Toby was a small gray squirrel who lived in the woods behind Pantak’s Kennel. Among the squirrels in the area, he was known for being resourceful. He knew how to find food, how to stay hidden, and—most importantly—how to stay out of trouble with dogs.
Toby had a healthy dislike for dogs. Nearly every dog he had ever met seemed determined to catch him. The biggest and most serious of them all was MJ, a large German Shepherd who lived at the kennel and took his job of guarding the place very seriously.
One warm afternoon, while scouting along the back of the old barn, Toby noticed a small hole high up near the rafters. Curiosity got the better of him. He squeezed through and found himself inside the barn. On a workbench below sat a small brown nugget. After checking carefully for dogs, he crept down and discovered it was food—dry, crunchy dog kibble.
It wasn’t the kind of food Toby preferred. Squirrels like nuts, seeds, and berries. Still, it was edible. He found two more pieces nearby and, for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, tucked them into his cheeks and carried them away.
Back in the safety of the trees, Toby turned the kibble bits over in his paws. He suddenly had an idea. He knew two raccoons—Heckle and Jekyll—who would eat almost anything. Food motivated them more than anything else. If they liked the kibble, maybe they would trade for the things Toby actually wanted: fresh berries and nuts.
The next morning, Toby perched on a low branch and called out, “Heckle! Jekyll!”
A striped face appeared over a fallen log.
“Toby? That you?”
“It’s me,” Toby answered. “I have something you might like.”
He held up one of the brown kibble pieces and tossed it down. Heckle snatched it before it hit the ground. He sniffed it, then popped it into his mouth. His eyes went wide.
“Mmmph! What is this?” he mumbled through chews. “It’s… meaty. And salty. And—give me more!”
Toby held up his other piece.
“There’s more where that came from. But first, you and Jekyll bring me some berries and nuts—the good ones. You know what I like.”
Heckle’s partner, Jekyll, appeared beside him, sniffing the air hopefully.
“One hour,” Toby said, and scampered off.
True to their word, both raccoons were waiting when Toby returned. They had a small pile of ripe berries and a few fat acorns. Toby tossed down the last kibble bit. Jekyll caught it and tasted it for himself. His reaction was the same as his friend’s—pure delight.
Over the next several days, the trade continued. Toby brought small amounts of kibble. Heckle and Jekyll brought berries and nuts. Everyone seemed happy.
But raccoons are curious creatures, and they are also nature’s little thieves. After a few successful trades, Heckle and Jekyll began to wonder where Toby was getting the kibble. One afternoon, they quietly followed him. They watched him slip through the hole in the barn rafters and come out a short while later with more kibble in his cheeks.
“That’s it,” Heckle whispered to Jekyll. “We don’t need the squirrel anymore. We can get it ourselves.”
That night, while the kennel was quiet, the two raccoons dug a tunnel under the back wall of the barn. It took them three full nights, but it paid off. Just before dawn on the third day, they slipped inside.
What they found made their whiskers twitch with excitement: a large bin of dog food, half full.
Unlike Toby, who could only carry a few pieces at a time, the raccoons could carry much more. They stuffed their cheeks and carried armfuls back to their den.
They returned night after night. They grew careless. Bits of kibble were left scattered on the floor. The tunnel grew wider.
By the fifth night, MJ had seen enough. Food was still disappearing, and the scent trail kept leading back to the same place. He decided it was time to catch the thieves himself.
He found the tunnel entrance inside the barn and the other opening beyond the fence.
That night, he followed the scent to the outside entrance. Fresh dirt surrounded the opening. A low growl rumbled in his chest.
Inside the barn, Heckle and Jekyll were so busy stuffing their faces that they didn’t hear him until it was too late.
MJ’s deep bark exploded through the night.
“Who’s in there?”
The raccoons froze. Then they scrambled for the tunnel.
MJ was faster. He blocked the hole with his broad body, teeth bared.
“Stop right there,” he growled. “I know what you’ve been doing. I’ve smelled you for days. This food belongs to the dogs who live here. It is not for you.”
Heckle tried to sound brave.
“We were just… borrowing a little.”
“You were stealing,” MJ said. “And you made it worse by digging into the barn. If I hadn’t found this tunnel tonight, you might have brought others. I will not be so kind if I catch you here again.”
He stepped aside just enough for the raccoons to squeeze past, but not before giving each of them a sharp nip on the rump as they fled. They tumbled into the night and disappeared into the woods without looking back.
High in a nearby tree, Toby had watched the whole thing. His heart pounded. He hadn’t meant for any of this to happen. He had only wanted a few berries and nuts. Now the raccoons had made a mess of everything, and the dogs’ food was at risk.
MJ made it his mission to close the tunnel. He found the largest, heaviest wooden plank he could move and dragged it over the opening. Then he spent hours packing dirt, straw, and debris around it until the entrance blended naturally with the barn floor.
He was convinced his efforts achieved two objectives: keeping intruders out and preventing anyone inside from wandering through it unnoticed.
After that night, Toby never returned to the barn for kibble. He found other ways to get food—old bird feeders, dropped seeds, and the berries and nuts he gathered himself.
He still saw Heckle and Jekyll from time to time, but they never asked him for kibble again. They had learned their lesson the hard way.
And Toby had learned one too.
Being resourceful was useful. Making clever trades could work. But when you deal with those who have no self-control, even the best plans can lead to trouble that isn’t yours to fix.
From then on, Toby kept his trades small, his friends honest, and his distance from Pantak’s Kennel’s barn a little greater than before.
As for MJ, he felt his work was complete. The barn was secure, and for what that was worth on a simple farm, it was enough to keep pups in and Heckle and Jekyll out.