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Tale of Kiddie Katydid

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<h3>A CHANGE IN THE WEATHER</h3> Well, the day was not half gone before all the wild creatures in Pleasant Valley had heard all about Kiddie Katydid and his fiddling. At least twenty-seven people came to Mr. Frog at different times and told him the news. And he was furious. "Old Mr. Crow has deceived me!" he complained. "I found out this secret myself. And now that black rascal's taking all the credit for it." "Mr. Crow has suggested that Kiddie Katydid be invited to join the Pleasant Valley orchestra," Long Bill Wren informed Mr. Frog. "They have no fiddlers, you know. And Kiddie will be a[52] great help to them. Mr. Crow has appointed a committee to call on Kiddie to-night and ask him to come to the next concert." That was the last straw, so far as Mr. Frog was concerned. "Mr. Crow might at least have put me on the committee," he spluttered. "But he has left me out in the cold." "Why, it's not cold to-day!" Long Bill exclaimed. "Quite warm—I call it!" "It'll be good and cold by night," said Mr. Frog. "I look for a sudden change in the weather. Nobody ought to venture out to-night without his heaviest overcoat on." After flinging that remark over his shoulder, Mr. Frog flung himself inside his tailor's shop and slammed the door behind him. And then, sitting down cross-legged upon his table, he began to think,[53] wrinkling his low brow until you might have supposed he would need to smooth it out again with one of his flat-irons. At last the tailor suddenly quit thinking and smiled very widely from ear to ear. And carefully selecting some soft, warm, green cloth he began to fashion a small garment, which was tiny enough to fit—well, to fit a person as little as Kiddie Katydid. Being a spry worker, Mr. Frog finished his task by nightfall. And then, taking his handiwork with him, he left his shop—after locking the door behind him—and hid himself beneath a shelving rock on the bank of the creek. He was in a very happy mood; for his ideas about the weather had proved to be good. It was already turning cold. "If it wasn't midsummer I should think we were going to have a frost!"[54] Mr. Frog exclaimed, buttoning the long coat which he had donned before going out of doors. "I wish they'd hurry up!" he added mysteriously. He kept a close watch upon his shop door. It was evident that he expected callers. Not long afterward a crowd began to gather in front of Mr. Frog's door. "Back Soon" said the sign upon it. And the thinly clad, shivering knot of field folk sat themselves down unhappily and waited for the tailor to appear. Every one of them wanted a warm new overcoat, for each expected to be out late that night. Meanwhile Mr. Frog watched them—and giggled as loud as he dared. It was Mr. Crow's committee that thronged about his door—the people who were expecting to call upon Kiddie Katydid that very night to invite him to join the Pleasant Valley orchestra. [55] <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <h2>XII</h2> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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