Gammer Gurton's garland of nursery songs and Toby Tickle's collection of riddles/Story of little Scug
STORY OF LITTLE SCUG
THE SQUIRREL.
Little Scug, the subject of what follows, was born in Epping Forest; he was a comical little rogue, and occasioned a great deal of diversion.
One day he saw a great lazy clown sleeping, with his mouth wide open; he directly began to chuck nuts into his mouth, as boys chuck counters into a hole; the nuts rattled against his teeth in such a manner that he soon waked; when perceiving who disturbed him, he ran after Scug to catch him, but he whipt up into a tree in an instant, and put him at defiance: the clown began to climb after him, when he presently leapt from that tree, and was in a moment upon another. The clown finding it vain to think of catching him by that means, resolved to lay a trap for him; in this he succeeded, for poor Scug fell into the snare, and was taken.
The clown was overjoyed to find he had caught him, and presently put a brass collar round his neck which he had provided for that purpose, and to which he hung a long chain of the same metal; round the collar these words were engraved;
For plaguing me when free,
Now taken, I'll plague thee.
The clown was a very ill-natured fellow, and had a few days before beaten a farmer's dog, who seeing him coming along with Scug upon his shoulder, resolved to be revenged on him; so he went slily behind him, and gave him a good bite on the calf of the leg, that he roared out like a bull, and thought so much of the pain he was in, he forgot to hold fast the chain; which Scug perceiving, gave him the slip, and scoured away as fast as possible; the clown, recollecting himself, ran after him. The chain was so heavy, that poor Scug found he must soon be taken, he therefore ran into the Parson's yard to seek for shelter, where that pretty good girl, Sally Sampler, the Parson's daughter, happened to be, and kindly took him under her protection. The clown insisted upon having the Squirrel as his right; but some neighbours coming in, would not let him take it from the young lady: however, they gave him back the collar and chain; but told him, as the Squirrel had of his own accord taken refuge at the feet of Miss Sally, she had a right to him. Miss Sally, out of a little money she had saved, purchased a collar and chain of silver for Scug, upon which she had engraved,
Of running to me
You shall never repent,
For I will always endeavour
To give you content.
And indeed she was so kind to Scug, that he never wished for his liberty again, nor would he have parted from her upon any account.
One day as she was walking with him towards the woods where he used to, frequent, he suddenly slipped from her; she was sadly afraid he wanted to get away, but he seemingly stopped for her; she went towards him, and when she was pretty near him, he ran a little way farther, and stopt again for her. In this manner, he drew her into the thickest part of the wood, where he began to scratch up the ground with his claws in such a manner, that it raised her curiosity. She took a little knife out of her pocket, and dug up the ground, till she came to a large bag of money.
You may, perhaps, be desirous to know how Scug came to know of this treasure; I'll tell you: While he lived in the woods, he saw a miser bury it; this miser was soon after drowned in trying to wade through a river, in order not to pay the ferry.