No Stuart Little.

Squirrels in New York City don't have any natural kind of fear.

These are city-squirrels. They're unimpressed by people and unhurried by the hustle, cucumber-cool when caught up with the cars and unabashedly bold.

There's a squirrel who spends the better part of the day scampering up and down our fire-escape. It's huge. It comes right up to the window and peeks in. When I make sun-tea on the fire escape I have to make sure that the tea's in an airtight container or the squirrel will tip it over. I've seen him eying me from the floor above ours with a look of pure annoyance.

I don't know what his problem is. He doesn't even pay rent.