The Tale of Daddy Longlegs

Tale of Daddy Longlegs, by Arthur Scott Bailey

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Title: The Tale of Daddy Longlegs Tuck-Me-In Tales
Author: Arthur Scott Bailey
Illustrator: Harry L. Smith
Release Date: May 13, 2007 [EBook #21426]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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THE TALE OF DADDY LONGLEGS

TUCK-ME-IN TALES (Trademark Registered)
BY ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY
AUTHOR OF SLEEPY-TIME TALES (Trademark Registered)
THE TALE OF JOLLY ROBIN THE TALE OF OLD MR. CROW THE TALE OF SOLOMON OWL THE TALE OF JASPER JAY THE TALE OF RUSTY WREN THE TALE OF DADDY LONGLEGS THE TALE OF KIDDIE KATYDID THE TALE OF BUSTER BUMBLEBEE THE TALE OF FREDDIE FIREFLY THE TALE OF BETSY BUTTERFLY THE TALE OF BOBBY BOBOLINK THE TALE OF CHIRPY CRICKET THE TALE OF MRS. LADYBUG THE TALE OF REDDY WOODPECKER THE TALE OF GRANDMOTHER GOOSE

[Illustration: The Ant Soldiers Rushed at Daddy (Page 85)]

TUCK-ME-IN TALES (Trademark Registered)
THE TALE OF DADDY LONGLEGS
BY ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY
Author of "SLEEPY-TIME TALES" (Trademark Registered)
ILLUSTRATED BY HARRY L. SMITH
NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS
Made in the United States of America

Copyright, 1918, by GROSSET & DUNLAP

CONTENTS
CHAPTER Page
I. THE STRANGE TRACKS 1 II. THE NEW NEIGHBOR 7 III. MR. CROW IS DISPLEASED 12 IV. THE CONTEST 16 V. TOO MANY QUESTIONS 21 VI. MRS. LADYBUG'S PLAN 27 VII. TRYING TO HELP 31 VIII. IN NEED OF NEW SHOES 37 IX. LOCKED IN 42 X. A RIDE BY MOONLIGHT 47 XI. THE BIG WIND 53 XII. GOOD NEWS ON A BAD DAY 58 XIII. A DANGEROUS BUSINESS 62 XIV. ONE WAY TO STOP A HORSE 67 XV. A CALL ON A NEIGHBOR 72 XVI. BOASTFUL TALK 76 XVII. DADDY IS ATTACKED 81 XVIII. THE ANT ARMY 85 XIX. DADDY ESCAPES 90 XX. LOST--A JACKKNIFE! 95 XXI. JUST A NOTION 99 XXII. WHY DADDY WAS CHANGED 105 XXIII. A NEW NAME FOR DADDY 111 XXIV. A BRIDEGROOM 115

THE TALE OF DADDY LONGLEGS

I
THE STRANGE TRACKS
THERE was great excitement in the neighborhood of Farmer Green's house. Rusty Wren had found some strange tracks. And nobody knew whose they were.
Now, when they were puzzled like that the field- and forest-folk usually went straight to Mr. Crow for advice. But this time it happened that the old gentleman had gone on an excursion to the further side of Blue Mountain, where Brownie Beaver lived. And there seemed to be no one else at hand who was likely to be able to explain the mystery.
Being quite old, Mr. Crow was very wise. And people often sought his opinion, though later they fell into the habit of consulting Daddy Longlegs upon matters they did not understand. But this was before Daddy was known in Pleasant Valley.
Upon hearing Rusty Wren's news a good many of his neighbors hurried to the place where Rusty had noticed the strange tracks.
"They were there in the dust of the road," Rusty Wren explained to his friends. "I could see them plainly, I assure you. And there's no doubt that a large company crossed the road right here."
"Why can't we see the tracks now?" several people wanted to know.
"A horse and wagon passed this way and spoiled the footprints," Rusty said.
"They couldn't have been very big," somebody remarked.
"Well----no!" Rusty Wren admitted. "I shouldn't call them big. But they certainly weren't as small as the footprints of an ant."
When they heard that, some of Rusty's friends looked relieved.
"We don't need to worry, anyhow," a number of them said to one another.
But there was one that was disappointed. That was Reddy Woodpecker.
"Why, the strangers--whoever they are--are too small for me to fight!" he cried. "And here I've wasted all this time for nothing at all!" He looked so angrily at Rusty Wren that Rusty felt very uneasy. He certainly didn't want Reddy Woodpecker to fight him!
Luckily Reddy did not attack Rusty. But he went away grumbling. And Rusty Wren couldn't help feeling a bit worried.
"Never mind what that rowdy says!" little Mr. Chippy advised Rusty Wren--after the quarrelsome Reddy Woodpecker had gone away. "I'm glad you told me about those strange tracks. I live near-by, in the wild grapevine on the stone wall; and I shall watch for more tracks--and those that make them, too."
"Let me know when you learn anything new!" said Rusty Wren. And Mr. Chippy said that nothing would please him more than to do just that.
Well, the very next day Mr. Chippy's son, Chippy, Jr., knocked at Rusty Wren's door (which was right beneath Farmer Green's chamber window)