Chapter 9

Chapter 9 "Which tree is the Grumpy Squirrel tree?" asked Dirt. "We'll find it," said Sugar. "Give me that note." Sugar closed her eyes and sniffed the note. "As I suspected," she announced. "It smells like squirrel." "Now what?" asked Dirt. "Now we follow the trail," said Sugar. Sugar, Dirt, and Sweetie made four left turns around the chicken coop to make sure they weren't being followed. Sugar stopped every few feet and sniffed. She was hot on the squirrel's trail. Her eyes were squinty. Her face was serious. Her head was down. Sugar walked across the yard, hopped over the sprinkler, and then circled the bottom of a giant maple tree.

"This is it," she said. "The trail ends here. This must be where Grumpy Squirrel lives." Dirt and Sugar looked up. Grumpy Squirrel was looking down at them. "Wow," said Dirt. "You did it! You tracked Grumpy Squirrel!" "Of course I did," asked Sugar. "The wet earth from the sprinkler really helps to raise the scent."

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"There's also this obvious trail of squirrel footprints in the mud," said Sweetie. "I thought we left you in the shoe," said Sugar. "How are we going to get up there?" asked Dirt. "We're not," said Sugar. "He'll come down." The three chicks waited at the base of the tree. "Fancy meeting you here!" Grumpy Squirrel yelled down. "We got your note," said Dirt. "Did you bring the hammer?" asked Grumpy Squirrel. Sweetie held a hammer up for Grumpy Squirrel to see. "Good work," said Grumpy Squirrel. He climbed down the trunk of the tree and took the hammer from Sweetie.

"Whoa!" said Sugar. She grabbed the hammer back. "Wait just a second there, Grumpy Squirrel. First, you're going to tell me exactly what kind of plans you have that require a hammer. It's a little odd for a tree rodent to need one, don't you think?" "I'm just going to crack open some acorns," answered Grumpy Squirrel. "But I thought all your acorns had been stolen," said Dirt. "I have some... emergency acorns," answered Grumpy Squirrel. "But they are old and a little stale. I, um, need the hammer to get them open."

Grumpy Squirrel grabbed the hammer from Sugar and darted up the tree. Dirt jumped on his tail. Sugar jumped on Dirt. Sweetie jumped on Sugar. "Hang on!" yelled Dirt. Grumpy Squirrel ran full speed up the trunk of the tree and then made a sharp left turn. He ran to the end of a branch and then leaped off it, flying through the air and aiming for a branch of the neighboring tree. He missed. "AAAAAHHHH!" yelled Grumpy Squirrel. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!" yelled Sugar. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH yelled Dirt. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA yelled Sweetie.