Even chimneys are worth investigating.

At different times both Short-tail and Long-tail have come down inside the smooth 8-inch wide woodstove chimney a length of 20 feet from the roof to the basement. It appeared that they wanted to find out if there was another way to get inside Karls house. There is nothing inside the chimney to hang on to. But both of them did.

First it was Short-tail. One day during summer Karl heard a noise coming from his cold wood stove. When Karl opened the top-loading door of the stove, Short-tail jumped out. She looked like a powdered snowman covered with white ashes. Without being upset she began in her usual manner to search Karls living room for stray sunflower seeds that sometimes fall out of his pockets accidentally. Then she went out directly through the open door of the living room.

In another year it was Long-tails turn to come in through the chimney. It was in July when Karl heard once again a noise in his woodstove. The stove was full of junk mail to be burned on a cooler day. The rustling paper noise had stopped for a short while. Karl opened the door of the stove. Suddenly a Chippy came out through the open stove door. It was Long-tail. He was fairly blackened with soot. Now Chippy climbed up the brick wall next to the stove and then headed over to the mantle piece above the open fireplace. When Karl approached him with some seeds on his hand he came right away. While he was stashing the seeds into his pouches Karl cleaned him and carried him in the hand through the open door to the outside. He headed for a tiny camouflaged hole that Karl knew was his home at the edge of the forest. As usual he did not go back in a straight line but with a little detour so no one could easily trace his whereabouts.

When Karls friends come to Moon Lake, they encounter a little zoo here. Everyone loves the Chippies and of course the chickadees are on their favorite list as well.