The Tale of Daddy Longlegs | Page 6

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. He had taken up Mrs. Ladybug's
suggestion only to keep her quiet. But now, having found that going to
work for Farmer Green was no easy matter to arrange, Daddy Longlegs
began to long to do the very thing he had wished to avoid.
At last he decided that he would go over to the oat field at once and do

what he could to help with the harvesting--without saying anything
more to anybody.
"Farmer Green can't help but be pleased," he thought, as he started off
across the farmyard in the same direction in which Johnnie Green's
father had gone when he called to the hired man to hurry.
Daddy had not gone far before he met Buster Bumblebee. "How far is it
to the oat field?" Daddy asked him.
"Oh! It's not ten minutes' journey," said Buster. "I've just come from
the clover-patch myself; and that's twice as far."
Daddy Longlegs thanked him. And then he turned and tottered on again.
For a long time he walked as fast as he could. It seemed to him that he
must have been travelling at least half an hour. But he saw not the
slightest sign of the oat field, though he climbed a fence and peered
across the rolling meadow.
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 Chirpy Cricket. "You must remember that
he flies very fast. But I have to hop along much more slowly. And as
for you, at the pace you were travelling before you stopped to speak to
me you wouldn't reach the oat field before to-morrow morning!
No--not even if you walked all night!"

VIII
IN NEED OF NEW SHOES
DADDY LONGLEGS couldn't help feeling discouraged when Chirpy
Cricket told him that he wouldn't be able to reach the oat field before
the next morning.
"I declare," he said, "if I had known it was such a long journey I
wouldn't have tried to go there to help Farmer Green with his
harvesting. I've already walked so far that my shoes are all worn out.
And I can neither go on nor go back until I get some new ones." He
looked very doleful--for he didn't know what to do. But Chirpy Cricket
laughed merrily--as was his custom.
"Cheer up!" he cried. "You're in luck! Jimmy Rabbit has a shoe shop in
this very meadow. Just follow me and I'll show you where it is!"
So off they went. 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. And I flatter myself that my feet
are very small," he added.
Jimmy Rabbit looked a bit surprised at that remark. He was not
accustomed to seeing eight-legged people in his shop. But he made no
comment, though he couldn't help staring at his new customer.
Meanwhile Chirpy Cricket had hopped away, after telling Daddy that

he was leaving him in good hands. And then Jimmy Rabbit went to
work briskly. He began setting shoes of all sorts and sizes before
Daddy Longlegs. And soon he was not only placing them in front of
Daddy, but on both sides of him--and behind him as well.
Jimmy Rabbit was so