The Cheerful Cricket and Others | Page 9

that she had done to
bring Sandy up as a good and honest citizen of the kingdom.
She bustled about busily, and every time Sandy came in the house she
shoo-ed him out and told him to go take care of the horses and cows,
By and by she called him in and bade him put on his best clothes. She
didn't tell him that the King and Queen were coming, for Sandy was a
bashful boy and she was afraid this would frighten him.
Now the King and Queen had heard reports far and wide of the honesty
and goodness of Anty Hill and her nephew Sandy. If there were any
Ants sick in the kingdom Anty Hill and Sandy did something to help
them. All this pleased the King and Queen very much, and they made
up their minds to do something for Anty and Sandy. The other guests
had come, and it was time for the King and Queen. At last their coach
drew up in front of the door. It was a beautiful, shiny green beetle shell
drawn by two gnats. Two little liveried green midges tumbled off the
coach-box, opened the coach-door, and the King and Queen stepped
out, while the guests bowed low to the ground as they passed up the
entrance to the house where Anty and Sandy were waiting. Anty Hill
bowed low to the King and kissed the Queen's hand, while Sandy
bowed very low to both.
Then the King called all the guests about him and made a little speech.
He said he always liked to reward kindness and honesty, and that Anty

Hill and her nephew Sandy had been as kind and honest as any two
people in his kingdom. After this the King drew out his sword which
was a fine blade of sharp grass, and telling Sandy to kneel down, he
said: "I dub thee Knight of the Red Hill." This was a great honor and
ever afterward Sandy served the King; and Anty Hill, who became
Lady Hill, lived with him at the court.
That night Mrs. Cricky told all the little Cricketses she hoped they
would remember Sandy's honor, and that if they helped other people
they, too, might be honored some day. Chee and Chirk and Chirp
looked much awed, and waved their little pink clover sunbonnets
helplessly in the air till Father Cricky said he did wish they would stop,
it kept him from seeing the music he was studying for the Marsh Grass
Vesper Quartette.
"What is it, Father?" called Chee, who was always curious.
"It's a Cantata," said Mr. Cricky. Chee nudged Chirk and whispered:
"Say, what's that?"
"O, I don't know," said Chirk, "let's ask him to sing it, then we'll find
out."
"All right, you do," said Chee.
Father Cricky was very glad to sing it, and this was the song he sang:
_Tree-Top Cantata
Moderately fast_
Swing tree top, swing, This morning bright Swing gold and green In
gay sunlight Swing, tree-top, swing.
Swing tree top, swing In night time too, There's shining stars, And
falling dew, Swing, tree-top, swing.

THE WALKING STICK
The Walking Stick was soberly walking down the path looking spindly
in every way: long, thin legs and a long thin body that were for all the
world like a stick. Probably you have seen the Walking Stick many
times and thought him just a twig. If you hadn't been in such a hurry
you might have seen something interesting. Each time he picked up a
leg, he seemed to wave it in the air before he put it down again. That
was, I suppose, because he had to, each leg was so very long. The
Walking Stick had been given the name of the "Parson" by some
naughty little crickets, for no other reason, I am sure, than that he was

so exceedingly grave.
Chee and Chirk and Chirp were the naughty crickets who gave him the
name, and although Mrs. Cricky said it was unkind, yet other people
took it up. Now Chee and Chirk were waiting for the "Parson" when
they saw him come out of Grass Cottage, where he had been visiting
Mrs. Cricky.
"Ssh!" said Chee, "don't make so much noise, he'll hear us. There!
Chirk, take that blade of grass and stretch it across the path. He'll never
see it. They say he's always thinking about things that folks don't think
about at all."
"Say," said Chirk, tugging at the blade of grass, "if I wind it around this
buttercup stalk, will that do?"
"Yes," replied Chee, "here he comes. Oh! I wish Chirp was here!"
Along came the "Parson," gravely swinging one leg after the other in
the air and thinking with much pleasure of the kindliness of Mrs.