While walking on the snowy ground
That crunched beneath my feet,
I met a little friendly floof,
Who looked so kind and sweet.

He tilted his small fluffy head,
And twitched his fluffy tail.
A friendlier squirrel I never have met;
He invited me close to the rail.

I was near enough to touch him,
When he suddenly skittered away.
I could see the fear in his little dark eyes
As he begged me this distance to stay.

He chittered at me warily,
He twitched his tail again,
And a drop of crimson liquid
Showed me why he acted in pain.

The friendliest little squirrel
Did not move when I approached
Because his tail had been broken and ripped
While on his space I encroached.

Let this tail alert you
To a truth I, sadly, have learned.
The friendliest, kindest people
Are most often the ones who've been burned.