Excerpt
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) and told Rusty that he was wanted by the roadside at once.
So Rusty flew straight to the stone wall, where he found little Mr. Chippy all aflutter. Mr. Chippy dropped quickly into the road, pointing to some tiny marks in the dust.
"Are those like the tracks you saw?" he asked.
"Yes—the very same!" cried Rusty Wren. "And now you can see for yourself that there must have been a crowd."
To his surprise Mr. Chippy shook his head.
"There was only one person——" he said—"one person with eight legs!"
"Why do you think that?" Rusty Wren asked him doubtfully....