"Merle was a scrawny young squirrel who lived in a big city park up in an oak tree. He was such a timid frightened little squirrel, he hardly ever came down out of the tree. The noisy traffic made him jittery and the towering gray buildings gave him the creeps. And the people who came to the park frightened him even though most of them were friendly. Whenever someone offered Merle a peanut, he kept at a safe distance until they tossed it to him. Then in a flash, he was back up the tree. 'I'm tired of being scared,' Merle said one morning. 'It's not fun at all. From now on I'm going to be brave. Even brave enough to take a trip somewhere.'"
So begins Merle's big adventure.
SKETCH FOR ROUGH DRAFT
Part of the inspiration for Merle was a young squirrel my father observed from his studio window. "He was high up on a power line in front of our house, and by the way he was floundering about I guessed he was a beginner out for his very first try at high-wire walking. His tail went flying wildly about as he fought to keep his balance. Time and again he nearly tumbled off the wire and each time his quick little hands saved him from the long drop to the pavement below."