sixteen

Winter Birds

Story Seventeen

The Toad

Story Eighteen

The Watering Hole

Story Nineteen

Snow Ghosts

Story Twenty

Blanch, The Southpaw

Story Twenty-One

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

Story Twenty-Two

My Pet Bug

Story Twenty-Three

Night Life

Story Twenty-Four

The Grapes Of Bath

Story Twenty-Five

The Orgy

Story Twenty-Six

Touching Down

Story Twenty-Seven

Mother Lode Of Motherly Love

Story Twenty-Eight

The Typewriter

Story Twenty-Nine

The Disappearing Bird Feeder

Story Thirty

The Squirrel’s Goblet

Story Thirty-One

The Firefly

Story Thirty-Two

The Hurricane And The Turtle

Story Thirty-Three

The Walk

Story Thirty-Four

The Cat’toon

Story Thirty-Five

Rope Of Snow

Story Thirty-Six

The Christmas Card

Story Thirty-Seven

Dropped Eggs, Anyone?

Part One

Story Thirty-Eight

The Frog And The Feather

Story Thirty-Nine

The Rehearsal

Story Forty

Cows On A Jaunt

Story Forty-One

Suddenly Homeless

Story Forty-Two

The Mink

Story Forty-Three

Baby Ducks Or, Dropped Eggs, Part Two

Story Forty-Four

Sweet Tooth

Story Forty-Five

The Blue Heron

Story Forty-Six

Running Water

Story Forty-Seven

By The Light Of The Moon

Story Forty-Eight

Leftie

Story Forty-Nine

Blue Jays

Story Fifty

Bone Meal

Story Fifty-One

Clammin’

Story Fifty-Two

The Fishing Pole

Story Fifty-Three

Hanging Around

Story Fifty-Four

Tim-b-e-r?

Story Fifty-Five

Stuck Duck

Story Fifty-Six

The World Was Abuzz

Limited Edition:

Reproductions

Diary Pages

Dedicated to all the animals that have given us so much joy.

Authors’ Notes

Having been born and raised in west-central New Hampshire, I’ve been spoiled by the natural beauty of this valley. The four seasons come alive each year, each with its own mystery, color and flavor. This is an area where the singing of birds greets you on spring mornings, a fresh snow turns views of evergreens into Christmas cards, grass is something you walk on with bare feet and fresh-made maple syrup is savored like fine wine each April. Here, neighbors compete for hummingbirds at backyard feeders, and summer sunsets usher in evenings with palettes of oranges and magentas.

I think it’s sad to flip through gardening or home improvement catalogs and see so many products to rid yards of deer, skunks, squirrels, groundhogs, birds, snakes and insects. When you kill off nuisance bugs, you undoubtedly kill off the helpful ones, too. And the animals? Well, it’s easy to forget that it is we, the people, who have migrated into their territory, their home base.

I could never swap the woods, a garden filled with flowers or the lake surrounded by dirt roads for a metropolis in which the earth has been paved over with concrete and tar, where there is not room enough for even a blade of grass to sprout, where some children have never seen a tree. I could not live in such sensory deprivation. Feeding the senses is like feeding a hungry stomach. Only when they have been nourished and satisfied is it possible to function at one’s best.

By studying the little worlds around us, we’ve discovered humor, sadness, amazement, loyalty. These wonders offer us lessons from which we can learn; they help remind us not to take so many aspects of living for granted. People talk about the human spirit, but there are other kinds of spirit, too.

My family has been blessed many times over, not the least of which have been the gifts to appreciate not only the grandest of nature’s wonders, but the smallest, too. The following tales are true and reflect just a portion of the many wonderful experiences that take place all around us every day. To paraphrase author James Harriot, not just creatures are great and small; so are the numerous worlds in which they live.

We don’t have to explore deep space to find exciting new worlds; they exist all around us. Real discovery awaits us here.

Over the years, my mother and I have enjoyed many adventures together: probing old cemeteries, going on jaunts to find new places to explore, gardening, bird-and-squirrel watching, studying the intricacies that give the world its color and personality. Those were grand and glorious times for us, times that we enjoyed together, just the two of us, sharing that bond that mothers and daughters have sometimes. Now, we are both hindered by chronic illnesses that prevent us from venturing very far anymore.

We did choose, however, to embark on one more special mission together, that of writing The Squirrel’s Goblet. (Thanks, Mom, for another great adventure—Love, Pam). Phyllis A. Muzeroll

* * * * *

This collection of stories started one day, on one of those remember when? occasions. One thing led to another, and we offer you the results. So often people want to get rid of anything messy in their yards, putting up all sorts of contraptions. I’m afraid our yard would never attain such perfection, so we just settle for enjoyment instead.

I hope you will enjoy our little experiences. This book is wonderful for reading to children and, also, for helping them learn to read, or for just reading by adults. There are tales of all lengths which range from unusual to funny.

In the last couple of years, we have not had the great collections of birds at our feeders that we used to enjoy. No evening grosbeaks, rose-breasted grosbeaks, cedar waxwings, tanagers and others. Similar comments have been heard in other places in the north. Perhaps this will be a tribute to any that becomes extinct in the future.

This book has been the greatest thing in my life in my old age. I never expected to do such a work at age 82. Age is not really a hindrance if you just want to do something.

We have furnished you with space in the rear of the book to jot down your own stories. Some of you may want to share these with us. If there are enough unusual ones we might, with your permission, in a few years, make up another volume. They may be sent to us via our publisher, Xlibris.

But the important message I send is, Enjoy!

(Thanks, Honey, for doing all the