Arthur Scott Bailey

“ Sandy Chipmunk shouted, as soon as Daddy joined him. "Here you are—and you're just in time! For there's the wagon rattling down the next hill. And old Ebenezer (that's the horse, please remember!) he'll climb this rise as fast as he can, because he's in a hurry to get home."
p. 65"He can't be half as anxious to reach home as I am," Daddy Longlegs remarked. "And if he doesn't go his fastest after I'm aboard the wagon I hope Johnnie Green will whip him hard."
"Johnnie can't do that," said Sandy Chipmunk. "His father won't let him have a whip." ”

“ Daddy Longlegs cried. "Why, I don't see how you dare to be out in it!"
"Oh, it's nothing when you're used to it," Sandy Chipmunk answered lightly.
"I shall never get used to the wind, I'm afraid," Daddy told him sadly. "Itp. 61 blows me about so terribly." And he went on to explain how he had started on a long journey the day before, and how he didn't dare go on—nor turn around and go home, either.
"Well, well!" Sandy Chipmunk exclaimed. "You seem to be in a fix. But why don't you ride home?"
"Ride?" Daddy Longlegs shrilled. "On what, I should like to know?"
"On Farmer Green's wagon!" ”

“ Now, Daddy Longlegs reached the farmhouse just in time to hear whatp. 32 Farmer Green said. And he spoke up at once—as loudly as he could.
"I'd be willing to work for you," he said. "I'm a harvestman. And you ought to be glad to hire me, for I have eight legs instead of only two."
Perhaps Daddy's voice was too thin and high for Farmer Green to hear. Anyhow, he paid not the slightest heed to Daddy's offer, but strode off across the farmyard while his caller cried "Stop! Please stop!" at the top of his lungs. ”

“ Daddy Longlegs is so tall that they can't touch anything except his feet!"
Taking a careful look at the battle-field, the General saw that it was so. But still the commander of the army was not dismayed.
"Can't you tip him over?"
"We've tried to already," replied Captain Kidd. "But he has too many legs for us."
"Can't your soldiers stand on one another's shoulders?"
p. 89"It's no use," the Captain answered. "We've tried that too."
General Antenna began to look somewhat worried, knowing that if the army couldn't win the battle before Rusty Wren came home, all would be lost. ”

“ And seeing Mr. Chippy perched on the wild grapevine, Daddy told him what had happened. "Farmer Green must be deaf at times, the same as you are," little Mr. Chippy observed. "If I were you I'd write him a letter."
Daddy Longlegs pretended not to hear Mr. Chippy's suggestion. The truth was, being only a few months old Daddy did not know how to write. But of course he did not care to have Mr. Chippy know that.
Well, while he pondered upon the situation Daddy Longlegs changed his mind about working for Farmer Green. In the beginning he had not wanted to help with the harvesting. ”

“ Crow was mistaken. My cousin's party took place exactly a year earlier. So Mr. Crow was twelve months late with his news."
When he heard that, Daddy Longlegs couldn't help laughing right in Rusty Wren's face.
"I don't see any joke," Rusty snapped. "I can tell you that it's a good deal of a disappointment to have your mind all made up for a party, and then find that there is none."
"Perhaps you're right," said Daddy Longlegs. "Anyhow, I'm glad now that there was a wind that day, because the wind prevented my walking all the way to Black Creek for nothing." ”

“ Daddy Longlegs had so many pleasant ideas in his head that there was no room in it for any thought of danger. He had found that his neighbors considered him a hero, because he had ridden in Farmer Green's wagon. A good many of Daddy's friends rushed at once to the stone wall, to talk with him—as soon as they heard the news. ”

“ Rusty urged him. "What happened to you?"
"What happened to me!" cried Daddy Longlegs. "I should think that riding in a wagon was adventure enough for anyone, without any other sort of danger added to it."
But Rusty Wren didn't agree with him.
"Riding in a wagon is nothing," he declared. "Farmer Green rides in one almost every day. And as for it's being dangerous, there's only the danger that you'll be late arriving at the place where you're going—especially if you have to depend on old Ebenezer to take you. He's several thousand times my size ”

“ Johnnie commanded, frowning severely at Daddy. "I've dropped my knife somewhere and you must point towards it if you want me to let you go.
"I'll tell you what it's like," he continued, "so you won't make any mistake. It has two blades, and a saw, and a corkscrew, and a gimlet, and a leather-punch, and a hook to use on a horse's hoof. It's the best knife I've ever owned. And I'd be pretty angry if you sent me off the wrong way to find a jackknife that wasn't nearly so good."
Now, Daddy Longlegs was angry himself. He thought that Johnnie Greenp. 101 had no business to make him a prisoner. ”

“ Accordingly he pulled himself together and began to walk away. He moved right through the ant army; and the soldiers were powerless to stop him.
Just then General Antenna happened to glance over the battle-field. And her sad look at once gave way to one of great joy. She even gave Captain Kidd a hearty slap on the back—much to that lady's distress (because it knocked her cap awry) .
"Look!" cried the General. "We've won the battle after all; for the enemy is retreating! Daddy Longlegs is running away!" ”

“ The members of the ant colony had made up their minds to capture Daddy the next time he should visit Rusty Wren. And the ant army of fierce fighters was all prepared for a terrible battle. Each day sentinels took their posts and stayed on watch, ready to give the alarm the moment Daddy Longlegs came hobbling through the grass near the foot of the cherry tree. ”

“ And of course he was disappointed when he found that Rusty Wren did not think him a hero at all.
"We'll say no more about the matter," Daddy observed stiffly. "I can see that you are jealous. And I always make it a rule not to dispute with jealous people."
Rusty Wren couldn't help feeling somewhat ashamed. He realized that perhaps he had not been very polite to his caller. "I meant no harm," he ventured "And if you want to change the subject, I've no objection."
"Very well!" Daddy Longlegs replied. "Let's talk about your cousin's party at Black Creek. ”

“ And it led to a good many disputes among Daddy Longlegs' neighbors. No two could ever agree as to which of Daddy's legs really pointed toward the place where he dwelt.
Anyhow, the wily gentleman was frequently seen scrambling about the stone wall by the roadside, near Farmer Green's house. And little Mr. Chippy, who made his home in the wild grapevine that grew on the wall, always claimed that Daddy Longlegs was a neighbor of his.
"He's a good neighbor, too," Mr.p. 9 Chippy told his friends. "He's very quiet and he never quarrels. And he's always pleasant and ready for a chat. ”

“ XIV ONE WAY TO STOP A HORSE Every one of Daddy Longlegs' eight knees began to shake, when Sandy Chipmunk told him to stand in the middle of the road, in order to stop the old horse Ebenezer, who was pulling the wagon in which Johnnie Green and his grandmother were riding. ”

“ Then he happened to catch sight of Chirpy Cricket hopping through the grass. And Daddy called to him and asked him how far it was to the oat field.
"It's a good half-day's journey from here," said Chirpy Cricket cheerfully. But Daddy Longlegs did not feel the least bit cheerful when he heard that.
"For the land's sake!" he exclaimed. "Are you sure you're not mistaken? Buster Bumblebee told me a long time ago that it was only a ten-minute trip."
"Ah! So it is—for him!" said Chirpyp. 36 Cricket. "You must remember that he flies very fast. But I have to hop along much more slowly. ”

“ X RIDE BY MOONLIGHT It was not exactly a pleasant ride that Daddy Longlegs had in the toe of Peter Mink's shoe. Not only was it dark pocket inside the shoe, but it was so cramped that Daddy was most uncomfortable. And what was still worse, he hadn't even the faintest idea where he was going.
Sometimes Daddy was almost sure that Peter Mink was carrying him around Blue Mountain. And at other times he thought that Peter must be following Swift River—to see where it went, perhaps. Anyhow, Daddy suffered such ap. ”

“ Almost anybody else would have been sure that Jimmy Rabbit would keep his shoe shop open at night, because he was always wider awake after dark. And many others of the field-people were exactly like him in that respect.
Daddy Longlegs had been sleepingp. 45 soundly for some time—inside the toe of a shoe—when the sound of voices awakened him. At first he kept very still. Being naturally a timid person he did not want to show himself until he was sure he was safe from harm. ”

“ And soon they arrived at the shoe shop, in front of which they found Jimmy Rabbit all smiles and bows.
"Here's a friend of mine who needs some new shoes," Chirpy Cricket announced.
"Come right in!" cried Jimmy Rabbit. "Any friend of Chirpy Cricket's is a friend of mine too. And if I can't fit your feet with shoes it won't be my fault. Only yesterday I sold a pair of shoes to old Mr. Crow. And his feet are enormous, as every one knows."
"Well, I want more than just one pair," Daddy Longlegs piped up. "I want four—making eight shoes in all.p. ”

“ She even travelled asp. 28 far as the big poplar, to tell Whiteface, the Carpenter Bee, what she had heard.
"A harvestman, eh?" said the Carpenter, thrusting his hands into the pockets of his apron. "If that's so, why doesn't he go to work?" And without waiting for an answer he dodged quickly inside his house. He was building an addition to his home; and naturally he was quite busy. He knew, too, that Mrs. Ladybug was a terrible talker. ”

“ Johnnie had worked in the hayfield on many hot days to earn enough to buyp. 96 that knife. So it was no wonder that he wanted to find it. He hunted for it carefully—in the woodshed (where he had gone for an armful of wood) , in the barn (where he had helped milk the cows that morning) , and under the big oak in the dooryard (into which he had chased the cat) . And not finding his knife in any of those places, he went into the pantry, for he remembered getting some jam and cookies there between breakfast and dinner-time.
The jackknife was not in the pantry. ”

“ But it is not strange that his walk seemed a bit uncertain. When a person has eight feet it is to be expected that he will have a little trouble managing them. It is to be expected that he will sometimes find himself trying to walk off in several different directions at the same time.
p. 12
III MR. CROW IS DISPLEASED Daddy Longlegs had such pleasant manners that it was no time at all before his neighbors agreed that he was a good old soul. And everybody was glad to claim him as a friend.
At least, everybody but Mr. Crow! Mr. ”

“ And he thought he would spend the rest of the summer making friends with his neighbors.
p. 30"Next year," he told her, "I may make some arrangement with Farmer Green to work for him regularly."
But that answer did not satisfy little Mrs. Ladybug in the least.
"You'd be far better off with something steady to do," she insisted. And she said so much that just to get rid of her Daddy Longlegs promised to see Farmer Green at once and offer his services. ”

“ Of course, you must click your heels together when a General speaks to you. And naturally that took Captain Kidd some time to do, because it is no easyp. 87 matter to click your heels together when you have six feet. ”