The Tale of Daddy Longlegs | Page 4

said:
"The best time to plant corn is as early as possible."
A good many of those present exclaimed at once that that was a good
answer. And a few clapped their hands.
"What's your opinion?" Jasper Jay then asked, turning to Daddy
Longlegs.
Daddy Longlegs took off his hat, mopped his narrow forehead with his
red bandanna, and then slowly nodded his head three times.
"My answer is exactly the same as Mr. Crow's," he piped in his queer,
thin, high voice.
At that a look of displeasure passed quickly over the faces of the two
cousins. And when little Mr. Chippy called on Jasper Jay to decide

which was the better answer, Jasper looked really worried.
"It's a tie this time," he said somewhat sourly. And while everybody
was shouting, he and Mr. Crow withdrew to one side and whispered,
which some considered to be rather bad manners.
Soon Jasper and Mr. Crow returned to the eager throng. And Jasper
now looked as brazen as ever.
"I'll put the next question," he announced. "And Daddy Longlegs may
answer first.... How many kernels of corn make a meal!"
There wasn't a sound--except for Buster Bumblebee's buzzing--as
Daddy Longlegs moved forward a few steps and held his hand behind
his ear.
"Speak louder!" somebody said to Jasper. "You know he's hard of
hearing."
So Jasper Jay repeated the question. But Daddy Longlegs only looked
at him blankly.
It was quite clear that he couldn't understand a single word that Jasper
said.

IV
TOO MANY QUESTIONS
"THIS is strange!" old Mr. Crow exclaimed, looking very hard at
Daddy Longlegs. "You heard the first question easily enough. But now
you seem deaf as a post."
And all the time Daddy Longlegs merely smiled at Mr. Crow. He made
no comment at all.
"Don't you know what I'm saying?" Mr. Crow bawled in his loudest

tones.
"It is a pleasant day," said Daddy Longlegs. "But I'm afraid there's
going to be a heavy gale to-morrow."
"This is certainly peculiar," Mr. Crow grumbled. And then little Mr.
Chippy hastened to explain that Daddy Longlegs was often like that.
He would appear to hear you perfectly one moment. And then--if you
happened to ask him his age, or where he came from--you might find
him unable to understand a single word that you said.
"It's most unfortunate," said old Mr. Crow. "I see nothing to do but
reply to the question myself. And then my cousin, Jasper Jay, will
decide which has given the better answer--Daddy Longlegs or I."
"Ah! But you can't do that!" cried Daddy Longlegs suddenly. "Jasper
Jay said you were not to answer this question until after I had. And you
know you mustn't break the rules of the contest."
Old Mr. Crow's mouth fell open, he was so astonished.
"Why, he can hear again!" he exclaimed. And after staring at Daddy
Longlegs for a while he beckoned to Jasper Jay. And again the two
cousins moved a little distance away and began whispering.
When they returned both were smiling broadly. And mounting the
stone wall once more, Jasper said that he would put another question to
Daddy and Mr. Crow, and that they must both answer it at the same
time. Then he cautioned Daddy Longlegs to speak up good and loud,
because Mr. Crow had a strong voice.
"I'd suggest----" said Daddy Longlegs----"I'd suggest that Mr. Crow
speak as softly as possible, because my voice is weak."
"That's only fair!" all the company agreed, nodding their heads to one
another. But Mr. Crow appeared peevish.
"Everybody's against me," he grumbled. "I almost believe----" he said,

turning to his cousin----"I almost believe they're all in league with
Farmer Green."
"If you are not sure, why don't you ask Farmer Green himself?" Daddy
Longlegs inquired.
"I will!" cried Mr. Crow in a loud voice. "I'll ask him the next time I
see him."
"Then you can ask him now," said Daddy Longlegs, "for here he comes,
with a gun on his shoulder."
The words were hardly out of Daddy's mouth when old Mr. Crow
began to beat the air furiously with his broad wings. He rose
quickly--but not too high--and made for the woods as fast as he could
fly.
"Now, that's strange!" Daddy Longlegs quavered. "I don't see how he's
going to talk with Farmer Green when he's half a mile away from him."
And everybody else said the same thing.
"He's gone off and left the contest unfinished," little Mr. Chippy
observed. "So there's nothing Jasper Jay can do except to declare that
Daddy Longlegs is the winner--and the wisest person in Pleasant
Valley."
"I couldn't very well do that," Jasper objected. "You're forgetting
Solomon Owl."
"Well, Daddy's wiser than old Mr. Crow, anyhow," Mr. Chippy retorted.
And since almost everybody