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diff --git a/34943-h/34943-h.htm b/34943-h/34943-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5085b31 --- /dev/null +++ b/34943-h/34943-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5405 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Among the Meadow People, by Clara Dillingham Pierson. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + width: 510px; + max-width: 510px; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + color: #b0b0b0; + left: 10px; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: left; + } /* page numbers */ + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .dcp-chap1 {background: url("images/chap1.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap4 {background: url("images/chap4.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap5 {background: url("images/chap5.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap7 {background: url("images/chap7.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap8 {background: url("images/chap8.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap11 {background: url("images/chap11.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap12 {background: url("images/chap12.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap13 {background: url("images/chap13.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap14 {background: url("images/chap14.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap16 {background: url("images/chap16.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap17 {background: url("images/chap17.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap19 {background: url("images/chap19.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap20 {background: url("images/chap20.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap23 {background: url("images/chap23.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap25 {background: url("images/chap25.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap26 {background: url("images/chap26.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap27 {background: url("images/chap27.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .dcp-chap28 {background: url("images/chap28.jpg") no-repeat; } + + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem span.i0 {display: block; margin-left: 0em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 1em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 3.5em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's Among the Meadow People, by Clara Dillingham Pierson + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Among the Meadow People + +Author: Clara Dillingham Pierson + +Illustrator: F. C. Gordon + +Release Date: January 13, 2011 [EBook #34943] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AMONG THE MEADOW PEOPLE *** + + + + +Produced by Heather Clark and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 396px;"> +<img src="images/frontispiece.png" width="396" height="640" alt="HAYING IN THE MEADOW" title="" /> +<span class="caption">HAYING IN THE MEADOW</span> +</div> + + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h1><span class="smcap">Among the Meadow People</span></h1> + +<h5>BY</h5> + +<h2><span class="smcap">Clara Dillingham Pierson</span></h2> + + +<h4>Illustrated by F. C. GORDON</h4> + +<h5>NEW AND ENLARGED EDITION</h5> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 160px;"> +<img src="images/titlepg.jpg" width="160" height="118" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<h4>NEW YORK<br /> +E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY<br /> +<span class="smcap">31 West Twenty-Third Street</span></h4> + + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h5><span class="smcap">COPYRIGHT</span><br /> +E. P. DUTTON & CO.<br /> +1899<br /> +<br /> +<span class="smcap">COPYRIGHT</span><br /> +CLARA DILLINGHAM PIERSON<br /> +1901</h5> + +<h4>The Knickerbocker Press, New York</h4> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">3</a></span></p> +<h2>CONTENTS.</h2> + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents"> +<tr><td align='left'> </td><td align='right'><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>INTRODUCTION</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_5">5</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE BUTTERFLY THAT WENT CALLING</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_7">7</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE ROBINS BUILD A NEST</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_14">14</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE SELFISH TENT-CATERPILLAR</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_22">22</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE LAZY SNAIL</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_31">31</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>AN ANT THAT WORE WINGS</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_37">37</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE CHEERFUL HARVESTMEN</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_42">42</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE LITTLE SPIDER'S FIRST WEB</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_50">50</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE BEETLE WHO DID NOT LIKE CATERPILLARS</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_56">56</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE YOUNG ROBIN WHO WAS AFRAID TO FLY</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_61">61</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE CRICKETS' SCHOOL</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_71">71</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE CONTENTED EARTHWORMS</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_76">76</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE MEASURING WORM'S JOKE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_81">81</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>A PUZZLED CICADA</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_87">87</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE TREE FROG'S STORY</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_93">93</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE DAY WHEN THE GRASS WAS CUT</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_101">101</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE MEASURING WORM RUN A RACE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_109">109</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>MR. GREEN FROG AND HIS VISITORS</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_114">114</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE DIGNIFIED WALKING-STICKS</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_120">120</a><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">4</a></span></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE DAY OF THE GREAT STORM</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_128">128</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE STORY OF LILY-PAD ISLAND</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_134">134</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE GRASSHOPPER WHO WOULDN'T BE SCARED</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_142">142</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE EARTHWORM HALF-BROTHERS</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_151">151</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>A GOSSIPING FLY</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_156">156</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE FROG-HOPPERS GO OUT INTO THE WORLD</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_161">161</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE MOSQUITO TRIES TO TEACH HIS NEIGHBORS</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_171">171</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE FROG WHO THOUGHT HERSELF SICK</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_177">177</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE KATYDID'S QUARREL</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_183">183</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE LAST PARTY OF THE SEASON</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_188">188</a></td></tr> +</table></div> + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">5</a></span></p> +<h2>INTRODUCTION.</h2> + + +<p>Many of these stories of field life were +written for the little ones of my kindergarten, +and they gave so much pleasure, +and aroused such a new interest in "the +meadow people," that it has seemed wise +to collect and add to the original number +and send them out to a larger circle of +boys and girls.</p> + +<p>All mothers and teachers hear the cry +for "just one more," and find that there +are times when the bewitching tales of +animals, fairies, and "really truly" children +are all exhausted, and tired imagination +will not supply another. In selecting the +tiny creatures of field and garden for the +characters in this book, I have remembered +with pleasure the way in which my +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">6</a></span> +loyal pupils befriended stray crickets and +grasshoppers, their intense appreciation of +the new realm of fancy and observation, +and the eagerness and attention with which +they sought Mother Nature, the most wonderful +and tireless of all story-tellers.</p> + +<p style='text-align:right'> +<span class="smcap">Clara Dillingham Pierson.</span></p> +<p>Stanton, Michigan,<br /> + April 8th, 1897.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">7</a></span></p> + +<div class="dcp-chap1"> +<p style='padding-top: 320px;'> </p> + +<h2 style='padding-right: 150px;'><span class="smcap">The BUTTERFLY That<br /> +WENT CALLING</span></h2> + +<p style='padding-right: 150px;'>As the warm August days +came, Mr. Yellow Butterfly +wriggled and pushed in his +snug little green chrysalis and +wished he could get out to see +the world. He remembered +the days when he was a hairy +little Caterpillar, crawling +slowly over grass and leaves, +and he remembered how beautiful +the sky and all the flowers +were. Then he thought of +the new wings which had been +growing from his back, and he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">8</a></span> +tried to move them, just to see how it +would feel. He had only six legs since +his wings grew, and he missed all the +sticky feet which he had to give up when +he began to change into a Butterfly.</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 150px;'>The more he thought about it the more +he squirmed, until suddenly he heard a +faint little sound, too faint for larger +people to hear, and found a tiny slit in +the wall of his chrysalis. It was such a +dainty green chrysalis with white wrinkles, +that it seemed almost a pity to have it +break. Still it had held him for eight +days already and that was as long as any +of his family ever hung in the chrysalis, +so it was quite time for it to be torn open +and left empty. Mr. Yellow Butterfly +belonged to the second brood that had +hatched that year and he wanted to be +out while the days were still fine and hot. +Now he crawled out of the newly-opened +doorway to take his first flight.</p> + +<p>Poor Mr. Butterfly! He found his wings<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">9</a></span> +so wet and crinkled that they wouldn't +work at all, so he had to sit quietly in the +sunshine all day drying them. And just +as they got big, and smooth, and dry, it +grew dark, and Mr. Butterfly had to crawl +under a leaf to sleep.</p> + +<p>The next morning, bright and early, he +flew away to visit the flowers. First he +stopped to see the Daisies by the roadside. +They were all dancing in the wind, +and their bright faces looked as cheerful +as anyone could wish. They were glad +to see Mr. Butterfly, and wished him to +stay all day with them. He said; "You +are very kind, but I really couldn't think +of doing it. You must excuse my saying +it, but I am surprised to think you will +grow here. It is very dusty and dry, and +then there is no shade. I am sure I could +have chosen a better place."</p> + +<p>The Daisies smiled and nodded to each +other, saying, "This is the kind of place +we were made for, that's all."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">10</a></span></p> + +<p>Mr. Butterfly shook his head very doubtfully, +and then bade them a polite "Good-morning," +and flew away to call on the Cardinals.</p> + +<p>The Cardinals are a very stately family, +as everybody knows. They hold their +heads very high, and never make deep +bows, even to the wind, but for all that +they are a very pleasant family to meet. +They gave Mr. Butterfly a dainty lunch +of honey, and seemed much pleased when +he told them how beautiful the river +looked in the sunlight.</p> + +<p>"It is a delightful place to grow," said +they.</p> + +<p>"Ye-es," said Mr. Butterfly, "it is very +pretty, still I do not think it can be healthful. +I really cannot understand why you +flowers choose such strange homes. Now, +there are the Daisies, where I just called. +They are in a dusty, dry place, where there +is no shade at all. I spoke to them about +it, and they acted quite uppish."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">11</a></span></p> + +<p>"But the Daisies always do choose such +places," said the Cardinals.</p> + +<p>"And your family," said Mr. Butterfly, +"have lived so long in wet places that it +is a wonder you are alive. Your color is +good, but to stand with one's roots in +water all the time! It is shocking."</p> + +<p>"Cardinals and Butterflies live differently," +said the flowers. "Good-morning."</p> + +<p>Mr. Butterfly left the river and flew +over to the woods. He was very much +out of patience. He was so angry that +his feelers quivered, and now you know +how angry he must have been. He knew +that the Violets were a very agreeable +family, who never put on airs, so he went +at once to them.</p> + +<p>He had barely said "Good-morning" +to them when he began to explain what +had displeased him.</p> + +<p>"To think," he said, "what notions +some flowers have! Now, you have a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">12</a></span> +pleasant home here in the edge of the +woods. I have been telling the Daisies +and the Cardinals that they should grow +in such a place, but they wouldn't +listen to me. The Daisies were quite +uppish about it, and the Cardinals were +very stiff."</p> + +<p>"My dear friend," answered a Violet, +"they could never live if they moved up +into our neighborhood. Every flower has +his own place in this world, and is happiest +in that place. Everything has its own +place and its own work, and every flower +that is wise will stay in the place for which +it was intended. You were exceedingly +kind to want to help the flowers, but suppose +they had been telling you what to +do. Suppose the Cardinals had told you +that flying around was not good for your +health, and that to be truly well you +ought to grow planted with your legs in +the mud and water."</p> + +<p>"Oh!" said Mr. Butterfly, "Oh! I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">13</a></span> +never thought of that. Perhaps Butterflies +don't know everything."</p> + +<p>"No," said the Violet, "they don't know +everything, and you haven't been out of +your chrysalis very long. But those who +are ready to learn can always find someone +to tell them. Won't you eat some +honey?"</p> + +<p>And Mr. Butterfly sipped honey and +was happy.</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">14</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 510px;"> +<img src="images/chap2.jpg" width="510" height="125" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<h2>THE ROBINS BUILD A NEST.</h2> + + +<p>When Mr. and Mrs. Robin built in the +spring, they were not quite agreed as to +where the nest should be. Mr. Robin +was a very decided bird, and had made +up his mind that the lowest crotch of a +maple tree would be the best place. He +even went so far as to take three billfuls +of mud there, and stick in two blades of +dry grass. Mrs. Robin wanted it on the +end of the second rail from the top of +the split-rail fence. She said it was high +enough from the ground to be safe and +dry, and not so high that a little bird +falling out of it would hurt himself very +much. Then, too, the top rail was broad +at the end and would keep the rain off +so well.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">15</a></span></p> + +<p>"And the nest will be just the color +of the rails," said she, "so that even a +Red Squirrel could hardly see it." She +disliked Red Squirrels, and she had +reason to, for she had been married before, +and if it had not been for a Red +Squirrel, she might already have had +children as large as she was.</p> + +<p>"I say that the tree is the place for it," +said Mr. Robin, "and I wear the brightest +breast feathers." He said this because +in bird families the one who wears the +brightest breast feathers thinks he has +the right to decide things.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Robin was wise enough not to +answer back when he spoke in this way. +She only shook her feathers, took ten +quick running steps, tilted her body forward, +looked hard at the ground, and +pulled out something for supper. After +that she fluttered around the maple tree +crotch as though she had never thought +of any other place. Mr. Robin wished<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">16</a></span> +he had not been quite so decided, or +reminded her of his breast feathers. +"After all," thought he, "I don't know +but the fence-rail would have done." He +thought this, but he didn't say it. It is +not always easy for a Robin to give up +and let one with dull breast feathers know +that he thinks himself wrong.</p> + +<p>That night they perched in the maple-tree +and slept with their heads under +their wings. Long before the sun was +in sight, when the first beams were just +touching the tops of the forest trees, they +awakened, bright-eyed and rested, preened +their feathers, sang their morning song, +"Cheerily, cheerily, cheer-up," and flew +off to find food. After breakfast they +began to work on the nest. Mrs. Robin +stopped often to look and peck at the +bark. "It will take a great deal of mud," +said she, "to fill in that deep crotch until +we reach a place wide enough for the +nest."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">17</a></span></p> + +<p>At another time she said: "My dear, +I am afraid that the dry grass you are +bringing is too light-colored. It shows +very plainly against the maple bark. +Can't you find some that is darker?"</p> + +<p>Mr. Robin hunted and hunted, but +could find nothing which was darker. As +he flew past the fence, he noticed that it +was almost the color of the grass in his +bill.</p> + +<p>After a while, soft gray clouds began to +cover the sky. "I wonder," said Mrs. +Robin, "if it will rain before we get this +done. The mud is soft enough now to +work well, and this place is so open that +the rain might easily wash away all that +we have done."</p> + +<p>It did rain, however, and very soon. +The great drops came down so hard that +one could only think of pebbles falling. +Mr. and Mrs. Robin oiled their feathers +as quickly as they could, taking the oil +from their back pockets and putting it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">18</a></span> +onto their feathers with their bills. This +made the finest kind of waterproof and +was not at all heavy to wear. When the +rain was over they shook themselves and +looked at their work.</p> + +<p>"I believe," said Mrs. Robin to her +husband, "that you are right in saying +that we might better give up this place +and begin over again somewhere else."</p> + +<p>Now Mr. Robin could not remember +having said that he thought anything of +the sort, and he looked very sharply at +his wife, and cocked his black head on +one side until all the black and white +streaks on his throat showed. She did +not seem to know that he was watching +her as she hopped around the partly built +nest, poking it here and pushing it there, +and trying her hardest to make it look +right. He thought she would say something, +but she didn't. Then he knew he +must speak first. He flirted his tail and +tipped his head and drew some of his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">19</a></span> +brown wing-feathers through his bill. +Then he held himself very straight and +tall, and said, "Well, if you do agree with +me, I think you might much better stop +working here and begin in another place."</p> + +<p>"It seems almost too bad," said she. +"Of course there are other places, +but——"</p> + +<p>By this time Mr. Robin knew exactly +what to do. "Plenty of them," said he. +"Now don't fuss any longer with this. +That place on the rail fence is an excellent +one. I wonder that no other birds have +taken it." As he spoke he flew ahead to +the very spot which Mrs. Robin had first +chosen.</p> + +<p>She was a very wise bird, and knew far +too much to say, "I told you so." Saying +that, you know, always makes things +go wrong. She looked at the rail fence, +ran along the top of it, toeing in prettily +as she ran, looked around in a surprised +way, and said, "Oh, <i>that</i> place?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">20</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yes, Mrs. Robin," said her husband, +"<i>that</i> place. Do you see anything wrong +about it?"</p> + +<p>"No-o," she said. "I think I could +make it do."</p> + +<p>Before long another nest was half built, +and Mrs. Robin was working away in the +happiest manner possible, stopping every +little while to sing her afternoon song: +"Do you think what you do? Do you +think what you do? Do you thi-ink?"</p> + +<p>Mr. Robin was also at work, and such +billfuls of mud, such fine little twigs, and +such big wisps of dry grass as went into +that home! Once Mr. Robin was gone a +long time, and when he came back he had +a beautiful piece of white cotton string +dangling from his beak. That they put +on the outside. "Not that we care to +show off," said they, "but somehow that +seemed to be the best place to put it."</p> + +<p>Mr. Robin was very proud of his nest +and of his wife. He never went far away<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">21</a></span> +if he could help it. Once she heard him +tell Mr. Goldfinch that, "Mrs. Robin was +very sweet about building where he chose, +and that even after he insisted on changing +places from the tree to the fence she +was perfectly good-natured."</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Mrs. Robin to Mrs. Goldfinch, +"I was perfectly good-natured." +Then she gave a happy, chirpy little laugh, +and Mrs. Goldfinch laughed, too. They +were perfectly contented birds, even if they +didn't wear the brightest breast feathers +or insist on having their own way. And +Mrs. Robin had been married before.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">22</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 510px;"> +<img src="images/chap3.jpg" width="510" height="120" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<h2>THE SELFISH TENT-CATERPILLAR.</h2> + + +<p>One could hardly call the Tent-Caterpillars +meadow people, for they did not +often leave their trees to crawl upon the +ground. Yet the Apple-Tree Tent-Caterpillars +would not allow anybody to call +them forest people. "We live on apple +and wild cherry trees," they said, "and +you will almost always find us in the +orchards or on the roadside trees. There +are Forest Tent-Caterpillars, but please +don't get us mixed with them. We belong +to another branch of the family, the +Apple-Tree branch."</p> + +<p>The Tree Frog said that he remembered +perfectly well when the eggs were laid on +the wild cherry tree on the edge of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">23</a></span> +meadow. "It was early last summer," +he said, "and the Moth who laid them was +a very agreeable reddish-brown person, +about as large as a common Yellow Butterfly. +I remember that she had two light +yellow lines on each forewing. Another +Moth came with her, but did not stay. +He was smaller than she, and had the +same markings. After he had gone, she +asked me if we were ever visited by the +Yellow-Billed Cuckoos."</p> + +<p>"Why did she ask that?" said the +Garter Snake.</p> + +<p>"Don't you know?" exclaimed the +Tree Frog. And then he whispered +something to the Garter Snake.</p> + +<p>The Garter Snake wriggled with surprise +and cried, "Really?"</p> + +<p>All through the fall and winter the +many, many eggs which the reddish-brown +Moth had laid were kept snug and +warm on the twig where she had put them. +They were placed in rows around the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">24</a></span> +twig, and then well covered to hold them +together and keep them warm. The +winter winds had blown the twig to and +fro, the cold rain had frozen over them, +the soft snowflakes had drifted down from +the clouds and covered them, only to melt +and trickle away again in shining drops. +One morning the whole wild cherry tree +was covered with beautiful long, glistening +crystals of hoar-frost; and still the ring +of eggs stayed in its place around the +twig, and the life in them slept until +spring sunbeams should shine down and +quicken it.</p> + +<p>But when the spring sunbeams did +come! Even before the leaf-buds were +open, tiny Larvæ, or Caterpillar babies, +came crawling from the ring of eggs and +began feeding upon the buds. They +took very, very small bites, and that +looked as though they were polite children. +Still, you know, their mouths were +so small that they could not take big ones,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">25</a></span> +and it may not have been politeness after +all which made them eat daintily.</p> + +<p>When all the Tent-Caterpillars were +hatched, and they had eaten every leaf-bud +near the egg-ring, they began to +crawl down the tree toward the trunk. +Once they stopped by a good-sized crotch +in the branches. "Let's build here," +said the leader; "this place is all right."</p> + +<p>Then some of the Tent-Caterpillars +said, "Let's!" and some of them said, +"Don't let's!" One young fellow said, +"Aw, come on! There's a bigger crotch +farther down." Of course he should have +said, "I think you will like a larger crotch +better," but he was young, and, you know, +these Larvæ had no father or mother to +help them speak in the right way. They +were orphans, and it is wonderful how +they ever learned to talk at all.</p> + +<p>After this, some of the Tent-Caterpillars +went on to the larger crotch and +some stayed behind. More went than<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">26</a></span> +stayed, and when they saw this, those by +the smaller crotch gave up and joined +their brothers and sisters, as they should +have done. It was right to do that +which pleased most of them.</p> + +<p>It took a great deal of work to make +the tent. All helped, spinning hundreds +and thousands of white silken threads, +laying them side by side, criss-crossing +them, fastening the ends to branches and +twigs, not forgetting to leave places +through which one could crawl in and +out. They never worked all day at this, +because unless they stopped to eat they +would soon have been weak and unable +to spin. There were nearly always a few +Caterpillars in the tent, but only in the +early morning or late afternoon or during +the night were they all at home. The +rest of the time they were scattered +around the tree feeding. Of course +there were some cold days when they +stayed in. When the weather was chilly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">27</a></span> +they moved slowly and cared very little +for food.</p> + +<p>There was one young Tent-Caterpillar +who happened to be the first hatched, and +who seemed to think that because he was +a minute older than any of the other children +he had the right to his own way. +Sometimes he got it, because the others +didn't want to have any trouble. Sometimes +he didn't get it, and then he was +very sulky and disagreeable, even refusing +to answer when he was spoken to.</p> + +<p>One cold day, when all the Caterpillars +stayed in the tent, this oldest brother +wanted the warmest place, that in the +very middle. It should have belonged +to the younger brothers and sisters, for +they were not so strong, but he pushed +and wriggled his hairy black and brown +and yellow body into the very place +he wanted, and then scolded everybody +around because he had to push to get +there. It happened as it always does<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">28</a></span> +when a Caterpillar begins to say mean +things, and he went on until he was saying +some which were really untrue. Nobody +answered back, so he scolded and +fussed and was exceedingly disagreeable.</p> + +<p>All day long he thought how wretched +he was, and how badly they treated him, +and how he guessed they'd be sorry +enough if he went away. The next +morning he went. As long as the warm +sunshine lasted he did very well. When +it began to grow cool, his brothers and +sisters crawled past him on their way to +the tent. "Come on!" they cried. "It's +time to go home."</p> + +<p>"Uh-uh!" said the eldest brother +(and that meant "No"), "I'm not +going."</p> + +<p>"Why not?" they asked.</p> + +<p>"Oh, because," said he.</p> + +<p>When the rest were all together in the +tent they talked about him. "Do you +suppose he's angry?" said one.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">29</a></span></p> + +<p>"What should he be angry about?" +said another.</p> + +<p>"I just believe he is," said a third. +"Did you notice the way his hairs bristled?"</p> + +<p>"Don't you think we ought to go to +get him?" asked two or three of the +youngest Caterpillars.</p> + +<p>"No," said the older ones. "We +haven't done anything. Let him get +over it."</p> + +<p>So the oldest brother, who had thought +that every other Caterpillar in the tent +would crawl right out and beg and coax +him to come back, waited and waited and +waited, but nobody came. The tent was +there and the door was open. All he had +to do was to crawl in and be at home. +He waited so long that at last he had to +leave the tree and spin his cocoon without +ever having gone back to his brothers +and sisters in the tent. He spun his cocoon +and mixed the silk with a yellowish-<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">30</a></span>white +powder, then he lay down in it +to sleep twenty-one days and grow his +wings. The last thought he had before +going to sleep was an unhappy and selfish +one. Probably he awakened an unhappy +and selfish Moth.</p> + +<p>His brothers and sisters were sad whenever +they thought of him. But, they +said, "what could we do? It wasn't fair +for him to have the best of everything, +and we never answered when he said +mean things. He might have come back +at any time and we would have been kind +to him."</p> + +<p>And they were right. What could +they have done? It was very sad, but +when a Caterpillar is so selfish and sulky +that he cannot live happily with other +people, it is much better that he should +live quite alone.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">31</a></span></p> + + +<div class="dcp-chap4"> +<p style='padding-top: 280px;'> </p> + +<h2 style='padding-right: 210px;'><span class="smcap">The Lazy Snail</span></h2> + +<p style='padding-right: 210px;'>In the lower part of the +meadow, where the grass grew +tall and tender, there lived a +fine and sturdy young Snail; +that is to say, a fine-looking Snail. +His shell was a beautiful soft +gray, and its curves were regular +and perfect. His body was soft +and moist, and just what a Snail's +body should be. Of course, +when it came to travelling, he +could not go fast, for none of his +family are rapid travellers, still, if +he had been plucky and patient,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">32</a></span> +he might have seen much of the meadow, +and perhaps some of the world outside. +His friends and neighbors often told him +that he ought to start out on a little journey +to see the sights, but he would always +answer, "Oh, it is too hard work!"</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 210px;'>There was nobody who liked stories of +meadow life better than this same Snail, +and he would often stop some friendly +Cricket or Snake to ask for the news. +After they had told him, they would say, +"Why, don't you ever get out to see these +things for yourself?" and he would give a +little sigh and answer, "It is too far to go."</p> + +<p>"But you needn't go the whole distance +in one day," his visitor would say, "only +a little at a time."</p> + +<p>"Yes, and then I would have to keep +starting on again every little while," the +Snail would reply. "What of that?" said +the visitor; "you would have plenty of resting +spells, when you could lie in the shade +of a tall weed and enjoy yourself."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">33</a></span></p> + +<p>"Well, what is the use?" the Snail +would say. "I can't enjoy resting if I +know I've got to go to work again," and +he would sigh once more.</p> + +<p>So there he lived, eating and sleeping, +and wishing he could see the world, and +meet the people in the upper part of the +meadow, but just so lazy that he wouldn't +start out to find them.</p> + +<p>He never thought that the Butterflies +and Beetles might not like it to have him +keep calling them to him and making them +tell him the news. Oh, no indeed! If he +wanted them to do anything for him, he +asked them quickly enough, and they, being +happy, good-natured people, would +always do as he asked them to.</p> + +<p>There came a day, though, when he +asked too much. The Grasshoppers had +been telling him about some very delicious +new plants that grew a little distance +away, and the Snail wanted some very +badly. "Can't you bring me some?" he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">34</a></span> +said. "There are so many of you, and you +have such good, strong legs. I should +think you might each bring me a small +piece in your mouths, and then I should +have a fine dinner of it."</p> + +<p>The Grasshoppers didn't say anything +then, but when they were so far away that +he could not hear them, they said to each +other, "If the Snail wants the food so +much, he might better go for it. We +have other things to do," and they hopped +off on their own business.</p> + +<p>The Snail sat there, and wondered and +wondered that they did not come. He kept +thinking how he would like some of the new +food for dinner, but there it ended. He +didn't want it enough to get it for himself.</p> + +<p>The Grasshoppers told all their friends +about the Snail's request, and everybody +thought, "Such a lazy, good-for-nothing +fellow deserves to be left quite alone." +So it happened that for a very long time +nobody went near the Snail.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">35</a></span></p> + +<p>The weather grew hotter and hotter. +The clouds, which blew across the sky, +kept their rain until they were well past +the meadow, and so it happened that the +river grew shallower and shallower, and +the sunshine dried the tiny pools and rivulets +which kept the lower meadow damp. +The grass began to turn brown and dry, +and, all in all, it was trying weather for +Snails.</p> + +<p>One day, a Butterfly called some of her +friends together, and told them that she +had seen the Snail lying in his old place, +looking thin and hungry. "The grass is +all dried around him," she said; "I believe +he is starving, and too lazy to go nearer +the river, where there is still good food +for him."</p> + +<p>They all talked it over together, and +some of them said it was of no use to help +a Snail who was too lazy to do anything +for himself. Others said, "Well, he is too +weak to help himself now, at all events,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">36</a></span> +and we might help him this once." And +that is exactly what they did. The Butterflies +and the Mosquitoes flew ahead to +find the best place to put the Snail, and +all the Grasshoppers, and Beetles, and +other strong crawling creatures took +turns in rolling the Snail down toward +the river.</p> + +<p>They left him where the green things +were fresh and tender, and he grew strong +and plump once more. It is even said +that he was not so lazy afterward, but one +cannot tell whether to believe it or not, +for everybody knows that when people let +themselves grow up lazy, as he did, it is +almost impossible for them to get over it +when they want to. One thing is sure: +the meadow people who helped him were +happier and better for doing a kind thing, +no matter what became of the Snail.</p> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">37</a></span></p> + +<div class="dcp-chap5"> + +<p style='padding-top: 220px;'> </p> +<h2 style='padding-right: 200px;'>THE ANT<br /> +THE WORE WINGS</h2> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>In one of the Ant-hills in the +highest part of the meadow, +were a lot of young Ants talking +together. "I," said one, +"am going to be a soldier, +and drive away anybody who +comes to make us trouble. I +try biting hard things every +day to make my jaws strong, +so that I can guard the home +better."</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>"I," said another and smaller +Ant, "want to be a worker. I +want to help build and repair +the home. I want to get the +food for the family, and feed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">38</a></span> +the Ant babies, and clean them off when +they crawl out of their old coats. If I +can do those things well, I shall be the +happiest, busiest Ant in the meadow."</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>"We don't want to live that kind of +life," said a couple of larger Ants with +wings. "We don't mean to stay around +the Ant-hill all the time and work. We +want to use our wings, and then you may +be very sure that you won't see us around +home any more."</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>The little worker spoke up: "Home is +a pleasant place. You may be very glad +to come back to it some day." But the +Ants with the wings turned their backs +and wouldn't listen to another word.</p> + +<p>A few days after this there were exciting +times in the Ant-hill. All the winged +Ants said "Good-bye" to the soldiers and +workers, and flew off through the air, flew +so far that the little ones at home could +no longer see them. All day long they +were gone, but the next morning when<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">39</a></span> +the little worker (whom we heard talking) +went out to get breakfast, she found the +poor winged Ants lying on the ground +near their home. Some of them were +dead, and the rest were looking for food.</p> + +<p>The worker Ant ran up to the one who +had said she didn't want to stay around +home, and asked her to come back to +the Ant-hill. "No, I thank you," she answered. +"I have had my breakfast now, +and am going to fly off again." She +raised her wings to go, but after she had +given one flutter, they dropped off, and +she could never fly again.</p> + +<p>The worker hurried back to the Ant-hill +to call some of her sister workers, and +some of the soldiers, and they took the +Ant who had lost her wings and carried +her to another part of the meadow. There +they went to work to build a new home +and make her their queen.</p> + +<p>First, they looked for a good, sandy +place, on which the sun would shine all<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">40</a></span> +day. Then the worker Ants began to +dig in the ground and bring out tiny +round pieces of earth in their mouths. +The soldiers helped them, and before +night they had a cosy little home in the +earth, with several rooms, and some food +already stored. They took their queen in, +and brought her food to eat, and waited +on her, and she was happy and contented.</p> + +<p>By and by the Ant eggs began to hatch, +and the workers had all they could do to +take care of their queen and her little Ant +babies, and the soldier Ants had to help. +The Ant babies were little worms or +grubs when they first came out of the +eggs; after a while they curled up in tiny, +tiny cases, called pupa-cases, and after another +while they came out of these, and +then they looked like the older Ants, with +their six legs, and their slender little +waists. But whatever they were, whether +eggs, or grubs, or curled up in the pupa-cases, +or lively little Ants, the workers fed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">41</a></span> +and took care of them, and the soldiers +fought for them, and the queen-mother +loved them, and they all lived happily together +until the young Ants were ready +to go out into the great world and learn +the lessons of life for themselves.</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">42</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 510px;"> +<img src="images/chap6.jpg" width="510" height="126" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<h2>THE CHEERFUL HARVESTMEN.</h2> + + +<p>Some of the meadow people are gay +and careless, and some are always worrying. +Some work hard every day, and +some are exceedingly lazy. There, as +everywhere else, each has his own way of +thinking about things. It is too bad that +they cannot all learn to think brave and +cheerful thoughts, for these make life +happy. One may have a comfortable +home, kind neighbors, and plenty to eat, +yet if he is in the habit of thinking disagreeable +thoughts, not even all these +good things can make him happy. Now +there was the young Frog who thought +herself sick—but that is another story.</p> + +<p>Perhaps the Harvestmen were the most +cheerful of all the meadow people. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">43</a></span> +old Tree Frog used to say that it made +him feel better just to see their knees +coming toward him. Of course, when he +saw their knees, he knew that the whole +insect was also coming. He spoke in that +way because the Harvestmen always +walked or ran with their knees so much +above the rest of their bodies that one +could see those first.</p> + +<p>The Harvestmen were not particularly +fine-looking, not nearly so handsome as +some of their Spider cousins. One never +thought of that, however. They had +such an easy way of moving around on +their eight legs, each of which had a +great many joints. It is the joints, or +bending-places, you know, which make +legs useful. Besides being graceful, they +had very pleasant manners. When a +Harvestman said "Good-morning" to +you on a rainy day, you always had a +feeling that the sun was shining. It +might be that the drops were even then<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">44</a></span> +falling into your face, but for a moment +you were sure to feel that everything was +bright and warm and comfortable.</p> + +<p>Sometimes the careless young Grasshoppers +and Crickets called the Harvestmen +by their nicknames, "Daddy Long-Legs" +or "Grandfather Graybeard." Even +then the Harvestmen were good-natured, +and only said with a smile that the young +people had not yet learned the names of +their neighbors. The Grasshoppers never +seemed to think how queer it was to call +a young Harvestman daughter "Grandfather +Graybeard." When they saw how +good-natured they were, the Grasshoppers +soon stopped trying to tease the +Harvestmen. People who are really +good-natured are never teased very long, +you know.</p> + +<p>The Walking-Sticks were exceedingly +polite to the Harvestmen. They thought +them very slender and genteel-looking. +Once the Five-Legged Walking-Stick<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">45</a></span> +said to the largest Harvestman, "Why +do you talk so much with the common +people in the meadow?"</p> + +<p>The Harvestman knew exactly what the +Walking-Stick meant, but he was not going +to let anybody make fun of his kind +and friendly neighbors, so he said: "I +think we Harvestmen are rather common +ourselves. There are a great, great many +of us here. It must be very lonely to be +uncommon."</p> + +<p>After that the Walking-Stick had nothing +more to say. He never felt quite +sure whether the Harvestman was too +stupid to understand or too wise to gossip. +Once he thought he saw the Harvestman's +eyes twinkle. The Harvestman +didn't care if people thought him stupid. +He knew that he was not stupid, and +he would rather seem dull than to listen +while unkind things were said about +his neighbors.</p> + +<p>Some people would have thought it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">46</a></span> +very hard luck to be Harvestmen. The +Garter Snake said that if he were one, he +should be worried all the time about his +legs. "I'm thankful I haven't any," he +said, "for if I had I should be forever +thinking I should lose some of them. A +Harvestman without legs would be badly +off. He could never in the world crawl +around on his belly as I do."</p> + +<p>How the Harvestmen did laugh when +they heard this! The biggest one said, +"Well, if that isn't just like some people! +Never want to have anything for fear +they'll lose it. I wonder if he worries +about his head? He might lose that, you +know, and then what would he do?"</p> + +<p>It was only the next day that the largest +Harvestman came home on seven +legs. His friends all cried out, "Oh, how +did it ever happen?"</p> + +<p>"Cows," said he.</p> + +<p>"Did they step on you?" asked the +Five-Legged Walking-Stick. He had not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">47</a></span> +lived long enough in the meadow to understand +all that the Harvestman meant. +He was sorry for him, though, for he +knew what it was to lose a leg.</p> + +<p>"Huh!" said a Grasshopper, interrupting +in a very rude way, "aren't any Cows +in this meadow now!"</p> + +<p>Then the other Harvestmen told the +Walking-Stick all about it, how sometimes +a boy would come to the meadow, catch +a Harvestman, hold him up by one leg, +and say to him, "Grandfather Graybeard, +tell me where the Cows are, or I'll kill +you." Then the only thing a Harvestman +could do was to struggle and wriggle +himself free, and he often broke off a leg +in doing so.</p> + +<p>"How terrible!" said the three Walking-Sticks +all together. "But why don't +you tell them?"</p> + +<p>"We do," answered the Harvestmen. +"We point with our seven other legs, +and we point every way there is. Some<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">48</a></span>times +we don't know where they are, so +we point everywhere, to be sure. But it +doesn't make any difference. Our legs +drop off just the same."</p> + +<p>"Isn't a boy clever enough to find +Cows alone?" asked the Walking-Sticks.</p> + +<p>"Oh, it isn't that," cried all the meadow +people together. "Even after you tell, +and sometimes when the Cows are right +there, they walk off home without them."</p> + +<p>"I'd sting them," said a Wasp, waving +his feelers fiercely and raising and lowering +his wings. "I'd sting them as hard +as I could."</p> + +<p>"You wouldn't if you had no sting," +said the Tree Frog.</p> + +<p>"N-no," stammered the Wasp, "I suppose +I wouldn't."</p> + +<p>"You poor creature!" said the biggest +Katydid to the biggest Harvestman. +"What will you do? Only seven legs!"</p> + +<p>"Do?" answered the biggest Harvestman, +and it was then one could see how<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">49</a></span> +truly brave and cheerful he was. "Do? +I'll walk on those seven. If I lose one +of them I'll walk on six, and if I lose one +of them I'll walk on five. Haven't I my +mouth and my stomach and my eyes and +my two feelers, and my two food-pincers? +I may not be so good-looking, but I am a +Harvestman, and I shall enjoy the grass +and the sunshine and my kind neighbors +as long as I live. I must leave you now. +Good-day."</p> + +<p>He walked off rather awkwardly, for +he had not yet learned to manage himself +since his accident. The meadow +people looked after him very thoughtfully. +They were not noticing his awkwardness, +or thinking of his high knees or of his +little low body. Perhaps they thought +what the Cicada said, "Ah, that is the +way to live!"</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">50</a></span></p> + + +<div class="dcp-chap7"> +<p style='padding-top: 280px;'> </p> +<h2 style='padding-left: 200px;'>THE +LITTLE +SPIDER'S +FIRST +WEB</h2> + +<p style='padding-left: 200px;'>The first thing our +little Spider remembered +was being crowded +with a lot of other +little Spiders in a tiny brown +house. This tiny house had +no windows, and was very +warm and dark and stuffy. +When the wind blew, the little +Spiders would hear it rushing +through the forest near by, and +would feel their round brown +house swinging like a cradle. It +was fastened to a bush by the +edge of the forest, but they could +not know that, so they just wiggled and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">51</a></span> +pushed and ate the food that they found +in the house, and wondered what it all +meant. They didn't even guess that a +mother Spider had made the brown house +and put the food in it for her Spider +babies to eat when they came out of +their eggs. She had put the eggs in, +too, but the little Spiders didn't remember +the time when they lay curled up in +the eggs. They didn't know what had +been nor what was to be—they thought +that to eat and wiggle and sleep was all +of life. You see they had much to learn.</p> + +<p style='padding-left: 200px;'>One morning the little Spiders found +that the food was all gone, and they +pushed and scrambled harder than ever, +because they were hungry and wanted +more. Exactly what happened nobody +knew, but suddenly it grew light, and +some of them fell out of the house. All +the rest scrambled after, and there they +stood, winking and blinking in the bright +sunshine, and feeling a little bit dizzy, be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">52</a></span>cause +they were on a shaky web made of +silvery ropes.</p> + +<p>Just then the web began to shake even +more, and a beautiful great mother Spider +ran out on it. She was dressed in black +and yellow velvet, and her eight eyes +glistened and gleamed in the sunlight. +They had never dreamed of such a wonderful +creature.</p> + +<p>"Well, my children," she exclaimed, "I +know you must be hungry, and I have +breakfast all ready for you." So they +began eating at once, and the mother +Spider told them many things about the +meadow and the forest, and said they +must amuse themselves while she worked +to get food for them. There was no +father Spider to help her, and, as she +said, "Growing children must have plenty +of good plain food."</p> + +<p>You can just fancy what a good time +the baby Spiders had. There were a +hundred and seventy of them, so they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">53</a></span> +had no chance to grow lonely, even when +their mother was away. They lived in +this way for quite a while, and grew bigger +and stronger every day. One morning +the mother Spider said to her biggest +daughter, "You are quite old enough to +work now, and I will teach you to spin +your web."</p> + +<p>The little Spider soon learned to draw +out the silvery ropes from the pocket in +her body where they were made and kept, +and very soon she had one fastened at +both ends to branches of the bush. Then +her mother made her walk out to the +middle of her rope bridge, and spin and +fasten two more, so that it looked like a +shining cross. After that was done, the +mother showed her something like a comb, +which is part of a Spider's foot, and taught +her how to measure, and put more ropes +out from the middle of the cross, until it +looked like the spokes of a wheel.</p> + +<p>The little Spider got much discouraged,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">54</a></span> +and said, "Let me finish it some other +time; I am tired of working now."</p> + +<p>The mother Spider answered, "No, I +cannot have a lazy child."</p> + +<p>The little one said, "I can't ever do it, +I know I can't."</p> + +<p>"Now," said the mother, "I shall have +to give you a Spider scolding. You have +acted as lazy as the Tree Frog says boys +and girls sometimes do. He has been up +near the farm-house, and says that he has +seen there children who do not like to +work. The meadow people could hardly +believe such a thing at first. He says +they were cross and unhappy children, and +no wonder! Lazy people are never happy. +You try to finish the web, and see if I am +not right. You are not a baby now, and +you must work and get your own food."</p> + +<p>So the little Spider spun the circles of +rope in the web, and made these ropes +sticky, as all careful spiders do. She ate +the loose ends and pieces that were left<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">55</a></span> +over, to save them for another time, and +when it was done, it was so fine and perfect +that her brothers and sisters crowded +around, saying, "Oh! oh! oh! how beautiful!" +and asked the mother to teach them. +The little web-spinner was happier than +she had ever been before, and the mother +began to teach her other children. But +it takes a long time to teach a hundred +and seventy children.</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">56</a></span></p> +<div class="dcp-chap8"> + +<p style='padding-top: 80px;'> </p> + +<h2 style='padding-right: 280px;'><small>THE</small> BEETLE <small>WHO +DID NOT LIKE CATERPILLARS</small></h2> + +<p style='padding-right: 280px;'>One morning early +in June, a fat and shining +May Beetle lay on +his back among the +grasses, kicking his +six legs in the air, +and wriggling around +while he tried to catch +hold of a grass-blade +by which to pull himself +up. Now, Beetles +do not like to lie on +their backs in the sunshine, +and this one was +hot and tired from +his long struggle. Beside +that, he was very +cross because he was +late in getting his +breakfast, so when he +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">57</a></span> +did at last get right side up, and saw a +brown and black Caterpillar watching +him, he grew very ill-mannered, and said +some things of which he should have been +ashamed.</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 280px;'>"Oh, yes," he said, "you are quick +enough to laugh when you think somebody +else is in a fix. I often lie on my +back and kick, just for fun." (Which was +not true, but when Beetles are cross they +are not always truthful.)</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 280px;'>"Excuse me," said the Caterpillar, "I +did not mean to hurt your feelings. If I +smiled, it was because I remembered being +in the same plight myself yesterday, +and what a time I had smoothing my fur +afterwards. Now, you won't have to +smooth your fur, will you?" she asked +pleasantly.</p> + +<p>"No, I'm thankful to say I haven't +any fur to smooth," snapped the Beetle. +"I am not one of the crawling, furry kind. +My family wear dark brown, glossy coats,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">58</a></span> +and we always look trim and clean. When +we want to hurry, we fly; and when tired +of flying, we walk or run. We have two +kinds of wings. We have a pair of dainty, +soft ones, that carry us through the air, +and then we have a pair of stiff ones to +cover over the soft wings when we come +down to the earth again. We are the +finest family in the meadow."</p> + +<p>"I have often heard of you," said the +Caterpillar, "and am very glad to become +acquainted."</p> + +<p>"Well," answered the Beetle, "I am +willing to speak to you, of course, but +we can never be at all friendly. A May +Beetle, indeed, in company with a Caterpillar! +I choose my friends among the +Moths, Butterflies, and Dragon-flies,—in +fact, <i>I</i> move in the upper circles."</p> + +<p>"Upper circles, indeed!" said a croaking +voice beside him, which made the +Beetle jump, "I have hopped over your +head for two or three years, when you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">59</a></span> +were nothing but a fat, white worm. +<i>You'd</i> better not put on airs. The fine +family of May Beetles were all worms +once, and they had to live in the earth +and eat roots, while the Caterpillars +were in the sunshine over their heads, +dining on tender green leaves and flower +buds."</p> + +<p>The May Beetle began to look very +uncomfortable, and squirmed as though +he wanted to get away, but the Tree +Frog, for it was the Tree Frog, went on: +"As for your not liking Caterpillars, they +don't stay Caterpillars. Your new acquaintance +up there will come out with +wings one of these days, and you will be +glad enough to know him." And the +Tree Frog hopped away.</p> + +<p>The May Beetle scraped his head with +his right front leg, and then said to the +Caterpillar, who was nibbling away at the +milkweed: "You know, I wasn't really in +earnest about our not being friends. I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">60</a></span> +shall be very glad to know you, and all +your family."</p> + +<p>"Thank you," answered the Caterpillar, +"thank you very much, but I have been +thinking it over myself, and I feel that I +really could not be friendly with a May +Beetle. Of course, I don't mind speaking +to you once in a while, when I am +eating, and getting ready to spin my cocoon. +After that it will be different. You +see, then I shall belong to one of the +finest families in the meadow, the Milkweed +Butterflies. <i>We</i> shall eat nothing +but honey, and dress in soft orange and +black velvet. <i>We</i> shall not blunder and +bump around when we fly. <i>We</i> shall enjoy +visiting with the Dragon-flies and +Moths. I shall not forget you altogether, +I dare say, but I shall feel it my duty to +move in the upper circles, where I belong. +Good-morning."</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">61</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 510px;"> +<img src="images/chap9.jpg" width="510" height="124" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<h2>THE YOUNG ROBIN WHO WAS<br /> +AFRAID TO FLY.</h2> + + +<p>During the days when the four beautiful +green-blue eggs lay in the nest, Mrs. +Robin stayed quite closely at home. She +said it was a very good place, for she +could keep her eggs warm and still see +all that was happening. The rail-end on +which they had built was on the meadow +side of the fence, over the tallest grasses +and the graceful stalks of golden-rod. +Here the Garter Snake drew his shining +body through the tangled green, and here +the Tree Frog often came for a quiet +nap.</p> + +<p>Just outside the fence the milkweeds +grew, with every broad, pale green leaf +slanting upward in their spring style.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">62</a></span> +Here the Milkweed Caterpillars fed, and +here, too, when the great balls of tiny dull +pink blossoms dangled from the stalks, +the Milkweed Butterflies hung all day +long. All the teams from the farm-house +passed along the quiet, grass-grown road, +and those which were going to the farm +as well. When Mrs. Robin saw a team +coming, she always settled herself more +deeply into her nest, so that not one of +her brick-red breast feathers showed. +Then she sat very still, only turning her +head enough to watch the team as it +came near, passed, and went out of sight +down the road. Sometimes she did not +even have to turn her head, for if she +happened to be facing the road, she could +with one eye watch the team come near, +and with the other watch it go away. No +bird, you know, ever has to look at anything +with both eyes at once.</p> + +<p>After the young Robins had outgrown +their shells and broken and thrown them<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">63</a></span> +off, they were naked and red and blind. +They lay in a heap in the bottom of the +nest, and became so tangled that nobody +but a bird could tell which was which. +If they heard their father or their mother +flying toward them, they would stretch up +their necks and open their mouths. Then +each would have some food poked down +his throat, and would lie still until another +mouthful was brought to him.</p> + +<p>When they got their eyes open and began +to grow more down, they were good +little Robins and did exactly as they were +told. It was easy to be good then, for +they were not strong enough to want to +go elsewhere, and they had all they wanted +to eat. At night their mother sat in the +nest and covered them with her soft +feathers. When it rained she also did +this. She was a kind and very hard-working +mother. Mr. Robin worked +quite as hard as she, and was exceedingly +proud of his family.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">64</a></span></p> + +<p>But when their feathers began to grow, +and each young Robin's sharp quills +pricked his brothers and sisters if they +pushed against him, then it was not so +easy to be good. Four growing children +in one little round bed sometimes found +themselves rather crowded. One night +Mrs. Robin said to her husband: "I am +all tired out. I work as long as daylight +lasts getting food for those children, and +I cannot be here enough to teach them +anything."</p> + +<p>"Then they must learn to work for +themselves," said Mr. Robin decidedly. +"They are surely old enough."</p> + +<p>"Why, they are just babies!" exclaimed +his wife. "They have hardly +any tails yet."</p> + +<p>"They don't need tails to eat with," +said he, "and they may as well begin +now. I will not have you get so tired for +this one brood."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Robin said nothing more. In<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">65</a></span>deed, +there was nothing more to be said, +for she knew perfectly well that her children +would not eat with their tails if they +had them. She loved her babies so that +she almost disliked to see them grow up, +yet she knew it was right for them to +leave the nest. They were so large that +they spread out over the edges of it already, +and they must be taught to take +care of themselves before it was time for +her to rear her second brood.</p> + +<p>The next morning all four children +were made to hop out on to the rail. +Their legs were not very strong and their +toes sprawled weakly around. Sometimes +they lurched and almost fell. Before +leaving the nest they had felt big +and very important; now they suddenly +felt small and young and helpless. Once +in a while one of them would hop feebly +along the rail for a few steps. Then he +would chirp in a frightened way, let his +head settle down over his speckled breast,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">66</a></span> +slide his eyelids over his eyes, and wait +for more food to be brought to him.</p> + +<p>Whenever a team went by, the oldest +child shut his eyes. He thought they +couldn't see him if he did that. The +other children kept theirs open and +watched to see what happened. Their +father and mother had told them to +watch, but the timid young Robin always +shut his eyes in spite of that.</p> + +<p>"We shall have trouble with him," +said Mrs. Robin, "but he must be made +to do as he is told, even if he is afraid." +She shut her bill very tightly as she +spoke, and Mr. Robin knew that he could +safely trust the bringing-up of his timid +son to her.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Robin talked and talked to him, +and still he shut his eyes every time that +he was frightened. "I can't keep them +open," he would say, "because when I +am frightened I am always afraid, and I +can't be brave when I am afraid."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">67</a></span></p> + +<p>"That is just when you must be +brave," said his mother. "There is no +use in being brave when there is nothing +to fear, and it is a great deal braver to be +brave when you are frightened than to +be brave when you are not." You can +see that she was a very wise Robin and a +good mother. It would have been dreadful +for her to let him grow up a coward.</p> + +<p>At last the time came when the young +birds were to fly to the ground and hop +across the road. Both their father and +their mother were there to show them how. +"You must let go of the rail," they said. +"You will never fly in the world unless +you let go of the rail."</p> + +<p>Three of the children fluttered and +lurched and flew down. The timid young +Robin would not try it. His father ordered +and his mother coaxed, yet he only +clung more closely to his rail and said, +"I can't! I'm afraid!"</p> + +<p>At last his mother said: "Very well.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">68</a></span> +You shall stay there as long as you wish, +but we cannot stay with you."</p> + +<p>Then she chirped to her husband, and +they and the three brave children went +across the road, talking as they went. +"Careful!" she would say. "Now another +hop! That was fine! Now another!" +And the father fluttered around and said: +"Good! Good! You'll be grown-up before +you know it." When they were +across, the parents hunted food and fed +their three brave children, tucking the +mouthfuls far into their wide-open bills.</p> + +<p>The timid little Robin on the fence +felt very, very lonely. He was hungry, +too. Whenever he saw his mother pick +up a mouthful of food, he chirped loudly: +"Me! Me! Me!" for he wanted her to +bring it to him. She paid no attention +to him for a long time. Then she called: +"Do you think you can fly? Do you +think you can fly? Do you think?"</p> + +<p>The timid little Robin hopped a few<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">69</a></span> +steps and chirped but never lifted a wing. +Then his mother gave each of the other +children a big mouthful.</p> + +<p>The Robin on the fence huddled down +into a miserable little bunch, and thought: +"They don't care whether I ever have +anything to eat. No, they don't!" Then +he heard a rush of wings, and his mother +stood before him with a bunch in her bill +for him. He hopped toward her and she +ran away. Then he sat down and cried. +She hopped back and looked lovingly at +him, but couldn't speak because her bill +was so full. Across the road the Robin +father stayed with his brave children and +called out, "Earn it, my son, earn it!"</p> + +<p>The young Robin stretched out his +neck and opened his bill—but his mother +flew to the ground. He was so hungry—so +very, very hungry,—that for a minute +he quite forgot to be afraid, and he leaned +toward her and toppled over. He fluttered +his wings without thinking, and the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">70</a></span> +first he knew he had flown to the ground. +He was hardly there before his mother +was feeding him and his father was singing: +"Do you know what you did? Do +you know what you did? Do you +know?"</p> + +<p>Before his tail was grown the timid +Robin had become as brave as any of the +children, for, you know, after you begin +to be brave you always want to go on. +But the Garter Snake says that Mrs. +Robin is the bravest of the family.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">71</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 510px;"> +<img src="images/chap10.jpg" width="510" height="335" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2><span class="smcap">The Crickets' School</span></h2> + + +<p>In one corner of the meadow lived a +fat old Cricket, who thought a great deal +of himself. He had such a big, shining +body, and a way of chirping so very loudly, +that nobody could ever forget where he +lived. He was a very good sort of Cricket, +too, ready to say the most pleasant things +to everybody, yet, sad to relate, he had a +dreadful habit of boasting. He had not +always lived in the meadow, and he liked +to tell of the wonderful things he had seen +and done when he was younger and lived +up near the white farm-house.</p> + +<p>When he told these stories of what he +had done, the big Crickets around him<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">72</a></span> +would not say much, but just sit and look +at each other. The little Crickets, however, +loved to hear him talk, and would +often come to the door of his house +(which was a hole in the ground), to beg +him to tell them more.</p> + +<p>One evening he said he would teach +them a few things that all little Crickets +should know. He had them stand in a +row, and then began: "With what part +of your body do you eat?"</p> + +<p>"With our mouths," all the little Crickets +shouted.</p> + +<p>"With what part of your body do you +run and leap?"</p> + +<p>"Our legs," they cried.</p> + +<p>"Do you do anything else with your +legs?"</p> + +<p>"We clean ourselves with them," said +one.</p> + +<p>"We use them and our mouths to +make our houses in the ground," said +another.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">73</a></span></p> + +<p>"Oh yes, and we hear with our two +front legs," cried one bright little fellow.</p> + +<p>"That is right," answered the fat old +Cricket. "Some creatures hear with +things called ears, that grow on the sides of +their heads, but for my part, I think it much +nicer to hear with one's legs, as we do."</p> + +<p>"Why, how funny it must be not to +hear with one's legs, as we do," cried all +the little Crickets together.</p> + +<p>"There are a great many queer things +to be seen in the great world," said their +teacher. "I have seen some terribly big +creatures with only two legs and no wings +whatever."</p> + +<p>"How dreadful!" all the little Crickets +cried. "We wouldn't think they could +move about at all."</p> + +<p>"It must be very hard to do so," said +their teacher; "I was very sorry for them," +and he spread out his own wings and +stretched his six legs to show how he enjoyed +them.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">74</a></span></p> + +<p>"But how can they sing if they have no +wings?" asked the bright little Cricket.</p> + +<p>"They sing through their mouths, in +much the same way that the birds have +to. I am sure it must be much easier to +sing by rubbing one's wings together, as +we do," said the fat old teacher. "I could +tell you many queer things about these +two-legged creatures, and the houses in +which they live, and perhaps some day I +will. There are other large four-legged +creatures around their homes that are very +terrible, but, my children, I was never +afraid of any of them. I am one of the +truly brave people who are never frightened, +no matter how terrible the sight. I +hope, children, that you will always be +brave, like me. If anything should scare +you, do not jump or run away. Stay right +where you are, and——"</p> + +<p>But the little Crickets never heard the +rest of what their teacher began to say, for +at that minute Brown Bess, the Cow, came<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">75</a></span> +through a broken fence toward the spot +where the Crickets were. The teacher +gave one shrill "chirp," and scrambled +down his hole. The little Crickets fairly +tumbled over each other in their hurry to +get away, and the fat old Cricket, who +had been out in the great world, never +again talked to them about being brave.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">76</a></span></p> + + +<div class="dcp-chap11"> +<p style='padding-top: 180px;'> </p> + +<h2 style='padding-right: 200px;'>THE CONTENTED +EARTHWORMS</h2> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>After a long and soaking +rain, the Earthworms came +out of their burrows, or +rather, they came part way +out, for each Earthworm put +out half of his body, and, as +there were many of them +and they lived near to each +other, they could easily visit +without leaving their own +homes. Two of these long, +slimy people were talking, +when a Potato Bug strolled +by. "You poor things," +said he, "what a wretched +life you must lead. Spending +one's days in the dark +earth must be very dreary."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">77</a></span></p> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>"Dreary!" exclaimed one of the Earthworms, +"it is delightful. The earth is a +snug and soft home. It is warm in cold +weather and cool in warm weather. There +are no winds to trouble us, and no sun to +scorch us."</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>"But," said the Potato Bug, "it must +be very dull. Now, out in the grass, one +finds beautiful flowers, and so many families +of friends."</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>"And down here," answered the Worm, +"we have the roots. Some are brown and +woody, like those of the trees, and some +are white and slender and soft. They +creep and twine, until it is like passing +through a forest to go among them. And +then, there are the seeds. Such busy times +as there are in the ground in spring-time! +Each tiny seed awakens and begins to +grow. Its roots must strike downward, +and its stalk upward toward the light. +Sometimes the seeds are buried in the +earth with the root end up, and then they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">78</a></span> +have a great time getting twisted around +and ready to grow."</p> + +<p>"Still, after the plants are all growing +and have their heads in the air, you must +miss them."</p> + +<p>"We have the roots always," said the +Worm. "And then, when the summer +is over, the plants have done their work, +helping to make the world beautiful and +raise their seed babies, and they wither +and droop to the earth again, and little +by little the sun and the frost and the rain +help them to melt back into the earth. +The earth is the beginning and the end of +plants."</p> + +<p>"Do you ever meet the meadow people +in it?" asked the Potato Bug.</p> + +<p>"Many of them live here as babies," +said the Worm. "The May Beetles, the +Grasshoppers, the great Humming-bird +Moths, and many others spend their babyhood +here, all wrapped in eggs or cocoons. +Then, when they are strong enough, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">79</a></span> +their legs and wings are grown, they push +their way out and begin their work. It is +their getting-ready time, down here in the +dark. And then, there are the stones, +and they are so old and queer. I am +often glad that I am not a stone, for to +have to lie still must be hard to bear. Yet I +have heard that they did not always lie so, +and that some of the very pebbles around +us tossed and rolled and ground for years +in the bed of a river, and that some of +them were rubbed and broken off of great +rocks. Perhaps they are glad now to just +lie and rest."</p> + +<p>"Truly," said the Potato Bug, "you +have a pleasant home, but give me the +sunshine and fresh air, my six legs, and +my striped wings, and you are welcome +to it all."</p> + +<p>"You are welcome to them all," answered +the Worms. "We are contented +with smooth and shining bodies, with +which we can bore and wriggle our way<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">80</a></span> +through the soft, brown earth. We like +our task of keeping the earth right for +the plants, and we will work and rest +happily here."</p> + +<p>The Potato Bug went his way, and said +to his brothers, "What do you think? I +have been talking with Earthworms who +would not be Potato Bugs if they could." +And they all shook their heads in wonder, +for they thought that to be Potato Bugs +was the grandest and happiest thing in +the world.</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">81</a></span></p> + +<div class="dcp-chap12"> +<p style='padding-top: 300px;'> </p> +<h2 style='padding-right: 200px;'>THE MEASURING WORM'S JOKE</h2> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>One day there crawled +over the meadow fence a +jolly young Measuring +Worm. He came from a +bush by the roadside, and +although he was still a +young Worm he had +kept his eyes open and +had a very good idea how +things go in this world. +"Now," thought he, as +he rested on the top rail +of the fence, "I shall +meet some new friends. +I do hope they will be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">82</a></span> +pleasant. I will look about me and see if +anyone is in sight." So he raised his +head high in the air and, sure enough, +there were seven Caterpillars of different +kinds on a tall clump of weeds near by.</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>The Measuring Worm hurried over to +where they were, and making his best +bow said: "I have just come from the +roadside and think I shall live in the +meadow. May I feed with you?"</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>The Caterpillars were all glad to have +him, and he joined their party. He +asked many questions about the meadow, +and the people who lived there, and the +best place to find food. The Caterpillars +said, "Oh, the meadow is a good place, +and the people are nice enough, but they +are not at all fashionable—not at all."</p> + +<p>"Why," said the Measuring Worm, "if +you have nice people and a pleasant place +in which to live, I don't see what more +you need."</p> + +<p>"That is all very well," said a black and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">83</a></span> +yellow Caterpillar, "but what we want +is fashionable society. The meadow people +always do things in the same way, +and one gets so tired of that. Now can +you not tell us something different, something +that Worms do in the great world +from which you come?"</p> + +<p>Just at this minute the Measuring +Worm had a funny idea, and he wondered +if the Caterpillars would be foolish enough +to copy him. He thought it would be a +good joke if they did, so he said very soberly, +"I notice that when you walk you keep +your body quite close to the ground. I +have seen many Worms do the same +thing, and it is all right if they wish to, +but none of my family ever do so. Did +you notice how I walk?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, yes," cried the Caterpillars, "show +us again."</p> + +<p>So the Measuring Worm walked back +and forth for them, arching his body as +high as he could, and stopping every little<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">84</a></span> +while to raise his head and look haughtily +around.</p> + +<p>"What grace!" exclaimed the Caterpillars. +"What grace, and what style!" +and one black and brown one tried to walk +in the same way.</p> + +<p>The Measuring Worm wanted to laugh +to see how awkward the black and brown +Caterpillar was, but he did not even smile, +and soon every one of the Caterpillars +was trying the same thing, and saying +"Look at me. Don't I do well?" or, +"How was that?"</p> + +<p>You can just imagine how those seven +Caterpillars looked when trying to walk +like the Measuring Worm. Every few +minutes one of them would tumble over, +and they all got warm and tired. At last +they thought they had learned it very well, +and took a long rest, in which they planned +to take a long walk and show the other +meadow people the fashion they had received +from the outside world.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">85</a></span></p> + +<p>"We will walk in a line," they said, "as +far as we can, and let them all see us. +Ah, it will be a great day for the meadow +when we begin to set the fashions!"</p> + +<p>The mischievous young Measuring +Worm said not a word, and off they +started. The big black and yellow Caterpillar +went first, the black and brown one +next, and so on down to the smallest one at +the end of the line, all arching their bodies +as high as they could. All the meadow +people stared at them, calling each other +to come and look, and whenever the +Caterpillars reached a place where there +were many watching them, they would all +raise their heads and look around exactly +as the Measuring Worm had done. When +they got back to their clump of bushes, +they had the most dreadful backaches, but +they said to each other, "Well, we have +been fashionable for once."</p> + +<p>And, at the same time, out in the +grass, the meadow people were saying,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">86</a></span> +"Did you ever see anything so ridiculous +in your life?" All of which goes +to show how very silly people sometimes +are when they think too much of +being fashionable.</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">87</a></span></p> + +<div class="dcp-chap13"> +<p style='padding-top: 320px;'> </p> +<h2 style='padding-right: 220px;'>A PUZZLED CICADA</h2> + +<p style='padding-right: 220px;'>Seventeen years is a long, +long time to be getting ready +to fly; yet that is what the +Seventeen-year Locusts, or +Cicadas, have to expect. +First, they lie for a long +time in eggs, down in +the earth. Then, when +they awaken, and crawl +out of their shells, they +must grow strong +enough to dig before +they can make their +way out to where the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">88</a></span> +beautiful green grass is growing and waving +in the wind.</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 220px;'>The Cicada who got so very much puzzled +had not been long out of his home in +the warm, brown earth. He was the only +Cicada anywhere around, and it was very +lonely for him. However, he did not +mind that so much when he was eating, +or singing, or resting in the sunshine, and +as he was either eating, or singing, or resting +in the sunshine most of the time, he +got along fairly well.</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 220px;'>Because he was young and healthy he +grew fast. He grew so very fast that +after a while he began to feel heavy and +stiff, and more like sitting still than like +crawling around. Beside all this, his skin +got tight, and you can imagine how uncomfortable +it must be to have one's skin +too tight. He was sitting on the branch +of a bush one day, thinking about the +wonderful great world, when—pop!—his +skin had cracked open right down the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">89</a></span> +middle of his back! The poor Cicada +was badly frightened at first, but then it +seemed so good and roomy that he took a +deep breath, and—pop!—the crack was +longer still!</p> + +<p>The Cicada found that he had another +whole skin under the outside one which +had cracked, so he thought, "How much +cooler and more comfortable I shall be if +I crawl out of this broken covering," and +out he crawled.</p> + +<p>It wasn't very easy work, because he +didn't have anybody to help him. He +had to hook the claws of his outer skin +into the bark of the branch, hook them +in so hard that they couldn't pull out, +and then he began to wriggle out of the +back of his own skin. It was exceedingly +hard work, and the hardest of all was the +pulling his legs out of their cases. He +was so tired when he got free that he +could hardly think, and his new skin was +so soft and tender that he felt limp and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">90</a></span> +queer. He found that he had wings of a +pretty green, the same color as his legs. +He knew these wings must have been growing +under his old skin, and he stretched +them slowly out to see how big they were. +This was in the morning, and after he had +stretched his wings he went to sleep for a +long time.</p> + +<p>When he awakened, the sun was in the +western sky, and he tried to think who he +was. He looked at himself, and instead +of being green he was a dull brown and +black. Then he saw his old skin clinging +to the branch and staring him in the face. +It was just the same shape as when he was +in it, and he thought for a minute that he +was dreaming. He rubbed his head hard +with his front legs to make sure he was +awake, and then he began to wonder which +one he was. Sometimes he thought that +the old skin which clung to the bush was +the Cicada that had lain so long in the +ground, and sometimes he thought that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">91</a></span> +the soft, fat, new-looking one was the +Cicada. Or were both of them the Cicada? +If he were only one of the two, +what would he do with the other?</p> + +<p>While he was wondering about this in +a sleepy way, an old Cicada from across +the river flew down beside him. He +thought he would ask her, so he waved +his feelers as politely as he knew how, and +said, "Excuse me, Madam Cicada, for I +am much puzzled. It took me seventeen +years to grow into a strong, crawling Cicada, +and then in one day I separated. +The thinking, moving part of me is here, +but the outside shell of me is there on +that branch. Now, which part is the real +Cicada?"</p> + +<p>"Why, that is easy enough," said the +Madam Cicada; "You are <i>you</i>, of course. +The part that you cast off and left clinging +to the branch was very useful once. +It kept you warm on cold days and cool +on warm days, and you needed it while<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">92</a></span> +you were only a crawling creature. But +when your wings were ready to carry you +off to a higher and happier life, then the +skin that had been a help was in your way, +and you did right to wriggle out of it. It +is no longer useful to you. Leave it +where it is and fly off to enjoy your new +life. You will never have trouble if you +remember that the thinking part is the +real <i>you</i>."</p> + +<p>And then Madam Cicada and her new +friend flew away to her home over the +river, and he saw many strange sights before +he returned to the meadow.</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">93</a></span></p> + +<div class="dcp-chap14"> +<p style='padding-top: 300px;'> </p> +<h2 style='padding-right: 180px;'>THE +TREE FROG'S +STORY</h2> + + +<p style='padding-right: 180px;'>In all the meadow there was +nobody who could tell such +interesting stories as the old +Tree Frog. Even the Garter +Snake, who had been there the +longest, and the old Cricket, who +had lived in the farm-yard, could +tell no such exciting tales as the +Tree Frog. All the wonderful +things of which he told had happened +before he came to the +meadow, and while he was still a young +Frog. None of his friends had known +him then, but he was an honest fellow,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">94</a></span> +and they were sure that everything he +told was true: besides, they must be true, +for how could a body ever think out such +remarkable tales from his own head?</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 180px;'>When he first came to his home by the +elm tree he was very thin, and looked as +though he had been sick. The Katydids +who stayed near said that he croaked in +his sleep, and that, you know, is not what +well and happy Frogs should do.</p> + +<p>One day when many of the meadow +people were gathered around him, he told +them his story. "When I was a little +fellow," he said, "I was strong and well, +and could leap farther than any other +Frog of my size. I was hatched in the +pond beyond the farm-house, and ate my +way from the egg to the water outside +like any other Frog. Perhaps I ought to +say, 'like any other Tadpole,' for, of course, +I began life as a Tadpole. I played and +ate with my brothers and sisters, and little +dreamed what trouble was in store for me<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">95</a></span> +when I grew up. We were all in a hurry +to be Frogs, and often talked of what we +would do and how far we would travel +when we were grown.</p> + +<p>"Oh, how happy we were then! I remember +the day when my hind legs began +to grow, and how the other Tadpoles +crowded around me in the water and swam +close to me to feel the two little bunches +that were to be legs. My fore legs did +not grow until later, and these bunches +came just in front of my tail."</p> + +<p>"Your tail!" cried a puzzled young +Cricket; "why, you haven't any tail!"</p> + +<p>"I did have when I was a Tadpole," +said the Tree Frog. "I had a beautiful, +wiggly little tail with which to swim +through the waters of the pond; but as +my legs grew larger and stronger, my tail +grew littler and weaker, until there wasn't +any tail left. By the time my tail was +gone I had four good legs, and could +breathe through both my nose and my<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">96</a></span> +skin. The knobs on the ends of my toes +were sticky, so that I could climb a tree, +and then I was ready to start on my +travels. Some of the other Frogs started +with me, but they stopped along the way, +and at last I was alone.</p> + +<p>"I was a bold young fellow, and when +I saw a great white thing among the trees +up yonder, I made up my mind to see +what it was. There was a great red thing +in the yard beside it, but I liked the white +one better. I hopped along as fast as I +could, for I did not then know enough to +be afraid. I got close up to them both, +and saw strange, big creatures going in +and out of the red thing—the barn, as I +afterward found it was called. The largest +creatures had four legs, and some of them +had horns. The smaller creatures had +only two legs on which to walk, and two +other limbs of some sort with which they +lifted and carried things. The queerest +thing about it was, that the smaller creat<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">97</a></span>ures +seemed to make the larger ones do +whatever they wanted them to. They +even made some of them help do their +work. You may not believe me, but what +I tell you is true. I saw two of the larger +ones tied to a great load of dried grass +and pulling it into the barn.</p> + +<p>"As you may guess, I stayed there a +long time, watching these strange creatures +work. Then I went over toward +the white thing, and that, I found out, +was the farm-house. Here were more of +the two-legged creatures, but they were +dressed differently from those in the barn. +There were some bright-colored flowers +near the house, and I crawled in among +them. There I rested until sunset, and +then began my evening song. While I +was singing, one of the people from the +house came out and found me. She +picked me up and carried me inside. Oh, +how frightened I was! My heart thumped +as though it would burst, and I tried my<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">98</a></span> +best to get away from her. She didn't +hurt me at all, but she would not let me +go.</p> + +<p>"She put me in a very queer prison. +At first, when she put me down on a stone +in some water, I did not know that I was +in prison. I tried to hop away, and—bump! +went my head against something. +Yet when I drew back, I could see no wall +there. I tried it again and again, and +every time I hurt my head. I tell you +the truth, my friends, those walls were +made of something which one could see +through."</p> + +<p>"Wonderful!" exclaimed all the meadow +people; "wonderful, indeed!"</p> + +<p>"And at the top," continued the Tree +Frog, "was something white over the +doorway into my prison. In the bottom +were water and a stone, and from the bottom +to the top was a ladder. There I +had to live for most of the summer. I +had enough to eat; but anybody who has<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">99</a></span> +been free cannot be happy shut in. I +watched my chance, and three times I got +out when the little door was not quite +closed. Twice I was caught and put back. +In the pleasant weather, of course, I went +to the top of the ladder, and when it was +going to rain I would go down again. +Every time that I went up or down, those +dreadful creatures would put their faces +up close to my prison, and I could hear a +roaring sound which meant they were +talking and laughing.</p> + +<p>"The last time I got out, I hid near the +door of the house, and although they +hunted and hunted for me, they didn't +find me. After they stopped hunting, the +wind blew the door open, and I hopped +out."</p> + +<p>"You don't say!" exclaimed a Grasshopper.</p> + +<p>"Yes, I hopped out and scrambled +away through the grass as fast as ever I +could. You people who have never been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">100</a></span> +in prison cannot think how happy I was. +It seemed to me that just stretching my +legs was enough to make me wild with +joy. Well, I came right here, and you +were all kind to me, but for a long time I +could not sleep without dreaming that I +was back in prison, and I would croak in +my sleep at the thought of it."</p> + +<p>"I heard you," cried the Katydid, "and +I wondered what was the matter."</p> + +<p>"Matter enough," said the Tree Frog. +"It makes my skin dry to think of it now. +And, friends, the best way I can ever repay +your kindness to me, is to tell you to +never, never, never, never go near the +farm-house."</p> + +<p>And they all answered, "We never +will."</p> +</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">101</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 510px;"> +<img src="images/chap15.jpg" width="510" height="120" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<h2>THE DAY WHEN THE GRASS<br /> +WAS CUT.</h2> + + +<p>There came a day when all the meadow +people rushed back and forth, waving +their feelers and talking hurriedly to +each other. The fat old Cricket was +nowhere to be seen. He said that one +of his legs was lame and he thought it +best to stay quietly in his hole. The +young Crickets thought he was afraid. +Perhaps he was, but he said that he +was lame.</p> + +<p>All the insects who had holes crawled +into them carrying food. Everybody was +anxious and fussy, and some people were +even cross. It was all because the farmer +and his men had come into the meadow +to cut the grass. They began to work<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">102</a></span> +on the side nearest the road, but every +step which the Horses took brought the +mower nearer to the people who lived in +the middle of the meadow or down toward +the river.</p> + +<p>"I have seen this done before," said +the Garter Snake. "I got away from +the big mower, and hid in the grass by the +trees, or by the stumps where the mower +couldn't come. Then the men came and +cut that grass with their scythes, and I +had to wriggle away over the short, sharp +grass-stubble to my hole. When they +get near me this time, I shall go into my +hole and stay there."</p> + +<p>"They are not so bad after all," said +the Tree Frog. "I like them better out-of-doors +than I did in the house. They +saw me out here once and didn't try to +catch me."</p> + +<p>A Meadow Mouse came hurrying along. +"I must get home to my babies," she said. +"They will be frightened if I am not there."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">103</a></span></p> + +<p>"Much good you can do when you are +there!" growled a voice down under her +feet. She was standing over the hole +where the fat old Cricket was with his +lame leg.</p> + +<p>The mother Meadow Mouse looked +rather angry for a minute, and then she +answered: "I'm not so very large and +strong, but I can squeak and let the +Horses know where the nest is. Then +they won't step on it. Last year I had +ten or twelve babies there, and one of +the men picked them up and looked at +them and then put them back. I was +so frightened that my fur stood on end +and I shook like June grass in the wind."</p> + +<p>"Humph! Too scared to run away," +said the voice under her feet.</p> + +<p>"Mothers don't run away and leave +their children in danger," answered the +Meadow Mouse. "I think it is a great +deal braver to be brave when you are +afraid than it is to be brave when you're<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">104</a></span> +not afraid." She whisked her long tail +and scampered off through the grass. +She did not go the nearest way to her +nest because she thought the Garter +Snake might be watching. She didn't +wish him to know where she lived. She +knew he was fond of young Mice, and +didn't want him to come to see her babies +while she was away. She said he was +not a good friend for young children.</p> + +<p>"We don't mind it at all," said the +Mosquitoes from the lower part of the +meadow. "We are unusually hungry today +anyway, and we shall enjoy having +the men come."</p> + +<p>"Nothing to make such a fuss over," +said a Milkweed Butterfly. "Just crawl +into your holes or fly away."</p> + +<p>"Sometimes they step on the holes +and close them," said an Ant. "What +would you do if you were in a hole and +it stopped being a hole and was just +earth?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">105</a></span></p> + +<p>"Crawl out, I suppose," answered the +Milkweed Butterfly with a careless flutter.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said the Ant, "but I don't see +what there would be to crawl out +through."</p> + +<p>The Milkweed Butterfly was already +gone. Butterflies never worry about anything +very long, you know.</p> + +<p>"Has anybody seen the Measuring +Worm?" asked the Katydid. "Where +is he?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, I'm up a tree," answered a +pleasant voice above their heads, "but I +sha'n't be up a tree very long. I shall +come down when the grass is cut."</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear, dear, dear!" cried the Ants, +hurrying around. "We can't think what +we want to do. We don't know what we +ought to do. We can't think and we +don't know, and we don't think that +we ought to!"</p> + +<p>"Click!" said a Grasshopper, springing +into the air. "We must hurry, hurry,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">106</a></span> +hurry!" He jumped from a stalk of +pepper-grass to a plantain. "We <i>must</i> +hurry," he said, and he jumped from the +plantain back to the pepper-grass.</p> + +<p>Up in the tree where the Measuring +Worm was, some Katydids were sitting +on a branch and singing shrilly: "Did +you ever? Did you ever? Ever? Ever? +Ever? Did you ever?" And this shows +how much excited they were, for they +usually sang only at night.</p> + +<p>Then the mower came sweeping down +the field, drawn by the Blind Horse and +the Dappled Gray, and guided by the +farmer himself. The dust rose in clouds +as they passed, the Grasshoppers gave +mighty springs which took them out of +the way, and all the singing and shrilling +stopped until the mower had passed. The +nodding grasses swayed and fell as the +sharp knives slid over the ground. "We +are going to be hay," they said, "and +live in the big barn."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">107</a></span></p> + +<p>"Now we shall grow some more tender +green blades," said the grass roots.</p> + +<p>"Fine weather for haying," snorted the +Dappled Gray. "We'll cut all the grass +in this field before noon."</p> + +<p>"Good feeling ground to walk on," +said the Blind Horse, tossing his head +until the harness jingled.</p> + +<p>Then the Horses and the farmer and +the mower passed far away, and the +meadow people came together again.</p> + +<p>"Well," said the Tree Frog. "That's +over for a while."</p> + +<p>The Ants and the Grasshoppers came +back to their old places. "We did just +the right thing," they cried joyfully. +"We got out of the way."</p> + +<p>The Measuring Worm and the Katydids +came down from their tree as the +Milkweed Butterfly fluttered past. "The +men left the grass standing around +the Meadow Mouse's nest," said the +Milkweed Butterfly, "and the Cows up<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">108</a></span> +by the barn are telling how glad they +will be to have the hay when the cold +weather comes."</p> + +<p>"Grass must grow and hay be cut," +said the wise old Tree Frog, "and when +the time comes we always know what to +do. Puk-rup! Puk-r-r-rup!"</p> + +<p>"I think," said the fat old Cricket, as +he crawled out of his hole, "that my +lame leg is well enough to use. There +is nothing like rest for a lame leg."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">109</a></span></p> + +<div class="dcp-chap16"> +<p style='padding-top: 350px;'> </p> +<h2 style='padding-right: 250px;'>The GRASSHOPPER +and +the MEASURING +WORM +RUN a RACE</h2> + +<p style='padding-right: 100px;'>A few days after the +Measuring Worm came +to the meadow he met the Grasshoppers. +Everybody had heard of +the Caterpillars' wish to be fashionable, +and some of the young Grasshoppers, +who did not know that it was all +a joke, said they would like to teach the +Measuring Worm a few things. So when +they met him the young Grasshoppers began +to make fun of him, and asked him +what he did if he wanted to run, and +whether he didn't wish his head grew on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">110</a></span> +the middle of his back so that he could +see better when walking.</p> + +<p>The Measuring Worm was good-natured, +and only said that he found his +head useful where it was. Soon one fine-looking +Grasshopper asked him to race. +"That will show," said the Grasshopper, +"which is the better traveller."</p> + +<p>The Measuring Worm said: "Certainly, +I will race with you to-morrow, +and we will ask all our friends to look +on." Then he began talking about something +else. He was a wise young fellow, +as well as a jolly one, and he knew the +Grasshoppers felt sure that he would be +beaten. "If I cannot win the race by +swift running," thought he, "I must try +to win it by good planning." So he got +the Grasshoppers to go with him to a +place where the sweet young grass grew, +and they all fed together.</p> + +<p>The Measuring Worm nibbled only a +little here and there, but he talked a great<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">111</a></span> +deal about the sweetness of the grass, and +how they would not get any more for a +long time because the hot weather would +spoil it. And the Grasshoppers said to +each other: "He is right, and we must +eat all we can while we have it." So they +ate, and ate, and ate, and ate, until sunset, +and in the morning they awakened +and began eating again. When the time +for the race came, they were all heavy +and stupid from so much eating,—which +was exactly what the Measuring Worm +wanted.</p> + +<p>The Tree Frog, the fat, old Cricket, +and a Caterpillar were chosen to be the +judges, and the race was to be a long +one,—from the edge of the woods to the +fence. When the meadow people were +all gathered around to see the race, the +Cricket gave a shrill chirp, which meant +"Go!" and off they started. That is to +say, the Measuring Worm started. The +Grasshopper felt so sure he could beat<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">112</a></span> +that he wanted to give the Measuring +Worm a little the start, because then, you +see, he could say he had won without half +trying.</p> + +<p>The Measuring Worm started off at a +good, steady rate, and when he had gone +a few feet the Grasshopper gave a couple +of great leaps, which landed him far ahead +of the Worm. Then he stopped to nibble +a blade of grass and visit with some Katydids +who were looking on. By and by he +took a few more leaps and passed the +Measuring Worm again. This time he +began to show off by jumping up straight +into the air, and when he came down he +would call out to those who stood near to +see how strong he was and how easy it +would be for him to win the race. And +everybody said, "How strong he is, to be +sure!" "What wonderful legs he has!" +and "He could beat the Measuring Worm +with his eyes shut!" which made the Grasshopper +so exceedingly vain that he stopped<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">113</a></span> +more and more often to show his strength +and daring.</p> + +<p>That was the way it went, until they +were only a short distance from the end +of the race course. The Grasshopper +was more and more pleased to think how +easily he was winning, and stopped for a +last time to nibble grass and make fun of +the Worm. He gave a great leap into +the air, and when he came down there +was the Worm on the fence! All the +meadow people croaked, and shrilled, and +chirped to see the way in which the race +ended, and the Grasshopper was very +much vexed. "You shouldn't call him +the winner," he said; "I can travel ten +times as fast as he, if I try."</p> + +<p>"Yes," answered the judges, "we all +know that, yet the winning of the race is +not decided by what you might do, but by +what you did do." And the meadow people +all cried: "Long live the Measuring +Worm! Long live the Measuring Worm!"</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">114</a></span></p> + +<div class="dcp-chap17"> +<p style='padding-top: 270px;'> </p> +<h2 style='padding-right: 190px;'><span class="smcap">Mr</span> GREEN FROG +AND HIS VISITORS</h2> + +<p style='padding-right: 190px;'>One day a young Frog +who lived down by the +river, came hopping up +through the meadow. He +was a fine-looking fellow, +all brown and green, with +a white vest, and he came +to see the sights. The +oldest Frog on the river +bank had told him that he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">115</a></span> +ought to travel and learn to know the +world, so he had started at once.</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 190px;'>Young Mr. Green Frog had very big +eyes, and they stuck out from his head +more than ever when he saw all the +strange sights and heard all the strange +sounds of the meadow. Yet he made one +great mistake, just as bigger and better +people sometimes do when they go on a +journey; he didn't try to learn from the +things he saw, but only to show off to the +meadow people how much he already +knew, and he boasted a great deal of the +fine way in which he lived when at home.</p> + +<p style='padding-top: 125px;'> </p> + +<p>Mr. Green Frog told those whom he +met that the meadow was dreadfully dry, +and that he really could not see how they +lived there. He said they ought to see +the lovely soft mud that there was in the +marsh, and that there the people could sit +all day with their feet in water in among +the rushes where the sunshine never came. +"And then," he said, "to eat grass as the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">116</a></span> +Grasshoppers did! If they would go +home with him, he would show them how +to live."</p> + +<p>The older Grasshoppers and Crickets +and Locusts only looked at each other +and opened their funny mouths in a smile, +but the young ones thought Mr. Green +Frog must be right, and they wanted to +go back with him. The old Hoppers told +them that they wouldn't like it down +there, and that they would be sorry that +they had gone; still the young ones teased +and teased and teased and teased until +everybody said: "Well, let them go, and +then perhaps they will be contented when +they return."</p> + +<p>At last they all set off together,—Mr. +Green Frog and the young meadow people. +Mr. Green Frog took little jumps +all the way and bragged and bragged. +The Grasshoppers went in long leaps, the +Crickets scampered most of the way, and +the Locusts fluttered. It was a very gay<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">117</a></span> +little party, and they kept saying to +each other, "What a fine time we shall +have!"</p> + +<p>When they got to the marsh, Mr. Green +Frog went in first with a soft "plunk" in +the mud. The rest all followed and tried +to make believe that they liked it, but +they didn't—they didn't at all. The +Grasshoppers kept bumping against the +tough, hard rushes when they jumped, +and then that would tumble them over on +their backs in the mud, and there they +would lie, kicking their legs in the air, +until some friendly Cricket pushed them +over on their feet again. The Locusts +couldn't fly at all there, and the Crickets +got their shiny black coats all grimy and +horrid.</p> + +<p>They all got cold and wet and tired—yes, +and hungry too, for there were no +tender green things growing in among +the rushes. Still they pretended to have +a good time, even while they were think<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">118</a></span>ing +how they would like to be in their +dear old home.</p> + +<p>After the sun went down in the west it +grew colder still, and all the Frogs in the +marsh began to croak to the moon, croaking +so loudly that the tired little travellers +could not sleep at all. When the Frogs +stopped croaking and went to sleep in the +mud, one tired Cricket said: "If you like +this, <i>stay</i>. I am going home as fast as +my six little legs will carry me." And all +the rest of the travellers said: "So am I," +"So am I," "So am I."</p> + +<p>Mr. Green Frog was sleeping soundly, +and they crept away as quietly as they +could out into the silvery moonlight and +up the bank towards home. Such a tired +little party as they were, and so hungry +that they had to stop and eat every little +while. The dew was on the grass and +they could not get warm.</p> + +<p>The sun was just rising behind the +eastern forest when they got home. They<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">119</a></span> +did not want to tell about their trip at all, +but just ate a lot of pepper-grass to make +them warm, and then rolled themselves +in between the woolly mullein leaves to +rest all day long. And that was the last +time any of them ever went away with a +stranger.</p> +</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">120</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 510px;"> +<img src="images/chap18.jpg" width="510" height="120" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<h2>THE DIGNIFIED WALKING-STICKS.</h2> + + +<p>Three Walking-Sticks from the forest +had come to live in the big maple tree +near the middle of the meadow. Nobody +knew exactly why they had left the forest, +where all their sisters and cousins and +aunts lived. Perhaps they were not happy +with their relatives. But then, if one is +a Walking-Stick, you know, one does not +care so very much about one's family.</p> + +<p>These Walking-Sticks had grown up +the best way they could, with no father +or mother to care for them. They had +never been taught to do anything useful, +or to think much about other people. +When they were hungry they ate some +leaves, and never thought what they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">121</a></span> +should eat the next time that they happened +to be hungry. When they were +tired they went to sleep, and when they +had slept enough they awakened. They +had nothing to do but to eat and sleep, +and they did not often take the trouble to +think. They felt that they were a little better +than those meadow people who rushed +and scrambled and worked from morning +until night, and they showed very plainly +how they felt. They said it was not +genteel to hurry, no matter what happened.</p> + +<p>One day the Tree Frog was under the +tree when the large Brown Walking-Stick +decided to lay some eggs. He saw her +dropping them carelessly around on the +ground, and asked, "Do you never fix +a place for your eggs?"</p> + +<p>"A place?" said the Brown Walking-Stick, +waving her long and slender feelers +to and fro. "A place? Oh, no! I think +they will hatch where they are. It is too +much trouble to find a place."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">122</a></span></p> + +<p>"Puk-r-r-rup!" said the Tree Frog. +"Some mothers do not think it too much +trouble to be careful where they lay eggs."</p> + +<p>"That may be," said the Brown Walking-Stick, +"but they do not belong to our +family." She spoke as if those who did +not belong to her family might be good +but could never be genteel. She had +once told her brother, the Five-Legged +Walking-Stick, that she would not want +to live if she could not be genteel. She +thought the meadow people very common.</p> + +<p>The Five-Legged Walking-Stick looked +much like his sister. He had the same +long, slender body, the same long feelers, +and the same sort of long, slender legs. +If you had passed them in a hay-field, +you would surely have thought each a +stem of hay, unless you happened to see +them move. The other Walking-Stick, +their friend, was younger and green. You +would have thought her a blade of grass.</p> + +<p>It is true that the brother had the same<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">123</a></span> +kind of legs as his sister, but he did not +have the same number. When he was +young and green he had six, then came +a dreadful day when a hungry Nuthatch +saw him, flew down, caught him, and carried +him up a tree. He knew just what +to expect, so when the Nuthatch set him +down on the bark to look at him, he unhooked +his feet from the bark and tumbled +to the ground. The Nuthatch tried +to catch him and broke off one of his legs, +but she never found him again, although +she looked and looked and looked and +looked. That was because he crawled +into a clump of ferns and kept very still.</p> + +<p>His sister came and looked at him and +said, "Now if you were only a Spider it +would not be long before you would have +six legs again."</p> + +<p>Her brother waved first one feeler and +then the other, and said: "Do you think +I would be a Spider for the sake of growing +legs? I would rather be a Walkin<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">124</a></span>g-Stick +without any legs than to be a Spider +with a hundred." Of course, you know, +Spiders never do have a hundred, and a +Walking-Stick wouldn't be walking without +any, but that was just his way of +speaking, and it showed what kind of +insect he was. His relatives all waved +their feelers, one at a time, and said, "Ah, +he has the true Walking-Stick spirit!" +Then they paid no more attention to him, +and after a while he and his sister and +their green little friend left the forest for +the meadow.</p> + +<p>On the day when the grass was cut, they +had sat quietly in their trees and looked +genteel. Their feelers were held quite +close together, and they did not move +their feet at all, only swayed their bodies +gracefully from side to side. Now they +were on the ground, hunting through the +flat piles of cut grass for some fresh and +juicy bits to eat. The Tree Frog was +also out, sitting in a cool, damp corner of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">125</a></span> +the grass rows. The young Grasshoppers +were kicking up their feet, the Ants +were scrambling around as busy as ever, +and life went on quite as though neither +men nor Horses had ever entered the +meadow.</p> + +<p>"See!" cried a Spider who was busily +looking after her web, "there comes a +Horse drawing something, and the farmer +sitting on it and driving."</p> + +<p>When the Horse was well into the +meadow, the farmer moved a bar, and +the queer-looking machine began to kick +the grass this way and that with its many +stiff and shining legs. A frisky young +Grasshopper kicked in the same way, and +happened—just happened, of course—to +knock over two of his friends. Then +there was a great scrambling and the +Crickets frolicked with them. The young +Walking-Stick thought it looked like +great fun and almost wished herself some +other kind of insect, so that she could<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">126</a></span> +tumble around in the same way. She +did not quite wish it, you understand, and +would never have thought of it if she had +turned brown.</p> + +<p>"Ah," said the Five-Legged Walking-Stick, +"what scrambling! How very +common!"</p> + +<p>"Yes, indeed!" said his sister. "Why +can't they learn to move slowly and gracefully? +Perhaps they can't help being fat, +but they might at least act genteel."</p> + +<p>"What is it to be genteel?" asked a +Grasshopper suddenly. He had heard +every word that the Walking-Stick said.</p> + +<p>"Why," said the Five-Legged Walking-Stick, +"it is just to be genteel. To act +as you see us act, and to——"</p> + +<p>Just here the hay-tedder passed over +them, and every one of the Walking-Sticks +was sent flying through the air and +landed on his back. The Grasshoppers +declare that the Walking-Sticks tumbled +and kicked and flopped around in a dread<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">127</a></span>fully +common way until they were right +side up. "Why," said the Measuring +Worm, "you act like anybody else when +the hay-tedder comes along!"</p> + +<p>The Walking-Sticks looked very uncomfortable, +and the brother and sister +could not think of anything to say. It +was the young green one who spoke at +last. "I think," said she, "that it is +much easier to act genteel when one is +right side up."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">128</a></span></p> + +<div class="dcp-chap19"> +<p style='padding-top: 290px;'> </p> +<h2 style='padding-right: 180px;'>THE DAY OF THE GREAT STORM</h2> + +<p style='padding-right: 180px;'>Everything in the meadow +was dry and dusty. The leaves +on the milkweeds were turning +yellow with thirst, the field +blossoms drooped their dainty +heads in the sunshine, and the +grass seemed to fairly rattle in +the wind, it was so brown and +dry.</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 180px;'>All of the meadow people +when they met each other +would say, "Well, this <i>is</i> hot," +and the Garter Snake, who +had lived there longer than anyone else,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">129</a></span> +declared that it was the hottest and driest +time that he had ever known. "Really," +he said, "it is so hot that I cannot eat, +and such a thing never happened before."</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 180px;'>The Grasshoppers and Locusts were +very happy, for such weather was exactly +what they liked. They didn't see how +people could complain of such delightful +scorching days. But that, you know, is +always the way, for everybody cannot be +suited at once, and all kinds of weather +are needed to make a good year.</p> + +<p>The poor Tree Frog crawled into the +coolest place he could find—hollow trees, +shady nooks under the ferns, or even beneath +the corner of a great stone. "Oh," +said he, "I wish I were a Tadpole again, +swimming in a shady pool. It is such a +long, hot journey to the marsh that I cannot +go. Last night I dreamed that I was +a Tadpole, splashing in the water, and it +was hard to awaken and find myself only +an uncomfortable old Tree Frog."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">130</a></span>Over +his head the Katydids were singing, +"Lovely weather! Lovely weather!" and +the Tree Frog, who was a good-natured +old fellow after all, winked his eye at them +and said: "Sing away. This won't last +always, and then it will be my turn to sing."</p> + +<p>Sure enough, the very next day a tiny +cloud drifted across the sky, and the Tree +Frog, who always knew when the weather +was about to change, began his rain-song. +"Pukr-r-rup!" sang he, "Pukr-r-rup! It +will rain! It will rain! R-r-r-rain!"</p> + +<p>The little white cloud, grew bigger and +blacker, and another came following after, +then another, and another, and another, +until the sky was quite covered with rushing +black clouds. Then came a long, low +rumble of thunder, and all the meadow people +hurried to find shelter. The Moths and +Butterflies hung on the under sides of great +leaves. The Grasshoppers and their cousins +crawled under burdock and mullein plants. +The Ants scurried around to find their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">131</a></span> +own homes. The Bees and Wasps, who +had been gathering honey for their nests, +flew swiftly back. Everyone was hurrying +to be ready for the shower, and above +all the rustle and stir could be heard the +voice of the old Frog, "Pukr-r-rup! Pukr-r-rup! +It will rain! It will rain! R-r-r-rain!"</p> + +<p>The wind blew harder and harder, the +branches swayed and tossed, the leaves +danced, and some even blew off of their +mother trees; the hundreds of little clinging +creatures clung more and more tightly to +the leaves that sheltered them, and then the +rain came, and such a rain! Great drops +hurrying down from the sky, crowding each +other, beating down the grass, flooding the +homes of the Ants and Digger Wasps until +they were half choked with water, knocking +over the Grasshoppers and tumbling them +about like leaves. The lightning flashed, +and the thunder pealed, and often a tree +would crash down in the forest near by +when the wind blew a great blast.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">132</a></span></p> + +<p>When everybody was wet, and little +rivulets of water were trickling through +the grass and running into great puddles +in the hollows, the rain stopped, stopped +suddenly. One by one the meadow people +crawled or swam into sight.</p> + +<p>The Digger Wasp was floating on a +leaf in a big puddle. He was too tired +and wet to fly, and the whirling of the +leaf made him feel sick and dizzy, but he +stood firmly on his tiny boat and tried to +look as though he enjoyed it.</p> + +<p>The Ants were rushing around to put +their homes in shape, the Spiders were +busily eating their old webs, which had +been broken and torn in the storm, and +some were already beginning new ones. +A large family of Bees, whose tree-home +had been blown down, passed over the +meadow in search for a new dwelling, and +everybody seemed busy and happy in the +cool air that followed the storm.</p> + +<p>The Snake went gliding through the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">133</a></span> +wet grass, as hungry as ever, the Tree +Frog was as happy as when he was a +Tadpole, and only the Grasshoppers and +their cousins, the Locusts and Katydids, +were cross. "Such a horrid rain!" they +grumbled, "it spoiled all our fun. And +after such lovely hot weather too."</p> + +<p>"Now don't be silly," said the Tree +Frog, who could be really severe when he +thought best, "the Bees and the Ants are +not complaining, and they had a good +deal harder time than you. Can't you +make the best of anything? A nice, +hungry, cross lot you would be if it +didn't rain, because then you would have +no good, juicy food. It's better for you +in the end as it is, but even if it were not, +you might make the best of it as I did of +the hot weather. When you have lived +as long as I have, you will know that +neither Grasshoppers nor Tree Frogs can +have their way all the time, but that it +always comes out all right in the end +without their fretting about it."</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">134</a></span></p> + +<div class="dcp-chap20"> +<p style='padding-top: 200px;'> </p> +<h2 style='padding-right: 200px;'><small>THE STORY OF</small><br /> +LILY PAD +ISLAND</h2> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>This is the story of a +venturesome young Spider, +who left his home in the +meadow to seek his fortune +in the great world.</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>He was a beautiful Spider, +and belonged to one +of the best families in the +country around. He was +a worker, too, for, as he had +often said, there wasn't a +lazy leg on his body, and +he could spin the biggest, +strongest, and shiniest web +in the meadow. All the +young people in the meadow liked him, +and he was invited to every party, or<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">135</a></span> +dance, or picnic that they planned. If he +had been content to stay at home, as his +brothers and sisters were, he would in time +have become as important and well known +as the Tree Frog, or the fat, old Cricket, +or even as the Garter Snake.</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>But that would not satisfy him at all, +and one morning he said "Good-by" to +all his friends and relatives, and set sail +for unknown lands. He set sail, but not +on water. He crawled up a tree, and out +to the end of one of its branches. There +he began spinning a long silken rope, and +letting the wind blow it away from the +tree. He held fast to one end, and when +the wind was quite strong, he let go of +the branch and sailed off through the air, +carried by his rope balloon, and blown +along by the wind.</p> + +<p>The meadow people, on the ground below, +watched him until he got so far away +that he looked about as large as a Fly, and +then he looked no bigger than an Ant,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">136</a></span> +and then no bigger than a clover seed, and +then no bigger than the tiniest egg that +was ever laid, and then—well, then you +could see nothing but sky, and the Spider +was truly gone. The other young Spiders +all wished that they had gone, and the old +Spiders said, "They might much better +stay at home, as their fathers and mothers +had done." There was no use talking +about it when they disagreed so, and very +little more was said.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, the young traveller was +having a very fine time. He was carried +past trees and over fences, down toward +the river. Under him were all the bright +flowers of the meadow, and the bushes +which used to tower above his head. After +a while, he saw the rushes of the marsh +below him, and wondered if the Frogs +there would see him as he passed over +them.</p> + +<p>Next, he saw a beautiful, shining river, +and in the quiet water by the shore were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">137</a></span> +great white water-lilies growing, with their +green leaves, or pads, floating beside them. +"Ah," thought he, "I shall pass over the +river, and land on the farther side," and +he began to think of eating his rope balloon, +so that he might sink slowly to the +ground, when—the wind suddenly stopped +blowing, and he began falling slowly down, +down, down, down.</p> + +<p>How he longed for a branch to cling to! +How he shivered at the thought of plunging +into the cold water! How he wished +that he had always stayed at home! How +he thought of all the naughty things that +he had ever done, and was sorry that he +had done them! But it was of no use, for +still he went down, down, down. He gave +up all hope and tried to be brave, and at +that very minute he felt himself alight on +a great green lily-pad.</p> + +<p>This was indeed an adventure, and he +was very joyful for a little while. But he +got hungry, and there was no food near.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">138</a></span> +He walked all over the leaf, Lily-Pad +Island he named it, and ran around its +edges as many as forty times. It was just +a flat, green island, and at one side was a +perfect white lily, which had grown, so +pure and beautiful, out of the darkness +and slime of the river bottom. The lily +was so near that he jumped over to it. +There he nestled in its sweet, yellow centre, +and went to sleep.</p> + +<p>When he fell asleep it was late in the +afternoon, and, as the sun sank lower and +lower in the west, the lily began to close +her petals and get ready for the night. +She was just drawing under the water +when the Spider awakened. It was dark +and close, and he felt himself shut in and +going down. He scrambled and pushed, +and got out just in time to give a great +leap and alight on Lily Pad-Island once +more. And then he was in a sad plight. +He was hungry and cold, and night was +coming on, and, what was worst of all, in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">139</a></span> +his great struggle to free himself from the +lily he had pulled off two of his legs, so +he had only six left.</p> + +<p>He never liked to think of that night +afterward, it was so dreadful. In the +morning he saw a leaf come floating down +the stream; he watched it; it touched +Lily-Pad Island for just an instant and he +jumped on. He did not know where it +would take him, but anything was better +than staying where he was and starving. +It might float to the shore, or against one +of the rushes that grew in the shallower +parts of the river. If it did that, he would +jump off and run up to the top and set sail +again, but the island, where he had been, +was too low to give him a start.</p> + +<p>He went straight down-stream for a +while, then the leaf drifted into a little +eddy, and whirled around and around, +until the Spider was almost too dizzy to +stand on it. After that, it floated slowly, +very slowly, toward the shore, and at last<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">140</a></span> +came the joyful minute when the Spider +could jump to some of the plants that +grew in the shallow water, and, by making +rope bridges from one to another, get on +solid ground.</p> + +<p>After a few days' rest he started back +to the meadow, asking his way of every +insect that he met. When he got home +they did not know him, he was so changed, +but thought him only a tramp Spider, and +not one of their own people. His mother +was the first one to find out who he was, +and when her friends said, "Just what I +expected! He might have known better," +she hushed them, and answered: "The +poor child has had a hard time, and I +won't scold him for going. He has learned +that home is the best place, and that home +friends are the dearest. I shall keep him +quiet while his new legs are growing, and +then, I think, he will spin his webs near +the old place."</p> + +<p>And so he did, and is now one of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">141</a></span> +steadiest of all the meadow people. When +anybody asks him his age, he refuses to +tell, "For," he says, "most of me is middle-aged, +but these two new legs of mine +are still very young."</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">142</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 510px;"> +<img src="images/chap21.jpg" width="510" height="128" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + +<h2>THE GRASSHOPPER WHO<br /> +WOULDN'T BE SCARED.</h2> + + +<p>There were more Ants in the meadow +than there were of any other kind of insects. +In their family there were not +only Ants, but great-aunts, cousins, +nephews, and nieces, until it made one +sleepy to think how many relatives +each Ant had. Yet they were small +people and never noisy, so perhaps the +Grasshoppers seemed to be the largest +family there.</p> + +<p>There were many different families of +Grasshoppers, but they were all related. +Some had short horns, or feelers, and red +legs; and some had long horns. Some +lived in the lower part of the meadow +where it was damp, and some in the upper<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">143</a></span> +part. The Katydids, who really belong +to this family, you know, stayed in trees +and did not often sing in the daytime. +Then there were the great Road Grasshoppers +who lived only in places where +the ground was bare and dusty, and whom +you could hardly see unless they were +flying. When they lay in the dust their +wide wings were hidden and they showed +only that part of their bodies which was +dust-color. Let the farmer drive along, +however, and they rose into the air with a +gentle, whirring sound and fluttered to a +safe place. Then one could see them +plainly, for their large under wings were +black with yellow edges.</p> + +<p>Perhaps those Grasshoppers who were +best known in the meadow were the +Clouded Grasshoppers, large dirty-brown +ones with dark spots, who seemed to be +everywhere during the autumn. The +fathers and brothers in this family always +crackled their wings loudly when they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">144</a></span> +flew anywhere, so one could never forget +that they were around.</p> + +<p>It was queer that they were always +spoken of as Grasshoppers. Their great-great-great-grandparents +were called +Locusts, and that was the family name, +but the Cicadas liked that name and +wanted it for themselves, and made such +a fuss about it that people began to call +them Seventeen-Year-Locusts; and then +because they had to call the real Locusts +something else, they called them Grasshoppers. +The Grasshoppers didn't mind +this. They were jolly and noisy, and as +they grew older were sometimes very +pompous. And you know what it is to +be pompous.</p> + +<p>When the farmer was drawing the last +loads of hay to his barn and putting them +away in the great mows there, three +young Clouded Grasshopper brothers +were frolicking near the wagon. They +had tried to see who could run the fastest,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">145</a></span> +crackle the loudest, spring the highest, +flutter the farthest, and eat the most. +There seemed to be nothing more to do. +They couldn't eat another mouthful, the +other fellows wouldn't play with them, +they wouldn't play with their sisters, and +they were not having any fun at all.</p> + +<p>They were sitting on a hay-cock, watching +the wagon as it came nearer and +nearer. The farmer was on top and one +of his men was walking beside it. Whenever +they came to a hay-cock the farmer +would stop the Horses, the man would +run a long-handled, shining pitch-fork into +the hay on the ground and throw it up to +the farmer. Then it would be trampled +down on to the load, the farmer's wife +would rake up the scattering hay which +was left on the ground, and that would be +thrown up also.</p> + +<p>The biggest Clouded Grasshopper said +to his brothers, "You dare not sit still +while they put this hay on the load!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">146</a></span></p> + +<p>The smallest Clouded Grasshopper said, +"I do too!"</p> + +<p>The second brother said, "Huh! +Guess I dare do anything you do!" He +said it in a rather mean way, and that may +have been because he had eaten too much. +Overeating will make any insect cross.</p> + +<p>Now every one of them was afraid, but +each waited for the others to back out. +While they were waiting, the wagon +stopped beside them, the shining fork was +run into the hay, and they were shaken +and stood on their heads and lifted +through the air on to the wagon. There +they found themselves all tangled up with +hay in the middle of the load. It was +dark and they could hardly breathe. There +were a few stems of nettles in the hay, and +they had to crawl away from them. It +was no fun at all, and they didn't talk +very much.</p> + +<p>When the wagon reached the barn, +they were pitched into the mow with the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">147</a></span> +hay, and then they hopped and fluttered +around until they were on the floor over +the Horses' stalls. They sat together on +the floor and wondered how they could +ever get back to the meadow. Because +they had come in the middle of the load, +they did not know the way.</p> + +<p>"Oh!" said they. "Who are those four-legged +people over there?"</p> + +<p>"Kittens!" sang a Swallow over their +heads. "Oh, tittle-ittle-ittle-ee!"</p> + +<p>The Clouded Grasshoppers had never +seen Kittens. It is true that the old Cat +often went hunting in the meadow, but +that was at night, when Grasshoppers +were asleep.</p> + +<p>"Meouw!" said the Yellow Kitten. +"Look at those queer little brown people +on the floor. Let's each catch one."</p> + +<p>So the Kittens began crawling slowly +over the floor, keeping their bodies and +tails low, and taking very short steps. +Not one of them took his eyes off the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">148</a></span> +Clouded Grasshopper whom he meant to +catch. Sometimes they stopped and +crouched and watched, then they went +on, nearer, nearer, nearer, still, while the +Clouded Grasshoppers were more and +more scared and wished they had never +left the meadow where they had been so +safe and happy.</p> + +<p>At last the Kittens jumped, coming down +with their sharp little claws just where the +Clouded Grasshoppers—had been. The +Clouded Grasshoppers had jumped too, but +they could not stay long in the air, and +when they came down the Kittens jumped +again. So it went until the poor Clouded +Grasshoppers were very, very tired and +could not jump half so far as they had done +at first. Sometimes the Kittens even tried +to catch them while they were fluttering, +and each time they came a little nearer than +before. They were so tired that they never +thought of leaping up on the wall of the barn +where the Kittens couldn't reach them.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">149</a></span></p> + +<p>At last the smallest Clouded Grasshopper +called to his brothers, "Let us chase +the Kittens."</p> + +<p>The brothers answered, "They're too +big."</p> + +<p>The smallest Clouded Grasshopper, +who had always been the brightest one in +the family, called back, "We may scare +them if they are big."</p> + +<p>Then all the Clouded Grasshoppers +leaped toward the Kittens and crackled +their wings and looked very, very fierce. +And the Kittens ran away as fast as they +could. They were in such a hurry to get +away that the Yellow Kitten tumbled +over the White Kitten and they rolled on +the floor in a furry little heap. The +Clouded Grasshoppers leaped again, and +the Kittens scrambled away to their nest +in the hay, and stood against the wall and +raised their backs and their pointed little +tails, and opened their pink mouths and +spat at them, and said, "Ha-ah-h-h!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">150</a></span></p> + +<p>"There!" said the smallest Clouded +Grasshopper to them, "we won't do anything +to you this time, because you are +young and don't know very much, but +don't you ever bother one of us again. +We might have hopped right on to you, +and then what could you have done to +help yourselves?"</p> + +<p>The Clouded Grasshoppers started off +to find their way back to the meadow, +and the frightened Kittens looked at each +other and whispered: "Just supposing +they had hopped on to us! What <i>could</i> +we have done!"</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">151</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 510px;"> +<img src="images/chap22.jpg" width="510" height="323" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<h2><span class="smcap">The Earthworm Half-Brothers</span></h2> + + +<p>Early one wet morning, a long Earthworm +came out of his burrow. He did +not really leave it, but he dragged most +of his body out, and let just the tip-end +of it stay in the earth. Not having any +eyes, he could not see the heavy, gray +clouds that filled the sky, nor the milkweed +stalks, so heavy with rain-drops that +they drooped their pink heads. He could +not see these things, but he could feel the +soft, damp grass, and the cool, clear air, +and as for seeing, why, Earthworms never +do have eyes, and never think of wanting +them, any more than you would want six +legs, or feelers on your head.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">152</a></span></p> + +<p>This Earthworm had been out of his +burrow only a little while, when there was +a flutter and a rush, and Something flew +down from the sky and bit his poor body +in two. Oh, how it hurt! Both halves +of him wriggled and twisted with pain, +and there is no telling what might have +become of them if another and bigger +Something had not come rushing down +to drive the first Something away. So +there the poor Earthworm lay, in two +aching, wriggling pieces, and although it +had been easy enough to bite him in two, +nothing in the world could ever bite him +into one.</p> + +<p>After a while the aching stopped, and +he had time to think. It was very hard +to decide what he ought to do. You can +see just how puzzling it must have been, +for, if you should suddenly find yourself +two people instead of one, you would not +know which one was which. At this very +minute, who should come along but the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">153</a></span> +Cicada, and one of the Earthworm pieces +asked his advice. The Cicada thought +that he was the very person to advise in +such a case, because he had had such a +puzzling time himself. So he said in a +very knowing way: "Pooh! That is a +simple matter. I thought I was two Cicadas +once, but I wasn't. The thinking, +moving part is the real one, whatever +happens, so that part of the Worm which +thinks and moves is the real Worm."</p> + +<p>"I am the thinking part," cried each of +the pieces.</p> + +<p>The Cicada rubbed his head with his +front legs, he was so surprised.</p> + +<p>"And I am the moving part," cried +each of the pieces, giving a little wriggle +to prove it.</p> + +<p>"Well, well, well, well!" exclaimed the +Cicada, "I believe I don't know how to +settle this. I will call the Garter Snake," +and he flew off to get him.</p> + +<p>A very queer couple they made, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">154</a></span> +Garter Snake and the Cicada, as they +came hurrying back from the Snake's +home. The Garter Snake was quite excited. +"Such a thing has not happened +in our meadow for a long time," he said, +"and it is a good thing there is somebody +here to explain it to you, or you would be +dreadfully frightened. My family is related +to the Worms, and I know. Both +of you pieces are Worms now. The +bitten ends will soon be well, and you can +keep house side by side, if you don't want +to live together."</p> + +<p>"Well," said the Earthworms, "if we +are no longer the same Worm, but two +Worms, are we related to each other? +Are we brothers, or what?"</p> + +<p>"Why," answered the Garter Snake, +with a funny little smile, "I think you +might call yourselves half-brothers." And +to this day they are known as "the Earthworm +half-brothers." They are very fond +of each other and are always seen together.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">155</a></span></p> + +<p>A jolly young Grasshopper, who is a +great eater and thinks rather too much +about food, said he wouldn't mind being +bitten into two Grasshoppers, if it would +give him two stomachs and let him eat +twice as much.</p> + +<p>The Cicada told the Garter Snake this +one day, and the Garter Snake said: +"Tell him not to try it. The Earthworms +are the only meadow people who +can live after being bitten in two that +way. The rest of us have to be one, or +nothing. And as for having two stomachs, +he is just as well off with one, for if he had +two, he would get twice as hungry."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">156</a></span></p> + +<div class="dcp-chap23"> +<p style='padding-top: 260px;'> </p> +<h2 style='padding-left: 150px;'>A GOSSIPING FLY</h2> + + +<p style='padding-left: 150px;'>Of all the people who lived +and worked in the meadow by the +river, there was not one who gave +so much thought to other people's +business as a certain Blue-bottle +Fly. Why this should be so, nobody +could say; perhaps it was +because he had nothing to do but +eat and sleep, for that is often the +way with those who do little work.</p> + +<p style='padding-left: 150px;'>Truly his cares were light. To +be sure, he ate much, but then, +with nearly sixty teeth for nibbling +and a wonderful long tongue +for sucking, he could eat a great +deal in a very short time. And<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">157</a></span> +as for sleeping—well, sleeping was as easy +for him as for anyone else.</p> + +<p style='padding-left: 150px;'>However it was, he saw nearly everything +that happened, and thought it over +in his queer little three-cornered head +until he was sure that he ought to go to +talk about it with somebody else. It was +no wonder that he saw so much, for he +had a great bunch of eyes on each side of +his head, and three bright, shining ones on +the very top of it. That let him see almost +everything at once, and beside this his +neck was so exceedingly slender that he +could turn his head very far around.</p> + + +<p style='padding-left: 150px;'>This particular Fly, like all other Flies, +was very fond of the sunshine and kept +closely at home in dark or wet weather. +He had no house, but stayed in a certain +elder bush on cloudy days and called that +his home. He had spent all of one stormy +day there, hanging on the under side of a +leaf, with nothing to do but think. Of +course, his head was down and his feet<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">158</a></span> +were up, but Blue-bottle Flies think in +that position as well as in any other, and +the two sticky pads on each side of his +six feet held him there very comfortably.</p> + +<p>He thought so much that day, that +when the next morning dawned sunshiny +and clear, he had any number of things to +tell people, and he started out at once.</p> + +<p>First he went to the Tree Frog. "What +do you suppose," said he, "that the Garter +Snake is saying about you? It is very +absurd, yet I feel that you ought to know. +He says that your tongue is fastened at +the wrong end, and that the tip of it +points down your throat. Of course, I +knew it couldn't be true, still I thought I +would tell you what he said, and then you +could see him and put a stop to it."</p> + +<p>For an answer to this the Tree Frog +ran out his tongue, and, sure enough, it +was fastened at the front end. "The +Snake is quite right," he said pleasantly, +"and my tongue suits me perfectly. It is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">159</a></span> +just what I need for the kind of food I +eat, and the best of all is that it never +makes mischief between friends."</p> + +<p>After that, the Fly could say nothing +more there, so he flew away in his noisiest +manner to find the Grasshopper who lost +the race. "It was a shame," said the Fly +to him, "that the judges did not give the +race to you. The idea of that little green +Measuring Worm coming in here, almost +a stranger, and making so much trouble! +I would have him driven out of the +meadow, if I were you."</p> + +<p>"Oh, that is all right," answered the +Grasshopper, who was really a good fellow +at heart; "I was very foolish about +that race for a time, but the Measuring +Worm and I are firm friends now. Are +we not?" And he turned to a leaf just +back of him, and there, peeping around the +edge, was the Measuring Worm himself.</p> + +<p>The Blue-bottle Fly left in a hurry, for +where people were so good-natured he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">160</a></span> +could do nothing at all. He went this +time to the Crickets, whom he found all +together by the fat, old Cricket's hole.</p> + +<p>"I came," he said, "to find out if it +were true, as the meadow people say, that +you were all dreadfully frightened when +the Cow came?"</p> + +<p>The Crickets answered never a word, +but they looked at each other and began +asking him questions.</p> + +<p>"Is it true," said one, "that you do +nothing but eat and sleep?"</p> + +<p>"Is it true," said another, "that your +eyes are used most of the time for seeing +other people's faults?"</p> + +<p>"And is it true," said another, "that +with all the fuss you make, you do little +but mischief?"</p> + +<p>The Blue-bottle Fly answered nothing, +but started at once for his home in the elder +bush, and they say that his three-cornered +head was filled with very different thoughts +from any that had been there before.</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">161</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 510px;"> +<img src="images/chap24.jpg" width="510" height="120" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2>THE FROG-HOPPERS GO OUT<br /> +INTO THE WORLD.</h2> + + +<p>Along the upper edge of the meadow +and in the corners of the rail fence there +grew golden-rod. During the spring and +early summer you could hardly tell that +it was there, unless you walked close to it +and saw the slender and graceful stalks +pushing upward through the tall grass +and pointing in many different ways with +their dainty leaves. The Horses and +Cows knew it, and although they might +eat all around it they never pulled at it +with their lips or ate it. In the autumn, +each stalk was crowned with sprays of +tiny bright yellow blossoms, which nodded +in the wind and scattered their golden +pollen all around. Then it sometimes<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">162</a></span> +happened that people who were driving +past would stop, climb over the fence, +and pluck some of it to carry away. +Even then there was so much left that +one could hardly miss the stalks that were +gone.</p> + +<p>It may have been because the golden-rod +was such a safe home that most of +the Frog-Hoppers laid their eggs there. +Some laid eggs in other plants and bushes, +but most of them chose the golden-rod. +After they had laid their eggs they wandered +around on the grass, the bushes, +and the few trees which grew in the +meadow, hopping from one place to +another and eating a little here and a little +there.</p> + +<p>Nobody knows why they should have +been called Frog-Hoppers, unless it was +because when you look them in the face +they seem a very little like tiny Frogs. +To be sure, they have six legs, and teeth +on the front pair, as no real Frog ever<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">163</a></span> +thought of having. Perhaps it was only +a nickname because their own name was +so long and hard to speak.</p> + +<p>The golden-rod was beginning to show +small yellow-green buds on the tips of its +stalks, and the little Frog-Hoppers were +now old enough to talk and wonder about +the great world. On one stalk four +Frog-Hopper brothers and sisters lived +close together. That was much pleasanter +than having to grow up all alone, as most +young Frog-Hoppers do, never seeing +their fathers and mothers or knowing +whether they ever would.</p> + +<p>These four little Frog-Hoppers did not +know how lucky they were, and that, you +know, happens very often when people +have not seen others lonely or unhappy. +They supposed that every Frog-Hopper +family had two brothers and two sisters +living together on a golden-rod stalk. +They fed on the juice or sap of the +golden-rod, pumping it out of the stalk<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">164</a></span> +with their stout little beaks and eating or +drinking it. After they had eaten it, they +made white foam out of it, and this foam +was all around them on the stalk. Any +one passing by could tell at once by the +foam just where the Frog-Hoppers lived.</p> + +<p>One morning the oldest Frog-Hopper +brother thought that the sap pumped very +hard. It may be that it did pump hard, +and it may be that he was tired or lazy. +Anyway, he began to grumble and find +fault. "This is the worst stalk of golden-rod +I ever saw in my life," he said. "It +doesn't pay to try to pump any more sap, +and I just won't try, so there!"</p> + +<p>He was quite right in saying that it was +the worst stalk he had ever seen, because +he had never seen any other, but he was +much mistaken in saying that it didn't +pay to pump sap, and as for saying that +"it didn't pay, so there!" we all know +that when insects begin to talk in that +way the best thing to do is to leave them<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">165</a></span> +quite alone until they are better-natured.</p> + +<p>The other Frog-Hopper children couldn't +leave him alone, because they hadn't +changed their skins for the last time. +They had to stay in their foam until that +was done. After the big brother spoke in +this way, they all began to wonder if the +sap didn't pump hard. Before long the +big sister wiggled impatiently and said, +"My beak is dreadfully tired."</p> + +<p>Then they all stopped eating and began +to talk. They called their home +stuffy, and said there wasn't room to turn +around in it without hitting the foam. +They didn't say why they should mind +hitting the foam. It was soft and clean, +and always opened up a way when they +pushed against it.</p> + +<p>"I tell you what!" said the big brother, +"after I've changed my skin once more +and gone out into the great world, you +won't catch me hanging around this old +golden-rod."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">166</a></span></p> + +<p>"Nor me!" "Nor me!" "Nor me!" +said the other young Frog-Hoppers.</p> + +<p>"I wonder what the world is like," said +the little sister. "Is it just bigger foam +and bigger golden-rod and more Frog-Hoppers?"</p> + +<p>"Huh!" exclaimed her big brother. +"What lots you know! If I didn't know +any more than that about it, I'd keep still +and not tell anybody." That made her +feel badly, and she didn't speak again for +a long time.</p> + +<p>Then the little brother spoke. "I +didn't know you had ever been out into +the world," he said.</p> + +<p>"No," said the big brother, "I suppose +you didn't. There are lots of things you +don't know." That made him feel badly, +and he went off into the farthest corner +of the foam and stuck his head in between +a golden-rod leaf and the stalk. You see +the big brother was very cross. Indeed, +he was exceedingly cross.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">167</a></span></p> + +<p>For a long time nobody spoke, and +then the big sister said, "I wish you +would tell us what the world is like."</p> + +<p>The big brother knew no more about +the world than the other children, but +after he had been cross and put on airs +he didn't like to tell the truth. He might +have known that he would be found out, +yet he held up his head and answered: "I +don't suppose that I can tell you so that +you will understand, because you have +never seen it. There are lots of things +there—whole lots of them—and it is very +big. Some of the things are like golden-rod +and some of them are not. Some of +them are not even like foam. And there +are a great many people there. They all +have six legs, but they are not so clever +as we are. We shall have to tell them +things."</p> + +<p>This was very interesting and made the +little sister forget to pout and the little +brother come out of his foam-corner. He<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">168</a></span> +even looked as though he might ask a +few questions, so the big brother added, +"Now don't talk to me, for I must think +about something."</p> + +<p>It was not long after this that the +young Frog-Hoppers changed their skins +for the last time. The outside part of +the foam hardened and made a little roof +over them while they did this. Then they +were ready to go out into the meadow. +The big brother felt rather uncomfortable, +and it was not his new skin which made +him so. It was remembering what he +had said about the world outside.</p> + +<p>When they had left their foam and +their golden-rod, they had much to see +and ask about. Every little while one of +the smaller Frog-Hoppers would exclaim, +"Why, you never told us about this!" +or, "Why didn't you tell us about +that?"</p> + +<p>Then the big brother would answer: +"Yes, I did. That is one of the things<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">169</a></span> +which I said were not like either golden-rod +or foam."</p> + +<p>For a while they met only Crickets, +Ants, Grasshoppers, and other six-legged +people, and although they looked at each +other they did not have much to say. At +last they hopped near to the Tree Frog, +who was sitting by the mossy trunk of a +beech tree and looked so much like the +bark that they did not notice him at first. +The big brother was very near the Tree +Frog's head.</p> + +<p>"Oh, see!" cried the others. "There +is somebody with only four legs, and he +doesn't look as though he ever had any +more. Why, Brother, what does this +mean? You said everybody had six."</p> + +<p>At this moment the Tree Frog opened +his eyes a little and his mouth a great +deal, and shot out his quick tongue. +When he shut his mouth again, the big +brother of the Frog-Hoppers was nowhere +to be seen. They never had a chance to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">170</a></span> +ask him that question again. If they had +but known it, the Tree Frog at that +minute had ten legs, for six and four are +ten. But then, they couldn't know it, +for six were on the inside.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">171</a></span></p> + +<div class="dcp-chap25"> +<p style='padding-top: 260px;'> </p> +<h2 style='padding-right: 200px;'>THE MOSQUITO +TRIES TO TEACH +HIS NEIGHBORS</h2> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>In this meadow, as in +every other meadow since +the world began, there were +some people who were always +tired of the way things +were, and thought that, if +the world were only different, +they would be perfectly +happy. One of these +discontented ones was a +certain Mosquito, a fellow +with a whining voice and +disagreeable manners. He +had very little patience +with people who were not +like him, and thought that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">172</a></span> +the world would be a much pleasanter +place if all the insects had been made +Mosquitoes.</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>"What is the use of Spiders, and +Dragon-flies, and Beetles, and Butterflies?" +he would say, fretfully; "a Mosquito +is worth more than any of them."</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>You can just see how unreasonable he +was. Of course, Mosquitoes and Flies do +help keep the air pure and sweet, but that +is no reason why they should set themselves +up above the other insects. Do +not the Bees carry pollen from one flower +to another, and so help the plants raise +their Seed Babies? And who would not +miss the bright, happy Butterflies, with +their work of making the world beautiful?</p> + +<p>But this Mosquito never thought of +those things, and he said to himself: +"Well, if they cannot all be Mosquitoes, +they can at least try to live like them, and +I think I will call them together and talk +it over." So he sent word all around, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">173</a></span> +his friends and neighbors gathered to hear +what he had to say.</p> + +<p>"In the first place," he remarked, "it is +unfortunate that you are not Mosquitoes, +but, since you are not, one must make the +best of it. There are some things, however, +which you might learn from us +fortunate creatures who are. For instance, +notice the excellent habit of the +Mosquitoes in the matter of laying eggs. +Three or four hundred of the eggs are +fastened together and left floating on a +pond in such a way that, when the babies +break their shells, they go head first into +the water. Then they——"</p> + +<p>"Do you think I would do that if I +could?" interrupted a motherly old Grasshopper. +"Fix it so my children would +drown the minute they came out of the egg? +No, indeed!" and she hurried angrily away, +followed by several other loving mothers.</p> + +<p>"But they don't drown," exclaimed the +Mosquito, in surprise.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">174</a></span></p> + +<p>"They don't if they're Mosquitoes," +replied the Ant, "but I am thankful to say +my children are land babies and not water +babies."</p> + +<p>"Well, I won't say anything more about +that, but I must speak of your voices, +which are certainly too heavy and loud to +be pleasant. I should think you might +speak and sing more softly, even if you +have no pockets under your wings like +mine. I flutter my wings, and the air +strikes these pockets and makes my sweet +voice."</p> + +<p>"Humph!" exclaimed a Bee, "it is a +very poor place for pockets, and a very +poor use to make of them. Every Bee +knows that pockets are handiest on the +hind legs, and should be used for carrying +pollen to the babies at home."</p> + +<p>"My pocket is behind," said a Spider, +"and my web silk is kept there. I couldn't +live without a pocket."</p> + +<p>Some of the meadow people were get<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">175</a></span>ting +angry, so the Garter Snake, who +would always rather laugh than quarrel, +glided forward and said: "My friends +and neighbors; our speaker here has been +so kind as to tell us how the Mosquitoes +do a great many things, and to try to +teach us their way. It seems to me that +we might repay some of his kindness by +showing him our ways, and seeing that +he learns by practice. I would ask the +Spiders to take him with them and show +him how to spin a web. Then the Bees +could teach him how to build comb, and +the Tree Frog how to croak, and the +Earthworms how to burrow, and the +Caterpillars how to spin a cocoon. Each +of us will do something for him. Perhaps +the Measuring Worm will teach him to +walk as the Worms of his family do. I +understand he does that very well." Here +everybody laughed, remembering the joke +played on the Caterpillars, and the Snake +stopped speaking.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">176</a></span></p> + +<p>The Mosquito did not dare refuse to +be taught, and so he was taken from one +place to another, and told exactly how to +do everything that he could not possibly +do, until he felt so very meek and humble +that he was willing the meadow people +should be busy and happy in their own +way.</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">177</a></span></p> + +<div class="dcp-chap26"> +<p style='padding-top: 320px;'> </p> +<h2 style='padding-right: 200px;'>THE FROG WHO THOUGHT HERSELF SICK</h2> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>By the edge of the marsh +lived a young Frog, who +thought a great deal about +herself and much less about +other people. Not that it +was wrong to think so much +of herself, but it certainly was +unfortunate that she should +have so little time left in +which to think of others and +of the beautiful world.</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>Early in the morning this +Frog would awaken and lean +far over the edge of a pool to see how<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">178</a></span> +she looked after her night's rest. Then +she would give a spring, and come down +with a splash in the cool water for her +morning bath. For a while she would +swim as fast as her dainty webbed feet +would push her, then she would rest, sitting +in the soft mud with just her head +above the water.</p> + +<p>When her bath was taken, she had her +breakfast, and that was the way in which +she began her day. She did nothing but +bathe and eat and rest, from sunrise to +sunset. She had a fine, strong body, and +had never an ache or a pain, but one day +she got to thinking, "What if sometime +I should be sick?" And then, because +she thought about nothing but her own +self, she was soon saying, "I am afraid I +shall be sick." In a little while longer it +was, "I certainly am sick."</p> + +<p>She crawled under a big toadstool, and +sat there looking very glum indeed, until +a Cicada came along. She told the Cicada<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">179</a></span> +how sick she felt, and he told his cousins, +the Locusts, and they told their cousins, +the Grasshoppers, and they told their +cousins, the Katydids, and then everybody +told somebody else, and started for the +toadstool where the young Frog sat. The +more she had thought of it, the worse she +felt, until, by the time the meadow people +came crowding around, she was feeling +very sick indeed.</p> + +<p>"Where do you feel badly?" they cried, +and, "How long have you been sick?" +and one Cricket stared with big eyes, and +said, "How dr-r-readfully she looks!" The +young Frog felt weaker and weaker, and +answered in a faint little voice that she +had felt perfectly well until after breakfast, +but that now she was quite sure her +skin was getting dry, and "Oh dear!" and +"Oh dear!"</p> + +<p>Now everybody knows that Frogs +breathe through their skins as well as +through their noses, and for a Frog's skin<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">180</a></span> +to get dry is very serious, for then he cannot +breathe through it; so, as soon as she +said that, everybody was frightened and +wanted to do something for her at once. +Some of the timid ones began to weep, +and the others bustled around, getting in +each other's way and all trying to do something +different. One wanted to wrap her +in mullein leaves, another wanted her to +nibble a bit of the peppermint which grew +near, a third thought she should be kept +moving, and that was the way it went.</p> + +<p>Just when everybody was at his wits' +end, the old Tree Frog came along. +"Pukr-r-rup! What is the matter with +you?" he said.</p> + +<p>"Oh!" gasped the young Frog, weakly, +"I am sure my skin is getting dry, and I +feel as though I had something in my +head."</p> + +<p>"Umph!" grunted the Tree Frog to +himself, "I guess there isn't enough in +her head to ever make her sick; and, as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">181</a></span> +for her skin, it isn't dry yet, and nobody +knows that it ever will be."</p> + +<p>But as he was a wise old fellow and had +learned much about life, he knew he must +not say such things aloud. What he did +say was, "I heard there was to be a great +race in the pool this morning."</p> + +<p>The young Frog lifted her head quite +quickly, saying: "You did? Who are +the racers?"</p> + +<p>"Why, all the young Frogs who live +around here. It is too bad that you cannot +go."</p> + +<p>"I don't believe it would hurt me any," +she said.</p> + +<p>"You might take cold," the Tree Frog +said; "besides, the exercise would tire you."</p> + +<p>"Oh, but I am feeling much better," +the young Frog said, "and I am certain +it will do me good."</p> + +<p>"You ought not to go," insisted all the +older meadow people. "You really ought +not."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">182</a></span></p> + +<p>"I don't care," she answered, "I am +going anyway, and I am just as well as +anybody."</p> + +<p>And she did go, and it did seem that +she was as strong as ever. The people +all wondered at it, but the Tree Frog +winked his eyes at them and said, "I +knew that it would cure her." And then +he, and the Garter Snake, and the fat, old +Cricket laughed together, and all the +younger meadow people wondered at what +they were laughing.</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">183</a></span></p> + +<div class="dcp-chap27"> +<p style='padding-top: 280px;'> </p> + +<h2 style='padding-right: 200px;'><small>THE</small> KATYDIDS' +QUARREL</h2> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>The warm summer days +were past, and the Katydids +came again to the +meadow. Everybody was +glad to see them, and the +Grasshoppers, who are +cousins of the Katydids, +gave a party in their honor.</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>Such a time as the +meadow people had getting +ready for that party! They +did not have to change +their dresses, but they +scraped and cleaned themselves, +and all the young +Grasshoppers went off by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">184</a></span> +the woods to practise jumping and get +their knees well limbered, because there +might be games and dancing at the party, +and then how dreadful it would be if any +young Grasshopper should find that two +or three of his legs wouldn't bend easily!</p> + +<p style='padding-right: 200px;'>The Grasshoppers did not know at just +what time they ought to have the party. +Some of the meadow people whom they +wanted to invite were used to sleeping all +day, and some were used to sleeping all +night, so it really was hard to find an hour +at which all would be wide-awake and +ready for fun. At last the Tree Frog +said: "Pukr-r-rup! Pukr-r-rup! Have it +at sunset!" And at sunset it was.</p> + +<p>Everyone came on time, and they +hopped and chattered and danced and +ate a party supper of tender green leaves. +Some of the little Grasshoppers grew +sleepy and crawled among the plantains +for a nap. Just then a big Katydid said +he would sing a song—which was a very<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">185</a></span> +kind thing for him to do, because he really +did it to make the others happy, and not +to show what a fine musician he was. All +the guests said, "How charming!" or, +"We should be delighted!" and he seated +himself on a low swinging branch. You +know Katydids sing with the covers of +their wings, and so when he alighted on +the branch he smoothed down his pale +green suit and rubbed his wing-cases a +little to make sure that they were in tune. +Then he began loud and clear, "Katy +did! Katy did!! Katy did!!!"</p> + +<p>Of course he didn't mean any real +Katy, but was just singing his song. +However, there was another Katydid +there who had a habit of contradicting, +and he had eaten too much supper, and +that made him feel crosser than ever; so +when the singer said "Katy did!" this +cross fellow jumped up and said, "Katy +didn't! Katy didn't!! Katy didn't!!!" +and they kept at it, one saying that she<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">186</a></span> +did and the other that she didn't, until +everybody was ashamed and uncomfortable, +and some of the little Grasshoppers +awakened and wanted to know what was +the matter.</p> + +<p>Both of the singers got more and more +vexed until at last neither one knew just +what he was saying—and that, you know, +is what almost always happens when people +grow angry. They just kept saying +something as loud and fast as possible +and thought all the while that they were +very bright—which was all they knew +about it.</p> + +<p>Suddenly somebody noticed that the +one who began to say "Katy did!" was +screaming "Katy didn't!" and the one +who had said "Katy didn't!" was roaring +"Katy did!" Then they all laughed, and +the two on the branch looked at each +other in a very shamefaced way.</p> + +<p>The Tree Frog always knew the right +thing to do, and he said "Pukr-r-rup!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">187</a></span> +so loudly that all stopped talking at once. +When they were quiet he said: "We will +now listen to a duet, 'Katy,' by the two +singers who are up the tree. All please +join in the chorus." So it was begun +again, and both the leaders were good-natured, +and all the Katydids below joined +in with "did or didn't, did or didn't, did +or didn't." And that was the end of the +quarrel.</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">188</a></span></p> + +<div class="dcp-chap28"> +<p style='padding-top: 280px;'> </p> +<h2 style='padding-left: 230px;'>THE LAST +PARTY +OF THE +SEASON</h2> + +<p style='padding-left: 230px;'>Summer had been a joyful +time in the meadow. +It had been a busy time, +too, and from morning till +night the chirping and +humming of the happy +people there had mingled +with the rustle of the +leaves, and the soft "swish, +swish," of the tall grass, as +the wind passed over it.</p> + +<p style='padding-left: 230px;'>True, there had been a +few quarrels, and some unpleasant +things to remem<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">189</a></span>ber, +but these little people were wise +enough to throw away all the sad memories +and keep only the glad ones. And +now the summer was over. The leaves +of the forest trees were turning from green +to scarlet, orange, and brown. The beech +and hickory nuts were only waiting for a +friendly frost to open their outer shells, +and loosen their stems, so that they could +fall to the earth.</p> + +<p>The wind was cold now, and the meadow +people knew that the time had come to +get ready for winter. One chilly Caterpillar +said to another, "Boo-oo! How +cold it is! I must find a place for my +cocoon. Suppose we sleep side by side this +winter, swinging on the same bush?"</p> + +<p>And his friend replied: "We must hurry +then, or we shall be too old and stiff to +spin good ones."</p> + +<p>The Garter Snake felt sleepy all the +time, and declared that in a few days he +would doze off until spring.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">190</a></span></p> + +<p>The Tree Frog had chosen his winter +home already, and the Bees were making +the most of their time in visiting the last +fall flowers, and gathering every bit of +honey they could find for their cold-weather +stock.</p> + +<p>The last eggs had been laid, and the +food had been placed beside many of +them for the babies that would hatch out +in the spring. Nothing was left but to say +"Good-by," and fall asleep. So a message +was sent around the meadow for all to +come to a farewell party under the elm tree.</p> + +<p>Everybody came, and all who could sing +did so, and the Crickets and Mosquitoes +made music for the rest to dance by.</p> + +<p>The Tree Frog led off with a black and +yellow Spider, the Garter Snake followed +with a Potato Bug, and all the other crawling +people joined in the dance on the +grass, while over their heads the Butterflies +and other light-winged ones fluttered +to and fro with airy grace.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">191</a></span></p> + +<p>The Snail and the fat, old Cricket had +meant to look on, and really did so, for a +time, from a warm corner by the tree, but +the Cricket couldn't stand it to not join +in the fun. First, his eyes gleamed, his +feelers waved, and his feet kept time to +the music, and, when a frisky young Ant +beckoned to him, he gave a great leap +and danced with the rest, balancing, jumping, +and circling around in a most surprising +way.</p> + +<p>When it grew dark, the Fireflies' lights +shone like tiny stars, and the dancing went +on until all were tired and ready to sing +together the last song of the summer, for +on the morrow they would go to rest. +And this was their song:</p> +</div> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">The autumn leaves lying<br /></span> +<span class="i2">So thick on the ground,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The summer Birds flying<br /></span> +<span class="i2">The meadow around,<br /></span> +<span class="i4">Say, "Good-by."<br /></span> +</div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">192</a></span><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">The Seed Babies dropping<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Down out of our sight,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The Dragon-flies stopping<br /></span> +<span class="i2">A moment in flight,<br /></span> +<span class="i4">Say, "Good-by."<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">The red Squirrels bearing<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Their nuts to the tree,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The wild Rabbits caring<br /></span> +<span class="i2">For babies so wee,<br /></span> +<span class="i4">Say, "Good-by."<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">The sunbeams now showing<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Are hazy and pale,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The warm breezes blowing<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Have changed to a gale,<br /></span> +<span class="i4">So, "Good-by."<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">The season for working<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Is passing away.<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Both playing and shirking<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Are ended to day,<br /></span> +<span class="i4">So, "Good-by."<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">The Garter Snake creeping<br /></span> +<span class="i2">So softly to rest,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The fuzzy Worms sleeping<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Within their warm nest,<br /></span> +<span class="i4">Say, "Good-by."<br /></span> +</div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">193</a></span><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">The Honey Bees crawling<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Around the full comb,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The tiny Ants calling<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Each one to the home,<br /></span> +<span class="i4">Say, "Good-by."<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">We've ended our singing,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Our dancing, and play,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">And Nature's voice ringing<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Now tells us to say<br /></span> +<span class="i4">Our "Good-by."<br /></span> +</div></div> + + +<h4>THE END.</h4> +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> + + + + +<h4>"<i>Many a mother and teacher will accord a vote +of thanks to the author.</i>"</h4> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 250px;"> +<img src="images/adpage.jpg" width="250" height="128" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h4><big>Among the Meadow People.</big><br /> +<small>STORIES OF FIELD LIFE, WRITTEN FOR THE LITTLE ONES.</small><br /> +By CLARA D. PIERSON.</h4> +<h4><small>Illustrated by <span class="smcap">F. C. Gordon</span>.</small><br /> +New Edition, 12mo, 194 pages, cloth, gilt top, $1.25</h4> + + +<p>"One of the daintiest and in many ways most attractive +of the many books of nature study which the past year has +brought forth."—<i>Boston Advertiser.</i></p> + +<p>"They are like Mrs. Gatty's well-known 'Parables from +Nature,' written in the best of English, as fascinating as fairy +tales, and yet 'really true,' a quality which we all know +appeals to the childish mind."—<i>N. Y. Evangelist.</i></p> + +<p>"We have seen nothing better for its purpose, and hope +many a teacher of kindergartens and many a mother may +avail herself of the privilege of using these little tales."—<i>N. +Y. Christian Advocate.</i></p> + +<p>"It will be a great advance in the work of education in the +school and the home when such books are more generally +utilized."—<i>Zion's Herald.</i></p> + +<p>"These charming stories of field life will delight many a +child of kindergarten age; and it is safe to say that older +brothers and sisters will also want to claim a share in them."—<i>Christian +Register.</i></p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<h4><big>Among the Forest People</big><br /> +By CLARA D. PIERSON</h4> +<h4><small>Illustrated by <span class="smcap">F. C. Gordon</span></small><br /> +12mo, 220 pages, cloth, gilt top $1.25</h4> + +<p>"A thoroughly charming book for the little people, which +grown folks can read, also, with many a satisfied chuckle at +its slily insinuated 'morals,' and inimitable mingling of human +sentiments and affairs in the wild life of 'the Forest People.' +The illustrations have really artistic value; thoroughly well +done, with a pleasing combination of the conventional in form +and light and shade, they are also clever and accurate in +drawing."—<i>Living Church.</i></p> + +<p>"A most charming series of stories for children—yes, and +for children of all ages, both young and old—is given us in the +volume before us. No one can read these realistic conversations +of the little creatures of the wood without being most +tenderly drawn toward them, and each story teaches many +entertaining facts regarding the lives and habits of these little +people. Mothers and teachers must welcome this book most +cordially. One cannot speak too strongly in praise of it."—<i>Boston +Transcript.</i></p> + +<p>"I declare I really feel tempted to adopt or borrow a nice +little girl of six or seven, just for the pleasure of reading this +perfect book to her while she snuggles down in my lap."—<span class="smcap">Kate Sanborn.</span></p> + +<p>"The telling is conceived with decided originality."—<i>Outlook.</i></p> + +<p>"There has not been such a book for many a year, and it +makes the old folks long to be young again."—<i>N. Y. Observer.</i></p> + +<p>"Is an utterly delightful book for the little folk."—<i>Interior.</i></p> + + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<h4><big>Among the Farmyard People</big><br /> +By CLARA D. PIERSON</h4> +<h4><small>Illustrated by <span class="smcap">F. C. Gordon</span></small><br /> +12mo, 256 pages, cloth, gilt top, $1.25</h4> + +<p>"The very pretty stories of animal life, 'Among the +Forest People,' and 'Among the Meadow People,' are continued +in Clara D. Pierson's 'Among the Farmyard People.' +To those who know the earlier volumes, this needs no introduction +or praise. To those who may still have that pleasure +in store, we can commend heartily these tenderly realistic +conversations, which show a sympathetic knowledge at once +of animals and of children, who will be amused and taught +and edified by these dainty little tales that never obtrude the +always healthy moral of this genuine Child's Book of Nature."—<i>Churchman.</i></p> + +<p>"They will be found valuable for use by mothers and kindergarten +teachers. The beautiful illustrations furnished by +F. C. Gordon are distinctively instructive. Altogether the +book is one of the most desirable works that can be found to +train the child's imagination, affection, and powers of observation."—<i>Boston +Beacon.</i></p> + +<p>"We heartily recommend the book for its thoroughly +healthy tone, far better adapted to a sweet and simple childhood +than much of the rather stimulating juvenile literature +of the day."—<i>N. Y. Commercial Advertiser.</i></p> + +<p>"A helpful book for young readers, teaching first lessons +in natural history, and inculcating principles of love for animals."—<i>Philadelphia +Evening Telegram.</i></p> + +<p>"A charming and pretty book for young children. It will +help them to observe, and it will also help them to think. +Nearly every story ends with something unsaid, which the nursery +people are to think out for themselves."—<i>Church Standard.</i></p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<h4><big>Among the Pond People</big><br /> +By CLARA D. PIERSON</h4> +<h4><small>With 12 full-page illustrations by <span class="smcap">F. C. Gordon</span></small><br /> +12mo, 222 pages, cloth, gilt top $1.25</h4> + +<p>This last book of Mrs. Pierson's has all the charm of the +earlier volumes. The adventures of Mother Eel, the Playful +Muskrat, the Snappy Snapping Turtle, and the other Pond +People, will be eagerly followed by children, whether they +are naturalists or ordinary readers. The fact that one does +not continually feel that she is writing for the purpose of instructing +the young, gives Mrs. Pierson her hold on so many +boys and girls. The books teach a great many lessons, but +one does not feel that the author is lying in wait to enlighten +the unwary youngster.</p> + +<p>"In it, as in the old Greek comedies, the frogs have a voice +and speak their little orations and crack their jokes and play +their pranks. The 'science' is elementary but the entertainment +genuine, and the little people to whom it is read will +ever cherish a kindly interest in the denizens of the ponds +and their floral homes and environments."—<i>Interior.</i></p> + +<p>"One lays down the book with quickened sympathy for +everything that crawls and creeps and swims."—<i>Critic.</i></p> + +<p>"The Pond People are quite as real and as fascinating as +were the Meadow People and the Barnyard People of previous +books. They are genuine stories, full of a humor that +will appeal to boys and girls, yet cleverly conveying information +about the frogs, turtles, minnows, etc., and often suggesting +a moral in a delicate manner which no child could +resent."—<i>Congregationalist.</i></p> + +<p>"In its way the work is very daintily done."—<i>Churchman.</i></p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> +<h4>Sent by mail, post-paid, on receipt of price</h4> + + +<h3>E. P. DUTTON & CO., Publishers<br /> +<small>31 West 23d Street New York</small></h3> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Among the Meadow People, by +Clara Dillingham Pierson + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AMONG THE MEADOW PEOPLE *** + +***** This file should be named 34943-h.htm or 34943-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/4/9/4/34943/ + +Produced by Heather Clark and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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