It all seemed just like a fairy tale, and Squeedinks became wildly excited. He could now stand erect and walk about inside the Crow’s Nest, and just here he noticed that the big tree had a hollow center, and that this hollow ran all the way up, just like a chimney. He started to climb up the inside of the tree, and quite unexpectedly found himself in the front parlor of old Umbrella-Tail, a big gray squirrel. All the squirrels were just as amazed as Squeedinks at finding their homes grown suddenly large and roomy, and they were all chattering excitedly together. Squeedinks was greatly surprised to find that he could understand everything the squirrels said. Mrs. Umbrella-Tail was saying, “Well! If you expect me to keep house in _this_ enormous place you’ll just have to get little Nutty Red squirrel for a servant! And that’s that!” Then they all saw Squeedinks, and asked him how he had got there. When he told them, they said that _they_ had always used the inside of the tree for a stairway, but it had never before been big enough for a boy to get through, and they had felt safe from molestation. Squeedinks assured them that he loved squirrels and, indeed, all the animals that lived in the woods, and wouldn’t hurt them for the world. And now he only wanted to get down and go home, for it was getting dark. Old Umbrella-Tail said he would show him the way, and started down inside the hollow tree. Squeedinks followed more slowly, for it was as black as ink in there. Finally they discovered they couldn’t go any farther, and then found they were inside of one of the tree’s great roots, way down under the ground. Then Squeedinks despaired of ever seeing his home again, but Umbrella-Tail nosed about and discovered an opening in the end of the root, through which they could see a dark tunnel leading away through the moist earth. But they were afraid to follow it for they didn’t know where it led, and were just about to turn back in despair, when they heard something thumping along with dull, rhythmic bumps. It turned out to be old Grandfather Mole, who lived down there. He was quite blind, and had to walk with a cane, but his front feet were big and strong, with sharp little claws to help him dig his tunnels here and there and everywhere under the ground. When Grandfather Mole learned that Umbrella-Tail was trying to get Squeedinks home in time for supper, he turned slowly around in his tunnel, handed the little boy a flashlight out of his vest pocket, and called out in a deep bass voice that sounded very much as if the damp earth had given him chronic bronchitis, “Follow me!” So Squeedinks bade Umbrella-Tail good-bye, and started to wriggle along the tunnel on his stomach behind Grandfather Mole. In a marvelously short time they came out into the air, and Squeedinks was delighted to find himself at home underneath his own front porch. He thanked Grandfather Mole politely for leading him safely home, and watched the old fellow disappear down