Boxwood in "The Missing Walnuts" by Janice Engle copyright 04-01-2003
Boxwood sat in the tall tree that sat in front of Mrs. Hopper’s house. He watched as she came walking out with a large bowl. Inside the bowl were giant black walnuts, just waiting to be cracked.
"Boy, Id love to sink my teeth into some of those nuts," thought Boxwood Squirrel.
His bright eyes glistened and his furry tail swung too and fro, as he watched Mrs.Hopper. She was a little lady who was plump and round. She wore hair in a bun, and always wore a bright white apron with large pockets.
Sometimes, she'd leave the walnuts on the porch and go back inside to do something. Boxwood squirrel, was a lazy squirrel, and wanted very much to get Mrs. Hoppers walnuts. that way, he wouldn’t have to work and prepare, for the long winter that was just around the corner.
Days passed by and every morning, Mrs. Hopper, would come out on the porch, and crack nuts. This day, however, she had a phone call. She ran back inside, leaving the already cracked nuts on the porch. Boxwood had an idea! He grabbed a little sack he’d found and scurried down the tree. He took all of the walnuts, and filled his bag. Up the tree he scampered, dragging the bag of nuts behind him.
"Oh my goodness!" yelled Mrs. Hopper, “Where are my nuts?" She looked everywhere and they were nowhere to be found. So she went back inside. Boxwood Squirrel, was giggling as he stored up the nuts in his little tree house.
"All I need, is two more bags then I can lay back and rest, and never have to work again." he thought. The next morning, he did the very same thing, and Mrs. Hopper was very angry.
"If I get my hands on that little critter, who stole my walnuts, I’ll ring his neck!” She said. Now Boxwood Squirrel was not a very nice squirrel. He was not too smart either.
Mrs. Hopper sat a trap. She built a trap out of a box, and then laid some nuts deep inside, so when the critter went in the lid would shut and it would be trapped inside. Boxwood watched carefully as she went inside, then down the tree he came and quickly inside the trap. Down went the lid, and Boxwood jumped with fear, but he couldn’t get away.
"Now I got you!" Mrs. Hopper said as she leaned over the cage. She was much bigger than boxwood had thought. He knew he was in trouble now. Mrs. Hopper kept boxwood in a cage next to the fireplace. She decided that he was too cute to ring his neck, but she had to think of a punishment suitable for a thieving squirrel.
"I’ve got it!" she said, as she went into the kitchen. She brought out two bowls. One was full of walnuts, the other empty. "Now see this bowl?" she told boxwood. If you want to get out, you must crack this bowl full of nuts and fill the other up!"Boxwood's eyes lit up as he listened.
"When I have enough nuts, I will let you out," she said as she sat the bowls inside the cage. Somehow, Boxwood understood, and began to crack all the nuts. It took him days to crack all the nuts and at the end of the week, she said,
“You are free to go now." Boxwood was happy, as he started to leave, Mrs. Hopper said, “If I ever catch you stealing my nuts again that will be that!"
She let him out the door, and he ran as fast as his little feet could run and climbed up into his little tree house. There he sat as his heart went pitter patter in his chest.
"And that will be that!” he thought remembering what she'd said. Boxwood didn’t want to find out what that meant, so he never stole Mrs. Hoppers nuts again. Sleep came and Boxwood closed his little eyes.
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Winner of two 2020 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards in the Ebooks Category:
Best Illustrations: 2nd Place
Picture Books Ages 6 and Older: Honorable Mention
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