Drowning:  The Squirrel.


WHEN I was about six years old, one

morning, going to school, a ground squirrel

ran into his hole in the ground before me;

they like to dig holes in some open place

where they can put out their head to see if

danger is near. I thought, now I shall have

fine fun. As there was a stream of water

just at hand, I determined to pour water

into the hole till it should be full, and force

the little animal to come out, so that I might

kill it. I was soon pouring water in on the

poor squirrel. I could hear it struggle, and

said, "Ah! My fellow, I will soon have you

out now."

Just then I heard a voice behind me,

saying, "Well, my boy, what have you

there?"

I turned, and saw one of my neighbors, a

gpod old man, with long, white locks, that

had seen sixty winters. 

"Well," said I, "there is a ground-squirrel

in here, and I am going to drown him

out."

Said he, "Jonathan, when I was a little

boy, more than fifty years ago, I was engaged,

one day, just as you are, drowning a

squirrel; and an old man, such as I am, came

along, and said to me, 'You are a little boy;

now, if you were down in a narrow hole like

that, and I should come and pour water down

upon you, would you not think I was cruel?

God made the little squirrel, and life is as

sweet to it as to you. Why torture to death

a little innocent creature that God has

made?'" He added, "I have never forgotten

that, and never shall. Now, my dear

boy, I want you to remember this as long as

you live; and, when tempted to destroy any

little animal or bird, to think of what I have

said: God does not allow us to kill his creatures

for our pleasure."

More than forty years have since passed,

and I have never forgotten what the good

man said, nor have I ever wantonly killed

the least animal for amusement since. Now,

you see it is ninety years since this advice

was first given, and it has not lost its effect

yet. How many little creatures it has saved

from being tortured to death I cannot tell;

yet I have no doubt a great number, and I

believe my whole life has been influenced by

it. The Bible says, "Blessed are the merciful,

for they shall obtain mercy." 




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