Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks, and the Online Distributed Proofreading
Team.
THE CHEERFUL CRICKET
THE SLOTHFUL TOAD
THE SULLEN CATERPILLAR
THE GREEN INCH WORM
THE MEAN SPIDER
THE MARSH GRASS VESPER QUARTETTE
THE NOISY FLY
THE DIZZY MOTH
THE HONEST ANT
THE WALKING STICK
LADY BUG & MRS. POE TATO-BUG
THE TUNEFUL HUMMING BIRD
The Cheerful Cricket had been running around anxiously in the grass allthe morning. Mrs. Cricky carried her head down, and when she ran shescuttled, and when she stopped she was absolutely still, except for hereyes, which she turned about brightly in every direction. Mrs. Crickywas looking for food for Chee, Chirk and Chirp. Usually Mr. Crickybrought home the food, but he was a member of the Marsh Grass VesperQuartette—made up of himself, Miss K. T. Did, Mr. Frisky Frog and Mr.Tree Toad Todson, first cousin to Toadie Todson—and they had all beenout very late the night before, so Mrs. Cricky didn't wish to disturbhim.
At last Mrs. Cricky found what she wanted, and home she came. Chirp andChee and Chirk were fed, and then it was time to begin school. Mrs.Cricky always taught her own children. She had rented three littletoad-stools, not any bigger than tacks, from Toadie Todson, and thesethe children used for desks. She often said that she thought round-topdesks better than flat, for then the children were not so likely to leantheir elbows on them. School began promptly as the sun rose; nineo'clock would have seemed a lazy hour to the little Cricketses. Theprincipal study Mrs. Cricky taught was Cheerfulness, much the same asyou are taught reading and writing. She said that the whole duty of acricket was to be cheerful. After this she gave them some lessons inFear. These lessons were something like the things your mother tellsyou, such as, "Don't go near the water," "Fire burns," "Don't put beansin your ears," "Look before you leap;" only Mrs. Cricky told Chirp andChee and Chirk never to go near one of old Stingy's spider-webs, andwhen they saw a giant coming with a fish pole in his hand, to hop awayas fast as they could. Then, too, she said there was a four-footedanimal, called a cat, that caught little crickets to eat them up. Afterthis they all chirruped together as she waved a blade of grass to keeptime, then she rang a blue-bell and school was over. She put threelittle clover-leaf sunbonnets on them and sent them out into the sun toplay.
Now Chirp and Chee and Chirk were like other little boys and girls whodo not learn their lessons very well. And Chee was careless aboutlistening to his lessons in Fear. They went right out with their threelittle clover-leaf sunbonnets on and down to the edge of the lake. Cheeclimbed way up to the top end of a large blade of grass, and wasbalancing there, much as you like to on a spring-board, whenaccidentally he fell into the lake. Chirp and Chirk ran to and fro,frightened to death, calling for help. But nobody heard them. In themeantime Chee was kicking in the water and making a great fuss, when abig oak leaf floated by, and