As most Patriots know, at the head of today's bushytail horde, the Squirrel Enforcement Army, is the infamous Tufty the Traffic Safety Squirrel.

Tufty burst upon the scene in the 1960's with his Tufty Club and it's manifesto of terror (see link below). But who preceded Tufty?

To answer that question we bring you our series...

RIKKI, THE LITTLE RED SQUIRREL...

IN 1962, IN BRIAR WOOD, ENGLAND, A LTTLE RED SQUIRREL NAMED RIKKI OFFENDED THE LOCAL CRIME BOSS, OLD FOX, BY NIPPING AT HIS TAIL.

ALTHOUGH THE OFFENSE WAS MINOR, OLD FOX LITERALLY RAILROADED RIKKI OUT OF TOWN.

THE STORY MIGHT HAVE ENDED THERE, BUT RIKKI EXPERIENCED SOME SORT OF EPIPHANY WHEN HE ARRIVED AT HIS DESTINATION. HE RESOLVED TO RETURN TO BRIAR WOOD TO FREE HIS COMRADES FROM OLD FOX'S OPPRESSION.

THE LONG JOURNEY HOME WAS ARDUOUS AND NOT WITHOUT DANGER. RIKKI DID BATTLE WITH EVIL STOATS AND SUFFERED THROUGH A FRIGID WINTER. A LESSER SQUIRREL MIGHT HAVE GIVEN UP.

HOWEVER, ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL AS RIKKI FINALLY MADE A TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO BRIAR WOOD WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A YIP FROM OLD FOX.

SCENES FROM THE LITTLE RED SQUIRREL
click thumbnails for large, hi-res versions

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

SOME SAY THAT RIKKI WAS NOT ALONE IN HIS QUEST. THEY POINT OUT THAT HIS ABILITY TO INFLUENCE OTHERS DURING HIS JOURNEY WAS CONTRARY TO HIS TRUE PERSONALITY. THUS, HE MUST HAVE HAD AN ACCOMPLICE (ALTHOUGH ONE WAS NEVER IDENTIFIED).

OTHERS THINK THAT RIKKI WAS ACTING ON SOMEONE ELSE'S ORDERS. THEY NOTE THAT TUFTY THE TRAFFIC SAFETY SQUIRREL ARRIVED UPON THE SCENE AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME. HOWEVER, RIKKI NEVER SPOKE OF HIM, AND THERE IS NO RECORD THAT THEY EVER MET.

IN 1985, BRIAR WOOD WAS OVERRUN BY A GANG OF GRAY SQUIRRELS AND RIKKI AGIN FOUND HIMSELF UNWELCOME IN HIS OWN HOME. IT'S BELIEVED HE MOVED TO PENTRAETH FOREST, ANGLESEY AND LATER TO KIELDER FOREST IN NORTHERN ENGLAND.

RIKKI'S CURRENT WHEREABOUTS IS UNKNOWN.