noon
The dormice were two soft , brown creatures , almost as pretty and as innocent as the squirrel , and a great deal tamer ; and they were called Jeannette and Jeannot , and would come when they were called by their names , and take a bit of cake or a lump of sugar out of the fingers of their little mistress . Lady Mary had two canaries , Dick and Pet ; and she loved her dormice and birds , and her new pet the flying squirrel , very much , and never let them want for food , or water , or any nice thing she could get for them . She liked the history of the grey squirrels very much ; and was quite eager to get her book the next afternoon , to read the second part of the adventures and wanderings of the family . It was noon when the little squirrels awoke , and , of course , they were quite ready for their breakfast ; but there was no good , kind old mother to provide for their wants , and to bring nuts , acorns , roots , or fruit for them ; they must now get up , go forth , and seek food for themselves . When Velvet-paw and Silver-nose went to call Nimble-foot , they were surprised to find his nest empty ; but after searching a long while , they found him sitting on the root of an upturned tree , looking at a family of little chitmunks busily picking over the pine-cones on the ground ; but as soon as one of the poor little fellows , with great labour , had dug out a kernel , and was preparing to eat it , down leaped Nimble-foot , and carried off the prize ; and if one of the little chitmunks ventured to say a word , he very uncivilly gave him a scratch , or bit his ears , calling him a mean , shabby fellow . Now , the chitmunks were really very pretty . They were , to be sure , not more than half the size of the grey squirrels , and their fur was short , without the soft thick glossy look upon it of the grey squirrels ' .