Why the Squirrel Lives in the Treetops

Originally, the Squirrel lived on the ground like the Rat. He was a great farmer and had a large, beautiful field of peanuts. But he was also a braggart. He would constantly boast to the other animals about his magnificent harvest. The Elephant, annoyed by this constant boasting, went and trampled his entire field. The Squirrel, heartbroken, started again. This time, he grew a field of corn. Again, he boasted, and the Buffalo came and ate it all. This happened again and again with different animals, all angered by his pride. Finally, the Squirrel had nothing left. He realized that his pride and his loud mouth were the cause of his ruin. Ashamed and afraid, he fled to the only place he could be safe from the great animals of the ground: the high branches of the trees. He has lived there ever since, a nervous and chattering creature, forever hiding his food in secret places, having learned the hard way that it is dangerous to boast of your treasures to the world below.